Chapter 3 Call me

"Mildred, you... For heaven's sake, I'm not letting you off easily!"

"Mom!" Bryan stepped forward, trying to restrain his furious mother. He knew how damaging rumors could be. He had indeed rescued someone today, but once word got out, the truth could be twisted beyond recognition.

"And what about Leticia..." Jennifer spoke in a melancholy tone.

Samantha smirked slightly. Normally, these two women were at odds, but when it came to meddling in others' affairs, they worked together like a perfectly matched set of gloves.

Leticia, pale and flustered, immediately waved her hands, distancing herself from any scandal. "I-I'm fine. Bryan only pulled my arm to get me out of the water."

A few onlookers who had reached the shore first nodded in agreement. "That's right, Bryan didn't do anything inappropriate to Leticia."

That statement was interesting-did it imply that something improper had happened with Natasha?

The crowd muttered among themselves as a man appointed by the village authorities arrived late, listening to the scattered chatter and piecing together the story.

Gary's expression darkened as he surveyed the scene. Without a word, he removed the shirt he had been wearing over his tank top and draped it over Natasha's shoulders. He didn't notice how she stiffened at his touch.

Oh no. This situation suddenly looked far worse than it was.

The team leader and the secretary exchanged glances before calling out, "Alright, enough of this. Do you all still want your work points today? Anyone who keeps standing around gossiping will lose a full day's worth."

Work points were as vital as food and shelter for the villagers. At the threat of losing them, the crowd dispersed almost instantly.

As they walked back, Samantha nudged Henry and whispered, "Are Bryan and Natasha together?"

Henry hesitated. "I don't know, but they're often seen together, and I've seen Natasha slipping him treats a few times."

Samantha nodded, filing the information away.

Back at the worksite, the earlier commotion still dominated conversations. Jennifer and Mildred were too preoccupied with their own grievances to pay attention to anyone else.

"The Secretary's wife probably doesn't want Bryan to marry a 'city girl,'" Mildred pouted.

"Natasha may not be good at housework, but she comes from a decent family and always receives parcels and money from home. They don't even realize they've lucked out," Jennifer said, her tone laced with jealousy.

Mildred scoffed. "City girls are demanding. Bryan's family is well-off, and he's a soldier. No wonder they don't want her."

As she spoke, she shot Samantha a pointed look, as if implying something about city girls in general.

Samantha rolled her eyes. What a pointless argument. "Mildred, whether they're difficult or not, your family can't afford to cater for them anyway. City girls don't just fall into anyone's lap."

With that, she grabbed her hoe and disappeared before Mildred could respond.

Mildred fumed. "That ungrateful girl! Next time, I'll teach her a lesson!"

"Look who you're picking a fight with," Jennifer muttered. "You're giving me a headache."

Samantha, meanwhile, made her way to the taskmaster, got her six work points recorded, and then skipped off to the volunteer base, already dreaming of food and rest. Tomorrow was a half-day off. Maybe she'd take a stroll into town.

She took a deep gulp of the spiritual spring water she always carried with her, instantly feeling revitalized.

Back at the volunteer base, Natasha lay motionless on the bed, her damp clothes clinging to her skin. She had thanked everyone for their concern, but her mind was somewhere else entirely.

She had never expected to be reborn.

Even more astonishing, she had returned to the very day she fell into the water-the day her life had first entangled with Bryan's.

This moment... she had lived it before.

The first time, she had been rescued by Bryan. The village gossips had torn her reputation apart, claiming Bryan had seen every inch of her body. Unable to prove otherwise, she had been forced into marriage.

Bryan's mother had never wanted her. She had already chosen a bride for him from a neighboring town. But fate-or misfortune-had intervened, and Natasha had unknowingly "stolen" that spot.

From the day she married into the Limo family, she had been treated with cold disdain. When Bryan's military leave ended, he returned to the army, leaving her alone to endure his mother's cruelty. She had been young, naive, and unwilling to fight back. She had suffered in silence-until the day his mother caused the miscarriage of her first child.

But Bryan had never been cruel.

When he returned and discovered what had happened, he had confronted his mother, moved out, and given her every penny of his salary except for a small allowance sent home. He had shielded her from hardship, kept her from working in the fields, and when college entrance exams were reinstated, he had fully supported her studies.

But she hadn't seen his kindness.

Back then, she had still loved Gary. She had resented Bryan's family so deeply that she had ignored everything he had done for her. And when Gary and Naomi-her closest friend-had urged her to leave, she had listened.

She had abandoned Bryan. Abandoned their daughter.

She had expected a new life, a better future with Gary. But his family refused to accept a woman with a past. In the end, he married someone else.

Her own family was disgusted by her foolishness. Left with nothing, she struggled alone until she finally built a career for herself.

And then, one day, she saw Bryan again.

He stood in the city streets, beside Naomi. Naomi-the very woman who had urged her to leave him. They were close, intimate. Natasha had realized then, far too late, that she had been nothing more than a pawn in someone else's game.

Her life had been a cruel joke.

And now, she was here again.

She lay on the bed, staring at the wooden ceiling, her heart racing. This time... she wasn't the same Natasha. She carried memories of the future-memories of a life wasted on the wrong people.

This was the moment everything had changed the first time. But now, she had the chance to make it different.

Elsewhere...

In the next room, Leticia lay on her own bed, equally lost in thought.

She wanted nothing to do with these country folks. More than anything, she wanted Brandon.

Before they left for this village, his mother had said they would return home soon-for a family visit, then an engagement. But her mother had refused.

"Leticia," a soft voice interrupted her thoughts. Her brother, Lucas, stepped in, carrying a bowl of ginger soup.

She took it without thinking.

"Where's Brandon?" she asked, sipping slowly. "Call him here. I have something to tell him."

Lucas hesitated, then nodded. "Alright."

A short while later, Brandon entered. His face was drawn, fatigue evident in the lines of his brow.

"What did you want to see me for?" he asked, his voice flat.

Leticia's heart skipped. His tone was colder than she expected. For the first time, she felt a twinge of panic.

Still, she mustered a soft, wounded expression and murmured, "Brandon... I almost thought I wouldn't see you today.