Rebirth Into My Second Chance

She handed me a torch through her bodyguard.

At that moment, those two girls from the orphanage screamed as Kate dragged them into the cabin.

"Hannah, this is way out of line!"

"Out of line? If you knew my story, you wouldn't say that."

She turned her back, suddenly barking, "What are you waiting for? Drag Claire Floyd over to light the fire, and if she resists, burn her with them."

"Let go!" I struggled briefly, then added, "I can walk on my own."

The thought of Ronald possibly being in danger left me clueless about what to do next.

Hannah's schemes were too deep.

"Claire, I don't want to force you, but you shouldn't fall for those you shouldn't have. You should be obedient like Richard."

"What kind of parent are you? Using Richard like that. He loves you so much, and you're just exploiting him. You're going to ruin his life!" I was practically roaring at her silhouette.

"It doesn't matter. He's not my son; he's your real brother."

Crash-My world seemed to be crumbling bit by bit.

Richard was my real brother. Had he known all these years that I was his real sister, or was he also in the dark?

"Don't be so shocked. He doesn't know you're his real sister; he only knows you're his cousin. He was so protective of you just as a cousin. How could I possibly tell him you're his only sister in this world? That wouldn't serve my purposes, would it?" Hannah laughed smugly at her own cunning.

My heart ached. I always wondered

why I felt so dependent on Richard,

1.n

why there was this fate-like connection between us. It turns

it's because he's my brothero

"Hannah, you'll get what's coming to you."

"Consequences? I don't care. Abandoned by fate long ago, nothing else matters. When my parents divorced, my mother remarried with your mother and left me behind to stay with my alcoholic father. When I was tormented and abused over and over by my own father, what did I get? I learned to be strong! To save myself!"

Her anger was palpable, her eyes reddened, her painful memories enveloping her entirely, leaving me frozen in place.

"You have no right to scold me. I thought escaping my father would mean a better life, but then your mother came with Richard, telling me she fell for a man out of her league, had Richard, and then vanished, leaving him behind. A single young woman with Richard, I faced scorn from the world, working odd jobs, scavenging through trash. Who felt sorry for me? Fate?"

I was trembling, both body and soul.

I couldn't feel sorry for a criminal. Yet, I couldn't help but see her as a victim.

"I climbed up from there, ran into Mr. Hilton, that old man, he... he forced himself on me! Said he couldn't marry me, but he'd set up an orphanage for me."

I was stunned by Hannah's story, seemingly no one had been dragged through more mud than her!

"Enough, I don't want to talk anymore. Kill them, but remember, I still love you."

With a wave of her hand, the bodyguard pushed me towards the cabin. I saw the girls huddled together in fear, then looked at Kate, who gave me a resolute gaze.

I raised the torch in my hand, "Hannah, you want me to kill them, to become as heartless as you?"

"Yes, you and Richard are the only family I have in this world. I just want you by my side, never betraying me."

"Alright."

I didn't hesitate to light the torch, cries and screams coming from inside.

But I knew Kate would lead them to safety, escaping through the window.