The Accidental Wife

Samantha stepped into the room and immediately began searching.

The family claimed they were poor, but she knew they were lying.

When her mother first married into the family, she brought a substantial dowry. The caris' an odd bunch-despite treating their daughter with indifference, they still gave her a generous dowry when she married. Yet, after her mother passed away, leaving behind only her, they did nothing to help. Instead, they turned a blind eye and openly mistreated a young girl.

As she mulled over these thoughts, Samantha didn't slow down. Finally, she spotted a hidden compartment tucked away in the corner behind the bed.

Her eyes lit up. She crouched down, pried open the compartment, and pulled out a small box.

Inside, colorful bills were neatly stacked. At a glance, she estimated there was at least a couple thousand dollars.

She didn't bother to count them-she simply stuffed them into her pocket, making sure not to leave a single bill behind.

Having secured the money, she continued searching the room, checking every possible hiding place. Eventually, she discovered another secret compartment beneath the bed. It had been hollowed out and was filled to the brim.

Jackpot.

With a satisfied grin, she pulled out a stash of gold coins.

Without hesitation, she secured the coins, triple-checked the room to ensure she hadn't missed anything, and then restored everything to its original state before slipping away.

Back in her room, she locked the door behind her and retreated into her private space.

She felt no guilt about taking what was rightfully hers. If her instincts were correct, those gold coins had belonged to her mother.

After all, the bed itself had been part of her mother's dowry.

Her father probably hadn't even discovered the hidden stash yet.

Samantha sat down and counted the cash: $1,652.70-a mix of bills and loose change.

Tsk. She guessed more than half of it must have been the compensation money from her mother's estate.

Satisfied, she tucked the money away and drifted into a deep sleep.

When she woke up, it was already dark.

Glancing at her wristwatch, she realized it was past midnight.

The previous owner of this watch-the original host of this body-must have had good taste. It was a Plum brand watch, an expensive piece for someone her age.

Feeling hungry, she pulled a large meat bun from her storage space-one she had bought earlier that day from a local diner.

The unique thing about her storage? Time inside remained frozen. Anything she put in came out exactly the same.

She made a mental note to get a set of kitchenware for her storage space. That way, she could cook whenever she wanted.

Despite having been raised as a privileged young woman, Samantha was a homebody and a skilled cook.

The Next Morning

When Samantha left the house, she cleared out all the toast her stepmother had made-along with two poached eggs.

"Samantha! Those eggs were for me and mom!" Leticia shrieked, glaring at Samantha's retreating figure.

The only response was the sound of the door slamming shut.

Samantha smirked as she ate the eggs. Leticia was probably fuming right now.

Later that day, she finalized a job deal with Lily and her mother. Once she received the payment, she dusted herself off and took a leisurely stroll around town

Despite the scarcity of resources in this era, there was a certain charm to it. The air was fresh, and the streets had a nostalgic feel.

She was content-completely unaware that the Carters had come knocking on her door, inviting her to dinner.

The Greens, were taken aback.

Had the Carters suddenly remembered they had a granddaughter after nearly ten years?

When Samantha returned home that afternoon, her family said nothing about it.

They knew the Carters were scheming-most likely trying to get their hands on a portion of Samantha's job earnings.

So, the Greens continued to wait.

And Samantha, still oblivious, continued preparing for her move to the countryside

Three Days Before Departure

Samantha took the opportunity to store away some supplies-quilts, thick winter coats, and pants she had commissioned from a local tailor. Aside from that, she packed light

Upon returning home, she sensed something was of

"What's going on?" she asked a woman gossiping near the front door.

The woman, assuming it was someone else, didn't bother to look up and started talking excitedly.

"The Greens are so admirable! All three of their kids are volunteering to move to the countryside. We got the notice directly from the local office-everyone was shocked! What did they do to deserve this? They're making the rest of us look bad! I mean, really, don't you think-

She finally turned and locked eyes with Samantha, whose face was clean and youthful, her big brown eyes twinkling with mischief.

The woman immediately choked on her words.

The gathered onlookers also fell silent.

Samantha grinned. "Alright, ladies, you've had your fill of drama. Time to head home and cook dinner. Show's over. Disperse."

And just like that, the crowd scattered

As she turned away, a rolling pin came flying at her.

Samantha narrowed her eyes, casually reaching out and catching it midair with ease.

