Reborn, I Don’t Want My Parents’ Love Anymore

The day I got my cancer diagnosis, I practically skipped home with the report in my hand.

When the front door swung open, my parents and my brother were huddled around the girl who had taken my place, Seraphina, cooing over her and trying to make her smile. Same as always.

I stormed in, slapped the papers down on the polished mahogany table, and announced, Mom, Dad, Spencer. I have stomach cancer. Its terminal. Ive got less than three months.

They froze. I waited, my heart pounding with a strange, vindictive excitement. I imagined their faces crumbling with regret, the remorse they should have felt for years finally hitting them. I pictured them on their knees, begging for my forgiveness, and I knew, even then, I would never grant it.

But the scene I had so vividly imagined never played out.

They passed the diagnosis report between them, a heavy silence filling the grand living room. Finally, my father spoke, his voice void of any emotion.

What kind of urn do you want?

My mother was next. In three months, its Seras eighteenth birthday gala. Your funeral cant be a big affair. It would cast a shadow on her celebration.

There was no gut-wrenching moment of regret from my family. On the day of Seraphinas lavish party, I died alone.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day they first brought me home.

...

My stomach was still twisting with a phantom agony, but the world around me had erupted into chaos.

My eyes snapped open to the sight of Seraphina sobbing in my mothers arms.

Before the dizzying reality of my rebirth could even settle in, a violent shove sent me stumbling to the floor.

I looked up into the hostile glare of my brother, Spencer.

Let me make one thing clear, he snarled. Sera is my only sister. Ill destroy anyone or anything that hurts her.

The gears of my mind, rusty from death, began to turn. I remembered this. This was the first day. The day my birth parents, the Baldwins, finally brought me home after sixteen years of hell.

Id been abused my entire life, so when they found me, I foolishly believed I had found a safe harbor. I thought I would finally receive the affection, the love, the everything I had only ever dreamed of.

I never imagined they already had a replacement, an impostor daughter who had been living my life, basking in the warmth that should have been mine.

In my first life, when Spencer pushed me, sixteen years of bottled-up grief and injustice exploded out of me. I collapsed into a pathetic, weeping mess, snot and tears streaming down my face as I demanded they throw Seraphina out.

I thought they didn't know what Id been through, so I tore open my old wounds for them to see, my words practically dripping with blood.

Seraphinas mother did it on purpose! She switched us at birth, she admitted it to my face!

She broke my ribs three times! My right arm was dislocated twelve times, and my thighs and chest theyre covered in burns

When I was seven, she sold me to a grimy traveling circus! I had to eat and sleep with the animals, forced to bark like a dog on stage for scraps of food, to jump through rings of fire

I was screaming, clawing at my own clothes in a desperate, undignified plea.

Mom, Dad, Spencer, look! Look at my scars! It hurt so much, it hurt so, so much

Please, just have a little pity on me Send her away. Please dont let her call you Mom and Dad and Spencer. Please?

I looked up, my vision blurred with tears, desperately hoping to see a flicker of compassion, to feel a gentle hand wipe my face.

But my parents just looked awkward. And in my brother's eyes, I saw a flash of pure disgust.

He was the one who spoke, his voice dripping with sarcasm. Even if any of that is true, what does it have to do with Sera? She was just a baby. She didnt know anything. Shes the innocent one here. Imagine how she feels, suddenly finding out shes not related to us. I bet shes hurting a lot more than you are.

My tears froze on my cheeks. I stared at him, searching for any sign he was joking, but there was none.

My head swiveled to my parents, the very people who had brought me here.

My mother, Isabelle, who had been weeping with pity just moments before, was now clutching Seraphina, her expression troubled. Hes right, Aurora. Spencer has a point. Sera is innocent in all this. Cant you try to be a little more understanding?

My father, Arthur, delivered the final verdict. Enough. Youll both stay. The Baldwin family can afford to support two daughters. Now get up off the floor and change into something decent. Youre making a scene.

