Chapter 5
But the mountain road was too remote, and the county ambulance would take at least two or three hours to arrive.
The poisoned guests were helped back to their rooms, but soon, the sound of their pained complaints echoed from the backyard.
By the fifth time Willie stumbled toward the backyard, clutching his stomach, realization finally dawned on him. His bloodshot eyes snapped toward me, filled with suspicion and
rage.
“Why is it only us? Why aren’t the others sick?” His voice was hoarse, laced with growing fear.
For a long moment, he just stared at me–cold, calculating–before barking an order at
Simon.
“Watch her! Don’t let her run!”
Simon, confused but obedient, nodded dumbly.
I didn’t hesitate. In the next second, I pulled out the knife hidden in my sleeve and pressed it against Simon’s neck.
“If you don’t want him to die, let me go!” My voice rang out, sharp and furious.
Willie and his wife’s faces drained of color. The villagers, startled by the sudden turn of events, murmured among themselves.
“What’s going on?” someone whispered.
Taking a deep breath, I raised my voice for all to hear.
“I was trafficked here ten years ago!”
A stunned silence fell over the crowd.
Willie’s wife was the first to react, her shrill voice breaking through the hush.
“She’s lying! If she was really trafficked, why didn’t she say anything all these years?”
“That’s right!” Willie added, his tone laced with urgency. “She just doesn’t want to marry Devin! That’s why she’s making up these ridiculous accusations!”
The villagers hesitated, doubt creeping into their expressions.
“If you didn’t want to get married, why not say so earlier?” someone muttered.
“You’re really going to slander Willie’s family like this?” another accused.
I gritted my teeth. I had expected this. The villagers were used to turning a blind eye, to choosing the simplest explanation. And I couldn’t argue–not yet. Everything had to unfold exactly as it had in my past life.
Only then would my sister remain unsuspecting. Only then would she exchange bodies with me.
And just as I had predicted, the sharp wail of sirens cut through the tense air.
312
2009
67.44 Sun, 30 MM C
My heart pounded. My parents had arrived–with the police.
At that moment, I turned my knife toward Erick and Daryl, who had just stumbled out of the backyard, their faces pale and contorted in pain.
“They’re hiding trafficked women in their homes!” I shouted, “If you don’t believe me, go check
Gasps rippled through the crowd,
A hushed murmur spread like wildfire.
“Wait… isn’t it strange how Erick suddenly had a baby nine years ago? He claimed he found it while herding sheep…
“I remember hearing screams from Daryl’s house at night,” another villager added hesitantly. “He always said it was just the TV…
Realization dawned on them, their unease growing into suspicion. Then, in a wave, they surged toward the houses to see for themselves.
Erick and Daryl saw the shift in the crowd and panicked.
“You little bitch!” Erick roared, lunging at me with reckless fury.
I had no time to react.
The knife was wrenched from my grasp. A brutal kick sent me sprawling to the ground.
Pain exploded through my ribs, but before I could recover, Erick grabbed a nearby hoe and swung it down toward my head.
“No!”
Simon screamed, struggling against his parents as they held him back.
The impact came hard and fast. A searing pain tore through my skull, warm liquid trickling down my face. My vision blurred.
They were going to kill me.
I curled in on myself, shielding my head as their fists and feet rained down on me.
Then-
“Police! Stop right there!”
The commanding shout echoed through the chaos.
Relief washed over me, and I let the darkness take me.
When I woke again, two days had passed.
The sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nose. My head was tightly bandaged, an IV dripping steadily into the back of my hand.
At my bedside, my parents sat with tear–streaked faces.
“My daughter!” My mother’s sobs broke through the fog in my mind as she threw herself onto me. “You’ve suffered so much! We’ve been searching for you all these years… We
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“My daughter!” My mother’s sobs broke through the fog in my mind as she threw herself onto me. “You’ve suffered so much! We’ve been searching for you all these years. We finally found you!”
My father, usually a man of few words, choked back his own grief. “We’ll do everything to make it up to you, sweetheart.”
Behind them, my sister stood silently. But as soon as our eyes met, her lips curled into a knowing, triumphant smile.
A cold shiver crawled down my spine.
And then-
A voice echoed in my mind.
It wasn’t mine.
“System, use the last chance to exchange my body with Nadine’s.”
Darkness swallowed my vision, and I collapsed once more.
But this time, when I opened my eyes, the pain was gone. My perspective shifted–1 had returned to my own body.
On the hospital bed, my sister clung to my mother, her cries filling the room.
“Mom, Dad, it was Nadine! She’s the reason I was abducted!” she suddenly shrieked, pointing at me with pure hatred.
“What?!”
My parents spun around, their faces contorted with fury.
“Nadine! What is she talking about?!” my father demanded.
Panic surged through me. I shook my head frantically, tears spilling down my cheeks.
“Mom, Dad, I would never hurt my sister! You have to believe me!”
Before they could respond, the door swung open, and a uniformed officer stepped in, his expression grave.
“We’ve uncovered the truth about Kathy’s abduction,” he announced. “She is suspected of human trafficking and intentional poisoning. She needs to come with us for further investigation.”
The pride that had been gleaming in Kathy’s eyes just moments ago shattered. Her face drained of color as she let out a frantic scream.
“Impossible! What nonsense are you spouting?!”
