Chapter 1

The year was 1974. In the east of Willowridge Village stood a clinic. From a distance, the low buildings made of bricks came into view. Three units lined up side by side. Their outer walls were painted red with the words, "Move Forward Fearlessly." A middle-aged woman hurriedly pulled aside the door curtain and rushed inside. She tossed her canvas bag onto the bedside table before nudging the young lady lying on it. "Come on, sweetie. Hurry up! The Locke family sent someone to pick you up! The car's already parked at the village entrance!" Natalie Wynn groggily opened her eyes. The woman in front of her wore a green sackcloth dress and sported a bob haircut, giving her a distinctly retro look. Puzzled, Natalie asked, "What are you talking about, ma'am?" "Ma'am? Did you hit your head somewhere? I'm your mom!" The woman anxiously grabbed Natalie's arm and helped her sit up on the bed. She then bent down to retrieve a pair of black canvas shoes from the floor and slipped them onto Natalie's feet. "Hurry up! I've packed everything for you. If your stepdad and that dummy see you, you won't be able to leave! "Listen, once you're with the Locke family, don't just drift through life. Grab every opportunity to rise up. I heard those two Locke brothers are quite the catch. Just marry one, and you'll have a life of luxury. "If that doesn't work out, there are plenty of good men at the Air Force Base Housing. With your looks, you'll have them swooning. Pick the best one and have your in-laws help you land a good job after marriage. You'll be set for life then." The woman continued, "And watch out for Phoebe Yates. She may be from here, but she's lost both her parents. Once she's with the Locke family, she's not going anywhere. Don't let her get the upper hand in anything. Now, come on!" Before Natalie could ask anything, the woman grabbed her canvas bag from the bedside table and took her hand. Together, they rushed toward the village entrance. As they hurried away, in the room next door, a man on a hospital bed slowly opened his eyes. He had heard the woman's comment about grabbing every opportunity to rise up. How dare they plot against his family? He was resolute in not giving them that chance. His dark eyes flashed with mockery, and his handsome face was as cold as ice. Even lying down, he exuded undeniable confidence. At six feet one inch tall, with broad shoulders and long legs, he wore a deep green Air Force combat uniform. A black belt cinched his slim waist, and his black boots only added to his imposing presence. He made the small clinic bed feel even more cramped. He was Jasper Locke, one of the two Locke brothers mentioned by Natalie's mother, Lilian Hale. Originally stationed in the capital, Kingston, he had been carrying out a secret mission when his fighter jet experienced a malfunction at high altitude near Willowridge Village. After sending a distress signal to the control tower, he decisively abandoned the aircraft and parachuted to safety. Pilots weren't allowed to have any injuries, so upon landing, his first move was to find a local clinic. Thankfully, he had only a few scratches. After getting treatment for his wounds, he lay down on the hospital bed to recuperate while waiting for his unit to send someone to retrieve him. Little did he expect to overhear such an interesting conversation between the mother and daughter next door. Jasper knew their identities. Last month, his family had sent a telegram to his unit, saying his father planned to adopt two fallen comrades' daughters. One was Phoebe Yates, and the other was Natalie Wynn. Clearly, the one trying to use a man to rise up was Natalie. … A military green Jeep parked quietly on one side at the village entrance. The vehicle was a KS212 model produced by automobile factories in Kingston, exclusively designed for military district leaders. Natalie, pulled along by Lilian, arrived at the car, breathless. Addison Gregory was already waiting by the vehicle. When he saw them, his face broke into a smile. "Mrs. Wynn!" Addison was the bodyguard of Jasper's father, Gideon Locke, sent to pick them up this time. Lilian had already spoken to him earlier, but now she still felt a twinge of concern and said, "Mr. Gregory, Nattie hasn't traveled far before. Please take good care of her on the way." Addison replied, "Don't worry, Mrs. Wynn. I'll make sure Ms. Wynn gets to Kingston safely." Lilian expressed her gratitude, then turned to slip the canvas bag onto Natalie's shoulder. She raised her hand and tenderly stroked Natalie's cheek. "Don't forget to write to me once you're in Kingston." Natalie, urged to get up and pushed to jog alongside Lilian, still felt hazy