Rebirth of the True Heiress: My Toxic Sister Can Keep My Trash Fiancé

My sister and I were kidnapped when we were kids.

I gave her the only chance to escape.

After years of living through hell, I finally dragged myself back home.

By then, my sister, Sienna, had already become the pampered heiress of the Hale family.

I thought wed have a tearful reunion and Id finally get to live a peaceful life.

But my own flesh and blood stole my fianc, turned our parents against me, and ruined my reputation.

In the end, she had me thrown into the freezing ocean, leaving me to rot in the dark, unknown to anyone.

But I survived. No, I was reborn.

I woke up on the very day we were kidnapped.

This time, Sienna, Im not giving you the chance to run.

***

**1.**

Even as the icy water filled my lungs, I couldn't believe how much Sienna hated me.

She had told everyone that I was a greedy traitor who stole family money and ran away to Europe.

She had cried those crocodile tears so convincingly that our parents held her, weeping with her.

"She wasn't raised by our side since she was little," theyd sighed. "Of course she has no loyalty to this family."

They had no idea that my bloated body had been floating in the ocean for three days and nights. Unclaimed. Unloved.

As I lost my footing and plunged into the abyss, I stared at the hands that had pushed me.

"Why, Sienna?" I gasped.

My own sister smiled, her eyes cold and venomous like a viper.

"Why couldn't you just stay in that godforsaken mountain shack, Chloe? Why did you have to come back?"

"No one is taking my life away from me. Not even you, my dear sister."

The heavy, crushing waves swallowed me, tearing the last bit of oxygen from my chest.

I didn't even have time to cry out my regrets.

When we were six, Sienna and I were taken.

I gave her the only escape route.

I told her to memorize our location and promised she would bring help back for me.

I waited for so long. But help never came.

Eventually, a couple who wanted to buy a child came to the camp.

I didn't want to be sold to some old creep in the woods, so I used every ounce of my wit. I faked amnesia, put on my most pitiful face, and grabbed their attention.

"Are you my mommy and daddy? I missed you so much," I cried, throwing my tiny arms around the woman's neck.

Her heart melted, and she actually bought me.

The traffickers blindfolded me, and after days of bumpy riding, we arrived at an isolated, run-down farm deep in the mountains.

But when the husband saw his wife had brought back a girl instead of a boy, he lost his temper and beat me mercilessly.

"Why did you waste money on a useless mouth to feed?"

Years of harsh sun, endless farm labor, and countless whip scars aged me far beyond my years.

By the time I turned eighteen, the man tried to sell me to a creepy old hermit in the next valley to be his "wife."

I fought back with everything I had. The man beat me half to death and locked me in the barn.

But that night, the wife finally showed a shred of mercy. Under the cover of darkness, she unlocked the door and let me go.

I ran out of those mountains. The first thing I did was look for my real family.

Every single night, fearing I would forget my parents' names, I had whispered them like a mantra.

Fortunately, the Hale family was prominent and wealthy. It didn't take much digging to find them.

When I finally returned, they were warm to me at first.

But gradually, things changed. They began to resent my timidness and my lack of high-society etiquette.

"A daughter of the Hale family cannot look so unpolished," my father, Robert, would say.

Soon, they stopped taking me to galas and charity events.

"Just stay home, Chloe. Don't go out. We can't let the media snap photos of you looking like this."

Their eyes and hearts only had room for Sienna.

Julian Vance, the boy I had been betrothed to since childhood as part of a family alliance, came to see me once.

He shook his head in disgust.

"A sun-baked, uneducated hillbilly? I'd rather die than marry her!"

Fine. If he didn't want me, we could call off the arrangement.

But the very next day, a scandal broke. Julian and my sister were caught in bed together, and the photos were leaked all over Instagram.

Holding Julian's hand in front of reporters, Sienna sobbed, "Julian and I are truly in love. But my sister... she just won't let him go."

The media swarmed me.

Overnight, the internet tore me to pieces.

"Look at her. She looks like a maid. How does she think a childhood contract makes her worthy of Julian?"

"She has no degree, no class, and no looks. She can't even hold a candle to Sienna."

My parents suggested buying me a house in Switzerland to "let things blow over."

I agreed.

But somehow, the narrative was spun that I had stolen millions from the family and fled the country.

Sienna came to see me off. She offered comfort as we walked along the cliffside by the sea.

And then, she pushed me.

I closed my eyes in agony.

I had been so stupid. Even in my final moments, I had been craving a sliver of sisterly love.

***

**2.**

"Chloe. Chloe, wake up!"

A high-pitched, childish voice called out, accompanied by a violent shaking of my shoulders.

I gasped, my eyes flying open.

