In my previous life, my sister was abducted by human traffickers, awakening the exchange system.

Desperate, she used it to swap souls with me. While she occupied my body and basked in our parents' extra love, I was left behind—tied up in a filthy pigsty, suffering abuse in her place.

Ten years later, I was finally found. My sister, without hesitation, activated the system again and switched back.

She threw herself into our parents’ arms, sobbing. "It’s all her fault! She let me be taken!"

Then, as if orchestrated, my parents discovered a diary on my bedside table. Written in my tone, it painted me as a selfish monster who let my sister be kidnapped for my own gain.

From that moment on, my parents despised me. They turned a blind eye, as my sister humiliated and whipped me, even agreeing to her final demand—selling me to a blind and crippled old bachelor deep in the mountains.

I overheard their plan. Overwhelmed by grief and rage, I set the house ablaze, choosing to perish with them.

Yet, when I opened my eyes again, I had returned to that fateful day—the moment my sister and I encountered the traffickers.

This time, I acted first. I took the trafficker’s hand.

But my sister stopped us. She turned to the disguised woman and smiled sweetly.

"Grandma, my sister wants candied haws too. Why don’t you give them to me instead?"

The traffickers hesitated, whispering among themselves. Taking two girls would be too risky. The younger one would be easier to control.

So they let go of my hand—and took hers instead.

Before leaving, my sister leaned close and whispered, her voice dripping with malice.

"Sister, I know you’ve been reborn too. Do you think you can steal my system? Dream on."

I watched her disappear into the distance and chuckled.

"Sister, let’s see if you can still laugh… after you’ve used up your two chances to exchange."

——

Back home, the system’s familiar voice echoed in my mind.

"Since the host has been trafficked, the system has activated the soul exchange skill. You have two chances to swap. Would you like to use one now?"

In my past life, this was how my sister realized she had been abducted. Without hesitation, she swapped bodies with me.

And now? She made the same desperate choice.

"Okay, host. You have one more chance left. Call me when you need it."

Dizziness overtook me. When I opened my eyes, I was in a speeding car. Through the window, I saw my own reflection—no, not mine. Hers.

The woman holding me was still Rosemary, the same trafficker as before. The old woman driving, Sally, was their leader.

I clung to the seat, recalling my previous life.

For ten years, as I suffered in captivity, one question haunted me. Why?

Why did my sister do this to me? Why did she betray me?

I never got to ask her.

Because when I was finally found, she took back her body before I could even speak.

She whispered in my ear, her voice cold, accusing.

"Sister, you watched me die when I was taken. You deserve everything that happened to you."

"You were indifferent, so now you must pay the price."

But I had never been indifferent. I had begged her not to go with the traffickers. I had pleaded.

She ignored me. She only wanted the candied haws.

Yet, in the end, she blamed me for "watching her die."

And after reclaiming her body, she played the victim, crying in our parents’ arms. "She caused it! She wanted me gone!"

At first, they didn’t believe her.

Until she led them to my bed.

Under my pillow, they found a diary—one she had written, mimicking my handwriting.

[I saw the traffickers take my sister that day, but I pretended not to. I didn’t want to share my parents' love. Their love and money should only belong to me.]

And just like that, she erased me.

For ten years, she lived as me, basking in love and comfort.

But this time…

I was the one who had returned.

And I wouldn’t make the same mistake again.

They had planned this long ago. The moment I was found, they would use their final exchange opportunity to frame me for everything.

And my so-called parents? They believed every word. As punishment, they planned to sell me to a blind cripple in the mountains.

For ten years, I endured endless suffering in my sister’s place, believing that once I was rescued, my parents would make it up to me with love. But instead, all I got was a betrayal more cruel than I ever imagined.

That night, I set fire to everything, choosing to die with them.

Clenching my fists, I swore to myself—this time, they would all pay the price.

As I looked out the car window, the familiar scenery of Willow Creek came into view. I let out a quiet breath of relief.

Good. They still chose to sell me to the same place.

In my previous life, I had spent ten long years trapped in this village. I knew its every corner, every hidden path. The family that bought me back then wanted a child bride for their simple-minded son. I had fought, I had tried to escape—only to be chained to a pigsty, starved, and beaten into submission.

But this time, I wouldn't resist. Not yet. I would play along, earn their trust… and then make them regret ever touching me.

After three grueling days and two nights, the car finally rolled to a stop on a deserted road outside Willow Creek.

Sally cooed at me, her voice sickly sweet.

"Lauren, we’re here! Come with Grandma!"

Obediently, I climbed out of the car and followed them. I hadn't cried or thrown a fit for the entire journey. I had eaten whatever they gave me, remained quiet and well-behaved. Now, standing in the darkness of the desolate mountain, I met their eyes with a bright, eager smile.

"Auntie, Grandma, will Lauren have endless candied haws to eat later?"

Rosemary snorted, lowering her voice. "Is this girl an idiot? She’s already here, and she’s still thinking about candied haws."

Sally shook her head. "It doesn’t matter. I heard the buyer’s son is simple-minded too. A fool for a fool—it’ll work out just fine. As long as they can have children, that’s all that matters."

