Chapter 4: The Heroine Arrives

I tidy my clothes and head to Main Street to set up my butcher stall. The subtitles keep rolling:

[So mad! The supporting character dares treat the male lead like this. When will our girl finally show up?]

[Don’t worry, the supporting character is only smug for now. Our girl has already found her, soon she’ll confront the supporting character, and as soon as there’s a reward, she’ll sell out the male lead.]

[The supporting character is mean and dumb, then her home gets raided~ After finding the locked-up governor’s son, she even makes a scene in public, clings to him and won’t let go, makes a huge fuss, insists he’s her husband.]

[The butcher girl wants to be a senator’s wife? What a joke. The heroine is the male lead’s fiancée. The supporting character goes crazy and tries to attack the heroine, but luckily the male lead protects our girl, orders the supporting character beaten fifty times on the spot, breaks her legs—so pampered~]

[She’s even collared, made to crawl and bark like a dog, everyone in town sees it. Who told her to keep the male lead like a dog? So satisfying!]

Main Street’s already bustling. My stall sits wedged between the donut shop and Mike’s bait and tackle, the sidewalk slick with rain from last night. My heart skips a beat. I try to comfort myself that these pop-up spoilers can’t be fully trusted.

Then, I see a group approaching on the street. Dressed to the nines, fancy cars and all. They finally stop at my stall.

The car window rolls down, revealing a fair, delicate face—every feature proud and sharp. She glances at me with almond-shaped eyes, sizing me up from head to toe.

"You’re the famous butcher girl from this town?"

As soon as she appears, the subtitles flash excitedly:

[Wow wow wow, the heroine finally appears! Supporting character, step aside!]

[Oh my, our girl is so gorgeous, I’m swooning!]

[Here it comes! Soon the heroine will find the male lead and the sweet, loving plot will start!]

I say nothing. From the subtitles, I already know she’s Lillian Montgomery, daughter of the state senator.

Her little assistant snaps, "Hey! Our lady is talking to you!"

"Bang!" I chop my knife onto the table, curl my lips, and smile. "What brings you to my stall, ma’am? Looking to buy a few chops, or just here to stir up trouble?"

The knife’s blade shines under the morning sun, and a couple of customers shuffle away nervously. My hands don’t shake; I’ve faced down angrier men than some rich girl and her assistant.

Lillian shudders, covers her mouth with a silk scarf, frowning in disgust. "No, I’m here to ask you something. If you answer honestly, I’ll give you this."

She takes off her gold bracelet and holds it out. "I heard you bought a man at the market recently. Is that true?"

The subtitles get lively again:

[The supporting character is so dumb! This is the token the male lead gave the heroine. How could it end up with her? So greedy for money—she’ll believe anything! What a joke!]

[Exactly! As soon as the supporting character brings it home, the male lead notices. Only our clever heroine can do this~]

[Later she refuses to return it, insists it was given to her, ends up with her hand broken and has to return it—lost more than she gained. Serves her right!]

I hold the bracelet, rubbing it carefully. The carving is exquisite, the gold gleaming. Pure gold. So beautiful.

The sunlight dances on its surface, and for a second, I picture it flashing on my wrist, maybe catching the eye of someone in church or at the county fair. Lillian sneers, eyes full of contempt. "A rough butcher girl like you probably has never seen anything this nice, have you?"

I set the bracelet down, sigh, and say gloomily... My hand shakes just a little as I let go of the gold. Lying’s easy, but looking her in the eye isn’t. "You’re right, ma’am. I did buy a man at the market."

"But he didn’t make it three days. Died."

Lillian’s eyes widen, her voice suddenly sharp. "What did you say?"

I return the gold bracelet to her, my tone regretful. "He was badly hurt when I bought him. I wasted two hundred bucks for nothing. Died and brought bad luck, so I had to leave him at the county cemetery."

"You can go look there, ma’am. If you find that seller, help me get my money back."

Lillian’s face turns ugly, but she can’t say a word—she can only leave in defeat.

The subtitles explode:

[What is she saying? How can she lie like that? She doesn’t even want the gold bracelet! How will the heroine find the male lead now?]

[So cruel! The supporting character even lies to the heroine that the male lead is dead. Our girl will be so heartbroken, sob sob sob.]

[Don’t worry, don’t worry, the male lead loves our girl. He won’t let her be sad. The worse the supporting character is now, the harsher her payback will be!]

I tidy up my stall, finding it all ridiculous. Why is it that their so-called "heroine" can use a gold bracelet and the name of love to trick me, but I can’t lie to save my own skin?

My hands shake a little as I wrap up the pork chops, the familiar weight grounding me. The local sheriff’s deputy waves from across the street, and I force a grin, tossing a wink back. In this town, a girl’s gotta fend for herself however she can.