Blood Didn’t Choose Me

Anna’s POV I stood at the top of the stairs and the lights downstairs were bright, the Hayes family living room looked perfect, it had clean floors, white walls, and flowers placed just right. Tomorrow was my engagement and tomorrow, I would become Daniel Brooks’ fiancee. My fingers wrapped around the railing and my heart beat fast, but it was warm, maybe this was it, I thought or maybe I finally belonged here. I then took one step forward and then I heard voices. I stopped and it was Daniel and Emily. They were in the small sitting room near the stairs and the door was a bit opened, but they didn’t know at all that I was here. Then Emily laughed, the laughter was gentle, it was exactly the type that people love. “So,” she said gently, “you are really going to marry her tomorrow?” Daniel then laughed too. “Marry?” he said. “Don’t make it sound so serious.” My heart tightened and Emily lowered her voice. “Then what is it?” Daniel answered without thinking. “It’s just for the inheritance, once I marry Anna, the Hayes shares will be within reach. After that…” He then paused. “…she won’t matter.” My breath froze and Emily laughed again and this time, it was sharp. “She really believes you love her,” she said “My poor sister is so easy to fool.” Sister? The word hurt more than a slap. Daniel sighed. “She grew up in the countryside, what do you expect? A girl with peasant blood would cling to any kindness.” Peasant blood? My fingers trembled and Emily clicked her tongue. “It’s funny, isn’t it? She’s the real daughter, but she acts like a beggar.” Daniel lowered his voice. “Don’t worry, after the wedding, I will keep her at home, she won’t get in your way.” Emily’s voice turned calm. “You promise?” “I promise,” Daniel said. “You are the one I care about.” Something inside me shattered and I stepped forward. They turned and Emily’s face went pale. “Anna?” Daniel frowned. “How long have you been standing there?” I opened my mouth, but no words came out and then I walked down one step and then another. “Say it again,” I whispered. “Say what you just said.” Emily then rushed toward me and grabbed my arm. “You misunderstood! Sister, you really misunderstood!” “Let go,” I said and Daniel’s voice turned cold. “Anna, don’t cause trouble.” I laughed gently and it was broken. “Trouble?” I asked. “So everything you said just now, was that a joke?” Daniel looked away and Emily suddenly screamed. “Ah….!” She then stumbled backward. “Anna, don’t push me!” she cried and before I could move, she collapsed to the floor. “Emily!” Daniel shouted and footsteps rushed in. “What’s going on?” Margaret Hayes’ voice broke through the air and Richard Hayes followed closely behind. Their eyes went straight to Emily on the floor. “My baby!” Margaret knelt down immediately. “Emily, what happened?” Emily held her arm firmly, and tears rolled down her cheeks. “Mom… I tried to explain, but Sister Anna misunderstood, she looked so angry… I was scared.” Margaret then lifted her head and looked at men and then her eyes were cold. “Anna,” she said, “why are you always jealous of your sister?” My chest then tightened. “I heard them,” I said gently. “I heard everything.” Richard frowned. “Heard what?” I pointed at Daniel. “He said the marriage is fake, he said I don’t matter.” Then the room was calm and Daniel stepped forward calmly. “Uncle Richard,” he said gently, “Anna must be under pressure, she probably misunderstood.” Margaret’s voice was loud. “Apologize.” I then stared at her. “What?” “Apologize to Emily,” she said. “Right now.” Emily then shook her head weakly. “No, Mom… it’s okay. I don’t want my sister to hate me.” My heart broke and Richard sighed. “Anna, stop embarrassing the family, say sorry.” I then look at my parents, the people who shared my blood. “I did nothing wrong,” I said and Daniel walked closer and leaned in and whispered so only I could hear. “If you were smarter,” he said gently. “you would know your place.” My eyes burned and I stepped back and the railing pressed against my back. “Anna!” someone shouted and my foot slipped and then the world tilted. And I fell and then pain exploded through my body and my head hit the edge of the stairs. Everything hurt and warm liquid ran down my temple and I could still see. I saw Margaret rushed past me. “Emily!” she cried. “Are you hurt?” I then saw Richard lift Emily into his arms. “Call the doctor!” he shouted and no one looked at me, no one came to me and then I lay on the cold floor. The light above blurred. So this was it, the price of being