Reborn Daughter, Taking Back My Ivy League Life

On the day I got into an Ivy League university, my biological parents tricked me into drinking a glass of milk laced with weed killer.

They wanted me dead so their adopted daughter could steal my identity, take my spot at the university, and eventually inherit the family estate.

After I died, my soul lingered, drifting through the halls of our home.

I watched as the adopted girl married my own brother, and my parents, smiling wider than they ever had at me, handed over the legal papers to transfer all their wealth.

I was nothing to them.

But now that I've been reborn, I'm choosing a different path.

This time, I'm living only for myself.

When I opened my eyes, I was back in my high school uniform. The date on the TV screen flickered, confirming the impossible.

I had been reborn.

I was back in my senior year, on the exact day my parents brought Quinn home to live with us.

It seemed the universe couldn't stand to see me die with such a heavy heart.

Quinn was the daughter of my mother's best friend. She was talented in music and art, and her grades were decent enough.

Unfortunately, her parents had died in a freak accident, leaving her all alone in the world.

My parents, moved by pity, decided to adopt her and treat her as one of their own.

In this life, the gears of fate began to turn once again.

The moment Quinn stepped through the front door, my mother pulled her into a tight embrace, her face etched with maternal sorrow. "Sweetheart, this is your home now. You're my daughter, and I promise to take care of you."

Quinn's eyes were rimmed with red, looking like a kicked puppy.

"Thank you... Thank you for taking me in, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw..."

"We're family now, don't be so formal. I'm your big brother, Silas. If you need anything, just ask!"

My brother, Silas, looked at her with pure adoration.

I knew that look. He had always been a sucker for the 'damsel in distress' type.

In my past life, he fell for Quinn, eventually marrying her and starting a family.

They showered her with warmth and affection, completely ignoring my presence and never once asking how I felt about a stranger moving in.

Back then, I had welcomed Quinn with open arms, too.

I had no idea that from the very first second, Quinn was calculating how to erase me from the family tree.

Standing there now, she was nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing.

My father walked out of the kitchen with a tray of steaming food, a massive grin on his face. "Honey, come and eat! Dinner's ready!"

He was calling Quinn 'honey,' not me.

I had just walked in the door, and he hadn't even glanced my way.

"Sienna, what are you standing there for? Go get the silverware!" Silas barked at me.

I looked up and caught Quinn's eye for a split second.

I saw itDa flash of pure malice and triumph.

I ignored it and smiled, heading toward the kitchen to grab the bowls.

If she wanted to play the actress, I could play, too.

In this life, I wasn't going to be the naive girl she could manipulate.

As I carried the bowls back to the table, I noticed Quinn's foot sticking out right in my path.

It was the exact same trick she used in my last life.

Did she really think I was that stupid?

I didn't swerve. I walked forward and stomped as hard as I could directly onto her foot.

"Agh!" Quinn let out a piercing shriek.

In an instant, my parents and Silas rushed to her side as if the world was ending.

I put on my best look of shocked regret. "Oh my god, Quinn! I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you'd have your foot out in the middle of the walkway."

Silas glared at me, his face turning red. "Sienna! You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

My mother joined in the accusation. "Sienna, what has gotten into you? Quinn is your sister now. You should be looking out for her!"

Quinn squeezed out a few pathetic tears.

"Don't blame Sienna. It was my fault. I should have been sitting properly."

I had to hand it to her; her acting was top-tier.

I let out a cold laugh. "If I hadn't stepped on her, I would have tripped and smashed these bowls on the floor. I would have been the one hurt."

"I don't care how much you like Quinn, but let's at least try to be logical here."

I thought common sense might prevail for a second.

I had underestimated how shameless this family really was.

My father's hand swung out and slapped me across the face.

"Apologize to Quinn right now!"

I looked up at the people I shared blood with, my so-called family.

I remembered this day in my previous life so clearly.

I had tripped over her foot, the bowls shattered, and the shards sliced open my leg.

Quinn had barely a scratch, yet my parents and Silas screamed at me for being clumsy and 'scaring' Quinn.