and disoriented. Yet, she could sense Lilian's emotions toward her—an interplay of reluctance and a sense of duty. As if controlled by someone else, she rolled down the car window and waved at the woman outside. "Take care, Mom!" "You too!" Lilian's eyes misted over. Her hand lingered in the air for a moment before she raised it to wave. The Jeep drove away slowly. Lilian stood at the village entrance, watching the car disappear down the road. Tears welled in her eyes. The vehicle bounced along the muddy road. Natalie sat in the backseat, next to another young lady. "Nattie." The lady tugged on her braided hair as she greeted Natalie. Turning to look, Natalie didn't recognize her. "You are..." The young lady was surprised. "It's me, Phoebe Yates. Don't you remember me?" Phoebe Yates? The realization hit Natalie like a bolt. She finally understood her situation. She had transmigrated into a book! Willowridge Village, the Locke family, Air Force Base Housing, Phoebe Yates… It all matched perfectly with the novel her roommate had written, "The 70s Dichotomy". Someone had spilled the beans that her roommate published a book online, incorporating her character to vent frustration. They urged her to read it and even sent her the link. When Natalie clicked on the link, she nearly lost it after finishing the book. The supporting character in the book not only shared her name but also looked exactly like her. What infuriated her most was that this version of Natalie was the antagonist to the main character, Phoebe. While Phoebe was innocent, kind, and beautiful, Natalie was depicted as the opposite. Both were daughters of martyrs. They were adopted by the Locke family at the same time and lived in the military base housing. In the Locke residence, Phoebe was hard-working, ambitious, and well-liked by everyone. Eventually, she got into the best school, landed a great job after graduation, married well, had kids, and was spoiled by her in-laws. The Locke family took care of her, and she lived a happy life without a hitch. In contrast, Natalie was portrayed as a dim-witted counterpart. After moving into the Locke residence, she displayed a lack of basic manners. She was both lazy and scheming, always attempting to outshine Phoebe, but she ended up failing miserably every time. Since she had good looks, she flirted with multiple guys at the base housing to climb the social ladder. In the end, her reputation was ruined when her schemes were exposed. Meanwhile, Phoebe remained respectable and became the dream girl for the guys. Natalie's downward spiral culminated when she began to pursue the two Locke brothers. After failing to charm the eldest, Jasper, she turned her sights on the younger brother, James Locke, even attempting to seduce him. This led to her ultimate downfall with the Locke family. After her plans fell apart, she was kicked out of the Locke residence. In a panic, she ended up marrying a guy she once flirted with. It turned out that that man was not only abusive but also a player. His family members were no walk in the park, either. They wore her down relentlessly. By the time Natalie was in her late 30s, she felt drained and worn out. She ultimately passed away in the harsh winter at the age of 46. It was a harsh reality. Some ladies effortlessly married into happiness, while others toiled away and suffered endlessly. After reading that book, Natalie was so furious she couldn't eat for three days. The Locke family was powerful and influential. Anyone would know to latch onto them, yet her character was written to be utterly foolish. In the book, she caused chaos in the Locke residence as though she feared a life of ease. And now, it seemed her deep immersion in the story had somehow caused her demise. She was then transmigrated into the book, now playing the role of the supporting character, Natalie Wynn. At that moment, Natalie's cheeks were puffed up in anger. Her heart raced with a strong urge to curse. "Nattie? What's wrong?" Phoebe waved her hand in front of her. Natalie snapped back to reality and tapped her own head. "Sorry. I fell a few days ago. The doctor said I might have a concussion, so it's hard to concentrate." Phoebe glanced at her head and smiled. "No worries. I thought you were just sad about leaving for Kingston." Natalie felt no fondness for Phoebe. Her roommate who vented her frustrations through writing was also named Phoebe Yates. This fictional Phoebe was essentially the same kind of person. Natalie ignored her and closed her eyes to rest. A few hours later, the vehicle finally arrived at the train station in the city. Next, they would have to spend a full day and night on a train to reach Kingston.