And so, on my very first day home, I became the enemy.

The next three years were a blur of constant, bitter conflict.

One thousand and ninety-five days. And in all that time, I never won a single battle against Seraphina. Not one.

Thats why, when I saw the cancer diagnosis, my first feeling wasn't fear or sadness. It was relief. A vicious, liberating relief.

I hoped my death would be the ultimate punishment for my biased parents, the final blow that would make my hateful brother drown in guilt.

But I gambled with my life and still lost everything.

On Seraphinas eighteenth birthday, my urn was quietly buried.

No memorial, no eulogy. No one even came to say goodbye.

Oh, Mother. Father. Spencer.

This time around, I don't want your love.

My thoughts snapped back to the present. I looked up at my furious brother and said calmly, Mr. Baldwin, I have no intention of being your sister.

Spencer stared, dumbfounded. Even my parents, still comforting Seraphina, turned to look at me in shock.

My fathers brow furrowed, his voice cold. Aurora, thats enough.

This is the Baldwin estate. What Sera has, you will have too. We won't neglect our own flesh and blood.

My mothers gaze softened as she took in my frail frame, a flicker of pity in her eyes. She let go of Seraphina and knelt to help me up.

Dont say things you dont mean, darling, she murmured. Besides, youre not an adult yet, and you have no money. If you dont come home with us, what will you do? Go back to that circus? Be paraded around like an animal for the crowds amusement?

Even though I had already died and come back, her words still stung, and my eyes burned with unshed tears.

You see, that was my mother. She knew the depths of my suffering, knew my dignity had been stripped away for sixteen years. Yet she could still weaponize my trauma with such casual cruelty, wrapping it in a guise of concern.

In my last life, I was so desperate for her love that I never saw the cold indifference hiding beneath the surface.

But now

I steadied myself and gently pushed her hands away.

Im serious, I said, my voice level. No one outside this house knows I exist. You can just tell people youre sponsoring a scholarship for an underprivileged student from the countryside.

Before they could argue, I pressed on. Besides, I dont know any of your etiquette. I cant tell a Merlot from a Cabernet, I don't know the first thing about flower arranging Id only embarrass the Baldwin name if my identity got out.

The protests died on their lips. My parents exchanged a look, and both fell silent.

I lowered my head to hide the bitter, knowing smile that touched my lips.

It was just like last time. Seraphina would drag me to elegant galas just to watch me make a fool of myself. And with every clumsy mistake, the guilt and pity my parents initially felt for me slowly evaporated, replaced by shame.

Terrified of losing them completely, I had driven myself to the brink, staying up all night, cramming years of culture and etiquette into my exhausted mind. Eventually, I could navigate those shark-infested waters with grace, even outshining Seraphina.

I thought they would be proud. I thought Spencer would finally see me differently.

But all it took was a single tear from Seraphina, and all my hard work turned to ash.

Spencer cut up all my evening gowns. My parents fired my tutors.

And Seraphina? She was rewarded with a private piano concerto, a lavish affair that I later heard cost them nearly a million dollars.

A million dollars.

If I remembered correctly, my urn cost just over a hundred.

It was clear now. In my past life, I was too naive, too consumed by my own sense of injustice. I fought, I clawed, I demanded. And all I got were more scars, without earning a single drop of their sympathy.

What was the point of it all?

Aurora, what was the point? You fought until your last breath and couldn't even earn yourself a decent funeral.

Breaking the thick silence, my father finally spoke. Fine. Well do it your way for now. Well hire the best tutors for you. When youre ready, well hold a proper reception to announce your identity as a Baldwin.

I nodded curtly. Thank you, Mr. Baldwin.

He frowned at the formality. Youre home now. You dont have to be so distant. You can call me Dad.

I shook my head, offering a faint, detached smile. No, Id better stick with Mr. Baldwin. I wouldnt want to get too comfortable and let it slip in public.

