That night, I took advantage of the thunderstorm and climbed into Carmen's bed. When she came out of the bathroom after her shower and saw me lying there, her face instantly darkened. "Carmen, I'm scared! I just had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you? Please?"

Before she could lose her temper, I beat her to it and started crying. Her expression turned complicated, with anger, coldness and a deep sense of helplessness. Uh-oh. Did I push my luck too far?

I quickly got off her bed, sobbing and apologized, "I'm sorry, Carmen. When I was little, my mom always held me when there was a thunderstorm. I just … I miss her."

A flicker of hesitation flashed through her eyes. She muttered something under her breath and then, just as I was about to leave with my pillow, she grabbed me back. "You can sleep here. Just behave yourself, got it?"

I was shocked. Did it work? That night, I slept in the same bed as Carmen. A strange emotion enveloped me as I felt her gentle pats on my back. Though I wasn't by her side in my past life, I knew her well enough. She wasn't always this obsessive about Damian. She lost her mother young and her billionaire father was rarely around. She lacked love and desperately craved it.

But Damian, that idiot, became the wealthy heir and spent his days showing off, surrounding himself with useless friends. He saw Carmen as a rival, an obstacle to inheriting their father's fortune. Later, he even dared to try to have her kidnapped and assaulted, which led to Carmen breaking his legs and scarring his face."

I knew my role in this life: I would "heal" this broken, possessive woman with love and somehow, I had already started feeling a strange sense of belonging with her. "Sis, I'll become strong enough to protect you."

I meant every word. Carmen paused, then chuckled softly. "Mm, then grow up quickly."

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, Carmen was now a college student and I had just turned eighteen and finished my college entrance exams. I saw Damian again at my coming-of-age party. He trailed behind a wealthy couple dressed in an expensive tailored suit, looking like a young celebrity. However, his face was pale and his expression lifeless. Life clearly hadn't been kind to him.

When he saw me appearing in my simple attire, he straightened his back and walked over, tilting his chin up as he scanned me from head to toe. "Looks like you haven't been living too well either. That psycho Carmen wouldn't even buy you a decent suit?"

Before I could respond, a cold voice rang out behind me. "Who are you calling a psycho?"

Damian's already pale face turned ghostly white the moment he saw her. In our past life, she had tormented him beyond recognition. Just one look from her, filled with disgust, was enough to make him tremble. "I-I'm sorry. I was talking nonsense!"

Carmen didn't spare him another glance. Instead, she turned to me and draped a wool shawl over my shoulders, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. My little brother, I made this for you myself. Happy birthday."

She pulled me into a tight hug, her voice slightly choked up. "You'll be leaving for university abroad soon. If you miss me, just call. I can always fly over to see you."

Then, she held me even tighter and whispered, "If you're uncomfortable there, I'll buy you an apartment near campus and hire a private chef from home to cook for you."

I gently declined Carmen's offer. In this life, I finally got to live like a normal person. All I wanted was to experience college life just like any other student. "Don't worry, sis. I'll take care of myself. Remember? Stay low-key."

Carmen chuckled, wiping away her tears. "Alright."

As she turned to greet other guests, Damian finally snapped out of his stunned silence. He grabbed my arm, his voice filled with urgency. "Why is she so nice to you?"

I ignored his flustered expression and replied with a half-smile, "She’s, my sister. Isn't it normal for her to be nice to me? Or are you saying your rich parents aren't nice to you?"

My question struck a nerve, bringing back painful memories. Damian broke down. He clutched his hair tightly as if drowning in agony. "How could this happen? Why is it like this?"

Just then, a couple's voices rang out behind him. Damian's face instantly paled. "Damian, Mr. Magnus is here today. Come with us to meet him!"

The wealthy couple dragged Damian away, but his entire body trembled. His eyes met mine, silently pleading for help. I sighed and stepped in to block their way. "Uncle, Auntie, it's been years since I last saw my little brother. Can we talk for a bit longer?"

The wealthy couple didn't dare offend me. After all, I was the son of the richest man and had always been well-loved by him and my sister. "Of course, of course."

