เด็ก..บ้านนอก

I was reborn, back to the day when Grace Lane arrived at my home.

If my rebirth had occurred earlier, perhaps I could have prevented Grace's biological parents' deaths, or even desperately tried to stop my parents from adopting her.

But now that she had already arrived at our home, no amount of protest would change anything.

Grace was the daughter of Dad's mentor, a renowned painter who had his precious child late in life and cherished her like the apple of his eye. She displayed exceptional artistic talent but suffered from an unidentified eye condition that caused her vision to fluctuate, with the constant risk of blindness.

Her parents had taken Grace to numerous doctors seeking treatment, but both died in an accident, leaving behind young Grace.

Grace's childhood was tragic, so my parents immediately decided to treat her as their own daughter when they first saw her. She became even more important than their biological child, me.

"Wendy, didn't you always want an older sister? From now on, Grace will be your sister. Aren't you happy?" Mom and Dad looked at me lovingly, hoping I would genuinely accept Grace.

Seven-year-old me was genuinely happy in my previous life, believing I had gained another warm family member. I was willing to share my love with this gentle-faced girl.

Yet I never imagined Grace to be a thief who didn't want to share my love—she wanted to steal it all.

"Wendy, I know you're a sensible girl. Grace isn't well. Although you're younger, we need you to help us care for her. Can you do that?" Dad asked.

Tears were already forming in Grace's eyes before I could answer.

"Mr. and Mrs. Lane, I know it must be hard for Wendy to accept me. Who would want to share their family's love with someone else? Don't worry, I can go back to the orphanage."

Sometimes I truly suspected that Grace had also been reborn. How could an eight-year-old girl be so manipulative? I hadn't expressed any opposition, yet she had already labeled me jealous.

Mom wiped Grace's tears away tenderly. "Don't cry, Grace. It's not good for your eyes. And why are you still calling us Mr. and Mrs. Lane? From today on, we're Mom and Dad."

Grace lifted her delicate little face, tears still clinging to her eyelashes. Her expression of unexpected gratitude would make anyone pity her.

"I have a mom and dad now," she sobbed.

In that moment, the three of them embraced and cried together. No one remembered to ask for my opinion. Grace just had that kind of power.

My parents had Grace and me sleep in the same room that night. I lay quietly, unable to fall asleep, calculating how to become independent and leave this home as soon as possible.

After everything that happened in my previous life, I understood that from the moment Grace invaded our family, Dad, Mom, and my brother, Jake, all became her exclusive possessions.

Grace carefully got out of bed late at night. I squinted, pretending to be asleep, and watched as she headed straight for my parents' bedroom.