Chapter 4

6:

The moment I said I'd do as my parents wanted, that was it.

Madge and Godfrey burst in from the doorway, pointing right in my face and calling me shameless.

“Why would I ever marry you? The one I love is Madge. I've turned you down over and over. Don't you get it?”

“Let me tell you something, Eve. Don't think I can't see it. You blew this up on purpose to back Godfrey into a corner, so he'd have no choice but to marry you.”

“At first Mom and Dad didn't believe it. They kept saying we were overthinking. Then one little test, and you showed your hand.”

The two of them talked over each other for a good while.

Only then did I let it show, playing the girl who'd just realized she'd been set up, covering my face in shame and running out.

But I didn't go far.

I circled around instead, to the corner behind the house.

I'd barely crouched down.

Then I heard Madge's voice.

“Mom, Dad, you believe us now, don't you?”

“Godfrey and I were both reborn. In our last life Eve took my place and married him, became a rich man's wife, and lived the good life.”

I let out a breath.

So all of today was a test to see whether I'd been reborn too, a whole act staged to prove that Madge and Godfrey had. Good thing I hadn't slipped.

Chester believed Madge as well, though he still wasn't happy about it.

“So what if the two of you were reborn?”

“Going to college is the real way up. What good does marrying this pauper do?”

Godfrey jumped in fast.

“I may be poor now, but before long a benefactor is going to come along, take me on, and make me a millionaire.”

“When that happens, I'll make sure you and Madge live well right alongside me.”

“If you still don't believe me, I can name a few more things to prove it. Then you can agree to let me marry Madge!”

7:

Over the days that followed.

Madge and Godfrey “predicted” several things right, proving beyond doubt that they'd been reborn.

And Chester and Emily finally believed it, understanding that marrying Madge off to Godfrey was the best move, so they set about planning the wedding with real delight.

And

In my last life, my wedding to Godfrey had been a shabby thing.

Just a meal for the neighbors on the third day after it all came out. Their reasoning was that I'd disgraced myself, so I should marry as fast as possible, and that anything lavish would only make people laugh.

Back then my injuries hadn't even fully healed. I bowed through the ceremony limping, and Godfrey never once thought to steady me. He just let me fall and shame myself.

But this time the wedding was planned for a long while, and it was quite the affair.

Their reasoning was that Madge and Godfrey had made fools of themselves, so a grand wedding was needed to turn everyone's opinion around.

But that was only part of it.

The real reason, only I knew. Because the day of the wedding was the very day Godfrey met his “benefactor.”

So from the moment the wedding began, Madge and Godfrey kept their eyes fixed on the door.

And as the crowd murmured and sneered.

Chester and Emily still wore smug looks.

“What do any of you know? Don't sneer at a young man for being poor. Godfrey is no ordinary person.”

“Just wait and see. Any minute now, someone with a real eye for talent is going to come recognize what Godfrey's worth.”

“Then you'll all understand what a fine husband my Madge has married.”

The crowd, naturally, waited with their necks craned.

They waited until the wedding was nearly over, until everyone had lost patience, and then a motorcade finally pulled up at the door. Out stepped a refined, gentle-mannered middle-aged man, clearly a man of no small worth.

“Excuse me, is this the Morton house?”

8:

Godfrey recognized him at a glance. This was the benefactor who had changed his life last time, the renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist, the billionaire William Weiss.

Last life.

William had come to the city to talk a deal with a factory, and by chance had followed that factory's manager out to the village to enjoy the scenery, and that was how he'd seen Godfrey.

Back then he'd taken Godfrey by the hand.

He'd said that seeing him was like seeing his own younger self, and asked whether Godfrey had any interest in going into business with him. Godfrey didn't refuse, of course. Later he even took William as his godfather and rose all the way to the top.

And with this rebirth of his.

Everything he'd been waiting for came down to this day. So he straightened his clothes and rushed forward at once.

“Yes, may I ask who you are?”

The commune director trailing behind William immediately started introducing him, and that long string of titles left everyone present stunned.

Quite a few began whispering to one another.

Talking in the local dialect.

【This benefactor Godfrey kept going on about, could it really be him?】

【That many cars, I've only ever seen it in the movies they screen at the edge of the village. If Godfrey's hitched himself to that man, then his life really is set.】

【No wonder the Mortons said he had potential. No wonder Madge was so set on marrying him!】

Godfrey listened.

He was practically floating, and he stepped straight up, hand out.

“Mr. Weiss, hello, I'm Godfrey Cobb!”

“Today is my wedding. Might I have the honor of your having a cup of the wedding toast?”

William's brow drew in slightly.

He didn't shake Godfrey's hand. Instead he looked around, as if searching for something.

But before he could say a word, Madge rushed up too, dropping a pointed hint.

“Mr. Weiss, you look so much like my husband, Godfrey.”

As if she hoped William would hear it and say something warm about loving him.

But William ignored them both. He walked straight up to me, and with a smiling face said,

“Eve, I've finally found you.”