I caught Rebecca off guard with my words, and for a moment, she didn't know how to respond.

Suddenly, Sebastian Robinett, the orphanage's director, spoke up from the side.

"Tyler, this is where you're wrong," he said, his voice heavy with disapproval.

Sebastian wasn't just the honorary director of the orphanage, but also our college dean, earning a hefty salary in the millions. My company, Hale Group, funded both institutions. But now, here he was, lecturing me like I had done something wrong.

"The paperwork was all done, and now you're backing out? Have you thought about the trouble this has caused others? You're not a kid anymore, yet you're acting like one! Is this what you're taught at school?" he asked, shaking his head. "Get rid of that snobbish attitude and go home with Rebecca and Freddie. Stop causing trouble."

I couldn't help but feel a sense of mockery bubble up in me. When my father, George Hale, passed away, I was just a teenager, and for all these years, Sebastian had somehow crowned himself as a father figure in my life. Over time, it seemed he'd really come to believe he could boss me around.

I looked at him, his solemn face only making me want to laugh. I scoffed loudly.

"Mr. Robinett, you shouldn't bite the hand that feeds you. Is your million-dollar paycheck coming from Rebecca, or is it Freddie who's footing the bill? No. I'm the one who's paying your salary."

In my past life, I'd been a people-pleaser; I was constantly trying to appease people like Rebecca, stepping back and letting them walk all over me. But now? No more. I would show them I was done with that.

"Mr. Robinett," I said, my tone icy, "if you can't seem to know your place and think I wasted your time with the procedures and everything, then you can either resign or I'll let you go."

Without waiting for his stunned reply, I slammed the door and got into the car, instructing the driver to start the engine.

As the car pulled away and I watched the trees along the roadside blurring into streaks of green, the anger that had been building in me began to simmer down. I thought of my late father, of the empire he'd built with his own two hands, and I couldn't help but slap myself mentally. In my past life, I'd been blinded by love, and I owed my father an apology.

This time, I wouldn't make the same mistakes. Never again.

But when I got home after handling a few errands, I was stunned to find Rebecca, Freddie, and my mother, Christina Brewer, sitting on the couch together, all smiles, as if they were one big happy family.

Before I could even say a word, my mother got up and slapped me hard across the face.

"How dare you pick on your peers and disrespect your elders!" she shouted. "Tyler, you've dishonored your father! You're bullying people, thinking you're some big shot, huh? As long as I'm alive, don't think you can keep doing this! First, apologize to Rebecca and Freddie. Then go to Mr. Robinett's office and apologize."

My cheek stung, already starting to swell, as I glanced at Rebecca, who shot me a look of disgust, and Freddie, whose expression was full of challenge.

I ran my tongue over the spot where she'd slapped me and, with a chill in my voice, turned to my mother.

"I'm bullying people, thinking I'm some bigshot? I am the legitimate heir to Hale Group. I AM a big shot," I said, my voice cutting. "But you? You don't even ask for the truth, and you're here defending a bunch of strangers, hitting your own son."

I shook my head, disbelief rising in my chest.

"What kind of mother are you? I'm not apologizing to anyone. Have them leave my house now."

The orphanage had always been my father's way of giving back and building some good karma. As a child, I enjoyed volunteering there, chasing after Rebecca, while my mother took a liking to Freddie. I remembered her even suggesting once that we adopt Freddie, but my father immediately rejected the idea, holding me close and saying, "I already have a good son—why do we need another?"

My mother was always my father's pet, afraid to oppose him. So, when they did visit the orphanage, she'd go out of her way to bring extra gifts for Freddie.

The luxury items in Freddie's suitcase were all gifts from Christina.

In my past life, I'd suggested adopting Freddie just to please Rebecca, and that was the first time I'd ever seen her smile so warmly at me. But not this time. This time, I wouldn't let these parasites soil my home.

I told them to leave, but Freddie only smiled in silent disdain and stood up, casually wrapping his arm around my mother's. "Don't mind him, Mom," he said, his tone mockingly sweet. "He's just used to that self-important attitude. Don't let him get to you. I'll give you a shoulder rub; you look stressed out."