Siennas young face stared back at me, startling me.

We were crammed inside the back of a moving truck that smelled of stale cigarettes and cheap beer.

The suffocating feeling of drowning was gone.

I had been reborn. I was back to the day we were kidnapped.

"Chloe, are they going to sell us? Do something! Please!"

Sienna clutched my arm, her face pale with terror.

I looked at her coldly. I felt absolutely nothing for this sister of mine anymore.

"Be quiet," I muttered.

In my past life, it was because she wouldn't stop crying that I took several brutal beatings for her.

Hearing my cold tone, Sienna shrieked even louder.

A scrawny trafficker opened the cabin window, brandishing a wooden club.

"Shut the hell up back there! You want to die?!"

He swung the club toward us. Sienna screamed and tried to hide behind me.

This time, I stepped aside.

The club landed squarely on Siennas shoulder.

She screamed in pain. Annoyed, the man hit her a few more times.

I stood there, watching. I was never going to shield her again.

Sienna finally realized that crying only brought pain, and she shut her mouth, trembling.

I quietly studied our surroundings. Every time the truck slowed down, I made mental notes of the landmarks.

Finally, the truck pulled over near a highway construction site at the edge of a small town.

This was it. The exact moment of escape from my memory.

There were two guards. One rushed off to find a restroom, leaving only one behind.

The remaining guard saw some construction workers playing cards and betting money nearby. He tied us up hastily and went over to join them.

Seeing him walk away, I squirmed toward a nearby wooden crate.

I slammed my body against it, sending a glass bottle rolling out and shattering on the floor.

Reaching behind my back, I grabbed a sharp shard and began sawing at the ropes around my wrists.

Sienna, who had a cloth stuffed in her mouth, saw what I was doing and began to mumble frantically, "Me... save me..."

She was only five years old right now.

I hesitated for a fraction of a second, then sliced her ropes open.

She glared at me immediately. "Youre a horrible sister! You were going to leave me behind!"

I frowned and ignored her.

Quietly slipping out of the truck, I relied on my memory and kept low, scanning the area.

My eyes lit up.

A flatbed cart loaded with high stacks of hay. It was right there.

"Youre going to hide in *that*? No way, Im not doing that. It looks filthy, and theyll find you in two seconds," Sienna sneered, pinching her nose.

"Go wherever you want then," I said coolly.

I didn't try to convince her. The hay cart was only big enough to hide one child anyway.

In our past life, she had refused to get in, and I had spent precious minutes begging her until she finally relented and took the spot, leaving me to be caught.

Without another word, I wiggled into the deep, sweet-smelling hay.

Being small and flexible, I managed to bury myself completely.

I started counting in my head.

In ten minutes, an old local worker would come to wheel this cart away.

But at minute eight, chaos broke out outside.

I heard the trafficker's harsh voice.

"Just disciplining my stubborn kid, folks! Nothing to see here!"

*Smack!*

The sound of hard slaps echoed, followed by Siennas hysterical wailing.

My heart leaped into my throat.

Suddenly, the cart jolted. The old man had started moving it. I prayed silently for him to push faster.

"Stop hitting me! My sister is hiding in the hay cart! Go get her!" Sienna shrieked through her tears.

Heavy, rushing footsteps approached.

The cart ground to a halt.

"Hey, old man. Our girl ran off. We need to search your hay."

I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the worst. But the hay wasn't uncovered.

The old man stood his ground.

"I packed this hay myself. Theres nothing in here but feed."

The trafficker didn't care. "Get out of the way, old man, before we show you what these fists can do!"

Instead of backing down, the old man threw himself onto the dirt road and wailed at the top of his lungs, "Help! These young thugs are beating up a poor, helpless old man!"

His loud cries immediately drew the attention of the nearby construction workers.

Many of them knew the old man.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing to George?!" they yelled, stepping forward.

Seeing a crowd gather, the traffickers panicked.

With a muttered curse, they turned and fled.

The cart began to move again.

I didn't know how much time had passed. Drowsiness washed over me, but I kept pinching my thigh to stay awake.

Finally, the cart stopped, and Georges gentle voice drifted down: "You can come out now, kiddo."

I hesitated, then slowly poked my head out of the hay.

George pulled a cold roll from his bag and handed it to me. "Hungry? Here."

I took it, whispering, "How did you know I was in there?"

The old man chuckled. "That cart was awfully heavy today. Made this old man sweat buckets."

He reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a worn handkerchief, unfolding it to reveal a few crumpled dollar bills and some coins.

He handed some to me. "Wait here. A bus to the city will be by soon."

Warmth flooded my chest.

"Thank you, George..." I bowed deeply to him.

***

**3.**

The rest of the journey was smooth. Once I reached the city, I went straight to the police station.