the real daughter. My vision faded and darkness closed in… Then…. Birds chirp. …….. The sound was sharp and clear and I frowned Why is it so loud? My body was light and the pain from before, my head, my back, my chest, it was gone. Someone was holding me, warm arms and familiar arms. “Anna… Anna, wake up.” The voice trembled and I opened my eyes slowly. The ceiling above me was wooden, old and a little cracked, sunlight slipped through the small window and fell on my face. This was not the Hayes mansion and then my heart skipped and then I turned my head. A woman was sitting beside the bed, holding me close and her eyes were red, her face was thin and she smelt like soap and firewood. “Aunt Lily?” I whispered and her eyes widened. “She’s awake!” she cried. “Ben! Ben, she’s awake!” A man rushed in. “Anna!” Uncle Ben bends over me, his hands were rough and shaking. “Do you feel pain? Where does it hurt?” I stared at them and my chest rose and fell fast, they looked younger, and then my heart started to ring. “Aunt Lily…” My voice was hoarse. “How old am I?” She froze and Uncle Ben looked confused. “What kind of question is that?” My fingers curled into the blanket. “Please, tell me.” Aunt Lily then touched my forehead. “Nineteen,” she said gently. “You’re nineteen, you fainted while carrying water from the well, you scared us to death.” Nineteen? The word hit me like thunder and then I closed my eyes and images rushed in. The stairs, blood, Emily crying in my mother’s arms and Daniel’s cold whisper. “If you were smarter, you’d know your place.” My heart hurt but my body didn’t. I sat up suddenly. “Anna!” Aunt Lily panics. “Don’t move too fast!” I then looked down at myself and my hands. They were slim, clean and had no scars from later years, no engagement ring and no bruises. My hands were nineteen. Alive, real and then I breathed in deeply. This smell, dry earth, old wood, morning air. The countryside, I looked around. The small room, the wooden bed and the faded curtain, everything was exactly the same. This was before everything went wrong. Uncle Ben watched me carefully. “Does your head still hurt?” I shook my head slowly. Aunt Lily pressed a bowl into my hands. “Drink some water.” I took it and my hands were steady and that surprised me. I drank and the water was warm, plain and it tasted safe. Aunt Lily sat beside me. “You worked too hard yesterday, I told you not to carry so much.” “I’m sorry,” I said and the words came out easily. She then smiled. “You always say sorry.” My chest tightened. In my past life, I left this place with tears, I thought poverty was shameful and I thought blood was everything. I was wrong, very wrong. Uncle Ben scratched his head. “You rest today, I will handle the field.” “No,” I said gently. “I’m fine.” They both then looked at me. Aunt Lily laughed. “See? Stubborn as ever.” I smiled back but inside, my heart was shaking, I was back, back to the year before the Hayes family came. Before the lies, before the fake love and before my death. I lowered my head and looked at my hands again, I still had time, time to choose and time to not repeat everything. Aunt Lily suddenly said, “Anna… if one day your real parents come for you…” Uncle Ben cleared his throat. “Lily.” She looked nervous. “I’m just saying, if that happens, don’t be scared, no matter what, this will always be your home.” My throat tightened. In my past life, I left without looking back, I thought this place was small. But now, sitting here, I realized…. This was the only place that ever loved me. I then looked up. “They won’t come today,” I said gently and they both froze. Uncle Ben then frowned. “What do you mean?” I smiled faintly. “Nothing.” I moved my legs from the bed and stood up and Aunt Lily sighed. “Anna!” “I’m really fine,” I said and I walked to the window. Outside, the sky was clear and peaceful. In my past life, this peace ended soon. I pressed my fingers against the wooden frame. This time, I told myself, I would not beg to be loved, I would not cry in front of people who didn’t care and I would not give my heart away just to be thrown aside. And then a sound broke the silence. Uncle Ben then walked to the door. “What’s that sound?” The ground vibrated slightly and Aunt Lily stepped beside him. “Is that… a car?” Cars didn’t come here and then I stepped forward slowly. Through the window, I saw a black luxury car, and then it stopped at the entrance of the dirt road and then my heart started to beat fast. I knew this scene, I had lived it before and then I whispered slowly. “They are here.”