Chapter 7: The Witch Hunt and the Endgame

I comforted her before leaving with the governor’s son. He couldn’t understand Piper’s rudeness and joked about it on the drive home. I just smiled. As long as the governor’s son disliked Piper, she couldn’t make trouble, and the Whitmores had given up on her. Now, I just had to wait for the final act.

A few days later, a letter arrived: Piper had been sent back to the countryside. I knew she’d never accept such humiliation. She thought, as a time traveler, everyone should bow to her, all men would love her, and all women would envy her. But she had talent, not wisdom.

Before Piper could cause more trouble, Ethan blocked me. On the night of the Fall Festival, I snuck out of the mansion with friends. I used to go out on this night with my Whitmore brothers, always making memories.

After a round of fun, I realized I’d been out too long and decided to head back.

“Marissa.”

A car pulled up, headlights slicing through the night. Ethan stepped out, face tense.

“It’s not safe for you to travel alone. Let me walk you home.”

“I’m returning to the mansion. I don’t need your protection, Ethan.”

“Then let me escort you back.” He wouldn’t take no for an answer.

I didn’t want to be seen with him, but I had no choice. I let him tag along, keeping my guard up. I knew he was up to something. Having been rejected by Piper and humiliated by the Whitmores, Ethan needed to save face. Now, knowing I was the governor’s daughter, he wanted to get back with me. Not for love—just for power.

Halfway home, masked men appeared, weapons drawn. Ethan fought bravely, shielding me. We fled to an abandoned church, Ethan limping from a wound.

“Marissa, are you alright?” Ethan asked, voice shaky.

Playing the hero, huh? He thought I was still the naïve girl from before.

“I’m fine. And you?”

“I… ah…” He grimaced, clutching his side. “I’m fine. You’re worth it.”

I smiled gently, watching his eyes for the lie. “Marissa, I was wounded by a poisoned blade. Can you help me with this? I need to get this cleaned.”

“Alright.” I played along. His plan was obvious—if I undressed him, someone would burst in and find us. He’d claim we were compromised and ask the governor to marry me to him. But I was ready for him this time.

Just as I approached Ethan—guards burst into the church, guns drawn. Ethan’s face fell. It was earlier than he’d planned. The masked men were captured, and the governor’s son strode in, his expression triumphant.

“Ethan Carter, why do the attackers have your family’s crest?” the governor’s son demanded.

Ethan sputtered, caught off guard. “Guards, take Ethan Carter to jail!”

Ethan begged, but it was no use. Later, he was sentenced to exile for disrespecting the governor’s daughter, never to return.

With Ethan gone, Piper reappeared. A cholera outbreak swept the city. Doctors were helpless. The governor was desperate. Piper showed up, claiming she could cure it, but said she’d only help if she could marry the governor’s son.

The governor was furious. He’d wanted to marry her to his son before, but she’d chosen Ethan. Now she wanted the governor’s son. The governor’s son was disgusted. He wanted a wife who was dignified, not a brash troublemaker. The family needed heirs, above all.

As Dad and my brother fumed, I suggested, “Dad, brother, the people are suffering. The governor has to put the people first if he wants their support.”

“I know, but I can’t swallow this insult,” Dad said.

“Agreeing to Piper doesn’t mean brother has to marry her.”

“I’m the governor—what I say goes!”

“But what if Piper is at fault?” I asked, my eyes meeting his.

Dad and my brother caught on. Dad agreed to Piper’s condition: if she cured cholera, she could marry the governor’s son. Piper, confident, wrote a prescription and cured the people. She was hailed as a miracle doctor, set to marry into the mansion.

The Whitmores were terrified, begging me to stop it. I reassured them, not revealing our plan.

Three days before the wedding, rumors spread: Piper was a witch. Her strange behavior and medical skills made people uneasy. Disasters seemed to follow her. Social media fanned the flames. Piper’s reputation collapsed.

On the wedding day, crowds gathered, begging the governor’s son not to marry a witch. The governor and his son seized Piper. They didn’t hurt her—she might still be useful—but she was sent to a mental institution, her life as good as over.

On a sunny day, I went to visit Piper at the hospital. She was far from quiet, screaming that she wasn’t a witch, but a time traveler from the future, smarter than everyone. The more she ranted, the more people believed she was insane.

I looked at her, messy and wild-eyed, and smiled. “Marissa! Was it all your doing? Was it all your doing?! No, I don’t believe it!” Piper shrieked. “I’m a time traveler, I can’t lose to you! Impossible!”

I sneered, “Piper, you still don’t know why you lost. How pathetic.”

“Shut up! You must be a time traveler too, right?” Piper grasped for any explanation.

“No,” I replied, my voice cool. “I’m just a regular girl who’s lived here her whole life.”

“Impossible!”

“That’s nothing special.”

“Marissa, you’re lying!”

I looked out the window, sunlight pouring in. “The weather outside is so nice today. Unfortunately, you’ll never see it again.” I smiled sweetly. “Enjoy your stay, time traveler.”

With that, I turned and walked out, Piper’s screams echoing behind me. “Stop! Don’t go! Let me out! Let me out! I was wrong, I know I was wrong, Marissa, please… ah…”

I stepped into the bright sunlight, feeling the warmth on my skin. Looking up at the clear sky, I finally smiled in relief. My previous life? Just a dream. My real life begins now.