With Quinn's constant whispering in their ears, they grew to hate me more every day.

That night, I wasn't allowed to eat and was forced to stand outside in the cold as punishment.

From then on, I was punished for every little thing that went wrong in the house.

I endured it all, thinking that if I just studied harder and became more successful, they would love me again.

I didn't realize how wrong I was until I received my acceptance letter from that elite university.

The night I got the news, they actually warmed up a glass of milk for me to celebrate.

They asked me if I needed any new clothes or a laptop for school.

It was the only time in years they had shown me an ounce of kindness.

I was so moved that I drank the milk without a second thought.

Minutes later, I was coughing up blood on the floor.

That was when I found out they had poisoned me with lawn chemicals.

Quinn hadn't gotten into a good school.

So, they decided to kill me and use their connections to let Quinn take my identity and my future.

They were the real family.

I was just an outsider they happened to give birth to.

I didn't eat dinner. Instead, I went to my room and pulled a hidden bank card from under the floorboards.

No one in this house knew about this card.

My grandmother had left it to me before she passed away.

On her deathbed, she gripped my hand tight. "Sienna, I'm leaving, and I won't be here to protect you. Take this card. It's my gift to you. Don't tell a soul."

At the time, I didn't understand why she was being so secretive.

Now, I realized she knew my parents would turn on me the moment she was gone.

This card was my escape plan.

My eyes blurred with tears as I clutched the card to my chest.

The door suddenly creaked open, and I shoved the card into my pocket.

It was Quinn. The fake innocence was gone, replaced by a smug, entitled grin.

She dragged her suitcase into the center of the room.

The message was clear: she was taking my room, my space, and my life.

Fine by me. I wanted out of this hellhole anyway.

I didn't say a word. I just started walking toward the door to leave.

But Quinn wasn't satisfied with my silence.

"Sienna! Who do you think you are, walking away from me like that?"

I stopped and looked back at her, a small smirk playing on my lips. "Quinn, you love taking things that aren't yours, don't you? Fine. You can have the room. You've always been better at picking up my scraps anyway."

Quinn's face turned a nasty shade of green.

A second later, she slapped herself hard across the cheek and began wailing as she ran out into the hallway.

"Sienna, please don't hit me! I know you hate me because I'm adopted, but please..."

My parents and Silas came charging up the stairs instantly.

Quinn was huddled behind my mother, shaking like a leaf, her face covered in fake terror. "Please, Sienna, don't hit me again..."

Silas was livid. "Sienna, why the hell did you hit her?"

"Silas, don't be mad at her," Quinn sobbed. "I just wanted to ask her for help with a math problem. I must have annoyed her. It's my fault..."

My mother reached out and pinched my ear hard, twisting it. "How did I raise such a monster? Look at how kind Quinn is! Why can't you be more like her?"

I shoved her hand away and looked her dead in the eye.

"I am who I am. She is who she is. And I'm done with all of you."

"Since you hate me so much, I'm leaving."

"And for the record, I didn't touch her. She hit herself. Believe it or don't, I don't care."

I turned my back on them and walked out.

My father's voice boomed behind me. "You've learned how to lie now, too? Fine! Leave! I don't have a daughter named Sienna anymore!"

Silas yelled after me, "Good riddance, you lying psycho! Who would ever hit themselves?"

I paused at the front door. "I really wonder if any of you actually have a heart."

I used the money on the card to rent a small studio apartment near my school.

Quinn probably thought she won because she kicked me out in a single day.

But I wanted her to know that the game was just beginning.

I had the memories of a previous life. Did she really think she could outsmart me?

The next morning, I went to school early and handed a manuscript to my English teacher.

There was a national high school essay competition coming up.

In my last life, Quinn had entered this contest.

She wrote a piece called "My Grandmother" that went viral and turned her into a minor social media star.

That fame made my parents worship her even more.

But no one knew that I was the one who actually wrote that essay.

Quinn had snuck into the teacher's office and swapped our papers before they were mailed out.

I had tried to tell the truth back then, but no one believed me.

This time, I wasn't letting that happen.

