CHAPTER ONE: The end and beginning

The night the house burned, the police said it was an accident.

A faulty stove. A careless candle. Some said I committed suicide. They said I couldn’t watch my sister marry the man I gave my life to so I choose to end it all.

But I remember the truth.

I remember the way the door was locked from the outside, the way smoke crawled into my lungs like something alive. I remember pounding my fists against the wood until my hands bled, screaming a name that never answered back. And above the roar of the fire and the dizziness hitting me I saw her, my sister in the hands of my man , the man I dedicated my life to , the man I killed for.

They stood together hand in hand in smiling so sweetly and I knew, it was them 

Fire swallowed everything: my room, my memories,the future I thought I had. My life flashed before my eyes and I realized how stupid I had been and I swore if there was a second chance I will be stronger. The last thing I saw was the ceiling collapsing ,and the last thing I felt was betrayal burning hotter than the flames. Then there was nothing. No pain. No sound. Just darkness.

And then

I woke up.

Not to smoke or ashes, but to silk sheets and candlelight. My body was whole. My breath steady. When I raised my hands, they were smaller, unscarred, untouched by fire. A mirror stood across the room, and the face staring back at me was mine… yet younger. Softer. Alive. I looked fifteen again 

I had been given another chance.

And this time, I would not burn alone.

Snapping out of my thoughts, I threw on clothes and ran down the stairs. If I remember correctly around this time my grandpa Thomson Vale the head and founder of the Vale’s Organization was still alive and according to my memory he was about to sign the papers that tied me to my biological parents. In my past life I threw tantrums and starved myself for days before he agreed to send my back to my parents in the city, I was so excited because I thought was going to be loved and cared for by my parents it was later on that I found out that the reason my grandfather adopted me in the first place was because he caught my stepmother Margaret Vale trying to drown me when I was just nine months old. 

My birth mother Selena Vale died during child birth and my father Edmand Vale brought in Margaret and her four month old baby Lucinda after two months under the vile of needing someone to care for me . It was during one of my grandfather’s unannounced visit that he caught Margaret trying to drown me in the the bathtub, he raged and raged and tried to get my father to divorce Margaret but he refused so my grandfather had no choice but to take me with him. In my past life when my father came back to take me with him , I foolishly thought he finally heard of my improvements at school and came to take me with him so when grandpa refused I threw tantrums until he gave in and later died of an heart failure. But now that I have been reborn I will never let him sign those papers, I will stay by his side till the end . 

I ran around the house looking for him and then as I opened the study door , I saw him .

He’s standing near the window with a book in hand and his glasses in place the way he always did before the illness , before everything. His hair black from dye with a few stubborn white stands sticking out , he looked younger, better —but it’s him. 

My grandfather 

Before I could stop myself I ran to him and jump on his back with tear running down my face 

In my first life, he died two years before the fire

I watched him die.

And now he’s here—alive

“Sheraphina” he says,with a slight frown on his face, probably still angry about the tantrums I have been throwing . “I thought you said you never want to see me.”

The sound of his voice breaks something inside me.

“No, I want to stay with papa forever ” My throat closed and I hugged him tighter “ I’m sorry, I was stupid , I will never leave .”

He shook his head turning to look at me suspiciously “what changed young lady.?”

As I opened my mouth to reply, the door of the study flew open and my foolish father came in with a document in hand 

“ Father , I brought the documents you need to sign. It is high time you stop coming between my daughter and I . She is coming home with me” he had a smug smile on his face 

I saw my grandfather’s face fall and I stepped between them, snatched the papers from my father’s hands and tore them to pieces 

“ I am never coming with you, this is my home and you can never take me away from it , you are not my father and you will never be so I advise you to leave now”

 My father stiffen in surprise, and looked at me 

" Sheraphina, I thought you said you wanted to come home with daddy , I already planned plenty of activities for us to do together, anything you want my darling.” 

I smiled,looked him in the eyes and said 

‘ I don’t remember ever wanting to go with u, and if by chance I ever said that I change my mind , I like grandpa better “

 I could see him trying to control his anger and grandpa trying to control his laughter so I stick my tongue out at him and watch him explode 

‘ You little witch, I was blind to think you are better than your mother , you will regret this “ 

As he stomped off I turned to hug grandpa to prevent him from asking, he noticed my mood and pulled me into a tighter hug. It was at this point that I promised myself to pay back the people that hurt me, step on the green tea stepsister and become a formidable power in the whole country