I'm the true heir to an affluent family who got switched at birth. But when I'm reunited with my family, they suddenly announce their bankruptcy.

The sprawling mansion is repossessed, leaving me, my wife, and my parents to sleep on the streets. My parents are so furious that they end up getting admitted to the hospital—one gets a stroke, and the other passes away.

My wife gets her legs broken by one of the creditors, and my son is so frightened that he becomes mentally impaired.

To bear the astronomical medical bill, I work countless part-time jobs and put myself through the wringer.

Everything changes when, one day, I accept a job as a temporary driver. I go to a lavish hotel's banquet hall. A celebration for a gold wedding is being held there, and I see my late mother and paralyzed father sharing a kiss onstage.

My crippled wife is dancing offstage as she enjoys the festivities. Meanwhile, my son speaks fluently in a foreign language as he speaks with a foreign child.

I stood frozen in place, watching the joyful and harmonious family in the banquet hall.

Was I hallucinating because of how tired I was from work? Wasn't my family bankrupt?

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief and turned to look at the photo on the golden anniversary plaque beside me.

It was a picture of my parents, Corey Falkner and Sabrina Burke, my wife, Lydia Quill, and my son, Joel Falkner. The fake heir, Xander Falkner, was included as well.

They looked so close, like a real family.

Just then, someone slapped me on the back of the head. It was the car owner who'd asked me to drive for him.

He looked at me with disdain. "What are you spacing out for? Stop staring! Listen up. Today is Mr. and Mrs. Falkner's golden anniversary. Get it together. Don't make any mistakes."

I touched the back of my head. It hurt, but Mom and Dad were still on stage.

So this wasn't a dream.

But why?

If my family hadn't gone bankrupt, why had they lied to me?

I couldn't believe it. Dad, who had tried to kill himself multiple times out of fear of dragging me down, had never cared about me.

And Lydia, who'd eaten scraps with me, had never loved me.

My mind was a tangled mess. Tears welled up in my eyes.

Meanwhile, the car owner kicked me impatiently. "Got nothing to say? Don't tell me you're mute."

He shoved me, and before I knew it, I lost my balance and fell to the ground, shattering a bottle of champagne.

Immediately, everyone turned to look at me.

"Dad!" In a daze, I heard Joel's voice.

"Don't worry. I'm fine…" But as soon as I turned, I saw Joel throwing himself into Xander's arms.

Joel was calling him "Dad", not me.

At that moment, a wave of despair hit me harder than anything before.

"You idiot! You're messing up Mr. Falkner's anniversary! Darn it!"

The car owner punched me a few times, and the noise drew Mom and Dad over. They looked at me, calm and emotionless.

I thought at least they might feel a little guilty. But Dad just said, "You shouldn't be here. You've lost everything by showing up here."

I stood there, stunned, staring at him. "My biological parents faked illness and death to deceive me. My wife has been seeing another man behind my back, and my son is calling someone else his dad.

"Tell me. If I hadn't figured it out, would you have let me live in this lie forever? This is ridiculous! You're all ridiculous and disgusting!"

I couldn't stop myself from yelling. They hadn't treated me like a human being!

Dad looked at me, his eyes full of complicated emotions.

Meanwhile, Joel, in Xander's arms, stared coldly at me as I went wild. He even spat in my direction.

After some hesitation, Lydia walked up to me.

At that moment, I was being forced to kneel on the ground by security. I glared at her with tears and fury in my eyes.

The car owner hurried to apologize. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Lydia. I had a few drinks and called a driver. I didn't know he was crazy.

"I'm really sorry for the trouble. Could you say a few kind words to Mr. Xander so he won't hold it against me?"

I watched him bow and scrape as he called her "Mrs. Lydia" so familiarly. Security called her "Mrs. Lydia" as well, but her husband was clearly not me.

I glared at Xander on the stage, feeling my anger rise.

While I'd been out working hard to support them, they were living in luxury, watching me suffer!

Lydia waved for the security to back off and reached out to help me up.

I shook her hand off, stood up, and glared at her.

"The Falkner family's not bankrupt. You've been lying to me this whole time just to keep me away from the money. You staged all of this, didn't you?"

