After Rebirth They Want Me Back novel Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

Phoebe Jenkins slowly opened her eyes, taking in the room around her. It was just like 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, carning 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 suggest 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.