Chapter 3: A Mother's Love or a Perfect Lie?

Several months passed after Mia's rebirth.

Although trapped inside the body of an infant, her mind remained as sharp as it had been in her previous life. Every day she watched, listened, and remembered.

The more she observed, the more confused she became.

The woman she knew as Xena Smith was nothing like the monster from her past.

"Good morning, my little sunshine," Xena whispered one morning, lifting Mia gently from her crib.

She kissed Mia's forehead before carrying her toward the nursery window.

"Look outside. The birds are already awake."

Mia frowned internally.

"Stop pretending," she thought.

"I know exactly what kind of person you are."

Still, Xena smiled warmly while changing her diaper and humming a soft lullaby.

There was no anger.

No cruelty.

No arrogance.

Every movement was filled with patience.

"She's acting," Mia convinced herself.

"She fooled everyone at school too."

Later that afternoon, Mia's father returned home carrying several shopping bags.

"Where are my girls?" he called happily.

Xena laughed from the kitchen.

"Your daughter has been waiting for you all day."

He immediately walked over and picked Mia up.

"Daddy missed you."

Mia blinked.

The warmth in his voice felt genuine.

She had never experienced something like this before.

In her previous life, her father loved her dearly but rarely had time to play with her because he worked two jobs just to keep food on the table.

This man came home every evening with a smile.

He never shouted.

Never complained.

"Did you behave today?" he asked playfully.

"She's been an angel," Xena replied.

"Except she keeps trying to pull my hair."

Mia almost smiled.

"Because I'm aiming for your eyes."

During dinner, Mia remained in her highchair, quietly observing.

Her parents talked about ordinary things.

Work.

Groceries.

Weekend plans.

Nothing suggested the cruelty Mia remembered.

A few days later...

The family visited a nearby park.

Children laughed while chasing pigeons.

Xena carefully spread a picnic blanket beneath a large oak tree.

"Stay here with Daddy," she said.

"I'll buy us some ice cream."

As she walked away, several women nearby smiled at her.

"Mrs. Smith is such a wonderful mother," one of them commented.

"She's always so kind."

"I know," another replied.

"Last month she donated toys to the children's hospital."

Mia's tiny eyebrows knitted together.

"Donated toys?"

"Kind?"

"Impossible."

When Xena returned, she handed a chocolate cone to her husband before kissing Mia's cheek.

"Mommy got your favorite banana puree," she said cheerfully.

"You're lucky."

"Lucky?"

Mia wanted to scoff.

"If only these people knew who you really are."

That evening, after Mia had fallen asleep—or at least pretended to—she heard voices from downstairs.

"She's growing so fast," her father said.

"She smiles every time she sees you."

"I hope she'll always be happy," Xena answered softly.

"I don't want her to ever experience the kind of pain I went through."

Mia's eyes slowly opened.

"Pain?"

"What pain?"

Before she could hear more, the conversation ended.

Over the following weeks, strange incidents continued.

One rainy afternoon, an elderly woman slipped on the sidewalk outside the supermarket.

Without hesitation, Xena rushed over and helped her up.

"Are you hurt?" she asked with genuine concern.

"Let's get you to the clinic."

She stayed with the woman for over an hour until her family arrived.

Mia watched silently from her stroller.

"Why would someone like you help strangers?"

The image simply didn't match the cruel girl she remembered.

Another day, Xena found an injured stray puppy beside the road.

Ignoring the rain soaking her clothes, she wrapped the trembling animal inside her own jacket and carried it to a veterinarian.

"It'll be okay," she whispered.

"You're safe now."

Mia couldn't understand.

"Someone capable of torturing another human shouldn't care about a puppy."

"None of this makes sense."

As months passed, Mia grew into an energetic one-year-old.

She could crawl across the living room at astonishing speed.

She also discovered something useful.

Adults underestimated babies.

Whenever conversations became serious, they assumed she couldn't understand.

One evening, relatives visited for dinner.

"Xena has always been too kind," one aunt laughed.

"Remember when those girls bullied you in high school?"

Mia froze.

Bullied?

Xena?

"I still can't believe she forgave them," another relative added.

"If someone had done that to me, I'd never forgive them."

Mia's heartbeat quickened.

"What?"

"Bullied?"

"No... that can't be right."

Xena smiled awkwardly.

"That was a long time ago."

"Let's not talk about it."

The conversation quickly changed topics.

But Mia couldn't stop thinking about those words.

"Who bullied Xena?"

"She was the bully."

"Wasn't she?"

Late that night, Mia lay awake inside her crib.

For the first time since being reborn, doubt crept into her heart.

"Could my memories be wrong?"

"No."

"I remember everything."

"The boiling water."

"The knife."

"The laughter."

"I remember her face."

She closed her eyes tightly.

"Don't be fooled."

"She's manipulating everyone."

"She fooled teachers before."

"She's doing it again."

Yet another small voice inside her whispered something she didn't want to hear.

"Then why does none of it feel fake?"

The next morning, while exploring the house on unsteady little legs, Mia wandered into a room she had never entered before.

It was an office.

Books lined every wall.

Framed photographs sat neatly on the shelves.

One picture caught her attention.

She slowly walked closer.

It showed a teenage girl wearing a school uniform.

The girl was crying.

Bruises covered her face.

Her clothes were torn.

Mia stared at the picture in disbelief.

It was Xena.

Before Mia could inspect it further, footsteps approached.

"Mia?"

Xena entered the room carrying a basket of laundry.

Her smile faded the moment she saw where Mia was standing.

"Sweetheart... you shouldn't be in here."

She quickly picked up the photograph and placed it inside a drawer.

For just a second...

Pain flashed across her face.

Real pain.

Not the fake smile Mia had expected.

"Some memories are better left forgotten," Xena whispered quietly.

Mia looked into her eyes.

For the first time...

She didn't see cruelty.

She saw sadness.

And somewhere deep inside her heart...

The certainty she'd carried since her death began to crack.