Chapter 3 Transmigrated

Evelyn was staring out the window at the passing scenery as she tried to make sense of her situation. Suddenly, a familiar voice, hoarse with excitement, echoed from above. "Evelyn? What are you doing on this train?" Evelyn looked up in confusion. There, in front of her, stood a thin woman with a sharp chin. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Crystal?" How could she be here? Unlike her flashy college days, Crystal Quarles was now dressed in patched clothes, looking no older than 17 or 18. Crystal was her college roommate, and they shared quite a history. Since elementary school, Evelyn had used her pocket money to support a girl from a remote mountain village whom she had never met. That girl was none other than Crystal Quarles. By some twist of fate, they ended up at the same college and even became roommates. But now, Crystal was carrying only a simple backpack. Her eyes were red and swollen, clearly the result of having cried heavily. Behind her followed a sleazy man with sharp features and a sinister look. His eyes were locked on Crystal. Seeing them board the train, Jessie visibly relaxed. "Blaine, where the hell have you two been? What took you so long to get on the train?" Jessie squinted and asked with suspicion. As if suspecting something, she quickly twisted the man's arm and warned, "Listen up. You'd better keep it together. No funny business on this ride!" The sleazy man, Blaine Goff, shot a glance at Crystal, his eyes narrowing with malice. In a voice only the four of them could hear, he muttered, "What are you thinking, Ms. Wilkinson? I don't have the time for that. "This girl started complaining about a stomach ache and wanted to use the restroom. She then climbed out through the window and tried to escape. Luckily, I caught on just in time and grabbed her—" Remembering something, Jessie quickly cleared her throat. Her gaze flickered to Evelyn before she shot a pointed look at Blaine. "Alright, just sit down." She stood up to make room and pushed Crystal into the seat as if afraid she might run away. After stowing his luggage, Blaine finally turned his gaze toward Evelyn. "Oh?" His eyes lit up. While stroking his chin, he cast a disgusting, lingering glance at Evelyn. He then casually took the empty seat beside her. Jessie and Blaine sat by the aisle, effectively cornering Evelyn and Crystal. They were finally able to speak more freely. "Ms. Wilkinson, isn't this the Sinclair family's golden goose? You're really good at what you do!" Blaine said, rubbing his hands together in excitement. Jessie shot him a sharp look. "Shut your mouth! We're still on the train. Can't you shut up for once?" If Evelyn hadn't connected the dots by now, she really would have been a fool. The train station, Kingsbridge, Jessie, Blaine, and Crystal… Evelyn pieced together everything that had just happened and connected the dots one by one. Finally, she figured out what had happened. She had transmigrated into a book! She had landed in a story written by Crystal, tailored just for herself. The novel was called "Rising to Victory as an 80s Military Wife", a typical retro-era tale. Crystal, the story's female lead, was destined for a lucky life of triumph. Meanwhile, Evelyn was the evil second lead, a beautiful but useless villain who had no chance of winning in the end. Evelyn was stunningly beautiful. Right from the start of the story, she caught the eye of Jessie, a nouveau riche who returned to her hometown in style. Jessie lured Evelyn away from her home with promises of a brighter future, and together with the female lead, Crystal, they boarded a northbound train. Her path of self-destruction and downfall stood in stark contrast to Crystal's meteoric rise to the top.