With everything I had, I pried Lottie's hand off my mouth.

「Mr. Finch, help me! This woman is a human trafficker. She's trying to sell me to Elijah Gray!」

「Mr. Finch, don't listen to her nonsense. She's my daughter-in-law, and the day after she married my son, she jinxed him to death! I only felt sorry for her, all alone with no one to lean on, so I found her another man to depend on.」

I dug the marriage certificate out of my padded coat.: 「This certificate is a fake! Craig tricked me!」

Conrad took the certificate from my hand and studied it carefully. Then his face darkened with fury.

「Forging a marriage certificate is a crime. Does your son want to end up in front of a firing squad?」

Lottie flinched.: 「Oh, Mr. Finch, my son's already dead. And whether this certificate is fake has nothing to do with us. We were cheated too.」

「I'm just an old woman, I don't understand any of that. All I know is that Celeste Mason took her vows with my son, so living or dead she belongs to the Matthews family. Either way, she does what I say!」

「We never had a wedding, and we never took any vows! Mr. Finch, if I go back with them, I won't survive!」

Conrad's expression turned stern.: 「Let her go, now! If you don't, I'll dock your work points!」

At the mention of losing work points, they finally got scared.

They let go of me, grudgingly, and I quickly grabbed onto Conrad.

「Mr. Finch, I'm Celeste Mason, one of the workers relocated here. I heard my name was on the list to return to the city this time. Does that mean I can go back?」

「I can't say for sure whether your name was on it, but the truck for the city already left with the workers this morning.」

The words hit me like a thunderclap. My voice was shaking when I spoke.

「Gone? Then how am I supposed to get back!」

「Mr. Finch, I'm certain my name was on that list. Susan Finch stole my spot!」

「My introduction letter and my crescent pendant were both taken from me!」

Conrad's face went grave.: 「I'll need to verify this. Come back to the team headquarters with me first.」

I followed Conrad back to the production team, and after a round of investigation, it was confirmed that the return permit really was mine.

「Celeste Mason, a model worker, is indeed on the list to return to the city this time.」

「But proving it will be very difficult. My advice, young comrade, is to work hard and try for the next return permit.」

I swayed on my feet.: 「Next time. And when will next time be?」

Was I really going to be trapped in this village forever?

Then, all at once, I saw the words again in front of me.

「Doesn't a delivery truck from the city come to this village every month? One's due in a few days. Celeste can sneak onto the delivery truck back to the city. Even if the production team finds out, the one who gets written up will be Susan.」

Everything cleared in an instant. That was exactly what I'd do!

A few days later, sure enough, the delivery truck from the city arrived.

While the driver wasn't paying attention, I slipped quietly into the cargo bed.

The truck jolted along the whole way, and after I don't know how long, it finally came to a stop.

「Wonderful, Celeste is back in the city! Hurry and find your birth parents. You're the real heiress of that wealthy family!」

「Your birth parents are throwing a big banquet at the Peace Hotel right now, celebrating the return of their real daughter. Celeste, get over there fast!」

I took out what little money I had and found a man nearby with an old road bike to give me a ride there.

When we arrived, I didn't even have time to thank him. I ran straight inside.

Only to be stopped cold by the doorman.

「Mr. Mason is holding a family-reunion banquet here. The hotel's been booked out. No unauthorized people allowed inside!」

「I'm their real daughter, Celeste Mason. Let me in!」

「A country bumpkin like you, daring to pass yourself off as Miss Mason? You don't know your place! Get out of here, now!」

Unable to get inside, I stretched my neck and screamed.

「I'm the real Celeste Mason! The one in there is a fake! I'm the true Celeste Mason!」

Hearing the commotion, the Masons came to the doorway.

My birth mother, Rose Henson, looked me up and down. : 「You're saying you're Celeste?」

My birth father, Dylan Mason, wore a look of pure contempt. : 「This girl must have heard we were holding a family-reunion banquet today and wants to steal our daughter's identity. Good thing we already verified everything beforehand and brought our girl home.」

「The one you brought home is a fake! Her real name is Susan Finch. She stole my introduction letter and my tokens. I'm the true Celeste Mason!」

Susan heard the noise and came over too, Craig trailing behind her.

I jabbed a furious finger at Craig. : 「So you didn't die after all, you lying cheat!」

Craig clearly hadn't expected me to track him down. He rushed to speak. : 「Mom, Dad, she's just someone from my hometown. Ignore her. She's a lunatic!」

「It's all lies out of your mouth. I'm the real Celeste Mason. I grew up in Wellspring Lane, raised on handouts from every household there! Susan, you can steal my tokens, but you can't steal my life!」

Rose gave me a helpless look. : 「Child, everything you're saying, I've already confirmed with my Celeste. Her whole life story, her tokens, the documents proving who she is, there's nothing wrong with any of it.」

「Today is our reunion day, a happy occasion. I don't want to invite bad luck by arguing with you. Go now.」

Only then did it hit me. I'd told Craig everything about my childhood. He must have passed it all to Susan!

Susan suddenly burst into tears.

「Back in the countryside you were always ganging up to bully me. You forced me to do your work, and you took my food rations too. I was hungry all the time, so worn out I couldn't even lift my arms. The moment I showed the slightest complaint, you and your little pack beat me black and blue.」

「Now I've finally won a permit to return to the city, and found my real parents. I never dreamed you'd chase me all the way here to steal even my identity!」

「Susan, will you only be happy once you've driven me to my death?」

Dylan flew into a rage. : 「You wild little wretch, how dare you bully my precious daughter like this! If I don't teach you a lesson today, you won't know how the Mason name is spelled!」

「Beat her! Beat her within an inch of her life!」

Several strapping young brutes charged out from behind him, their heavy fists coming down on me blow after blow.

I crashed to the floor, blood pouring from my nose and mouth.

「Mom, Dad, I really am your own daughter, Celeste Mason!」

The text before my eyes began to drift again.

「What do we do? The Masons are convinced Celeste is a swindler. They won't believe a word she says!」

「If this keeps up, Celeste is going to be beaten to death!」

「I seem to remember that when Celeste was little, Rose was tending a fire and accidentally scalded her chest. That scar should work as proof for the reunion.」

It struck me all at once. I did have a burn scar on my chest.

Then I heard Susan sob, : 「Daddy, she even had people strip my clothes off me. I nearly threw myself into the river over it. It was Craig who saved me.」

Dylan, livid, gave the order at once. : 「Strip this little wretch's clothes off her!」

Those men hauled me up and clawed at my clothes with a dozen hands.

I didn't fight them. The burn scar on my chest came bare into view.

The instant Rose saw the scar, her eyes went wide.

「Everyone, stop this right now!」