bChapter /bb560 /b

Before she got married, Josephine’s family bwas /bthe perfect example of what ba /bbmess /blooks like. She had ba /bgambling–addicted dad, a little brother who was the golden boy, ba /bmother who yed favorites, and her–the daughter who was always left hurt and picking up the pieces.

She bwas /bbonce /ba straightb–/bbA /bstudent. Her teachers bwere /bsure she’d be the one to make it out of Mistrere and into a good university, but she never got the chance. bHer /bmiddle school teachers knew all about her family situation and tried to help her bstay /bin school. They even bwent /bto her parents, telling them that if she earned ba /bcollege degree, her value would increase.

That bway/bb, /bwhen she got married, she could fetch a higher bride price.

But all that effort bwas /bwasted. After bjust /bone byear /bof high school, her parents somehow got it into their heads bthat /btoo much schooling would make a girl wild, that she’d get ideas and wouldn’t listen to them anymore. And right around then, there was a girl in the vige who was making a huge bscene/b–threatening bto /bbdo /bsomething drastic–because her parents wouldn’t let her keep studying.

Her parents forced her back home and kept her there, and she ended up stuck until her little brother was old enough bto /bstart chasing girls.

After that, she bwas /btreated like nothing more than goods to be sold–the one who offered the most got to take her, and it didn’t matter who they bwere/bb. /bAs long bas /bsomeone could cough up a good bride price, they could marry her.

Every time Josephine thought back on her life, she couldn’t help but feel like all the luck she ever had got used up on her marriage.

The years after she married into Ridgehaven Town were honestly the best she’d ever had. Her husband never cared whether she worked or not as he bwas /bthe one keeping the family afloat anyway. But of course, nothing goodsts forever….

Josephine knew all too well that after her husband passed baway/b, the vige was full of rumors about her. She’d tried to exin that she always had new clothes bwas /bbecause online shops would send her outfits for free in exchange for photos, and that she didn’t need to leave home for work since she could earn money right from her phone.

But nobody cared ito /ilisten.

It wasn’t the truth they wanted. The vigers just needed something to liven up their dull lives, and her misfortune was the juiciest gossip for their idle chats over meals.

She was a strong woman, capable of handling whatever life threw her way. However, each time she witnessed the vige kids bullying her son- calling him a bastard, taunting him about how no one even knew who his biological father was, and saying her husband had been so unfortunate that he had died simply from raising her–it pierced her heart deeply. The taunts reminded her of the pain and the unfairness they had all faced, and it still hurt her to the bcore/b.

That was when she made up her mind–once she saved enough money and her son was a bit older, she’d take him and leave Ridgehaven Town for good. She wanted to give him a better life, away from all this.

But just ba /bweek ago, that dream ran smack into its biggest obstacle yet.

That day, all the clothes she needed for her photoshoots arrived, so she headed into town to pick up her packages. That’s when she bumped into Samuel, the vige chief’s son, who worked as an ountant at the ughterhouse.

Samuel bwas /bone of the few college graduates in the vige, and as the chief’s son, everyone said he was a real straight arrow. But Josephine knew the truth. Every time she ran into him, he had that same look in his eyes as all the other men.

At first, Josephine didn’t think much of him. He was already engaged, and honestly, he wasn’t so much honest as just a bit of a wimp.

She picked up her packages and was about to leave when, out of nowhere, Samuel approached her, insisting on carrying her packages. No matter how many times she tried to decline his offer, he persisted. However, since he was the vige chief’s son and she still needed ito /ilive in Ridgehaven Town, she couldn’t afford to offend him. Ultimately, she had no choice but to ept Samuel’s help

And just like that, the vige gossip mill kicked into high gear, and people started whispering that something was going on between her and

Samuel.

She didn’t bother with it as she was used to this kind of thing by now. Samuel was engaged, after all, so he’d have to clear things up sooner orter. People would believe him over her any day.