Within twenty-four hours, my parents arrived.

It was ironic. The journey that had taken me over a decade to complete in my past life took only a day this time.

Eleanor held me tight, weeping.

"Chloe, oh my god, where did you go? I was losing my mind!"

I froze in her arms, not knowing how to react.

The loving parents and the affection I had craved so desperately in my past life were right here.

But I couldn't bring myself to hug her back.

Seeing my stiff posture, Robert touched my forehead.

"No fever. What's wrong, sweetie? Were your mommy and daddy. Don't you remember us?"

I swallowed my emotions. "I'm okay. But... Sienna..."

They froze, suddenly realizing someone was missing. They looked around frantically.

"Where is Sienna?"

I shook my head. "She didn't make it out."

In my past life, they had asked Sienna the same question.

But Sienna had told them: *Chloe fell into the river while we were running, and she drowned.*

They had believed her, stopped looking for me, and poured all their love onto her.

When I had finally reappeared years later, they had been awkward and distant.

Even though they tried to make it up to me, I wasn't the daughter they had raised. There was always a wall between us.

Sienna could lounge in Eleanor's lap and gossip, while I stood awkwardly by the door.

I was always the outsider looking in.

And every time I tried to get closer to my parents, Sienna would chime in with her passive-aggressive remarks.

"Oh, Chloe, thats not how you eat steak."

"Mom, Chloe didn't even finish high school. Its going to be so embarrassing if she works at the company."

"You can just throw away the leftovers, Chloe. Why are you hoarding them in the fridge? It smells awful."

She constant reminded them that I was a peasant.

That only Sienna was worthy of being a Hale.

Eleanor squeezed my hand, her voice soft and reassuring. "It's okay, Chloe. Don't blame yourself. Its our fault for not watching you closely enough. We will find your sister."

I forced a stiff smile.

I gave the police a detailed description of the traffickers and the last location I saw them.

As for whether Sienna would be saved, that was up to her own fate.

I hated her, but I didn't want her to die at the hands of traffickers. Those monsters deserved to be locked up anyway.

The detective gave me a thumbs-up. "Your kid is incredible, Mr. Hale. To stay that calm under pressure and memorize so many details... this information is gold."

Robert smiled proudly. "A daughter of the Hale family is bound to be extraordinary."

They took me home.

I remained quiet during the ride.

When we arrived, I stared at the bright, spacious living room and the pink, princess-themed bedroom.

It felt too beautiful to touch.

It was nothing like the mold-infested, drafty shack I had lived in during my past life.

Here, the roof wouldn't leak when it rained, and rats wouldn't crawl into my clothes at night.

I touched the brand-new school backpack on the bed. I was finally going to get an education.

Tears welled up in my eyes.

Eleanor noticed and pulled me onto her lap, looking confused.

"You didn't cry when you saw us, but youre crying over a backpack? Is a backpack more important than your mommy?"

I couldn't help but ask, "Mom... if I didn't have an education, and if I were dirty, dark-skinned, and ugly... would you still love me?"

"You're my flesh and blood, Chloe. No matter what you look like, I will always love you."

Robert walked over and tapped my head playfully. "Silly girl. Were here now. We would never let you become like that."

I slowly lowered my head.

*Liar.*

My throat tightened, and a silent tear soaked into my sleeve.

***

**4.**

Over the next few weeks, Eleanor barely left my side.

Whenever Robert had free time, he took me to theme parks.

There were no endless farm chores, no livestock to feed, and no local bullies throwing rocks at me.

Yet, I could still see a faint, lingering disappointment in their eyes whenever they looked at me.

One afternoon, Eleanor answered a phone call.

She broke down, clutching me as she sobbed.

"They might never find your sister!"

Based on the information I provided, the police had busted the first ring of traffickers.

But Sienna had already been sold down the line. The people who took us were just low-level runners. The trafficking network was vast and terrifyingly complex. Finding her now would be like finding a needle in an ocean.

I didn't shed a single tear.

Eleanor pulled back and stared at me like I was a monster.

"Chloe, thats your sister! Aren't you sad at all? Ever since you came back, youve been so cold. We do everything for you, but you don't care. How can your heart be so stony?"

I pretended to feel sick, slipped out of her embrace, and went up to my room, locking the door.

Of course I could have squeezed out a few fake tears.

But I didn't want to.

In my past life, did anyone cry for me?

No.

With the soul of a twenty-something woman trapped in a child's body, I was living a completely different life.

***

**5.**

Twelve years later.

I was representing Hale Enterprises at a high-society charity gala when my phone buzzed.

It was Eleanor. Her voice was shaking violently.

"We found your sister. Come home right now!"