I turned to my mother, Isabelle, adopting the same formal address. And thank you, Ms. Baldwin. I only require your support until I turn eighteen. I won't be a burden for long.

A pale shadow crossed my mothers face. She forced a smile and reached for my hand again. Aurora, you dont have to be like this. Youre my daughter, after all. We

I pulled my hand back. I was tired, so tired of their hollow words.

Slinging my tattered bag over my shoulder, I started walking toward the guest rooms on the first floor.

Behind me, Seraphinas small, timid voice piped up. Aurora sister Ive already moved my things out of my room for you. You can you can take it. Ill just stay in the guest room.

I paused but didnt turn around. Dont bother. After all, youre the rightful daughter of this house right now.

A few steps later, I heard Spencers voice, laced with anger.

Sera, just ignore her. She wont even call them Mom and Dad. Who does she think shes fooling with this pathetic act?

If she wants to suffer, let her. She shouldn't even get a guest room.

Mrs. Gable! he barked. Get the key to the storage closet. Let her sleep in there.

I felt their eyes on my back, a collective weight of judgment.

I didnt look back. I didnt argue. I just followed the housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, in silence to collect my key.

I ate dinner alone in the storage closet that night.

As I passed the dining room to get my food, I could hear Seraphina laughing with my parents and brother. As if on cue, their cheerful chatter grew louder the moment I appeared. Spencer was practically feeding Seraphina by hand.

Last time, that kind of deliberate exclusion would have shattered me, sparking a huge fight that left everyone miserable.

This time, I simply gave the happy family a polite nod and walked away.

I had bigger things to worry about.

A full health check-up, a fitness regimen, my studies, and most importantly college entrance exams.

I had no time or energy to waste on people who didn't matter.

It was August, with a month left before the school year started. I immediately got a comprehensive medical exam. Seeing the clean bill of health for my stomach, I breathed a sigh of true relief. The cancer hadnt started yet.

I drafted a strict daily schedule for myself and requested all the textbooks for the next two years of high school.

Every morning, I was up and out for a run before anyone else in the Baldwin house had stirred. I would time my return perfectly, finishing breakfast just before they came downstairs, and then retreat to my room to study.

Isabelle tried, on several occasions, to bring me a glass of milk and chat, but my cool, indifferent responses always shut her down. Eventually, she seemed to get the hint, or perhaps took offense. Her visits grew infrequent, and soon it was Mrs. Gable who brought the milk.

One night, my head swimming from hours of calculus, I glanced up and saw the glass of milk under the warm glow of my desk lamp. It was stone cold.

A sardonic smile twisted my lips.

That was my mother in a nutshell.

You couldnt say she was heartless; she always offered these tiny gestures of hope. A glass of milk, a moment spent brushing my hair, a cup of ginger tea she brewed herself when I had cramps.

But you couldnt say she was caring, either.

She never knew I was lactose intolerant. She never knew I was allergic to ginger. And whenever I had a breakdown, she would simply leave me alone to pick up my own pieces.

In my last life, I was driven mad by that hollow, performative version of motherly love.

Sometimes I wondered if she even wanted me back. If my very existence, a living reminder of her failure, was just an embarrassment to her in front of her high-society friends.

Otherwise, why would she be so cruel?

Time slipped away, silent and unnoticed, like the milk poured down the drain.

When Arthur asked which high school I wanted to attend, I chose Seraphinas without hesitation.

Spencer scoffed. So the quiet act is over, huh? I almost believed you were the type who didnt like to compete. Whats the plan? Finally ready to go make Seras life miserable at school?

I met his gaze directly, my own calm and unblinking. I chose that school because its the best in Crestwood City, with the strongest faculty. And Mr. Baldwin, my college exams are extremely important to me. Rest assured, I wont jeopardize my future over the kind of petty drama youre imagining.

Spencers face darkened, but I saw Arthur glance at me, a flicker of something thoughtful in his eyes.

