The Bride Swap

After being reborn, the first thing my cousin and I did was switch grooms.

In our previous lives, we had gotten married on the same day.

She, gentle and composed by nature, became the wife of Blake Malcolm, the aloof naval commander. On their wedding anniversary, Blake skipped the occasion to celebrate his childhood friend's birthday. My cousin had only wanted an explanation, but Blake claimed his conscience was clear. They fell into a silence that lasted fifty years.

And me? With my temper—quick to fight, never one for patience—I had married an accountant from the machinery plant's compound. The accountant was soft-spoken, forever complaining about how loud I was, and how little I cared about appearances. We fought every three days, major arguments every five. Eventually, he stopped coming home. Less than a year into the marriage, we divorced.

Then one day, my cousin and I opened our eyes—and it was the day we were to marry again.

"Joyce! Get off the damn train right now, you stupid girl! You won't marry a perfectly good accountant for a husband, but you'll run off to some godforsaken island. Why did I have to give birth to such a troublesome child…"

Watching my mother chase the train, yelling, her voice tight with fury and helplessness, I felt a dull ache rise in my chest. But I told myself—this time, I wasn't wrong.

Scholcher Island was remote. Blake Malcolm wasn't exactly easy to live with, either. But so what? If we could make it work, great. If not, we'd part ways cleanly. I was a grown woman—was I supposed to not survive without a man?

But my cousin, Sarah Cameron... she couldn't. In our last lives, she married Blake, and the two of them were trapped in a lifetime of misunderstanding because of someone else. She was the gentlest soul you could meet, and even she couldn't escape being worn down by him.

So this time, after being reborn, I looked at Sarah's worried face, her furrowed brow, and started packing without hesitation.

"Sarah, I'll marry Blake. John Ridgewood might not look like much, but he's got a good temper. You two should be able to make it work."

At my words, her face lit up with relief, but then she bit her lip and shook her head with resolve. "Joyce, Blake isn't easy to live with. And then there's that childhood friend of his... I can't let you take on my sufferings."

"Sarah, it's an arranged marriage we can't shake off. What does it matter who marries him? Grandpa never said which granddaughter it had to be. And just because Blake isn't easy to live with, doesn't mean I can't handle him. If I get to Scholcher Island and we can make it work, we make it work. If not, I'll fight. If there's a grudge, I'll settle it. No hesitation, no regrets. Living freely is what matters most!"

I threw a few punches in the air right then and there,