After my best buddy, Jack Hughes, certified my 20th girlfriend as 'another gold digger', I finally agreed to an arranged marriage to the wealthy heiress Cyndi White. My family was delighted.

Later, at a gathering with friends, Jack snatched Cyndi’s half-eaten cake and said like he was her real husband, "Cyndi, this cake is too sweet. Eating too much won't be good for you. I'll eat it for you."

I stopped him, but he did not just think he was in the right. He even exploded and said, "I was just testing your wife's character. Why all the fuss? We've been bros for over a decade. Do you think I've got my eye on your wife?"

If it were in the past, I might have believed him. However, I had been reborn.

I grabbed the cake from the table and slammed it into his face. "What kind of character do you have, testing other people's character like that? You're just my late driver's son! Why are you pretending to be some wealthy heir? I bet you've not only got your eye on my wife, but you've already planned how to get into her bed!"

After I said that, my friends all gathered over. Jack Hughes's face turned red and then pale. It took him several minutes to regain his composure and hurriedly wipe the cake off his face. "Shane, how can you talk like that? Would you have been able to marry Cyndi White if it weren't for me helping you filter out those twenty gold diggers over the last few years?"

Cyndi frowned. She knew I had dated other women before her, but she probably did not realize the number was so staggering.

I smiled and stared at Jack, retorting, "Every time I got a new girlfriend, you couldn't wait to act like my best friend and ‘test’ them for me. Of course I had to change girlfriends every two months. I never even touched those ex-girlfriends, but you must have slept with quite a few of them, didn't you?"

Jack was actually my late driver’s son. When I was in primary school, my family’s driver died saving my father. His only wish was that the Carter family would take good care of his son.

My father was grateful to him, so he not only funded Jack’s life for many years, but also let him stay at our house.

We had played together since childhood and quickly became friends who could talk to each other about anything. He always posted my luxury items and life online to curate the image of a rich heir. I never said a word about this.

I never imagined that someone I treated like a brother could not stand to see me doing well.

In my past life, he was jealous that I married a wealthy heiress, so he spread rumors about my promiscuous lifestyle. Those twenty ex-girlfriends he seduced actually conspired to drug me and even take nude photos of me to curry favor with him.

Unable to bear the shock, I committed suicide by jumping off a building.

It was only before I died that I learned Jack had been claimed to be the true heir of the Carter family to seduce my girlfriends. He always feigned innocence afterward. "Shane, I really didn't know it would turn out like this. I only said a few words to her, and she immediately showed her true colors. But it's for the best! At least we saw her true character. We're better off without a gold digger like her."

After saying that, he distanced himself from it as if it were all those women's faults.

The thought of this made my stomach churn. I felt so nauseous I almost vomited.

Jack glanced at Cyndi with reddened eyes and said aggrievedly, "I didn't sleep with any of them! I had a strict upbringing and always come home before 10 PM. How could I do something like that? I've never even had a girlfriend..."

Just like in my previous life, he maintained the persona of an innocent heir.

I could not stand seeing his disgusting face, so I stood up to leave.

However, Cyndi pulled me back to my seat. "Shane, Jack means well. I think we should let it go. He was just joking, and I didn't fall for it. Don't worry. I'm not a playgirl, much less a gold digger."

That sounded familiar. After all, all my twenty exes had sworn they were not gold diggers.

It seemed Jack had succeeded after all.

However, I wanted to see if Jack could bear the consequences of ruining my marriage to the White family!

Cyndi was the sole heir of the White family. Her friends naturally showed her some respect, and all of them tried to persuade me that nothing would happen.

"Yeah, Shane. You've already married Ms. White. Are you still worried that she might run away?"

"Yeah! I think Jack is just overly concerned about you."

"Isn't Jack the friend you're always proud of? How could he harm you?"

"You have a rich and beautiful wife, and you also have a wealthy friend. We all envy you to death! Just be with your life."

I clenched my fists and almost shattered my lower teeth from how hard I bit down to suppress my anger before I managed to sit back down.

Jack gave me a smug smile and plopped down beside me, deliberately touching the limited edition wristwatch on his wrist.

When our friends saw the watch, they all let out a chorus of exclamations.

"Jack, you actually managed to get your hands on that watch! Oh my God! There are only three in the world, and one is in the hands of the richest person in the city. Could you be...?"

Jack probably did not expect this watch to be so valuable. He immediately took the chance to reply arrogantly, "It's nothing. My family has plenty of these kinds of watches."

I almost burst out laughing. The watch clearly belonged to my father. How did it end up in his hands?

In my past life, he stole my dad's luxury goods to rent out and make money off fake heirs. I guessed that was how he got this watch.

A friend looked at me suspiciously and then at Jack. "But isn't the White family allying with the richest family in the city through marriage? If you're the richest man's son, Shane must be..."

He paused, his tone subtle. "Could it really be like the rumors say? Is Shane just the richest man's adopted son?"

Another friend immediately chimed in, "I suppose so. I heard they adopted the driver's son to repay a debt of gratitude. They even treat him like their own. I guess Shane is that son. "

"It's hard to understand why someone would give up their own son's marital happiness to repay a debt of gratitude!"

"Ugh. I don't know what they're thinking, using an adopted son for the marriage. How much do they look down on the White family? I think Jack and Cyndi are a better match!"