Sister, dont talk to Spencer like that, Seraphina interjected, her voice soft and placating. Hes just worried about me. And Mom, Dad, dont worry. I know the school inside and out. Ill take good care of my sister.

Her words smoothed over the awkward tension.

Isabelle beamed, pulling Seraphina into a hug. Thats my sweet girl. Always so thoughtful.

The scene that used to pierce my heart now felt like a distant echo, causing no ripple within me.

My phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen and smiled.

It was the school. My application for a dorm room had been approved.

When we got in the car for the first day of school, Seraphina offered graciously, Sister, you and Spencer should take the back. I can sit up front.

But before she could even take a step, Spencer grabbed her arm.

What are you doing? Youre sitting with me. The front seat is for outsiders. He shot a pointed look at me from the corner of his eye.

To his disappointment, I didn't look hurt or angry.

In fact, I was relieved. I gave him a polite nod.

The very thing I had begged for in my last life was something I now desperately wanted to avoid.

The car purred smoothly onto the school grounds. As expected, Seraphina and I were placed in the same class.

During gym class, she brought her whole clique over to meet me, a mix of popular boys and girls.

Of course, she wasn't being kind. In my first life, I had suffered immensely at the hands of these "friends."

I looked up at their familiar faces.

Back then, desperate to beat Seraphina at her own game, I had tried to win them over. I poured my heart out to them, acting like a pathetic, loyal puppy, eager for their approval.

I later found out they had a private group chat. Its name was "Taming the Mutt."

In that group, they circulated humiliating photos of me from my circus days and brainstormed new, cruel "games" to play with me.

Then, the day before the final college entrance exams, they executed their masterpiece. They printed out compromising photos of me, along with screenshots of all the degrading things I'd done to please them. They loaded them onto a drone and showered the entire school campus with them.

And just like that, the girl who had clawed her way to the top of the school rankings for two years, the student the teachers were certain would get into an Ivy League school, never even made it to the exam.

I ran through the hallways, dodging the strange looks and whispered insults, and confronted them.

Why? I cried, tears streaming down my face. Why would you do this to me? Wasnt I good enough to you?

They just laughed. One of them casually plucked a flyer out of the air and threw it at my face.

Just look at yourself. Youre pathetic. How could you even think someone like you deserved friends?

We feel sick just breathing the same air as you.

This is your punishment for making Sera sad.

My thoughts snapped back to the present. Seraphina was already putting on her wounded expression. Sister do you not like my friends? I didnt mean anything by it, I just saw you were all alone and I thought

I stood up, cutting her off.

Theyre your friends. You have fun with them. You dont need to worry about me.

But this time, my coldness seemed to pique their interest.

They spent the rest of the day trying to talk to me, offering me snacks, inviting me to eat with them, even ignoring Seraphina in the process.

I looked down, a scornful smile playing on my lips.

What a performance.

I hadn't planned on getting involved with them again in this life. But since they insisted on playing this game, well, I might as well give them a parting gift.

Just like last time, the driver took Seraphina home after school without waiting for me. I knew exactly what she was planning.

In my first life, she had intentionally drenched herself in the rain and gone home in tears. When my frantic parents and brother asked what was wrong, she had played the part of the reluctant victim, eventually confessing that she knew I resented her. She claimed that even though she knew I had paid some bullies to lock her in a bathroom and pour water on her, she didn't blame me.

When I heard her lies, my face flushed with rage. Shes lying! I didnt"

But my denial was met not with trust, but with a sharp, stinging slap across the face.

They didnt even bother to listen to my side of the story before passing judgment.

That night, I was locked out of the house, forced to endure a torrential downpour.

But this time, I had a feeling no one would be in the mood to appreciate Seraphinas little act.

Instead of taking the bus home, I had a quiet dinner, found a spot in the library to study, and waited.

Sure enough, just before seven oclock, my phone began to vibrate violently.

I let it ring for a moment, then answered.

On the other end, I heard my mothers voice, choked with sobs.

Aurora, somethings happened. You need to come to the hospital. Now.