They led me through the village under the cover of night.

Before long, we arrived at Willie’s house—the very same family that had bought me in my past life.

They were already waiting in the yard, grinning ear to ear.

Willie held up a kerosene lamp, its flickering light casting eerie shadows over my face.

"She’s a pretty one," he muttered, pleased.

His wife clutched their ten-year-old son, Simon, beaming as she nudged him forward.

"My dear son, we bought you a little wife. Do you like her?"

Drool dribbled down Simon’s chin as he stared at me blankly. He was nearly my height despite being older, his dull eyes glinting with excitement.

"I like her..." he giggled foolishly.

I giggled too.

A man in his forties, his face blackened from years of work, took a swig from his wine pot and frowned.

"Are you sure she’s normal?" he grumbled. "Don’t try to trick us with some dimwitted girl in the middle of the night."

"Of course she’s normal!" Rosemary hurriedly reassured him. "Look, she even has a certificate of being a Three-Good Student from her school!"

She pulled out a homework book and a neatly stamped certificate from my sister’s schoolbag, thrusting them forward.

Willie and his wife examined the papers, nodding in satisfaction.

"Brother, look at this handwriting! Neat and beautiful! She’ll surely give birth to a smart son for our Conrad Family."

The black-faced man, Erick, still seemed unconvinced, but the elder in his sixties, seated behind them with a pipe in hand, let out a heavy sigh.

"It’s fine," he murmured. "Back then, I promised my older brother I’d take care of you two. Now the second brother’s son has a wife. That just leaves you…"

A wife. A breeding tool. A prisoner.

That was all I had been to them in my last life.

The one who spoke was their uncle, Daryl.

This old man was infertile and had spent his life raising his deceased elder brother’s sons, Erick and Willie.

"Uncle, I’m already over forty," Erick sighed. "I’ve worked these fields all my life, and no woman would want me. Unlike my brother—at least he got to marry our cousin. Me? I’m not that lucky."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. No wonder their son turned out to be a fool.

The next second, I pretended to finally understand what was happening and burst into tears, trembling in fear.

"You said we were going to eat candied haws! Why did you bring me here instead?"

Willie and his wife stiffened, their eyes darting toward the neighbors’ houses. Probably afraid my crying would alert someone, they quickly crouched down to comfort me.

Rosemary and Sally chimed in with forced smiles. "Good girl, don’t cry. If you marry this brother, you’ll have even tastier things than candied haws!"

I sniffled, tilting my head in pretend confusion. "Really?"

Relieved, they nodded eagerly.

I pointed at Simon, who was still drooling, and asked innocently, "But I’m so young. How can I be his wife?"

They laughed as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "All girls grow up to be wives, Lauren. If you stay with him from a young age, you’ll be treated even better in the future!"

"Oh." I pretended to understand and obediently nodded.

They exchanged relieved glances, then turned to Willie and his wife.

"The girl is here. Our car is parked at the village entrance—it’s too noticeable. Better settle the remaining 10,000 dollars quickly."

Willie wasted no time, nudging his wife to fetch the money.

As soon as Rosemary and Sally got their hands on the thick wad of cash, they grinned and began counting under the dim glow of a kerosene lamp.

The light flickered across Erick’s face. His expression shifted.

He turned to Rosemary, his tone suddenly friendly. "Big Sister, have you eaten? You must be tired from the journey. Why not stay for dinner?"

Daryl, about to scold him for delaying, paused when he noticed Sally’s face illuminated by the lamp. His eyes gleamed with an unsettling light.

I seized the moment.

"Uncle, Grandpa," I piped up, looking at Erick and Daryl. "Do you have wives?"

They shook their heads.

"Perfect!" I clapped my hands, pointing at Rosemary and Sally. "These aunties can be your wives!"

The two women froze, mid-count.

"What nonsense are you saying, little girl?!" Rosemary snapped.

I ducked behind Simon, feigning innocence. "But you just said all women have to marry. Since Lauren can stay and be a wife, why can’t you?"

Erick’s dark face flushed red with excitement. He set down his wine pot, rubbing his hands together.

Daryl, a man who had been single for decades, swallowed hard. One had never found a wife; the other had lost his young bride because of his inability to have children. The temptation was too much.

The realization hit Rosemary and Sally like a slap. Their eyes darted toward each other. In a panic, they reached for their pockets, but before they could grab their phones, Erick and Daryl lunged.

"Brother," Erick said with a grin, "if we keep them, we won’t have to pay that 10,000 dollars."

Willie’s eyes widened at the suggestion, but it only took him a second to agree. "That’s a damn good deal."

Rosemary and Sally’s screams were muffled by the rancid socks stuffed into their mouths. They thrashed violently, but against three farm-hardened men, their struggles were useless.

Willie’s wife fetched hemp rope and tape. Within minutes, the women were bound and gagged, tossed like sacks of grain into the woodshed.

Their van? Driven away under the cover of night—sold in the city for an easy profit.

By dawn, Rosemary and Sally had been dragged back—one claimed by Erick, the other by Daryl.