Jack's expression changed. Cyndi and I had a whirlwind marriage, so he had no idea it was a business arrangement.

Cyndi's face also instantly darkened. Her pride was clearly hurt.

I took out my phone and slowly scrolled through a local app. "Hmm… I think I've seen this watch on quite a few influencers in this city."

I paused deliberately, looking at Jack. "But they all claim to be wealthy heirs on their profiles... Could it be that you guys are taking turns renting this watch?"

Jack's face flushed red and then turned pale, his eyes glaring at me as if he wanted to devour me alive.

Yes, I used to be simple-minded. Not only would I not have exposed him in public in the past, but I would even have been grateful to him for ‘testing’ my gold digger girlfriends for me.

Seeing that his friends were starting to doubt him, Jack flew into a rage. He took the watch off and slammed it to the ground, stomping on it while yelling, "This is my watch! What right do you have to slander me? I'll smash it to pieces, and you can’t say anything about it!"

Everyone held their breath. No one dared to speak. The limited-edition watch worth millions of dollars was trampled to pieces.

I clicked my tongue a few times before mocking with a half-smile, "You must have felt good stomping on it. Have you thought about how you're going to explain this to my dad?"

As soon as I finished speaking, Jack panicked. He lost his footing, tripped, and fell hard. He looked disheveled, his hands cut and bleeding from the watch’s glass shards. He looked at me. "Shane, are you satisfied now?"

Cyndi grabbed his hand, tenderly sucking the blood from it and simply bandaging it with a tissue. Then, she led him outside. "Let's head to the hospital."

Seeing me sitting still, she got angry. "Shane, Jack isn't just your good friend, he's like your younger brother! How could you do this to him? You're now the White family's son-in-law! I did this for the White family's reputation! I'm telling my dad about this. You should reflect on your actions!"

I walked out nonchalantly. Cyndi had already helped Jack into the front passenger seat. She did not even glance at me before driving off with a stomp on the accelerator.

I leisurely strolled around the mall for a while before returning to the Carter family's villa, where Cyndi and I were meant to live as a married couple.

As soon as I got back, I ran into Jack. He was sitting on the living room couch with a ed expression.

Seeing me back, he rubbed his temples and asked, "Shane, Cyndi said to let me stay here for a while. You don't mind, do you?"

I put down my things and asked sarcastically, "Don't you have to go home before 10 PM every night?"

Cyndi's cold voice came from behind me. "Shane! Why are you being sarcastic? If it weren't for you scaring Jack, he wouldn't have been injured. He will be recuperating at our place. You caused this, so you have to take care of him yourself!"

I understood a little of what she was trying to do. Was she trying to make me, the real Carter family heir, be at Jack's beck and call?

I picked up the car keys again and was about to go out. "Alright, I won't disturb you. I'll go stay with my parents."

"How dare you!" Cyndi was momentarily left speechless by my retort. Jack looked pale behind her. "Shane, forget it. It's not a big deal. I don't need your apology. Cyndi is a good woman. I just hope you can cherish her."

A flicker of tenderness crossed Cyndi's face. It was a look I had not seen in all the time she was with me. She took Jack's hand and instructed the butler, Mariah Willer, "Mariah! Clean the rooms upstairs and arrange for whatever Jack wants."

Then she turned to me, saying impatiently, "You can wait here! I'll settle everything with you when I get back!"

I could not help but burst into laughter. "Yeah, I'll wait. Let's see who ends up settling with whom. Since you love my driver's son so much, I'll have my parents grant your wish!"

Jack swayed, his face contorted with grief and indignation. "Shane, I know you're still mad at me, but I truly considered you a brother. That's why I did this. Even if you can't understand me, you shouldn't hurt me like this."

If I had not been reborn, I might have actually been fooled.

I stood up, glanced at Cyndi shielding Jack behind her, and said with a half-smile, "You said Cyndi was a good woman, but she's hugging you. How can she still be considered a good woman? Does that mean only the women you sleep with are gold diggers?"

"Shane!" Cyndi pointed at me angrily, "Jack showed me those chat records! He and your exes had nothing going on! He only chatted with them for a bit and realized they had ulterior motives. He was just reminding you out of kindness! I haven't even said anything about you yet. With so many exes, just how desperate are you?"

Jack whispered, "Cyndi, don't blame Shane. It's my fault for meddling so much."

Cyndi gently squeezed his shoulder, her tone dismissive. "He's just an adopted son living in your house. He has no class of a rich heir at all. The Carter family really doesn't respect the White family at all. How dare they let some manwhore with no self-respect marry me?"

This was the 21st gold digger Jack had ‘tested’ for me, so I was genuinely grateful to him.

I simply sat down, crossed my legs, and nonchalantly asked, "So you want to break off the marriage now?"

Cyndi and Jack were both stunned to hear this.

Jack only dared to impersonate me to ruin my relationships before. He dared not break off a business marriage like this.

Cyndi quickly regained her composure and replied firmly, "It's good that you know your place! The position of the White family’s son-in-law is not meant for a fickle man like you! If you know what's good for you, get out and don't tarnish the White family’s home!"

"Outrageous!" Before she could finish speaking, a roar came from outside the door, "Break off the marriage? It's not your place to say that!"

Everyone looked over and saw my father, Henry Carter, walking in grimly, followed by my mother, who also looked displeased. The White family patriarch and matriarch followed behind, their expressions grim too.