It's been two weeks since I opened my eyes after my death in my previous life, two weeks since I was reborn. Though I was still adjusting to this new reality, it all felt surreal impossible to believe. Yet, it had happened to me, I sat on my bed, replaying the events of that first day.
3rd October, 2016
I woke up from what should have been my death, shocked and disoriented, still trying to comprehend what was happening. That's when the door burst open. My family stormed in: my two older brothers, my twin sister crying in their arms, and my heartless mother, her face twisted in anger. Without hesitation, she strode towards me and slapped me across the face.
That slap confirmed it, I was alive.
I was too consumed by my thoughts to hear everything she was saying, but one sentence broke through the fog:
"How did I end up giving birth to such a disgraceful child?" my mother spat, her voice trembling with rage.
I glanced around the room. The maids were whispering amongst themselves, eyes full of judgment. My brothers stared at me with disgust, and my twin sister, the beloved Stella, was sobbing uncontrollably, as usual. I held my cheek, still hot from my mother's slap, and the memories from my previous life came flooding back.
The night before, our father had returned from one of his many overseas trips. As always, he came bearing gifts, but only for Stella. He had given her a golden bracelet encrusted with emeralds, a true treasure. Later that night, I had been sent to my room, forbidden to eat dinner, just like so many times before.
The next morning, they accused me of stealing the bracelet. I had pleaded, tears streaming down my face, as my mother hit me again and again. My brothers dragged me down the stairs and locked me in the cellar for two days, without food or water. When they finally let me out, Stella chirped that they had forgotten about me down there, only to discover that one of the maids had stolen the bracelet. No apologies were given, no wrongs righted. They had simply moved on, as if nothing had happened.
But this time, it would be different. Still holding my cheek, I looked at my mother with cold detachment and asked, "What did I do?"
She stared at me, her fury growing. "Don't play dumb. After everything I've taught you, how could you disgrace me like this?" she seethed, her voice thick with disdain.
I stayed calm, my face emotionless. "And what, exactly, is the terrible thing I've done?"
"How dare you talk to Mother like that, you stupid bastard!" Liam, my second brother, spat, his face twisted with anger.
Ah, yes stupid bastard. That was his favorite term for me, the name he used so often that even our teachers began to believe I was some charity case the family had taken in. I let out a small, bitter laugh.
"I wouldn't keep calling me that if I were you," I said coolly. "Otherwise, Father might start thinking Mother had me with another man."
Mother's hand struck me again, harder this time, sending me tumbling from the bed to the floor.
"You ungrateful brat! How dare you speak to me like that!" she screamed, her rage boiling over.
I picked myself up, dusting off my clothes, my face expressionless. "I'm only repeating what he said," I replied, unbothered. "Besides, you still haven't told me what I did to disgrace this dear family."
"The bracelet your father gave Stella is missing, and we all know you took it," my mother declared with conviction, her voice sharp and accusing.
I couldn't help it, I laughed. The absurdity of it all hit me like a wave. They always blamed me for something. Every time, I cowered, desperate for their approval, for their love. But that girl was gone.
"Are you really telling me that just because she can't find her bracelet, you think I took it?" I asked, my voice laced with anger.
"Of course!" my mother replied, though there was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes.
"Well, hate to break it to you, but I didn't. I don't even know what the damn thing looks like. I was in my room all night, Father's orders." I spoke matter-of-factly, not caring about the outcome.
"That's a lie! You took it, and now you won't admit it!" Brian, my eldest brother, sneered, holding Stella protectively.
"Why would I lie? No one saw me take it. I wasn't even allowed in her room. It's off-limits to me, remember? Only you and the maids go in there. How could I have taken it without anyone noticing?" I countered, my voice calm, but the tension in the room thick.
"Then if you didn't take it, who did?" Liam stammered, his confidence faltering.
"That's for you to figure out. Not my problem." I turned away, heading towards my dresser.
Mother, still uncertain, glared at me. "Fine. If you didn't take it, you won't mind if the maids search your room."
I shrugged, indifferent. The maids tore my room apart, breaking fragile items and tossing my belongings everywhere. Their disrespect was obvious, but I stood my ground. When they finished, they reported that they had found nothing. Despite being cleared, I could see the frustration on my family's faces.
Stella, ever the actress, sobbed even harder. "Boohoo, it was a gift from Daddy. What am I going to tell him when he finds out?" she wailed.
"Why don't you tell him the truth, you know that you were careless and lost it? I'm sure he'll buy you a new one. It's not like he'll punish you," I said with a smirk.
"SHUT UP!" Mother screamed, striding over to me and slapping me yet again. "You could have hidden it. Don't think you're off the hook."
She motioned for the maids to drag me downstairs to the family room, where my father sat, the butler by his side.
Father glanced at me, his face etched with disdain. "I thought I told you not to leave your room," he said, his voice low with anger.
"Honey, I brought her here because we suspect she stole something," Mother said, her voice dripping with accusation.
Father sighed in frustration. "What now?"
Stella clung to him, her tears flowing freely. "Daddy, the bracelet you gave me, it's gone! I'm so sorry," she whimpered.
He turned his cold gaze on me. "What do you have to say for yourself?"
I broke free from the maids' grasp and stood tall. Before I could speak, Liam shouted, "She stole it and hid it! She refuses to admit it!"
"Is this true?" Father's glare bore into me.
"No, it's not," I replied calmly. "They searched my room and found nothing. No one saw me take it because I didn't."
Father sighed again, turning to the butler. "Fetch the security footage from last night."
Liam kept spewing threats, but I ignored him. Minutes later, the butler returned with the footage. They gathered around Father, eager to prove me guilty. But when the truth was revealed, it wasn't me.
One of Stella's maids had stolen the bracelet. Silence fell over the room. Father sighed, Mother stood frozen in disbelief, and my siblings flushed with embarrassment.
I turned to leave, having no desire to remain in their presence any longer.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mother asked, her voice strained.
I stopped and looked at her, my eyes cold. "Why? Are you looking for another excuse to hit me?"
She sank into her chair, saying nothing, humiliated. As always, no one apologized. But I didn't expect them to. They would soon realize that the girl who once craved their love and attention was gone. The one standing before them now? She would make them pay for every ounce of pain they had caused.