"Julian..." Lydia called my name as if she was trying to explain, but her mouth opened and closed without a single word coming out.

Silence was her answer.

I let out a bitter laugh and stood up. "I'm nothing but a pathetic clown!"

"Julian, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you." Lydia sobbed uncontrollably.

Just then, Xander stepped forward. He pulled Lydia aside and looked at me with disdain. "Typical country dog. Always spouting curses and lacking any manners."

Mom chimed in, backing Xander up. "This is why we had to lie to you about the family going bankrupt. We thought it would make you grow up, but look at you, still a failure."

Dad snorted. "Seems like Xander was right. A lowborn, unrefined brat like you doesn't deserve to inherit the family's fortune."

I stood there, staring at them, as their words sliced through me like daggers. I covered my eyes in agony, unable to say a single word.

I had been in this family for ten years. Two years after I joined the family, we went bankrupt.

For eight years, I ate nothing but bread and canned soup to help raise money for their medical bills. I never once faltered in my duty to them.

Before I left for work today, I even bought Dad the most expensive truffle soup from the hospital cafeteria just because the doctor said he needed extra nutrition.

Dad had frowned and barely sipped it before telling me I shouldn't have wasted the money.

I had thought he felt for me, but now I realize they never appreciated the effort I put into earning the money for those nutritious meals for them.

Now, I watched as Mom and Dad stood with Xander on stage, sneering at me. The irony hit me hard.

I laughed so hard that tears streamed down my face. How had things turned out this way?

I shouldn't have relented and shouldn't have come back.

Ten years ago, the Falkner family suddenly found me in the fishing village. At the time, Lydia and I had just gotten married. My adoptive parents loved me. Though we weren't wealthy, I was happy.

The Falkner family told me I was the real heir. I didn't want to be some rich heir.

But my adoptive parents, with their traditional thinking, persuaded me to go back and be with my biological parents. Even Lydia said that education in the big city would be better for our future children.

So I relented.

But how ridiculous it all was. My parents, who pushed me to return, never truly cared for me.

They always favored the fake heir, Xander. He ran the company as well. Mom and Dad even kicked me out of it.

Later, when I went to work for another company, they feared I might expose their secrets. So, they pretended to be concerned about me and kept me at home.

I worked myself to the bone for the Falkner family, always walking on eggshells while trying to please them.

But just when I thought things were looking up, the family suddenly went bankrupt.

Xander was nowhere to be found. Mom and Dad cried, claiming I was their only hope.

Only now did I realize that my so-called biological parents had never considered me their child. Xander was the only one they could see.

Even my childhood sweetheart and wife, Lydia, had betrayed me.

Oh, right. Not just Lydia. Even the reason I returned to the Falkner family, Joel, had turned his back on me.

At that very moment, he was tightly hugging Xander's neck and calling him "Dad".

I reached out to pull him away, but he looked at me with pure disgust. "You poor, pathetic man! Don't touch me! You stink!"

A bitter taste surged in my throat. "I'm your father!"

"Go away! You're not my father!" Joel kicked me in the face. His little face contorted with hatred as he looked at me like I was his enemy.

"Stay away, you disgusting country bumpkin! If Mom hadn't forced me to call you 'Dad,' I wouldn't have bothered! Just being near you makes me want to puke."

No wonder he refused to let me hold him despite always saying I was his favorite. I'd thought it was just because he was too active for cuddles, but now…

I watched Joel's arrogant expression and realized more and more how much he looked like Xander. As I looked at their similar features, a horrifying thought crossed my mind.

Before I could speak, Xander forcefully pulled Lydia into his arms. "Julian, thanks for taking care of Mom and Dad for the past eight years. And my wife too. Oh, and also…"

He kissed Joel's cheek and smiled smugly. "I heard that you work as a punching bag to help my son recover. Tsk, tsk, you're truly amazing.

"Joel, say thank you to Uncle Julian."

I felt like a bolt of lightning had struck me.

Joel shot me a cold glare. "I'm not saying thank you to this stupid asshole! If it weren't for him stubbornly staying with us, we wouldn't need to live separately!"