Serena Penelope Crisostomo Clara
This is my new name.
I still can't believe I've been given a second chance at life.
I don't know whether I should cry or be happy.
But here I am—fate didn't allow me to disappear from this world.
I was reborn… as the daughter of my friend.
I am the second child of Althea and Christopher.
I am the second grandchild of the Clara family, the owners of Cliff Corporation.
And the first baby girl in the Clara family.
Why?
Because for 200 years, no girl had ever been born into the Clara family.
That's why it was considered a curse.
But now, it's seen as a miracle—a girl was finally born.
Maybe they now believe that the curse is broken.
Because of superstition, the Clara family lived in shame for almost 200 years.
°°°
As my new mother Althea gently rocked me in her arms, she seemed puzzled.
She was staring at me in a way only someone who knew me well would.
She sensed something was wrong.
"Why isn't she crying?" she suddenly asked my nanny.
I was confused.
'Huh?' I thought.
'Didn't you want me not to cry? Isn't it annoying when babies cry?'
The nanny answered, "To be honest, ma'am, I also find it strange. Young master was never this quiet."
I began wondering if I really was too silent.
"Maybe we can try playing with the young lady and see if she reacts," the nanny suggested.
She called over a few other maids to entertain me.
As they tried to make me smile, I could feel the growing concern in my mother's eyes.
Maybe she was starting to worry that something was truly wrong with me, that I had no emotions at all.
And I—I couldn't show any.
I was still afraid.
Afraid that what happened to me in my past life, in my first family, might happen again.
Even the nanny and the maids were beginning to worry when I didn't show any joy.
Then, one of the maids brought out a baby doll.
The moment my eyes landed on it, I trembled.
Suddenly, memories came rushing back.
I remembered that doll.
Yes—I had a past with that baby doll.
My cousin had beaten me up because she believed my sister Celestina when she said I stole it.
She lied.
That doll was a gift from my first father.
From that day on, I had been terrified of dolls.
I started crying—no, sobbing uncontrollably—and the maids panicked.
My mother rushed to hold me, pulling me into her chest.
"It's gone now, baby. No more doll," she whispered, gently rocking me.
The maids quickly removed the dolls.
She turned to them, clearly upset.
"Why is there a doll here? That wasn't there earlier."
A maid nervously stepped forward. "I brought it, ma'am. I thought the young miss would like it."
Tears welled in her eyes.
"Next time, inform me first. What if something happens to the young lady? Do you understand me?"
They all nodded silently.
As I calmed down in my mother's arms, she began singing a lullaby.
"If Penny were still alive, I think she'd be happy… She always wanted a goddaughter," she whispered, her voice cracking as tears formed in her eyes.
But what if you found out I was Penny?
Would you still love me? Or would you leave me like everyone else did?
°°°
To be continued...