Mark was nothing like the way Mom and Ian had described him in my previous life. He wasn't temperamental, domineering, or violent.

If anything, I thought he was incredibly smart. He was simply proud and egotistical.

The cracks in his relationship with Mom showed up soon after we moved in.

Mom was nothing more than a pretty face, all looks and no brains. To be honest, she and Dad were a match made in heaven.

Dad was a scion with more muscle than brains. He could only marry Mom because of his recklessness and his family's wealth.

When Grandma and Grandpa were still around, they shielded him from the consequences of his recklessness. However, after they passed away, Dad let his friends talk him into all kinds of investments, and he lost everything—his own savings and the inheritance that Grandma and Grandpa had left him.

That was why Mom immediately found someone new and divorced him.

…

My plans to study abroad were put on hold because of Mom's constant opposition. Still, with my grades, I could easily get into one of the country's top universities.

"Ian, you're here!" Julia Lovell, Mark's housekeeper, greeted.

"Julia, is my mom home?" Ian asked.

"She went shopping, but your brother's upstairs studying."

I heard Ian's footsteps approaching my room. Without waiting for my permission, he pushed the door open.

"Drop the act, Ethan. No one's home. Who are you trying to impress by studying that hard?" he mocked, yanking the book out of my hands.

Even though he lived with Dad, he came over almost every month to get some money from Mom, along with new gadgets and trendy clothes.

He always left with the car packed to the brim. Yet, he would show up the following month wearing the same shabby clothes.

It was probably because Dad took everything and traded it for cash to feed his gambling addiction. In this life, he didn't just drink; he gambled too.

Mom couldn't stand the thought of Ian suffering with him. Hence, she asked Mark if they could take Ian in and raise him together.

Mark agreed, but to my surprise, Dad refused to let Ian go. After all, he relied on Ian to squeeze more money and things out of Mom just to get by.

"You've studied yourself dumb. What's the point of studying so much? You're not half as good-looking as I am, and even Mom and Dad don't like you. You wouldn't be living this comfortably if I hadn't given it up for you. Enjoy it while you can because it won't last."

Right after saying that, he started rifling through my things.

To be fair, this room had belonged to him in his previous life.

He rummaged through everything and clicked his tongue. "You don't even know how to enjoy life. What is all this junk you bought? All you ever do is bury your nose in those stupid books!"

I ignored him and let him do whatever he wanted.

"Ian, my darling, is that you?"

I watched coldly as Mom walked in, acting as if she and Ian were starring in some heartwarming family drama.

Noticing how my room had been turned upside down, she said, "What could you possibly find in his room? Come to mine. I just stocked up on clothes and gadgets for you! Grab whatever you want."

Without sparing me a glance or a single word of concern, she dragged Ian out of my room.

Julia came upstairs with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. When she walked into my room, she started cleaning up as if she'd done it a hundred times before. "I've never met a mother this biased."

Still, it didn't matter. Her good days were numbered anyway.

A few days later, I heard a heated argument break out downstairs.

"You're unbelievable… You live under my roof and spend my hard-earned money, and yet you still have the nerve to keep a boy toy on the side?" Mark's palm cracked across Mom's face.

Ian charged forward to stop him.

Mark, still boiling with rage, shoved him to the ground. "And don't get me started on your precious son. Weren't we supposed to raise only one of your kids? Why does your precious son keep showing up at my house? Every time he shows up, half the things in this house go missing!"

Mom argued, "My son took things that belonged to me. What's it to you?"

"Your belongings? Look at yourself. I paid for every single thing you have, and now I'm supposed to feed your entire damn family too?"

"How dare you blame me, Mark Laurent! I wouldn't have done this if you could just satisfy my needs!"

That one sentence sent Mark over the edge. He lost all reason and started hurling all of Mom's belongings out of the house.

Mom tried to stop him, but he shoved her to the floor again. None of us dared step in. Even Ian curled up in the corner, too scared to move a muscle.

Mark married Mom because she was beautiful and came with two children. After tying the knot, he began treating me as if I were his future successor.

However, in my previous life, Mom took advantage of that and squandered his money. Ian looked decent on the outside, but nothing was going on in that head of his.

That was fine and dandy. However, the two of them were greedy and stupid.

Mom was secretly seeing someone else, and Ian went around boasting that one day everything Mark owned would be his. It didn't take long for those words to reach Mark.

He was very much alive, yet Ian was already eyeing his inheritance. To be fair, anyone in his position would have been upset.

Ian wasn't his own flesh and blood, and no matter how he tried, he could never feel close to him. So, Mark took his niece in, raised her as his successor, and kicked Mom and Ian out of the house.

…

In this life, Mom was ultimately still kicked out.

However, Mark didn't do that to me. Instead, he said, "You're better off with me than with that ignorant woman you call your mother, Ethan."

All the effort I had put in had finally paid off.

Mark knew I was smart, ambitious, and had a clear sense of direction. I would always put him first and seek his opinion before making any important decision. I had even approached him privately to tell him that I wanted to take his last name.

Mom had no idea—or cared about—any of these, as she only knew how to shop and spend money. She refused to leave, claiming that she would rather die here.

That said, she had greatly underestimated Mark.

Mark was a man who built his business from scratch; he was nothing like my weak, useless father, who was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He wasn't someone who would fall for her little tricks.

"Julia, go to my bedroom and pack a few pieces of clothing for her." He then called security.

In the end, Mom and Ian were thrown out of the house.

When Mark walked past my room, he patted me on the shoulder. "Focus on your studies, Ethan. Our problems have nothing to do with you."

I nodded. Fools would remain as fools, no matter how many chances at life they were given.

My life wasn't affected in the slightest. If anything, Mark valued me even more.

Mom tried to get me to put in a good word for her with Mark, but I ignored her. She ended up calling every day, saying the worst things she could think of to me.

Julia once overheard our conversation and genuinely wondered if I was really Mom's son. I, however, knew all too well that Mom had only ever cared about Ian.

Without Mom's financial support, Ian's quality of life plummeted. His grades were terrible, and he hated school. Seeing this, Dad pulled him out entirely—but he was drowning in debt and barely scraping by.

…

Meanwhile, I devoted myself entirely to preparing for the college entrance exams. Mark was away during that time and was hardly ever home.

Before long, a group of thugs blocked my path on my way to school.

That day, our car was being serviced, so I walked home on my own. I hadn't walked far from the school gates when a woman, dressed far too maturely, stepped in front of me. "Are you Ethan Lester?"

Before I could respond, someone came up behind me, covered my mouth, and dragged me to an abandoned warehouse.

As soon as they pulled the blindfold from my eyes, someone kicked me to the ground. "Are you enjoying your life in that mansion, Ethan?"

Ian walked over and looked down at me.