Chapter 1
Phoebe Jenkins slowly opened her eyes, taking in the room around her. It was just as she remembered, down to the smallest detail. Her heart pounded—she really had gone back in time. She reached for her phone on the nightstand, swiping the screen to check the date. A slow, satisfied grin spread across her face. The timing was perfect.
A sharp knock at the door snapped her out of her thoughts. With a sigh, Phoebe got up and wandered over. When she opened it, she found herself face-to-face with her second brother and manager, Leon Jenkins, looking as stern as ever.
“I’ve been calling you all damn morning. Why the hell didn’t you pick up?” Leon’s voice was tight with irritation.
Phoebe just shrugged, her expression calm and indifferent. “Didn’t feel like it.”
Leon’s brow furrowed, clearly not expecting that. His patience was wearing thin. “Seriously? Can you just cut it out for once!”
Phoebe raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Come on, you need to step up your game. That whole ‘cut it out’ bit is so damn old. You might still get a thrill saying it, but I’m over here losing my mind listening to it.”
Since she’d come back to the Jenkins family, it felt like everyone—from her mother, Lydia, to her five brothers—had been on autopilot with the same tired phrase: “Cut it out,” like that was supposed to fix everything.
Leon stood there, speechless for a moment, before he snapped back. “Is it your mission in life to be this fucking difficult? Sienna just wants that spot in the show. Would it kill you to back off for once? Does every single thing have to be a goddamn fight with you!”
Phoebe’s smirk vanished, and her eyes turned cold. She met his stare head-on. “I earned that spot, and I’m not handing it over just because you want to make things easier for her. You don’t like it? That’s your problem, not mine.”
Phoebe didn’t grow up in some warm, picture-perfect family. When she was just four, she got lost during a family outing because her older brother, Jamar Jenkins, wasn’t watching her closely enough. Not long after, the family adopted another girl the same age—who even took her original name: Sienna Jenkins.
Years slipped by, and it wasn’t until about a year ago that the Jenkins family finally found her and brought her back to what should have been her home all along. But by then, everything had changed. Their hearts had shifted. They doted on the adopted Sienna, treating her like the real daughter, while Phoebe was made to feel like an outsider in her own family.
Whenever there was a conflict, it didn’t matter who was in the wrong—Phoebe always got the blame. To them, she was the one stirring up trouble, always at fault, always the unreasonable one.
Despite all that, Phoebe had fought tooth and nail in the entertainment industry for over a year, starting from zero. She had scraped her way up to earn a spot as a minor star. But just when it seemed like her family was finally acknowledging her hard work, they pulled a classic move. They pressured her to dump her existing contract and join their family-owned entertainment company—claiming it was to take better care of her.
And the kicker! They wanted Leon as her new manager. Meanwhile, Sienna, who had always been all about her music career, suddenly discovered a deep “passion” for showbiz and conveniently signed up with the same company, right under Leon’s wing.
For the whole year, it was like everything was handed to Sienna on a silver platter. She landed top-tier gigs left and right, shooting up from a nobody to the industry’s next rising star. As for Phoebe, Leon only tossed her the scraps after Sienna had her pick of the best. It was obvious where his loyalties lay.
But last month, Phoebe finally got a lucky break. She saved the wife of a big-name director, earning herself a spot on a highly anticipated variety show. And of course, Sienna had her sights set on it too. She not-so-subtly hinted to Leon that she wanted in. But the guest list was already locked, and even with Sienna’s growing clout, squeezing her in wasn’t going to be easy. So Leon and the family suggested that Phoebe should just “give up her spot for Sienna’s sake.”
She wasn’t stupid. Phoebe saw straight through Sienna’s game. The girl was trying to swipe her opportunity—again. So this time, Phoebe put her foot down and flat-out refused.
The family lost their shit. They called her selfish, ungrateful, unreasonable—anything they could think of to guilt-trip her. But she didn’t cave. After hours of heated arguing, she stormed off to her room, seething.
Now, seeing Leon show up again, it couldn’t be clearer that Sienna hadn’t let this go. She’d probably played the sweet, helpless victim to Leon, and now he was here to put Phoebe in her place.
Leon took a deep breath, trying to keep his cool. “Listen, just let Sienna have this variety show spot. I’ll get you something better.”
Phoebe scoffed, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Something better? Spare me the bullshit. Save them for your perfect little sister.” And with that, she slammed the door in his face, ending the conversation on her terms.
