After Rebirth, I Stopped Competing, and the Fake Heiress Lost It Chapter 06

After Rebirth, I Stopped Competing, and the Fake Heiress Lost It Chapter 06

Sloane’s crying cut off like someone had hit a switch.

Tears still wet on her face. Her eyes darted, and her lips worked for a long moment before

anything came out.

“Then… then she could’ve hired someone…”

Graham cut her off. “Stop. Tessa was at your school exactly once, the day I took her. When would

she have had time to set this up?”

Sloane’s mouth opened. Nothing came out.

My parents looked at each other, tired, disappointed, done.

I hadn’t said a word in my own defense. Not once.

I waited until the silence settled. Then I walked over to Sloane.

“Sloane. I said I’d let it go, and I meant it.”

I crouched down until we were eye to eye, her tears still dripping. “You’re Sloane. I’m not going to

fight you for anything.”

Sloane’s shoulders were still shaking. This time, it was real.

Graham drove us home. I sat in the back between Dad and Sloane.

Sloane leaned against the window, pretending to sleep. I checked my phone. A wire transfer

notification sat on the screen.

Dad had wired about $700,000.

I deleted the notification and locked my phone.

I knew what this was. Hush money.

Eighteen years of raising her. No matter how angry they were, they’d never actually punish her.

Sloane was grounded for a few days. Then they let it go.

The morning her grounding ended, I came downstairs and found her already at the table.

Pale pink dress. Hair braided just so. When she saw me, she smiled, pretty, perfect, and completely

hollow.

“Morning, Tessa. I made you oatmeal, told them to add almonds and blueberries. Try it.”

She slid the bowl toward me. White porcelain spoon on the saucer, angled perfectly.

I sat down across from her, said thanks, and ate.

Mom walked in with her coffee, saw us at the table together, and stopped. Her eyes welled with

tears.

“This is all I want. You two getting along. That’s it.”

Sloane looked up, and her eyes went soft and wet.

“Don’t worry, Mom. Tessa and I are going to be fine. I was immature. I see that now. She forgave

me, and I’m not going to let her down.”

She sounded sincere. She always did. A single tear clung to her lashes, picture–perfect.

[Here she goes again. Tessa, DON’T believe her! I’ve watched her pull this for eighty episodes!]

[Don’t eat that oatmeal! She could’ve put something in it!]

[I can’t STAND her innocent act! Tessa, call her out NOW before your family falls for it again!]

I finished every bite, set the bowl down, and nodded at Sloane. “That was really good.”

Sloane’s smile widened. The smile never reached her eyes.

For the next few days, Sloane was on her best behavior.

I kept to my routine, out early, back late. Whenever passed through the living room, Sloane was

there. Reading. Rubbing Mom’s shoulders. So helpful, so sweet, that there was nothing anyone could hold against her.

Mom thawed first. Sometimes when she talked to $loane, the old warmth crept back into her

voice.

Graham followed. He stopped freezing her out, started bringing her vanilla lattes again.

Dad held out the longest, but after two weeks of Sloane bringing him coffee every morning, hovering, doting, even he started to soften.

I watched them all slide back into the way things used to be. None of it surprised me.

Eighteen years of loving someone doesn’t vanish over one ugly scene.

But this time, one thing stayed lodged in the back of their minds. I was their real daughter.

No matter how hard Sloane tried, she couldn’t undo that.

That evening I came home from school and found Grandma in the living room, sitting at the head

of the couch with her cane across her knees. She looked furious.

My parents and Graham sat across from her. Sloane stood off to the side, hands knotted together.

I dropped my bag by the door, walked over, and said hi to Grandma.

Grandma looked up and patted the seat next to her

“Tessa. Come sit by me.”

I sat down. Grandma patted my hand, then turned to Dad.

“I didn’t come here for tea. There’s something we need to settle.”

Dad sat up straighter. “Go ahead, Mom.”

Grandma took a slow sip from her cup.

“Are you really going to let what happened at the police station slide?”