Chapter Two
1519 Words
Anna’s POV
The car door opened and my heart stayed calm, in my past life, this moment made me shake and I was scared and excited and I thought my life was about to change.
Now, I just watched, then a man stepped out first, he wore a dark suit, it was clean and sharp and his face was serious, it was like he was here for business, not family.
Richard Hayes, my biological father, and then, a woman followed him, high heels, cold eyes and perfect hair.
Margaret Hayes, my biological mother and then..a girl stepped out last.
She wore a white dress, a gentle smile and bright eyes, Emily Hayes, my sister.
She looked at me and then smiled warmly.
“Anna,” she called. “So this is where you’ve been living?”
Her voice was gentle and loving.
Just like before, uncle Ben stiffened beside me and Aunt Lily gripped my hand tightly.
Richard looked around the yard and his eyes stopped on the old house.
“This is…” He then paused. “…quite remote.”
Aunt Lily then forced a smile. “Yes, but it’s peaceful.”
Margaret didn’t answer and she looked at me and her eyes moved from my face to my clothes and then away.
There was no smile and no warmth and then Richard cleared his throat. “Anna Hayes.”
I lifted my head. “Yes.”
“We are here to take you home,” he said.
Home?
The word was strange and Emily walked closer and held my arm. “Sister, we finally found you, Mom and Dad have missed you so much.”
She then leaned closer to Margaret, I mean very close.
Margaret then placed a hand on Emily’s shoulder.
I noticed it.
In my past life, I didn’t.
Aunt Lily’s fingers trembled around mine. “Anna…”
I squeezed her hand gently.
“I know,” I whispered.
Richard looked at Uncle Ben. “Thank you for raising her, the Hayes family will repay you.”
Uncle Ben then shook his head. “We didn’t raise her for money.”
Richard nodded, but his eyes were already moved back to me.
“Pack your things,” he said. “We will leave today.”
Today? It was so fast.
Margaret then finally spoke. “You can bring only what you need.”
Her voice was brutal, it was she was talking about luggage, not a daughter and Aunt Lily’s eyes were filled with tears. “Anna, do you want…”
“I will go,” I said and everyone froze and then Aunt Lily turned to me. “Anna?”
I then looked at her and smiled gently. “I will come back. I promise.”
Emily smiled wider. “See? Sister understands.”
Richard looked relieved and Margaret turned away, she was already walking toward the car.
No one asked me if I wanted to go and no one asked me if I wanted to stay but Uncle Ben swallowed hard. “Take care of yourself.”
“I will,” I said and I hugged Aunt Lily tightly.
She whispered, “No matter what happens, remember this place.”
I nodded and I got into the car, the door closed, the countryside slowly faded behind us.
Emily sat close to Margaret and she was very close and she leaned her head on her shoulder.
Margaret allowed it and I sat across from them, I sat alone.
Emily had lived in the Hayes mansion for eighteen years, she learned their habits, their smiles, their silence and to them, she was already their daughter, I was only the blood they could not deny.
Emily then turned to me. “Sister, are you nervous?”
“No,” I said and she blinked. “Really?”
I then looked out the window. “Not really.”
She laughed gently. “You’re brave.”
The car then stopped at a grand gate.
The Hayes mansion, it was big, cold and beautiful and then Richard turned to me. “From today, this is your home.”
And then I nodded.
Inside, servants lined up.
“Welcome back, Miss Hayes,” they said and Emily walked beside Margaret.
Margaret held her hand and I followed behind.
At dinner, I sat at the end of the table and Emily sat beside Margaret.
Richard talked to Emily and asked her if she was tired but one spoke to me.
I ate gently and then after dinner, a maid showed me to my room, it was small and at the far end of the hallway.
“This is your room,” she said and then I stepped inside.
It was clean but nothing was inside and later that night, I walked past the guest room and the door was slightly opened.
The light then spilled out and I stopped and I heard Emily’s voice, it was exciting.
“She’s back,” Emily said into her phone.
I froze and her voice turned hard.
“Prepare everything.”
I stepped back into the darkness and my heart stayed calm.
The game had already begun.
The door closed behind me and the room was calm, and then I stood in the middle of it and looked around.
A small bed, a narrow desk and two boxes stacked in the corner.
This was not a bedroom, it was a storage room and I placed my bag on the bed and sat down slowly.
So this was my place, in my past life, I cried that night.
I remembered lying up on the bed and biting my lips until they bled, but time, I didn't cry, I just lay down and stared at the ceiling, the light was dim, the house was big, but I was smaller than ever
…..
The next morning, I woke up early, old habits from the countryside and then I washed my face and walked out and I got to the dinning.
Everyone was already seated and Richard was reading the newspaper and Margaret was drinking tea.
Emily was laughing gently and a maid stood behind Emily, adjusting her hair.
No one looked at me, I just stood there for a second and then I turned around and I ate bread alone in my room.
…….
At noon, a servant knocked.
“Miss Anna,” she said politely, “Madam says lunch has ended.”
I nodded. “Okay.”
The door closed and my stomach tightened, then went mute.
…..
In the afternoon, a guest arrived and I was standing near the stairs when I heard Margaret said,
“This is our daughter, Emily.”
I froze and the guest laughed. “She looks just like you.”
Margaret smiled. “Yes. She’s been with us since she was a baby.”
Emily then turned and saw me and her eyes lit up. “Oh! This is my sister.”
She paused, then added lightly,
“The other child.”
The guest looked at me with surprise.
“Oh… I see.”
I smiled politely and no one explained and no one corrected her.
……
At dinner, I didn’t even try to go downstairs, I just sat on my bed and then my phone buzzed.
A message from Emily.
Emily: Sister, did you forget dinner?
I stared at the screen and then another message.
Emily: Mom thought you weren’t hungry.
I typed slowly.
Me: It’s fine.
She then replied with a smiling emoji and I put the phone down.
—
Days passed like this and I learned the rules quickly, I was not called for meals and I was not asked for opinions.
I was also not included in family plans and when guests came, I stood at the side.
When photos were taken, I was not in them and once, a servant asked,
“Should we prepare tea for Miss Anna too?”
Margaret answered without looking up,
“She doesn’t need it.”
Her voice was calm, it was not cruel..
One afternoon, I overheard two maids whispering.
“So which one is the real daughter?”
“The quiet one, I think.”
“Then why does she live in the storage room?”
“I heard Madam prefers the adopted one.”
I just walked past them and they fell silent.
I didn’t stop.
That night, I sat on the bed and pressed my palms together.
They didn’t hate me, if they hated me, they would shout, they would argue, they would care, they simply don’t.
And somehow, that hurts more.
….
My body grew weak and I didn’t notice at first, I was dizzy when I stood and my steps were slow.
But I kept quiet, I always kept quiet.
One evening, I left the house alone, I just wanted air.
The gate looked far away and the sky spinned and then my vision blurred.
“Not now,” I whispered.
My legs gave up and I fell and then the ground met my face and everything faded and the world went dark.
- Writer
