Chapter 37: Agnes Ward Clutched the Lump on Her Forehead

"Oh my heavens!" Agnes Ward clutched the lump on her forehead, plopping onto the ground with a dramatic wail. "Everyone, come see how my own granddaughter has beaten her poor old grandmother!"

The gathered villagers exchanged uneasy glances. Someone murmured, "Aunt Agnes, are you sure it was Elena? She just came from the mayor's house."

"Exactly," another chimed in. "Elena wouldn’t even step on an ant. How could she hit someone?"

Agnes stomped her foot in frustration. "Don’t believe me? Robert Hale was at the village entrance—he must have seen it!"

Elena lingered at the edge of the crowd, a faint smirk playing on her lips. The old woman was truly desperate if she thought Robert would back her up. After threatening him just yesterday, did she really expect his help today?

"What’s all this commotion now?" Mayor Martin Reed pushed through the crowd, his expression dark, followed by his weary wife, Helen Reed. The couple had been dealing with enough family drama lately, and Agnes Ward’s theatrics only worsened their moods.

Agnes Ward pointed at her forehead, tears and snot running down her face. "Mayor, you be the judge! This lump is from that wretched Elena!"

Martin scoffed. "Aunt Agnes, you should be careful with such accusations. Everyone knows Elena is the gentlest soul in the village. If anything, I’d believe you hit her!"

The sharp remark made Agnes’s face turn ashen. Sensing the tension, her daughter-in-law, Amy Miller, stepped forward to mediate. "Mayor, my mother-in-law is getting on in years—she might have been mistaken." Then, with a calculated shift, she turned to Elena. "Oh, Elena, come home for lunch today. Your in-laws are visiting to discuss the marriage arrangements."

"Marriage?" Elena arched a brow. "Since when do I have in-laws?"

Amy smiled slyly. "It’s a betrothal your parents arranged before they passed. The groom’s family has come to formalize it."

Elena’s lips curled coldly. In her past life, this so-called "wonderful match" hadn’t surfaced for another two years. It seemed her rebirth had accelerated many events. Were The Wards so desperate to trap her now?

"I won’t marry," Elena stated flatly.

"What?" Agnes Ward shrieked, leaping to her feet. "A child has no say in marriage—it’s the parents’ decision!"

Whispers rippled through the crowd. In the rural 1980s, parental authority still dictated such matters. But Elena was the village’s only university student—no one dared take sides rashly.

"I said no," Elena repeated, each word deliberate. "If you’re so eager, marry him yourself."

Agnes trembled with rage, jabbing a finger at Elena. "You ungrateful wretch! If your parents knew—"

"If my parents knew how you’ve treated me," Elena cut in icily, "they’d rise from their graves in fury!"

Gasps erupted. No one had expected the usually meek Elena to stand her ground so fiercely. Mayor Martin studied her resolute profile, struck by the sudden change in her. Something about her was different—unshakable.