Leon blinked, staring at the closed door, completely thrown. She’d never been this blunt with him before, not since she came back. His expression darkened as he muttered, “Damn it, Phoebe, stop being so damn unreasonable!” He knocked again, but it was clear Phoebe wasn’t opening up. Frustrated and out of options, he turned and walked away, cursing under his breath.
Inside, Phoebe felt an unexpected calm settle over her. Before her time travel, she’d done everything to win her family’s affection after their reunion. She’d cooked them delicious meals, given massages, rehearsed lines with them, even practiced dancing—all just to make them happy. Whatever they wanted, she’d bent over backward trying to warm the cold hearts of the Jenkinses. But no matter what she did, they remained unmoved.
And then came the kidnapping. Both she and Sienna were taken, and when it came down to it, every single one of them, except for her absentee father, Elliot, chose to save Sienna without a second thought. Left behind, she met a brutal end at the hands of the kidnappers. In those last, terrible moments, she finally let go of any hope for the Jenkinses and the desperate craving for their love.
But her story didn’t end there. Instead, she found herself bound to a mystical elf who took her through small works, each with a new mission. Every task earned her life points, and after who knew how many challenges, she’d finally managed to come back here.
Phoebe opened her right hand, tracing the short, faint lifeline in her palm. It told her she had less than a year left—ending right around the same time her life had been cut short before. When the elf released her, it had left her with one last bit of information: if she wanted to extend her life, she’d need to earn people’s genuine affection. Whether it came from kindness given to her or from her helping others, that affection would translate into extra time—like trading belief for life points. Fortunately, this didn’t take anything from those who offered her kindness, and she swore she’d never hurt anyone just to save herself.
Right now, staying alive was all she cared about. The Jenkins family’s drama was the last thing she had energy for. She started packing, sorting through her things and leaving behind anything the Jenkinses had given her. After tallying up every expense she’d had since joining them, she pulled out the bank card Elliot had given her when they first met, relieved she hadn’t spent a single dime of it.
Carrying her heavy suitcase, Phoebe pushed open the door and made her way down the stairs. In the living room, the Jenkins family sat right, their faces full of disapproval as they watched her descend, luggage in hand.
Lydia glared at her, voice sharp and condescending. “What the hell are you doing now! Ever since you came back, you’ve been nothing but trouble.”
Phoebe let out a bitter laugh. “Oh, right. Because I begged to come back? No, you dragged me here. And now I’m the one stirring shit up just because Sienna wants what’s mine and I won’t hand it over!”
Her voice hardened. “If we’re pointing fingers, the real problem is her. And all of you, enabling her.”
Lydia was momentarily taken aback but quickly regained her scowl. “Sienna just wants that show, and you’re a Jenkins. She lost the family name—don’t you think you owe her something?”
“And didn’t your brother promise you an even better opportunity? Why fight over this one!” Her third brother, Joshua, cut in, shaking his head. “You’re just holding a grudge because you’ve never liked Sienna. Now you’re taking it all out on her.”
Her fourth brother, Cain, already at his limit, let out an irritated sigh. “Jesus, Phoebe, can you stop being such a pain in the ass for once and act like a real Jenkins?”
Back in the day, their words might’ve cut deep. But now, they barely scratched the surface. Phoebe gave a bitter, almost mocking laugh. “Wow, so me standing my ground makes me the villain! Unbelievable. You guys really have a talent for twisting things to suit yourselves. It’s almost impressive, in a twisted kind of way.”
Her voice grew firmer, her words clearer. “Let’s get something straight. First off, I never wanted a damn thing from Sienna. She’s been living in my place, living a life that was supposed to be mine, and you all act like it’s no big deal. And second, let’s not forget, you all were the ones who lost me. I don’t owe her a damn thing. Hell, I don’t owe any of you anything. So no, I’m not bending over backward to make things right when it wasn’t me who fucked things up in the first place.”
Lydia opened her mouth to respond, but Phoebe cut her off with a sharp, dismissive wave. “And as for being a Jenkins? She can have that title. I couldn’t give a shit.”
Lydia stared at her, clearly stunned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Phoebe’s gaze turned ice-cold, her voice flat and final. “It means exactly what it sounds like. I’m done with this family. From now on, we’re strangers—just like before.” She let out a bitter laugh and added with a sharp edge. “Once I’m out, your precious Sienna can stay at the center of your little world. You won’t have to worry about me taking a damn thing from her—or any of you. Consider this my final gift.”