The year I graduated college, my parents cut off both my living expenses and my adopted brother's, announcing that whoever built a successful business would inherit the family company.

I headed south. Lionel Dickerson went north. We'd each have to make it on our own.

For three years I worked myself to the bone, finally growing my startup into a company worth over a hundred million dollars. But to avoid any conflict with Lionel over the family business, I lied—told everyone I'd failed—and came back home.

During those same three years, Lionel had risen fast. The business world was calling him a rising star.

Then, at the succession ceremony, one of my father's rivals decided to stir the pot.

"Cecil Dickerson," Stewart Lambert said with a grin, "if you really wanted to toughen up your boys, you shouldn't have opened up resources for them. Should've made them figure it out themselves."

I smiled politely. "Mr. Lambert, my father cut off our living expenses entirely. I just couldn't measure up to my brother."

"Bullshit!"

Stewart's face was flushed with drink. "Just last year, your old man traded shares to get me to open up my Northern resources for you boys. You gonna tell me that didn't help?"

I turned sharply to my father. My expression must have been ugly.

He let out an awkward laugh. "Luke Dickerson, you're our biological son. No matter what happens, you'll always be taken care of."

"But—"

My mother cut me off, her face going cold. "But what? Lionel has always struggled with insecurity. We were just giving him enough support to feel safe."

"You've been spoiled your whole life because you're our real son. If you had any self-awareness, you'd start from the bottom like everyone else!"

"And if you even think about going after your brother's position as heir, don't expect us to go easy on you!"

A bitter ache spread through my chest. My hand tightened around my phone.

On it was evidence of their tax evasion. If this was how things were going to be, I didn't see any reason to keep protecting them.

1.

I looked at my father.

"Dad, I'm only going to ask you once. What Stewart just said about opening up the Northern resources—is it true?"

He gave another hollow laugh, then sighed. "Luke, you've been difficult since you were a kid. We just wanted to temper you a little. Build some character."

"Don't worry. Once you've matured a bit, we'll definitely have Lionel share some resources with you."

I laughed.

"Later?"

"You won't give me anything now, but somehow you will later?"

"And you told us it was a fair competition. But the whole time, you were secretly funneling resources to Lionel. That's your idea of fair?"

My eyes were burning.

"What am I to you people?"

"Is this all just a joke to you?!"

My father started to say something.

But my mother slammed her hand on the table.

"What is your problem! I already told you—we were just giving Lionel a sense of security!"

"That doesn't give you the right to lie to me!"

She was furious now.

"This company is ours. We can give it to whoever we want!"

"And forget about us helping Lionel—even if we hadn't, do you really think three years of complete failure puts you anywhere near his level?!"

Lionel stepped forward, looking anxious. "Luke, please don't fight with Mom."

"This is my fault. I'm the one who said I felt insecure during the startup phase. That's why Mom and Dad gave me a leg up."

"Lionel, this is not your fault. Don't you dare apologize to him!"

My mother pulled him behind her and fixed me with a cold stare.

"You can't even run a startup without driving it into the ground. Do you honestly think you have what it takes to lead a company?"

"We've watched Lionel work hard. We've seen his management skills. He deserves to be the heir."

My father sighed. "Luke, you've been coddled your whole life. All you've ever known is having a good time. We simply can't trust you with the company."

"Lionel was already capable. Giving him resources just made sense—it was good for the company. And when the company does well, you do well. You need to see the bigger picture."

"Don't be so narrow-minded."

"Narrow-minded?"

I laughed.

"You see all his hard work, but what about me? When I was drinking myself into a stomach ulcer trying to land investors and clients—where were you then?"

I kicked over a chair. It barely grazed Lionel.

Mom and Dad stared at me in shock. This was the first time I'd ever defied them like this.

But then Lionel suddenly collapsed to the floor, crying out in pain.

"Ah, my leg!"

"It's okay, Luke. You're right to hit me. I know I'm just the adopted son—I shouldn't be competing for your position as heir. I don't want it anymore. Just please, stop hurting me."

Dad's face darkened with rage.

"You've been bullying Lionel since you were kids. Now I see we made the right choice. If we'd made you the heir, you probably would've beaten him to death!"

Mom rushed to pull up Lionel's pant leg. Just a scrape.

But she shot me a furious glare. "If anything happens to Lionel, you're out of this family! And don't even think about being heir!"

Watching them rally around him, I felt ice spread through my chest. I let out a bitter laugh.

"Fine. Then let's just cut ties."

"Forget being heir—I don't want any part of the Dickersons."

I strode out of the private room.

But the moment I slammed the door, I heard Stewart's voice from inside:

"Look, Cecil, this wasn't my idea. You're the ones who wanted to use this opportunity to keep Luke down so Lionel could secure his position as heir. You asked me to say those things."

Dad replied, "If I'd known he'd react this badly, I wouldn't have gone through with it."

I froze, thinking he might actually feel bad.

But his next words were: "What if he holds a grudge and tries to get back at Lionel?"

