It was a taunting, possessive kiss—a blatantly shameless act.

When Tyler saw that I didn't react, he became even bolder and started tugging off Regina's clothes. Her face turned bright red, but after a feeble attempt to stop him, she completely gave in to him.

The sound of their gasps and heavy breathing drew sideways glances from the people outside the door.

In the past, I would've fought Tyler to the death even if he merely touched Regina's hand. But now, I remained motionless like a statue.

When the two of them finally got up from the floor, Regina's eyes were filled with disbelief. "Calvin, you watched me get intimate with another man, and you don't feel anything at all?"

I slowly lowered my head and replied, "Tyler said he wanted to make you his woman, and you didn't reject him, so of course I went along with it without protesting."

Both Tyler's and Regina's expressions cracked. My parents and Calista came back in, exchanging stunned looks as well.

At that very moment, Tyler flashed a sinister smile and said, "Mom, Dad, maybe Cal had toughened up and learned how to mask his emotions during his time in prison. Why don't we… let a professional handle things?"

Calista hurriedly nodded. "That's right. I know a few instructors from an etiquette school. They specialize in dealing with defiant and rebellious people. If he can endure the instructors' punishments, then we can feel at ease bringing him home with us."

My parents hesitated, a trace of reluctance flashing through their eyes.

"Cal, it's only a small test. Just bear with it," Mom said.

I obediently nodded, my gaze still.

Soon, two men dressed in black came in. One of them pointed the tip of an electroshock baton at my throat.

I didn't dodge. I even leaned forward obligingly.

Crackling sounds filled the air as the electricity shot through my veins like poisoned needles. It felt like I had something gnawing on my bones. My entire body convulsed. My senses went numb, but I clenched my teeth and refused to let out a single scream.

This pain was nothing compared to the hellish torment I'd been put through during my time in prison.

Three years ago, I had caught Regina and Tyler kissing in the study. As I trembled with rage, I marched right up to them and punched Tyler.

"You bastard! You're just a thief who stole someone else's family, and you're even setting your sights on your own sister-in-law!"

They decided I was mentally unstable—a dangerous lunatic who might kill them—so they sent me to prison for rehabilitation.

Thanks to the special care Tyler arranged for me, I was locked in the darkest cell and subjected to constant beatings and humiliation by a group of hardened criminals.

I resisted desperately, clinging to life in the hopes of one day avenging myself.

Then one day, the system told me that if I remained obedient until the day I died, I would be allowed to return to my original world at once and even receive a huge fortune.

So I learned to submit. No matter how they bullied me or abused me, I never resisted again.

When the electroshock baton was finally pulled away, smoke rose from my throat as I collapsed limply onto the bed.

Tyler stared at me in disbelief before demanding, "Don't stop! I don't believe he's actually learned to be this obedient!"

The men, who were actually thugs, exchanged a look before handing me a bottle of sulfuric acid to drink.

Everyone was convinced I would finally tear off my "facade of obedience" and start raging about the injustice like I used to. However, I simply flashed an eerie smile and parted my lips.

The sulfuric acid slowly slid down my throat, scorching me from the inside. My tongue instantly disintegrated. My throat was burned through, and every time I swallowed, it felt like my flesh was being boiled.

As sizzling sounds rang out, massive amounts of blood poured out of my mouth. The unbearable agony made my expression twist grotesquely. My entire face was burning, melting into a bloody mess.

My consciousness started to slip, and I blacked out.

At last, when my parents saw me lying there with smoke rising from my body and my entire face burned beyond recognition, they let out strangled sobs.

Mom covered her mouth. Huge droplets of tears rolled down her face. "Cal… why aren't you fighting back at all?"

She staggered to the bedside, trembling as she stared at the charred wound on my throat.

"Did… did you suffer so much in prison that it scared the courage out of you? Tell me what happened. I'll stand up for you…"

She was going to stand up for me, huh? Why didn't she offer to do that when they sent me to prison three years ago?

Regina came over as well. As she looked at my face—now corroded beyond recognition by the sulfuric acid—a pained look came into her eyes, one that I hadn't seen in forever.

"I'm sorry, Cal…" Her voice choked with emotion. "Why did you behave so foolishly? From now on, I'll protect you. I won't let anyone hurt you again…"

I slowly turned my eyes toward her.

Then, I weakly shook my head and started to speak. My voice slurred and barely coherent.

"You… won't. Y-You guys… were the ones who sent me to prison… Why would you… protect me?"

For Regina and my parents, those words felt like a slap to the face.

Calista was standing to the side, her face pale, but she stubbornly declared, "Mom, Dad, Regina, don't let him fool you! He's just having a pity party! He deliberately let those people do this to him so that you'll feel guilty and take pity on him!"

Regina whipped around, her eyes red as she shouted, "Shut up, Calista! Can't you see the state he's in? They poured sulfuric acid down his throat! They used an electroshock baton on him! He almost died!"

"He should've just died then!" Calista screamed right back as she wagged her finger at me. "Look at him! He's completely insane! He'll only cause trouble for the family if we keep him around. I don't think he has learned a thing—he's just acting!"

But the moment her gaze met Tyler's frightened expression, her eyes softened immediately.

"Don't be scared, Ty. As your sister, I will never let you suffer any injustice."

Tyler looked at me and abruptly spoke up in a timid voice. "Mom, Dad, Callie… I think… there's really something wrong with Cal."

After a pause, he added with a terrified expression, "Do you think… he has some kind of mental disorder? What if his show of obedience now is just an act? Once we let our guard down, he might suddenly…"

"A mental disorder?" Calista's eyes lit up, seemingly having thought of something. "That's right. I bet he's mentally ill right now. He probably has some kind of personality disorder!

"People like him, who are good at pretending, are the most dangerous. If he can be this ruthless to himself, who knows how he'll hurt Ty once he gets the chance!"

Calista's words made everyone hesitate.

"Cal, your behavior does seem rather abnormal. It's best if we let a doctor check on you," Dad said.

A short while later, two psychiatrists hurried into the room.

Calista was the first to step forward, pointing at me as she declared, "Doctors, he's an extremely dangerous patient with some kind of mental disorder. He also has a violent streak and self-harm tendencies!"

Meanwhile, standing from afar, Tyler shot the two psychiatrists a look, his eyes blazing venomously.

An hour later, the results came out. I was diagnosed with severe schizophrenia.

The doctor handed the report to my parents and suggested that I be isolated for everyone's safety.

After looking at the report, Calista screamed sharply, "Quick! Have him taken away right this minute! Put him in a psychiatric hospital—or better yet, send him back to prison! I'll apply for mandatory confinement!"

She stared at me coldly, as if I weren't her younger brother but her mortal enemy. "A troublemaker like you will only bring disaster to the family. You should just die!"

The word "die" was all my mind grabbed onto. Instinctively, I obeyed the command.

I'd noticed earlier that one of the windows didn't have any safety bars. While Regina and Calista were busy arguing, I climbed onto the windowsill and jumped.

My body fell through the air. The wind roared in my ears.

The ground kept getting closer with every passing second. Above, I saw their horrified faces pressed against the windows.

With a deafening crash, I hit the ground like a watermelon smashed against concrete.

My skull split open. Blood gushed out, forming a pool all around me.