After her rebirth
Chapter 26

Katniss was straight-up bawling, feeling that warm, fuzzy family vibe only at Wesley's crib. She made up her mind to stop kissing up to her parents 'cause they treated her like trash. Katniss was like, "They didn't boot me out; I bounced on my own."

"Good on you for figuring it out. Those folks are bad news. They bullied you, and karma's gonna get them. You did the right thing by bailing," Saskia said, handing Katniss a cup of water.

The water slid down her throat, warming her up from the inside out.

That long-lost feeling of being wrapped in love hit her like a ton of bricks.

Daphne looked at her with a face full of heartache. She'd watched Katniss grow up, always so well-behaved. She said, "Saskia's right. In this house, no one's gonna let you suffer. If you need anything, just holler. Treat this place like your own home."

Who knew what Oliver and his clan were thinking? They treated her like an enemy, not their own daughter.

Even though Clara had been around for over a decade and was closer to them than Katniss, blood is thicker than water. Katniss was Elodie's real kid. How could they not cherish their own flesh and blood and instead favor an adopted daughter with shady motives?

Daphne remembered when Katniss first came back, she was tiny, weak, and super reserved.

At first, Katniss's mom, Elodie, was all about her, but later she started favoring Clara, thinking Katniss was too shy and not as outspoken as Clara. She'd often say stuff that put Katniss down.

Aurora, seeing Katniss suffer in that house, took her in and cared for her for years. When Aurora's health went downhill, she had to send Katniss back.

But not long after, Katniss got kicked out again. Daphne's feelings were all over the place.

Wesley headed to the kitchen to whip up a meal, tying on an apron. "You all chat, I'll handle the cooking," he said.

Daphne grabbed some fruit from the fridge, washed it, and put it in a bowl, handing it to Katniss.

"Help yourself. If you need anything, just let us know. No need to be shy," Daphne said.

Katniss nodded with a smile, "Thanks, Aunt Daphne."

Watching Wesley hustle in the kitchen, Katniss felt a pang in her heart. Memories of Wesley's fate in her past life flashed through her mind. The once strong man was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer a few years later, making even eating tough, and eventually, he passed away.

At that moment, Wesley's cooking came to a halt.

"Uncle Wesley, what's up?" Katniss asked, her eyes full of worry.

Wesley turned around with a slight smile, "It's nothing, just feeling a bit off."

"A bit off? You're being way too chill about this!" Katniss frowned, her tone dripping with concern and a bit of scolding.

"Don't sweat it, I'll hit up the hospital for a check-up," Wesley reassured, but he was clearly hiding how he really felt.

Watching Wesley's back, Katniss felt a wave of helplessness.

This time around, she was dead set on making Wesley get checked out, to catch any issues early and avoid any tragedy. She also needed to brush up on her medical skills to keep Wesley safe. Daphne handed Katniss an orange, saying gently, "Katniss, you're so thoughtful. Don't worry, in a few days, I'll drag Wesley to get a check-up."

Katniss took the orange, munching on the sweet fruit, feeling grateful.

Suddenly, the sound of the door opening came from the entrance. It was Daphne's mom, Anna Parker, and Katniss's cousin, Micah Manners, coming home.

"Grandma, Micah, Katniss moved in today," Saskia happily introduced Katniss to Anna.

Anna smiled, welcoming Katniss.

Micah looked at Katniss, coldly asking, "Got kicked out?"

Daphne shot Micah a furious glare.

"Shut it! If you can't say something nice, zip it!" Daphne said to Katniss, "Ignore him."

Katniss's expression stayed cool, and Daphne sighed in relief, turning to Micah, "Can you just chill for once?"

Katniss looked at Micah, feeling a wave of guilt. In her past life, because of her screw-up, he ended up alone. She wished she could slap herself.

Back then, Micah had a thing for a beautiful girl, Anouk Brown, who Dylan also liked. To please Dylan, Katniss did everything she could to set up Dylan and Anouk. Eventually, thanks to Katniss's meddling, Anouk chose Dylan over Micah. Micah felt crushed, watching the couple, a sense of helplessness and heartache eating at him. "Maybe this is just how it's meant to be," Micah murmured, his eyes flashing with complex emotions.

But after they got married, Dylan and Anouk's relationship went south. Micah saw it all but could only hide his indescribable sorrow.

Katniss looked at Micah, feeling a pang of heartache, realizing her actions had caused him pain.

In this new life, she was determined to change the fate of Micah and Anouk, to make sure those who truly loved each other ended up together.