Rebecca looked at me, her expression as cold and detached as if she were delivering a formal announcement to an employee.

"Mrs. Hale has already adopted Freddie," she said, her voice dripping with authority. "From now on, you and Freddie are brothers; you're both heirs to Hale Group. So stop trying to put him down. Oh, and by the way, Freddie will be attending our college now. You know how people are there—always looking to climb the social ladder. So Mrs. Hale and I decided that, for the public, we'll just say Freddie is the Hales' youngest son who's been living abroad and just recently came back."

With a satisfied smile, she linked arms with Freddie. "Come on. Let's go check out your room. Mrs. Hale made sure to clear out Tyler's room for you. It's the biggest room in the house, getting the most sunlight—"

Watching their shameless display, I couldn't hold back any longer. I raised an eyebrow and snapped, "Stop right there. Who gave you the nerve to act like this in my house?" I put extra emphasis on the words "my house".

Freddie's eyebrows furrowed, and he stormed up to me, stopping just inches away. "Tyler, are you out of your mind?" he snapped. "Mom agreed to this; who are you to oppose that?"

Rebecca chimed in with a scoff. "Tyler, I know you think Freddie's so much better than you, always getting the upper hand. You're afraid that Mrs. Hale and I will like him more and ignore you, so now you're trying to sabotage things. But being so arrogant will only backfire. It'll just make us dislike you even more."

She stared at me, almost waiting for a reaction, her expression one of self-satisfaction—as if she had just delivered a lesson.

In the past, their emotional manipulation had chipped away at my confidence, leaving me insecure and self-loathing. I used to believe that gaining their approval was the only way to make my life meaningful. But now, I realized my life wasn't theirs to control.

I crossed my arms and returned her smirk with an exaggerated "Oh, really? Fine, go ahead and hate me. Just get out of my house. You can hate me all you want, but it won't change a thing. What do I care?"

Rebecca froze, her eyes wide with disbelief. Freddie shot me a look filled with venom, as if he was trying to slice me in half with his gaze.

"Tyler, is this a new technique?" he said, his voice thick with condescension. "You think if you act out like this, Rebecca will notice you more, right? Let me give you some advice—know when to stop. You might not have what it takes. If you keep this up, you'll end up crying and begging Rebecca to look at you, just like last time. Hah, Rebecca's so out of your league, yet you still shamelessly try to win her over. Everyone at school calls you a doormat. It's really embarrassing for the Hales."

Rebecca tilted her chin up with a proud smile, as if she had just seen through my act of playing hard to get. "Some people are born into wealth, yet still exude such a cheap, pitiful aura," she said, eyeing me with disdain. "Not like Freddie—he's always so genuine and likable wherever he goes."

I didn't even bother to argue with her. Instead, I turned my gaze to Christina, who had been quietly listening to the whole conversation.

"So, is this how you're going to sit there and let these strangers badmouth your son?" I asked, my voice sharp.

Christina's face turned pale, and her lips tightened as she spoke through gritted teeth. "What strangers? I've already taken Freddie in as my son. And you, with that lousy attitude—you're asking for this."

I raised my brows as she continued, "But if you can just get along with Freddie from now on, this house will still have room for you. Tyler, your dad is gone now, and you don't have any family left. I took Freddie in to keep you company. How dare you be so ungrateful!"

I could hear her words echo in my mind—those same lines she had used in my past life, as she tried to manipulate me into thinking she was my only lifeline.

But now I had seen through her. In my previous life, when Rebecca and Freddie ran a car over me, Christina had done nothing but turn up the TV and ignore my cries for help, thinking that I was ruining her movie experience. She had even tried to paint me as the one at fault to the authorities, saying I had gotten jealous and thrown myself under the car in a dramatic act of defiance.

She had used the Hales' lawyers to cover up their wrongdoings and help them get away with murder.

She was pulling the same stunt, but I wasn't going to fall for it again.

"Fine, if you've got a new son now, you can move out with him," I said, my voice cold.