"What? No way! I won't agree to this!"

When Rosa told Dad and Mom that she was dropping out to marry Theo, their opposition was immediate and fierce.

"Rosa, everyone can see the Dawson family's situation. Marrying Theo will only bring you hardship! And don't get me started on his shady behavior. He's a rogue. You can't marry him!"

Dad and Mom lectured Rosa, their voices filled with worry. But Rosa, blinded by the idea of becoming the richest man's wife, wasn't listening at all.

When Dad and Mom criticized Theo, Rosa's forehead immediately creased with impatience.

"Dad, Mom, time can change a person. Theo may be a nobody now, but he could achieve great things in the future. And I'm going to be the wife of the richest man! You'll have a comfortable life too."

Rosa spoke with absolute confidence, but the concern etched on Dad's and Mom's faces didn't fade one bit.

Dad puffed on his pipe. His lips were cracked from worry, but he still couldn't bring himself to scold Rosa.

"And what about Dexter?"

Everyone knew that she had been pursuing Dexter all these years.

When Rosa heard his name, a flash of hatred crossed her eyes, and her lips curled into a cruel smile. "Have Hazel marry him instead. Ask for more wedding gifts. That'll make my life in the Dawson family much easier."

No sooner had she spoken than Mom's sharp slap landed on my face, sending a fiery sting across my cheek.

"Did you push Rosa onto Theo? I knew you were up to no good! How dare you steal your sister's man? Why did I give birth to such a shameless child?"

I held my face in silence. Even though I had long gotten used to their favoritism toward Rosa, it still hurt.

As our names suggested, Rosa was the family's treasured rose, while I was merely a humble hazel shrub.

Rosa was their firstborn, so she was spoiled and loved.

Mom had hoped her second child would be a boy to complete the family. But I ended up taking my unborn brother's place. On top of that, Mom nearly died giving birth to me. Her womb was damaged, making it impossible for her to have more children.

So they hated me, the cursed one who had ended the Spencer family line.

Rosa knew Dexter would amount to nothing. Forcing me to marry him was her way of keeping me beneath her for life.

She tugged at Mom's sleeve, her face set with determination. "Enough, Mom. I'm marrying Theo. Trust me, he'll be driving a car in three years."

Mom's ears perked at the mention of a car, though she was still skeptical. Theo was notorious in the village, but Rosa spoke with such absolute certainty. That left Mom genuinely puzzled.

Seeing me cover my face without moving, Rosa threw several books at me all at once. "Since I'm dropping out, these books are yours now."

I was dizzy from this sudden surprise. Even though my head was bleeding, I didn't wipe it away. Instead, I carefully gathered the books and held them close.

In my previous life, I had earned a spot at the county's top high school. But Dad and Mom locked me in the woodshed the day before registration, letting Rosa take my spot.

I was stuck at home doing farm chores, but they took every hard-earned penny I made to give Rosa pocket money. Later, when I went into business with Theo in Brindleton, people mocked me for my middle school education.

My lack of formal schooling had always been a deep wound. And now, Rosa was handing me the chance. I wasn't about to let it go.

"Rosa?" Dad and Mom both voiced their doubts in unison.

Rosa chuckled. "Relax, Dad, Mom. Even if Hazel scores well, she's still going to be serving me for life. Besides, even Dexter can't pass. How could an illiterate who's been out of school for years ever get in? She's destined to be beneath me forever."

After I spent half a month at home as a completely invisible nobody, Dexter showed up to propose, just as he had promised.

He gave me lavish wedding gifts, along with two thousand dollars. That was double the amount he had given Rosa in my previous life.

The generous sum sent Rosa into a fury.

Mom comforted her, telling her to take everything, including the money, to the Dawsons' house. That finally calmed her down.

She counted the two thousand dollars over and over again, then strutted in front of me with a proud look.

"See? I'll always be Mom's favorite. You'll be stuck with Dexter and live in poverty forever! And when Theo gets rich, don't even think about coming to me for a bite to eat."

Ignoring her provocations, I silently waited for the wedding.

Dexter knew that Dad and Mom favored Rosa and wouldn't prepare a thing for me for the wedding. So, he secretly found a tailor to make me a wedding dress. Knowing that I wanted to go to college, he even handed over all his school notes to me.

As I looked at the meticulously written notes, I felt grateful. Fortunately, Rosa was blinded by her dreams of wealth and had given me a chance to change my life.

Ever since Dexter's proposal, Rosa made it her daily ritual to call him worthless in front of me—not only for cheating on the college entrance exam, but also for being too poor to ever afford a house.

But it had all been her fault.

She believed the villagers' gossip that Dexter would abandon her if he went to college, so she ripped up his notes and hid them in his clothes. That was why he got caught cheating.

Later, when Dexter had another chance to study in the big city, she deliberately sabotaged it, just because the person who delivered the news was a woman.

She obsessively cut him off from everyone else and then blamed him for not being capable enough.

At that thought, I couldn't help but look at her with a hint of pity. To be capable of deceiving oneself this thoroughly was a talent in its own right.

Rosa and I were getting married on the same day.

Unlike my previous life, when I had only taken a thin quilt to the Dawsons' place, Dad and Mom had nearly emptied the house for Rosa.

Her wedding dress was custom-made by the best tailor in town, and it came with every imaginable accessory.

Dad and Mom got her a full set of luxurious furniture, and even her bedding was custom-made just for her.

Since the Dawsons didn't give a wedding gift, Dad and Mom got worried that Rosa might feel slighted. So, not only did they give her the two thousand dollars from Dexter, but they also managed to scrape together an additional thousand dollars for her.

As for me, while they had at least made me take a thin quilt with me in my previous life, this time, they didn't prepare anything at all.

If Dexter hadn't prepared a wedding dress for me, I probably would have been the first bride ever to get married without one.

When Dexter appeared at the door, Rosa couldn't hide her hatred.

Seeing her expression, Mom immediately turned to me. "Hazel, listen up. This marriage is yours only because Rosa gave it up. If she hadn't refused, you wouldn't have gotten this chance. Even after you get married, you'll always be Rosa's maid. You must be at her beck and call.

"I remember your grades in middle school were decent. When you get accepted into college, make sure you deliver the acceptance letter to Rosa, so she can go instead."

When I stayed silent, Mom slapped me without a care about the people around. "Hey! I'm talking to you! Don't pretend to be deaf!"

Rosa cut in, "Mom, today's my big day. Don't ruin it."

The moment she spoke, Mom immediately dropped her earlier display of authority and looked at her precious daughter with a face full of concern. "I'm just teaching her a lesson so she won't forget her place."

Rosa smiled. "Don't worry, Mom. She'll never reach my level. We might as well cut ties now so she won't cling to me like a leech later. Hazel, enjoy your life with that loser who can't even get into college!"

With that, she strode off in her heels toward the Dawsons' house.

Watching Mom fume in rage, I finally made my decision. In the middle of the night, I packed all of my things and slipped away with Dexter under the cover of darkness.

Meanwhile, Rosa's sharp, piercing screams came from the Dawsons' house.