All Chapters of Marrying the River God: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

I was chosen to be the river god's bride this month. The village chief, Harold Whitmore, arrived with a beaming smile, delivering my wedding dress and instructing Clara Jensen, my sister-in-law and former river wife, to prepare me in advance."Teach her how to serve the river god. We cannot have her anger him and bring disaster to the whole village."Clara nodded silently, then carried a large chest into my room, saying she would return tonight to instruct me.After Chief Whitmore left, my neighbor, Violet Marsh, climbed over the wall and slipped into my bedroom. We stared at the chest Clara had left behind, curiosity getting the better of us. We opened it. Inside, we found it packed full of rods in various shapes, sizes, and materials. Long ones, short ones, thick ones, thin ones, even some covered in soft ridges. The collection was extensive, at least a dozen or more.Violet and I had never seen anything like them. What were they for?After comparing them to various parts of

Chapter 2

Sensing Clara's anger, I quickly shooed Violet away."I know. We'll talk tomorrow. Go home for now."Violet clutched the door frame, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked at me, wanting to say more but holding back.Clara's expression darkened. She walked over, pushed Violet aside, and shut the door.I sat on the bed, not daring to make a sound.Clara opened the chest and pulled out all the rods, applying some sort of substance to them that made them look slick and wet. Then, she filled a bucket with hot water and began washing my body meticulously.Her movements were not gentle, but they were thorough, especially around my intimate areas. She rubbed until my face burned red and my breathing quickened.After cleaning my body, Clara had me lie on the bed so she could examine me."Women who marry the river god must be untouched. I need to check you first."She picked up the thinnest rod and told me to turn over and lie on my stomach. I froze, remembering what Violet had sai

Chapter 3

With my vision blocked, my other senses became abnormally acute. Every touch from the river god made my hair stand on end, my scalp tingling. Feeling that thing pressing closer and closer, I instinctively began to struggle, my legs thrashing."No, don't come any closer. Please, I'm begging you, let me go."The river god said nothing, only continued his ragged breathing. His appendages coiled tighter and tighter until I could not move at all, forced into an utterly humiliating position.My voice trembled as I sobbed. "River god, please let me go. This will really break me. It already hurts so much. Please spare me. I'll stay in the river and serve you, bring you tea and water. Please?"The river god paused. His appendages stopped applying pressure, as if he was considering the feasibility of my words.Just when I thought I had escaped this fate, a hand suddenly covered my body. The distinct sensation of fingertips made my heart lurch violently.A hand? How could the river god have

Chapter 4

Pain twisted through my chest. I leaped up from the bed. "Why are you only telling me this now? Why didn't you save him?"My emotions surged out of control. I grabbed Clara's hands and shouted at her, my limbs trembling uncontrollably. "Why? You knew he was..."Before I could finish, Clara's expression changed drastically. She raised her hand to cover my mouth. "Shh, keep your voice down. It's not safe here."I stared at her intently, waiting for an explanation. Clara avoided my resentful gaze and let out a long sigh."That night during the consummation, I was terrified. When I struggled, I tore off the blindfold and recognized him immediately. He recognized me too and wanted to let me go, but... those animals were waiting right outside. If he just openly let me leave, neither of us would have come out unscathed."So, he had me put on an act. That was also when I learned there was an earth-shattering secret hidden beneath the river. He made me promise to get out alive and find a w

Chapter 5

Clara was actually my older sister, and I was not Mom's biological daughter. Her name was Louise Hunch, and she had absolutely nothing to do with me.Back then, Clara and I were tricked into coming to Riverbend by Louise.Two years ago, Clara and I both fell in love with Ian Cole. Ian chose me over her. Clara refused to accept it. She begged me for a long time to give Ian up to her, but love was not an object that could be handed over at will.I rejected her absurd request, and Clara was heartbroken. A few days later, she disappeared. Ian vanished at the same time.At first, I thought Clara was just throwing a tantrum and running away. I did not think much of it. But then Ian's phone stayed off for three days straight. When I could not reach him, I started to feel something was wrong.After I hurriedly reported it to the police, Clara suddenly came back. Her face was deathly pale, her body covered in injuries. Her clothes were filthy and torn, as if she had just crawled out of a m

Chapter 6

Clara flipped open her wedding dress and pulled out a dagger from inside. Before we left, I had secretly slipped it to her when no one was looking. Clara used the dagger to cut the ropes binding me and removed my blindfold. I gripped her slightly trembling hand in return, trying to comfort her."Clara, don't be afraid. Once we find Ian, we'll all go home together."Clara froze for a moment. Her eyes reddened, and she squeezed my hand tight, then nodded.We waited in the cage for a long time, but the river god never appeared. After thinking for a while, Clara pulled me down into the water to investigate. The moment my body sank beneath the surface, I saw a pitch-black tunnel opening below the cage.Clara's face went white as paper. She surfaced and told me, "That tunnel leads straight to the bottom of the river. Ian must be down there."I was shocked, disbelief written all over my face. "There's no air at the river bottom. How could he possibly survive?"Clara lowered her head and

Chapter 7

My gaze fell on his horrifying serpent's tail. My chest felt so tight it hurt. I could not imagine how much he had suffered over the past year.Feeling my stare, Ian looked embarrassed and tried to hide his tail, but he lacked the strength to move it.I hugged him tightly, not letting him struggle. "It's okay. As long as you're alive, that's all that matters. Have you been trapped here this whole time? Why did they... turn you into this?"Ian's fists clenched violently, his nails digging deep into his palms. After a long moment, he finally spoke."The men in this village are extremely sexist. Their reputation is terrible for miles around. No one will marry their daughters off to them."When they couldn't find wives, they kept causing trouble for the chief. They stopped tending their crops, stopped earning money. When they got hungry or thirsty, they just went to the chief's house and took what they wanted."The chief was worn down and came up with this river god bride scheme. He

Chapter 8

After giving my statement, the police returned the box Clara had left me.Louise stood in handcuffs, glaring at me viciously. "You wretched girl! You ruined our village and got my son killed. You sisters will both die horrible deaths!"I narrowed my eyes and lunged toward her. If the police had not held me back, there was no telling what I would have done to her face.When I returned home, I opened the small box. Inside was a letter sealed in a plastic bag. I recognized Clara's handwriting immediately.It was elegant and graceful, flowing like water. Nothing like mine.Her academic performance had always been better than mine. But given our limited circumstances, she had to give up her own future to lift me up.I opened the letter. The moment I glanced at the first line, tears streamed down my face.…[Aria, by the time you read this letter, I will already be dead.[I'm sorry. I'm the one who hurt you and Ian, dragging you both into this nightmare and wasting your lives. One m

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