They Chose Her Over Me In Two Lives Chapter 01
I was ten years old.
I finally met the family who had come to find me at the group home.
They said they’d missed me all these years.
The moment they saw me, they couldn’t stop wiping their tears.
I ran back to my room and packed my small bag.
But around the corner, I heard them.
My parents’ stifled sobs.
“In her past life, Lily was killed by Jade. Jade was driven mad with jealousy after Lily came home.”
“We were fooled by Jade our whole lives. We only found out the truth at the very end.”
“In this life, we have to protect Lily no matter what.”
Then Ryan asked, “What about Jade? Are we sending her away?”
The three of them went silent.
After a long pause, Mom cleared her throat awkwardly.
“Jade is still so young. Besides, she hasn’t done anything wrong yet.”
“Maybe we just say Lily is our adopted daughter.”
“That way, Jade won’t be jealous of her. She won’t do anything wrong.”
Only then did they smile, relieved.
Standing in the corner, I let go of my bag.
I turned and found Mrs. Walsh.
“Mrs. Walsh, last month you said a family from overseas wanted to adopt me.”
“Is that still available?”
I didn’t understand what “reborn” meant.
I only knew one thing.
A family that wouldn’t truly love me—I didn’t want them.
******
No sooner had I spoken than my parents walked into the office with a DNA test.
Mom met my eyes. A flicker of guilt crossed her face.
She let out a sigh, feigning regret.
“Sweetheart, it seems fate just wasn’t on our side.”
“The results say you’re not our biological child.”
Dad added quickly, “But our whole family adores you. We’ve decided to adopt you.”
“Don’t worry. Even if you’re adopted, we’ll love you like our own.”
I’d overheard their plan long before. But when the parents I’d waited for my whole life denied I was theirs, it still hit me like a blow.
I held the doll in my arms, tight.
I tried hard to hold back the tears.
Ryan thought I was just shy. He offered kindly, “Isn’t there an adjustment period for adoptions from the group home?”
“Let Lily stay with us for a few days. If she doesn’t settle in, we’ll bring her back.”
I looked at my parents and Ryan, their eyes full of love and hope.
Before I knew what I was doing, I stopped Mrs. Walsh just before she could tell them I’d already agreed to go with the overseas family.
I gave them a small nod.
“Okay. I’ll go home with you.”
I knew.
This might be the last time I’d ever spend with my biological parents and brother.
On the drive home, they showered me with love.
I sneezed, and Mom handed me a blanket.
I shifted in my seat, and Dad thought I was carsick, so he slowed down.
Ryan told me jokes the whole way to cheer me up.
I looked at them and caught myself wishing this adjustment period could last a little longer.
Then the car slammed to a stop.
I saw my gentle mother shouting out the window.
“Jade Hayes, what are you doing?!”
A little girl my age stood in front of the car.
She wore a pretty princess dress.
She was crying hard.
“Don’t you love me anymore? Why did you adopt another kid?”
“I won’t move until you send her back!”
In that instant, I saw disgust on my parents’ and Ryan’s faces.
But even so.
They didn’t say one harsh word to her.
Dad got out and lifted Jade up.
His raised hand froze midair. He couldn’t bring himself to strike.
In the end, it was Ryan who threatened her, his face dark.
“Jade, if you keep this up, I won’t take you to the aquarium.”
Only then did Jade calm down.
She clung to Ryan’s hand, sniffling and acting cute.
Ryan pinched her cheek in exasperation.
Even my parents couldn’t help but smile.
Then they noticed me. The smiles vanished. They put on their concerned faces again.
I watched them quietly.
The little warmth in my heart faded.
Ten years old.
That was the first time I learned a lesson.
Love can be faked.
So can not loving someone.
When evening came, the housekeeper instinctively led me to the storage room.
Mom saw and grabbed my hand.
She shouted at the housekeeper, agitated.
“Why does my Lily have to sleep in the storage room?”
The housekeeper flinched and answered carefully.
“The other rooms are Miss Jade’s music room and dance studio. There aren’t any spare rooms.”
“Besides, Miss Lily…”
What she meant was: Lily was just an adopted daughter. Of course she wasn’t as important as Jade.
In the end, Dad made the call.
“Then she and Jade will share a room. Whatever Jade has, Lily has too.”
Jade wasn’t happy about it.
But that night, even after she cried herself hoarse, the family pretended not to hear.
I lay down carefully on the soft princess bed I’d never slept in before.
For the first time, I let myself hope.
Until the next morning.
Ryan yanked me out of bed, furious.
He pointed at Jade, whose face was flushed red with fever.
His eyes burned with disappointment.
“Lily, did you make Jade sleep on the floor all night?”
