I had just woken up from my rebirth, my head spinning and memories jumbled. Before I could say anything, Lachlan grabbed my hand and pulled me outside.
“Lachian, be gentle!” I said.
Hearing the anger in my voice, Lachlan apologized, “Sorry, wife!”
Even though I had been reborn, even though Lachlan had saved me in my past life, I still rolled my eyes at him in disgust. “Who’s your wife?”
Lachlan let go of me and started gesticulating wildly. “Brynn! Brynn! Wife!”
My mom pushed me again, threatening me in a low voice, “The money for your brother’s wedding and your younger brother’s school fees all depend on you. Behave yourself, or I’ll beat you!”
I shuddered.
Worse than death was the beating and cursing from my whole family. Whenever I disobeyed, my dad would whip me with his belt, my mom would hit me with her slippers, my older brother would tie me up, and my younger brother would prick me with needles,
In my past life, fearing to jump from one fire into another, I had jumped into the lake on the day Lachlan came.
2
Lachlan jumped up and down, shouting, “Brynn! Let’s go! Buy!”
He pulled out some money from his pocket and waved it in front of me.
I had barely gone to school, not even finishing elementary. I had never left the village and had only seen ten or twenty–dollar bills. I had never seen what a hundred–dollar bill looked like.
BOON AM
<
Now Lachlan was holding hundred–dollar bills, saying he wanted to buy me things. It felt like a dream.
My mom pushed Lachlan towards me, smiling, “Go on! Look how much Lachlan likes you!”
Lachlan took my hand, and this time, I didn’t refuse.
As we walked through the village, eyes were everywhere – curious, probing, and mostly mocking.
“Only Rosemary would be willing to marry her daughter off to a simpleton like Lachlan Walker, and an outsider at that!”
“Rosemary got two thousand dollars! She can pay for her eldest son’s wedding, send her youngest to school, and even fix up the house. What a great deal!”
“Her dad’s always saying Brynn’s a money–losing proposition. Well, look at her now, earning big bucks for him! It’s just a shame for the poor girl, abused at home and now marrying a simpleton!”
Rosemary was my mother’s name. What a beautiful name!
Even with my limited education, I knew it was a pretty name, but my mother never bothered to give me one.
The name Brynn, I had chosen for myself when I started elementary school.
They only ever called me “Unlucky” or “Little bitch.”
