Reborn, I Married the Village Idiot

My mom wanted to marry me off to Lachlan Walker, the town's simpleton, for money.

I resisted with all my might and jumped into the deepest lake in the village.

Lachlan lost his life trying to save me.

I survived, only to be despised by everyone in the village.

My brother died in a fight because he couldn't afford school, my mom went crazy, and my dad threatened to beat me to death.

In the end, I jumped into that lake again.

When I woke up, I had been reborn to the day Lachlan came to my house to propose.

1

Lachlan Walker was simple-minded but the best-looking man in town.

His family had moved here five years ago, supposedly because a fortune teller said that if they lived in this town for six years, Lachlan would escape disaster and might even regain his senses.

I learned all this in my past life when the whole village cursed me after Lachlan's death.

The Walker family had made significant contributions to the village and were highly respected in town.

Now, Lachlan wasn't dead yet, and I hadn't become the village pariah.

Lachlan walked through our broken doorway, a chicken in his left hand and a fish in his right.

"Brynn, wife, for you!" he said.

My mom took the items from Lachlan's hands, grinning from ear to ear, and urged me to go for a walk with him.

I had just woken up from my rebirth, my head spinning and memories jumbled. Before I could say anything, Lachlan grabbed my hand and pulled me outside.

"Lachlan, be gentle!" I said.

Hearing the anger in my voice, Lachlan apologized, "Sorry, wife!"

Even though I had been reborn, even though Lachlan had saved me in my past life, I still rolled my eyes at him in disgust. "Who's your wife?"

Lachlan let go of me and started gesticulating wildly. "Brynn! Brynn! Wife!"

My mom pushed me again, threatening me in a low voice, "The money for your brother's wedding and your younger brother's school fees all depend on you. Behave yourself, or I'll beat you!"

I shuddered.

Worse than death was the beating and cursing from my whole family. Whenever I disobeyed, my dad would whip me with his belt, my mom would hit me with her slippers, my older brother would tie me up, and my younger brother would prick me with needles.

In my past life, fearing to jump from one fire into another, I had jumped into the lake on the day Lachlan came.

2

Lachlan jumped up and down, shouting, "Brynn! Let's go! Buy!"

He pulled out some money from his pocket and waved it in front of me.

I had barely gone to school, not even finishing elementary. I had never left the village and had only seen ten or twenty-dollar bills. I had never seen what a hundred-dollar bill looked like.

Now Lachlan was holding hundred-dollar bills, saying he wanted to buy me things. It felt like a dream.

My mom pushed Lachlan towards me, smiling, "Go on! Look how much Lachlan likes you!"

Lachlan took my hand, and this time, I didn't refuse.

As we walked through the village, eyes were everywhere - curious, probing, and mostly mocking.

...