I was taking back everything that belonged to me.

While waiting for the results, I didn't slack off. I spent every waking hour in the library.

In my previous life, Quinn and her friends would bully me, tearing up my homework so I couldn't study.

Back then, Quinn was the top student, and I was the 'troublemaker.'

It was only by hiding in the school bathrooms after hours that I managed to study enough to get into that university.

I thought I had finally escaped the darkness, only for my parents to kill me.

Since the day I moved out, not a single person from that house called me.

Occasionally, I'd see Silas's posts on Instagram.

Photos of the four of them at expensive dinners, looking like the perfect family.

I didn't feel jealous. I didn't even feel sad.

In my heart, they were already dead to me.

I had two goals in this life.

First, stay away from those toxic people.

Second, live for myself and love myself.

On the day the contest results were released, the school held a massive assembly.

Every student and teacher was packed into the auditorium.

The principal was giving a long-winded speech on stage.

Below the stage, Quinn's friends were already celebrating.

"Quinn, you have to treat us to dinner when you win first place."

"I heard the winning essay gets published in a national magazine. Think of the prize money!"

Quinn was glowing with pride.

"Of course, guys. You pick the place."

She held her head high, the picture of absolute confidence.

I really wanted to ask her where she got that confidence from.

Finally, the principal reached the awards section.

"The first-place winner of the National Essay Competition is Sienna Shaw, for her piece, 'The Woman Who Raised Me'."

The room went silent for a heartbeat. Quinn shot up from her seat, her eyes wide with shock.

Her friends looked back and forth between us in confusion.

I stood up and walked toward the stage, surrounded by a sudden burst of applause.

I accepted the trophy and bowed deeply to the principal.

Then, I looked down at the crowd, specifically at Quinn's pale, trembling face.

I held the trophy high, my smile sharper than ever.

I remembered seeing Quinn lurking by the office after I turned in my draft weeks ago.

I had pretended not to notice.

I waited for her to sneak in and swap my dummy paper with her work.

Then, I went back to the teacher and submitted my actual masterpiece.

The paper Quinn 'stole' was a bunch of nonsense I'd written in five minutes.

I wasn't going to trip over the same stone twice.

I was taking back my glory.

The prize money hit my account, and just like before, the essay went viral online.

But this time, the name everyone was talking about was Sienna Shaw.

I started a blog, and within twenty-four hours, I had over a hundred thousand followers.

People loved my writing because it was raw and honest.

My grandmother was the only person who had ever truly loved me.

I used to think my parents were kind to me when I was little.

Now I realized they were only acting for my grandmother's sake.

The moment she died, they brought Quinn in and showed their true colors.

In my last life, I failed to live well. My grandmother must have been so sad watching from heaven.

I wouldn't let her down this time.

On my seventeenth birthday, my mother actually called me and asked me to come home for dinner.

I knew it wasn't just for a birthday celebration.

I didn't want to go, but I had left something behindDa jade pendant my grandmother gave me.

So, I went back to that house.

The moment I walked in, I saw my parents busy setting the table.

Silas and Quinn were on the couch, laughing as they played a video game together.

It looked so cozy, so warm.

But the second they saw me, the laughter stopped.

Silas gave me a dirty look and led Quinn toward the dining room.

I followed them. The table was covered in expensive lobster and shrimp dishes.

My mother smiled, though it didn't reach her eyes. "Sienna, you're back. Sit down and eat. We'll have cake after."

I let out a dry laugh. "Wow, you actually remembered it's my birthday. Too bad you forgot I'm deathly allergic to shellfish."

Quinn looked down, sounding small and frail. "Sienna, don't be like that. I told Mom I wanted seafood. I'm so sorry. I'll help her clear it away."

My father walked in with the last dish and immediately started yelling. "Sienna, are you bullying Quinn again? Inviting you back was a mistake!"

My mother tugged on his sleeve, signaling him to be quiet.

For a second, I thought she was defending me. Then she looked at me with a calculating expression.

"Sienna, let's be honest. We didn't bring you here just for your birthday. We need a favor."

I knew it. There's always a catch with these people.