"Sienna! Wake up! We are waiting for you at the dinner table," Someone screamed near her ear, making her wince and bolt up in bed.
She covered her ears in panic and looked up, only to find her mother standing there with an annoyed expression.
Sienna's wide eyes looked down as she frantically brushed her palm over her belly, which was split open just a while ago.
There was no scar, no pain, and no baby.
"Are you alright?" Her mother asked her, looking at her with suspicion. There was a haunted look on her daughter's face.
She needed to talk to her husband about Sienna's mental condition.
When she left the room, Sienna jumped out of bed and grabbed her phone from the nightstand.
"Shit! I must be dreaming," She mumbled with wide eyes as her phone slipped out of her hands, landing on the floor.
The date that showed on her phone screen was four years back, when she wasn't even married.
Was she…
Was she reborn?
"Oh crap," She winced when her knee hit the coffee table placed in the center of the room.
Was it a dream?
Or was it death, and the angels were playing some kind of sick joke on her?
"Sienna!" Her mother's shrill voice coming from the hallway was proof that it was not a joke.
Indeed, she was reborn.
After making herself presentable, she went to the dining room where her family was waiting for her.
Her parents and her sister Ruby.
Seeing her younger sister's face made her blood boil.
Murderer!
Her heart screamed in pain.
"Take your seat, Sienna," Her father gave her an irritated look and pointed towards the empty chair.
Pursing her lips into a thin line, she sat down and put some salad onto her plate. Her appetite had died along with her daughter.
"Sienna. Ruby…" Her father leaned back in his chair, "Your mother and I want to discuss the marriage proposals with you two. Sienna… You can meet Tom this evening while…" He turned to look at Ruby, "You can meet Hunter tomorrow morning."
The name of Tom Blackwell made Sienna sick to her stomach. Before she could utter a word, Ruby spoke hurriedly, "No, Papa. I would like to meet Tom. I like him and want to marry him."
Sienna wasn't the only one who was taken aback by this unexpected announcement.
"Ruby…" Several lines appeared on her father's forehead, "Just last night you wanted to marry Hunter."
"Yes," Her mother chimed in, "I thought you loved Hunter."
Sienna's pulse skipped. The realization settled like ice in the pit of her stomach – she was not the only one who was reborn. This was Ruby's second life, too.
Sienna bowed her head quickly to hide her feelings... to hide the pain that must be evident in her eyes.
No matter what happens. Ruby shouldn't know that I'm reborn, too.
Sienna thought to herself and shifted her focus to finish her food.
God had given her another chance to not only correct her past mistakes but also take revenge on all those who tried to kill her, along with her little daughter.
Her ex-husband, her sister, and her father. They were all involved, and all of them needed to pay for it.
***
This evening, Tom was expected to visit his soon-to-be bride. And this time it was Ruby.
Sienna decided to stay in her room. She was not ready to face her abuser yet. He was not here to meet her, and Sienna needed to plan her next step.
She groaned in irritation when she heard the knock on the door.
Can't my family leave me in peace?
"Come in!" She plopped into her chair, but had to be on her feet when she found out who it was.
"Lina!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and pulled her best friend into a fierce hug.
In her previous life, on the very next day of their second wedding anniversary, Tom hit her face brutally several times. Sienna had made a call to her childhood best friend while crying.
Like a faithful friend, Lina was at her door to console her. She even encouraged Sienna to divorce Tom.
She was the only one who could validate Sienna's feelings. But what happened the next day was terrible.
Lina got into a horrific car accident and lost her life. Sienna was sure that Tom was behind it. He took away her only support system.
And now seeing Lina here, she couldn't control her emotions.
"Hey, Sia," Lina pushed her friend a little and regarded her face, "What's the matter? We just met last weekend," She tried to cheer her up, but could see how upset she was.
Sienna shook her head and held her friend's hands.
"Good God, Sia. You're cold," Lina took her to the edge of the bed and offered her water, "What's the matter?"
Sienna was having difficulty controlling her erratic breathing.
"Where is that good-for-nothing sister of yours?" Lina asked her sternly, "Did she play a prank on you again?"
Lina could already guess that it was something to do with Ruby, but then she froze when Sienna started crying brokenly, hiding her face behind her palms.
"Sienna?" she whispered in shock.
Sienna quickly wiped her face and tried to smile through her tears, "It's… it's nothing… I'm… fine…"
"You don't look fine to me. Tell me. What is it?"
Sienna pulled in a long breath and then met her friend's eyes, "I'm reborn…"
"You what!"
Sienna had to place her hand on Lina's mouth. She told her everything about her past life except Lina's death. She told her about Tom's abuse and how she lost her newborn daughter.
When she was done telling her everything, Lina hugged her tight, rubbing a comforting hand on her back.
"Don't worry, my friend. I've got you… don't worry… I trust you…"
***
"What!" Lina got to her feet, "Ruby wants to marry Tom? That's good because you always had something for Hunter," she smiled mischievously, poking her elbow into Sienna's ribs.
Sienna wanted to roll her eyes.
"I don't have anything for anyone anymore … and can you keep it low, Li. Tom is downstairs, and I don't want any of them hearing our bullshit."
Lina nodded in understanding and then gave her a shy smile, "By the way, Sia. I need to ask you this, but… did I…"
Sienna gave her a confused look, "What?"
"In your previous life… did I… did I become a renowned hacker?"
Sienna gave her a tight-lipped smile and nodded her head, "Yeah…you did… and…" she felt her throat growing tight, "And we all were so proud of you, Li."
She couldn't tell her best friend about her death. No way!
This time, Sienna was planning to change her fate, and marrying Hunter would be the first step.