"Ugh... ugh..." Grace White's whole body felt like it was being strangled by the suffocating pressure, her chest heavy and her breath caught. She tried to move, but her limbs were completely weak, refusing to cooperate.
She wanted to cry out for help, but as soon as she opened her mouth, water poured in instead of air.
"Ugh... ugh..." Her coughing grew fainter. All around her was water. She was submerged, unable to call out or move.
Her body grew heavier, sinking as her consciousness started fading fast.
Just when all hope left her and death seemed inevitable, something strange happened. A fish swam up to her. The tail of the fish brushed against her head, and she almost thought she heard it sigh softly, saying, “Your time isn’t up yet. I’ll give you a hand. As long as there’s kindness in your heart, your days ahead will only get better.”
..."She jumped into the river on her own. It’s got nothing to do with our family. Just think about it, ever since she and Cliff got engaged, bad luck’s followed us around. First, Cliff's dad lost his job, then Cliff got hit by a heavy cart, and the doctor said he’ll need at least ten days to recover. And yesterday, I almost got crushed by a falling tree. Before this engagement, everything in our family was fine. We better call it off while we still can so both sides can move on," Helen Calmwater, Cliff’s mother, said matter-of-factly.
"Exactly. It’s just a broken engagement, no big deal. She didn’t have to act like it’s the end of the world. Besides, with her looks, if not for Cliff, no one would even consider her. No wonder she’s clinging to him so desperately," Cliff’s grandmother said gruffly.
Hearing their words, Grace’s mother, Linda Angeles, choked up and whispered, "Grace, my poor child, how could you be so foolish?"
"She’s still warm. She’ll wake up soon," Helen sneered coldly. "Even if she had died, it wouldn’t be our fault. She’s not part of our family yet, so she doesn’t count as our responsibility."
"Yeah, what an unlucky girl. No one wants her in our house. If she wants to take her own life, just let her. As long as it doesn’t happen under our roof," the old grandmother echoed with a scornful laugh.
To be honest, if Cliff wasn’t limping and struggling to find a wife, no one would’ve looked twice at someone like Grace, who was plain and unattractive.
“Cough, cough,” Grace suddenly let out a couple of dry coughs, her eyes still closed.
"Grace!" Linda gasped, rushing to hold her up. "You’re awake! Thank goodness, you scared me to death!"“Ah, you’re awake. Good. I was worried you'd die and make it even harder for our Cliff to find a wife. Now that you're up, let me tell you something—our family is done with yours. We’ve called off the engagement, so from now on, whether you live or die has nothing to do with us,” Helen Calmwater sneered, her tone dripping with malice as she glanced at Grace White, who had just caught her breath.
“Exactly," chimed in Cliff’s grandmother, clutching a bolt of fabric and an old radio. "Look, we’re just here to take back the betrothal gifts we gave your family. As for the snacks and treats you ate, we’ll just consider them wasted on dogs.”
Back when the families arranged the engagement, the Calmwaters had given six hundred bucks, a radio, fabric, and a bunch of snacks and pork. Now that they were breaking it off, the food could stay, but the money, radio, and fabric were non-negotiable.
Neither of the women so much as looked at Grace lying weakly on the floor as they walked out with large strides, their words cutting like knives.
Grace's head felt heavy, her mind swimming in confusion. It was like she had drowned and been pulled back just when she thought she’d die. No, actually, the truth was unsettling—her 21st-century self was alive, but the poor girl who originally owned this body had perished.
What on earth had she gotten herself into?She remembered winning an award at a company event—a grand prize called the "Koi Queen Award." The winner got to tour the top ten tourist spots in the country, all sponsored by the company. On top of that, they could be the spokesperson for these spots and earn a generous advertising fee.
One of the rewards was a seaside vacation. She had been swimming in the ocean when, out of nowhere, she felt like she was sucked into a whirlpool. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t swim back to safety.
When she woke up again, she found herself here, now living as Grace White in this strange world.
“Grace, Grace, are you okay? Say something!” Linda Angeles was panicking, her voice trembling as she clung to her daughter. Watching Grace lying there, eyes wide open but blank and lifeless, scared her out of her wits.
Her Grace had always been deemed ugly by others because of the large, dark birthmarks on her face since birth. People's cruel remarks had shaped Grace into someone reclusive and silent, reluctant to step outside or speak to anyone.
This engagement to Cliff Childers had been a rare source of joy for her.
“Grace, it’s going to be okay. My darling’s so good-hearted, I swear, I’ll find you another good match. Don’t scare me like this!” Linda sobbed, holding her daughter tightly. Her voice cracked with emotion.
Grace’s eyes shifted slightly. She wanted to speak, but her throat felt so blocked that no sound would come out. Suddenly, she retched hard and coughed up a mouthful of murky water. She sat on the ground, her voice weak, "I'm fine, just thirsty."
"Alright, let's go home, have some water there." Linda Angeles, flustered by her daughter's words, hurriedly tried to carry Grace White back home.
When the Childers came to call off the engagement, Grace must’ve overheard the commotion and ran outside.
Linda sensed something was wrong and went looking for her, never expecting Grace to take it so hard.
...
"Thought marrying her would give us a boy and bring luck to the family, but turns out she’s just bad news. She hasn’t even stepped into our home yet, and look how much havoc she’s caused. Calling it quits is for the best. Still, I can’t stop thinking about the two pounds of snacks and five pounds of pork I gave them, just wasted like that," Helen Calmwater grumbled, the thought of the wasted food making her heart ache on their way back.
“If it wasn’t for that wretched girl pulling this stunt, I’d have gotten those snacks and pork back too. Honestly, this type of girl, getting so dramatic over something minor—imagine the trouble she'd be if she married into this family. Good riddance to bad rubbish, I say,” chimed in Cliff Childers’s grandmother, equally regretful over the loss. "Exactly! Marrying her is like inviting trouble into the house, a walking disaster. Whoever marries her is doomed," Helen Calmwater said, spitting on the ground. But maybe the wind wasn’t on her side; the spit ended up flying straight toward her mother-in-law, who was standing nearby.
Her mother-in-law’s face darkened instantly. Forgetting that she still held a radio in her hand, she quickly sidestepped. Unfortunately, there was a large rock right in front of her. Panicking, she didn’t watch her step, and her foot hit the rock, sending her tumbling onto the ground.
The radio in her hand crashed to the ground alongside her, shattering into pieces.