Chapter 2

I let a flicker of hurt cross my face, just enough for Sharon to see.

"But... David?" I stammered, playing the part of the jilted, confused girl.

Sharon patted my arm, her touch cold.

"It's a good match, Ava. A solid future. Chloe is just... emotional. You'll be happier with David, trust me."

I looked at David. He stood stiffly, his face a mask of confusion and embarrassment at Chloe' s public display. He was a decent man. I knew that from my first life.

"Alright, Sharon," I said, my voice small. "If Chloe truly wants Mike... and David is willing..."

Relief washed over Sharon's face, quickly hidden. She thought she' d won.

"But," I added, my voice gaining a new firmness that surprised her. "I have conditions."

Sharon's eyes narrowed. "Conditions?"

"Yes. My dowry." I looked her straight in the eye. "I want my mother's heirloom seeds. The collection she cherished. And I want my grandfather's old tractor. The red one."

Panic flashed in Sharon's eyes. Those seeds were rare, valuable. The tractor, though old, was a workhorse. She' d planned to sell them both, pocket the cash.

"Ava, those are just old things..."

"They were my mother's," I stated flatly. "And my grandfather's. They mean something to me. If I'm to marry David, a man I barely know, I want those pieces of my family with me."

I pressed on, not giving her a chance to refuse.

"And the insurance money from my biological father's death. The 'accidental' death. You kept it. I want it."

Sharon paled. That money was long spent, or so she thought I believed.

Chloe, meanwhile, was clinging to Mike, who looked like he' d won the lottery. She was already talking about their future, loud enough for everyone to hear, about a big farm and easy living. She was already pregnant in her mind, trying to lock Mike down, trying to replicate my first life's timeline.

The pressure was on Sharon. Chloe was making a scene.

"Fine," Sharon hissed, her smile tight and venomous. "You can have the damn seeds and the rusty tractor. And the money. Now, go talk to David. Smooth things over."

She wanted this switch, and Chloe's impending self-made disaster, fast.

I nodded, a small, almost invisible smile on my lips.

Later, as the disastrous engagement party wound down, Chloe cornered me by the wilting refreshment table.

"So," she sneered, her eyes glittering with triumph. "You get the foreman. I get the future. Funny how things work out."

I met her gaze. "Yes, Chloe. Funny."

A shiver, almost imperceptible, ran down her spine. She knew I knew. This wasn't just a swap. This was round two.

The wedding was a quiet, hurried affair. David was a gentleman, his handshake firm, his eyes honest.

At our small reception, hosted by his kind, down-to-earth parents, Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, David spoke to me privately.

"Ava," he said, his voice earnest. "This is... unexpected. For both of us. I think we should build this marriage on friendship first. Get to know each other. No pressure."

Relief, genuine and warm, flooded through me. In my first life, Mike had been all charm and demands. David was offering respect.

"Thank you, David," I said, meaning it. "I'd like that very much."

His parents were welcoming, their smiles sincere. They seemed relieved their son hadn't ended up with the dramatic Chloe.

This new life, this new partner, felt like a clean slate, a real chance.