She blew a strand of hair from her forehead and smirked, her expression cocky. "Oh? Are we attempting domestic violence now?"

Her father's face turned red with anger. "Don't be ridiculous! I'm asking you-did you sign Leticia and Lucas up under their names?"

Behind him, Abigail and Leticia sobbed dramatically.

"Dad, what are you talking about? I don't have a clue," Samantha said innocently, twirling the rolling pin.

Then she turned and shut the door in their faces.

The entire family shivered.

"You... you... what are you up to, you ungrateful brat?!" Her father sputtered, looking around for something to defend himself with.

Abigail and Leticia cowered behind the men like frightened rabbits.

Samantha scoffed. "Cowards."

The four of them stiffened, their faces full of indignation.

Samantha raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You don't like that? Well, if you have a problem, step forward and say it to my face."

She twirled the rolling pin once more before flinging it past her father's ear, missing him by mere inches.

"AHHH!" Abigail and Leticia screamed, clutching each other in terror.

Her father turned pale. She was too fast-he hadn't even had time to process it.

Samantha remained calm, looking down at them with amusement. "If any of you think you can take me, be my guest."

With that, she turned and sauntered back to her room, her mood surprisingly light.

The Greens stood there in a mix of shock, fury, and helplessness.

They never expected that the once pitiful girl they could bully had turned into a fearsome devil.

With no way to fight back, Bowie and Abigail scrambled to undo Leticia and Lucas's placement orders.

Two days later, after exhausting all their options, they not only failed, but also ended up spending money on supplies for the trip.

By 5 a.m. on the third day, the train was ready to depart, carrying the volunteers to the countryside.

Out of options, Mr Green and Abigail gave Leticia and Lucas some pocket money, they also handed them their resettlement fees-$50 each, and sent her off.

Meanwhile, Samantha?

She collected her own placement fee, grabbed her suitcase and backpack, and boarded the train with ease-completely unfazed.

Bowie and Abigail reluctantly bade Leticia farewell.

The train rattled forward, its carriage crammed with people. The floor was cluttered with luggage, and various smells mingled together, causing Samantha to furrow her brows slightly.

But when she saw Leticia sitting across from her, her eyes red and puffy like a rabbit's, she suddenly felt much better.

If Leticia was miserable, Samantha was happy.

To make things even more amusing, Leticia was seated right next to Brandon-the guy with a rock for a brain. And Lucas was sitting diagonally across with one of his classmates.

"Hello! My name is Sasha. I'm heading to Grant County as part of the rural work program. Are you also going to the countryside?" The girl sitting next to Samantha pursed her lips into a friendly smile.

She had fair skin, though a few freckles dotted her cheeks. Still, they didn't take away from her clean and pleasant appearance.

"Yeah, my name is Samantha. I'm also assigned to Grant County."

"That's great! Maybe we'll end up in the same village." Sasha beamed, her eyes curving into crescents.

She then glanced at Brandon and Leticia.

Brandon, noticing that Samantha was looking out the window instead of paying attention to him, felt inexplicably annoyed. "My name is Brandon. I'm also going to grant County."

"My name is Leticia. I'm also being sent to the countryside in Grant County with my Sister..." Leticia hesitated, her voice timid as she looked at Samantha.

She had the expression of someone used to being bullied, nervously waiting for a response.

Before Samantha could say a word, Brandon frowned. "Samantha, can you stop bullying Leticia?"

Samantha: "???"

What the hell is this guy talking about?

Rolling her eyes, she decided to ignore him and shut off her awareness of the outside world, slipping into her private space instead.

If she had time for this nonsense, she might as well use it to farm.

The two vacant acres in her time vault had been bothering her for a while. She didn't know what to do with them, so she figured she'd plant some vegetables and rice.

Might as well make use of the empty land.

Meanwhile, Brandon sat there fuming as Samantha ignored everyone. Leticia quickly spoke softly to pacify him.

Sasha, watching the exchange, was utterly bewildered.

Inside her time vault, Samantha busied herself farming. By the time she finished, she was so exhausted that she fell asleep.

When she woke up, it was already dark outside.

The train ride would take three days and two nights. Stretching in her seat, she stood up under the pretense of using the bathroom but slipped back into her time vault instead.

She had prepared a hot meal earlier, so she ate until she was full, had a drink, and even washed her face before stepping out again.

When she returned to her seat, she gazed out the window, appreciating the pitch-black sky dotted with twinkling stars.