The man smiled and agreed, but his wife quickly pinched Damian hard. "Hurry up! If you mess things up, you'll be sorry!"

Damian grimaced in pain but nodded obediently. As they walked away, he let out a sigh of relief. His legs seemed to tremble slightly and I couldn't help but find it amusing. "What's wrong? Your parents don't treat you well, huh?"

My expression must have triggered something in him because he suddenly lunged at me, trying to grab my collar. "I don't believe you! I don't believe you! You must be lying! The only reason you don't wear expensive clothes is that you're hiding injuries, right?"

I quickly understood after watching his hysterical reaction. It seemed he was experiencing the same torment I had endured in my past life. In my previous life, after the wealthy couple brought me home, they subjected me to a twisted form of "education."

I was only allowed to sleep four hours a day. The rest of my time was spent studying chess, painting, advanced mathematics, piano and horseback riding. Years of sleep deprivation took a toll on me. One time, I fell off a horse and almost ended up paralyzed. The couple kept track of every penny they spent on me, including my medical expenses.

When I turned eighteen, they forced me to repay them with interest. That was when my life started spiraling into an inescapable abyss. They trained me to be charming and obedient, using me as a tool to entertain wealthy women and powerful men. All those glamorous opportunities? They were brought with my body, my blood and my tears.

Once, a mighty man used me so ruthlessly that I couldn't get out of bed for days. I couldn't even walk or go to the bathroom. The pain was unbearable. I felt filthy. My mind and body were exhausted, but there was no way to escape their grasp. The night I won the Best Actor award, three powerful men were already waiting for me in my room, ready to "celebrate" with me.

In my darkest hour, my brother appeared in a wheelchair, his eyes red with tears and burned me to death. Judging by the timeline, he had just entered the entertainment industry in this life. He had probably only endured physical abuse from the couple, not yet the true horrors they would unleash.

Damian lifted my clothes and cried when he saw my smooth chest. "Why? Why didn't Carmen Sherman abuse you? You were supposed to be covered in bruises! There have been rumors for years that the Shermans treated you, their adopted son, terribly. How could you be living better than me?"

His emotions ran high and as he moved, he seemed to pull at the wound on his arm, wincing in pain. I just stared at him, a silent, mocking smile on my face. The rumors Carmen spread was to protect me. She loved me so much that she had to hold me in her arms every night to sleep. Watching Damian fall apart, I smirked. "What's wrong, little brother? You don't seem happy that I'm doing well. Are you not satisfied with your life even in this lifetime?"

Damian's sobbing stopped instantly. His face was frozen in shock and panic. "Y-You were reborn too?"

I didn't answer directly. My smile grew even more playful. "You had the first pick in both lives, yet you still ended up losing? Are you really that useless?"

That word 'useless' made his eyes turn bloodshot with rage. "I'm not useless! Just watch, I'll climb higher than you! I'll be more successful than you!"

I nodded, still smiling. "Sure, go for it!"

With all its dirty tricks and moral bankruptcy, the entertainment industry seems the perfect place for him. Let's see if he still talks about success after that hell. The wealthy couple waiting for him grew impatient and called for him again.

Damian wiped his tears, lifted his chin and put on a smug face. "Adrian, just wait! I'm going to be a superstar! When that happens, I'll get my fans to cyberbully you! I'll expose all the evil things you've done!"

Evil things? What evil things have I done? In both lives, I let him choose first. After our parents died, I gave in to him on everything. Still, in his eyes, none of that was enough. He only wanted to crush me under his feet. He never saw me as his older brother.

"I know Carmen was just putting on a show for your coming-of-age ceremony today. I can't wait to see the day she ruins your face and breaks your legs!" Damian left me with those parting words, laughing as he walked away. He wasn't wrong. Carmen was indeed putting on an act.

I lifted my head and looked across the room. She was holding a wine glass, entertaining guests, but her eyes never left me. There was a strange, unreadable glint in them. The next second, she smiled and walked over, pulling me into a dimly lit private room. Then, she pressed her body against mine. "Adrian, I heard everything you two just said. You've been very naughty. Looks like I need to punish you."