Mom scoffed. "Have you forgotten? We bought off his investors and clients specifically so he'd never get back on his feet."

"He's just putting on a brave face. Once he hits rock bottom, he'll come crawling back."

Hearing that, I couldn't hold back my tears any longer.

So that was it.

All those times I couldn't land investors, couldn't close deals—they'd arranged it all from the start.

If I hadn't turned my attention overseas, I'd probably be drowning in debt by now.

At that moment, the stomach I'd ruined drinking with clients decided to flare up. The pain hit hard.

Outside, an ambulance wailed.

Paramedics rushed past with a stretcher, heading inside.

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead. I reached out. "Excuse me—"

"Coming through. Someone's badly injured in there. We need to get them to the hospital immediately."

They brushed past me and into Lionel's private room.

Moments later, Lionel was wheeled out on the stretcher.

As they passed, one of the paramedics noticed me clutching my stomach, face pale. "Hey, this guy doesn't look good either—"

But Mom cut him off. "Ignore him. Get my son to the hospital now. If you delay his treatment, I'll file a complaint."

Dad chimed in. "That one's technically my son too. He just couldn't handle losing the heir position to his brother, so he attacked him."

"This is all an act. He's been pulling stunts like this since he was a kid."

The paramedic shot me a disgusted look and hurried Lionel into the ambulance.

Just before the doors closed, Lionel flashed me a smug little smile.

The pain in my stomach kept getting worse.

In the end, a stranger called an ambulance for me.

By the time I reached the hospital, the doctor said if I'd arrived even a few minutes later, I could have ruptured my stomach lining again.

After checking in and taking my medication, the pain finally began to ease.

Just then, Lionel posted a video update.

In the footage, their father handed him inheritance agreements to sign, one after another, while their mother held a bowl of herbal soup, spooning it into his mouth.

The caption read: "Grateful to Mom and Dad for giving me their best."

I let out a bitter laugh.

And here I'd been worried about creating conflict with my brother over the family assets. I'd worked myself to the bone building my own company from nothing. I'd actually been naive enough to think our parents would be proud of what I'd accomplished.

But watching how they doted on him now, I suddenly felt like a fool.

They'd never really seen me as their son.

After all, from the time we were kids, anything Lionel wanted, they made me give up for him. Anything Lionel said, they believed without question.

To them, I was just a good-for-nothing deadbeat. A waste of space with no ambition.

In their eyes, I probably ranked below the family dog.

My phone buzzed with a message from one of my people.

"Mr. Dickerson, we've smoothed things over with the tax authorities regarding Dickerson Corp. But they're saying the company evaded a significant amount this time, and there's a crackdown coming in the next few days. We'll need twenty million to plug the hole before it becomes a problem."

I shook my head. "Forget it. Put that twenty million toward the new project instead."

"But what about Dickerson Corp...?"

"Dickerson Corp has an heir now. It's not my place to bail them out anymore."

After leaving the hospital, I'd planned to head back south.

But the trains had stopped running unexpectedly—wouldn't resume for another week.

With nothing better to do, I decided to swing by Dickerson Corp.

Back when I was building my business, I'd quietly funneled a multi-million dollar contract under the company's name. I'd meant it as a surprise for them down the road.

But now? There was no point.

Sales and finance operated independently, so the accounting department would just assume the sales team had landed the deal. If I wanted to reclaim it, I'd need to verify the revenue figures first.

But the moment I walked in, I ran straight into Lionel.

He sauntered over, smirking. "Well, well. Dad said you'd have nowhere else to go and would probably show up here. Didn't think you'd actually do it."

He'd finally dropped all pretense with me. No reason for me to keep playing the dutiful brother either.

"You went through a lot of trouble for that future CEO title," I said flatly.

A smug grin spread across his face. "Can't help it. You've always been better than me. Without a few tricks up my sleeve, I never would've stood a chance against you."

Then he leaned in close, his smile widening.

"Oh, by the way—Dad already told the Galloways about me becoming the heir. Day after tomorrow, I'm getting engaged to Myrtle Galloway."

"You've had a thing for her since we were kids, haven't you? How does it feel now, brother?"

Looking at that self-satisfied expression on his face, something inside me snapped.

Here I'd been trying to salvage our relationship.

And all along, he'd been scheming to take everything from me.

I grabbed him by the collar.

But at that exact moment, our parents appeared at the top of the stairs—just in time to see it happen.

Mom's voice rang out, sharp with fury.

"What do you think you're doing? Let go of him this instant!"

She rushed over and shoved me hard, pulling Lionel behind her like a shield. Her eyes locked onto mine, cold and hostile, as if I were some kind of enemy.

"Lionel earned his position as heir through his own merit, and here you are trying to hurt him again! How did we end up with such a vicious son?"

Then she turned to Lionel, her tone shifting to anxious concern. "Sweetheart, are you alright? Did he hurt you?"

Lionel shook his head, his expression wounded and pitiful.

"It's okay, Mom. He's just upset that I'm the heir now. He's always been better than me at everything, so I understand why this is hard for him."