My new housekeeper’s son is the charismatic male lead of this world. He accidentally "saved" my three villainous sisters, charming them into becoming his loyal attack dogs. They handed him every resource our family had on a silver platter. In their eyes, I was the jealous brother who couldn't stand losing the spotlight, framing him at every turn. Eventually, my three sisters discarded me. My eldest sister, the cold-hearted CEO, froze all my bank accounts and kicked me out of the Vance estate. My second sister, the gentle doctor, secretly switched my heart medication, leaving me in constant, agonizing pain. My third sister, the A-list celebrity, hid my identity and encouraged her millions of fans to cyberbully me into oblivion. I died a miserable death, with no one to claim my body. When I opened my eyes, reborn into the past, I decided to give up. I would "lie flat"—do nothing, fight for nothing. But I never expected that this time, my sisters could hear my inner thoughts. 1 The last time I saw the four of them in my previous life, it was in a condemned apartment building. I sat in a wheelchair, wearing clothes stained with grease and filth. Caleb Thorne, however, was dressed in bespoke haute couture that he never could have afforded before. He was surrounded by my three sisters, the center of their universe. He looked down at me with a sneer. "For the sake of our past friendship, if you apologize to me today and call me 'brother-in-law,' I’ll forgive you. I’ll even let you back into the Vance mansion. What do you say?" Call him brother-in-law? He wasn't worthy to shine my shoes. He was the reason I was disfigured and crippled. His shameless goal in marrying into the Vance family was to dismantle it from the inside out. But, of course, no one believed a word I said. Everyone thought I was just jealous of Caleb. That envy was the only reason I ended up like this. I gritted my teeth and spat on the floor. "You? Worthy? I’d rather die than call you family. One day, your ugly true colors will be exposed to the..." Before I could finish, a slap silenced me. The force was so strong I felt my teeth loosen. My ears rang. Through the dizziness, I looked up to see my eldest sister, Victoria, staring at me with icy indifference. She frowned, looking at me like I was something rotting on her shoe. "Atlas, if you can't keep your mouth shut, I don't mind tearing it off for you." I clutched my swelling face. "Victoria..." She cut me off again. "Don't call me that. From the day you framed Caleb, you ceased to be our brother." Her words were like serrated knives plunging into my bleeding heart. The light in my eyes dimmed. I wanted to defend myself, but my throat was so dry I couldn't make a sound. My heart began to spasm. I clutched my chest, gasping for air. "Meds... my meds..." Elena, my second sister, rarely smoked. But because of Caleb, she had picked up the habit. She walked two steps toward me and pressed the burning cigarette butt into the back of my hand. Ignoring my hoarse cry of pain, she pointed at my chest and mocked, "Atlas Vance, your congenital heart disease probably exists because your heart is black. I don't see the need to treat it anymore." The pain sent me tumbling out of the wheelchair, gasping for breath on the dirty floor. Sophie, my third sister, crouched down slowly. She looked at my emaciated frame—skin and bones—and furrowed her brow. "Why are you acting so aggrieved? Atlas, do you really think playing the victim will get you our forgiveness? You're delusional." "Besides," she added darkly, "it looks like you haven't learned your lesson yet." I knew what she meant. Just because I cursed Caleb once, she allowed her fans to dox and harass me. Someone had even followed me home, pushed me out of my wheelchair, and filmed me crawling on the ground. Dead rats were constantly thrown at my door. The landlord, unable to deal with the harassment, evicted me. I ended up here, in a shack next to a dump with a door that wouldn't lock. Without medication, even breathing became a torture. I lay on the ground like a dying fish, covered in wounds. My consciousness faded. I tried to recall a single happy memory from my life, but I couldn't find one. My sisters ignored my outstretched hand and turned to leave. The last thing I heard was a muttered curse: "What a waste of space." I opened my mouth, but I had no strength left to struggle. This was my second rebirth. I had tried everything—scheming, planning, fighting—but I couldn't beat the "chosen one" aura. This world is a novel, and Caleb is the protagonist. His goal is to destroy the Vance family to pave the way for the woman he truly loves. My three sisters are the villains, destined to fall in love with him at first sight, be "redeemed," and then willingly become his pawns. To save them, I died trying to expose him. In their eyes, I was just a jealous brat. No matter how many times I restart, Caleb always wins. I knew that when I opened my eyes, I would be back at the beginning. But this time, I’m tired. 2 When I opened my eyes, I was still shaking from the phantom pain of death. The filthy shack was replaced by a bright, warm dining room. Warm yellow light illuminated exquisite dishes on the table. A familiar voice sounded beside me, dripping with grievance. "Atlas, why aren't you eating? Did I make something you don't like?" "I'm sorry. I didn't know your tastes changed. Just tell me what you want, and I'll make it." My pupils contracted. It was Caleb. At this point in the timeline, he had already become my "friend" and had "saved" my sisters a few times. Rumors were already circulating that he was the Vance family's lucky charm. He wasn't wearing servant's clothes. He was wearing the designer gear I had gifted him, looking more like the young master of the house than I did. He bit his lower lip, looking fragile. "I asked the housekeeper, and she said you love seafood. Are you refusing to eat because I cooked it? I followed the recipe step by step..." The performance was Oscar-worthy. I remained silent. Caleb started to panic. "Atlas, why won't you talk to me? Are... are you disgusted because I came from the slums? Do you think I'm dirty?" I opened my mouth, but only a rasp came out. I squeezed my throat, trying to force words. I was terrified that if I upset Caleb, my three sisters would use it as an excuse to torture me again. But I couldn't speak. Victoria’s gaze landed on us. Her eyes were dark. "Atlas, is this how a Vance behaves? This is Caleb's kindness. Even if you don't want to eat it, you will sit there and finish it." I lowered my eyes, laughing bitterly in my heart. These three were already blind to everything but him. [How could I dare despise him? After all, he's going to be the master of this house soon. I'm just the cripple who gets kicked out to live in the slums. What right do I have?] [Strangers would think Caleb is your biological brother with the way you defend him. Oh, wait. Not a brother. A lover.] [Does anyone even remember I have a severe seafood allergy? Or does my life just not matter?] Suddenly, the dining room went dead silent. The three women, who had been smiling indulgently at Caleb, froze. Their expressions went cold. I forced the nauseating seafood down my throat, bite by bite, suppressing the urge to vomit. I flashed a weak smile at Caleb. Victoria’s face turned pitch black, as if someone had exposed her darkest secret. Seeing me finish the food quickly and turn to leave with a pale face, she reached out. "Atlas..." Elena glared at her to shut up, then turned to me with a gentle voice. "Atlas, are you feeling unwell today? Let me check you over, okay?" She was a doctor. In my past life, she was the one who prescribed my heart medication, and she was the one who stopped it. She had watched me suffer in agony, forgetting I was once the little brother she doted on. I stood on the stairs, looking back. My expression was hidden in the shadows. [It's just an allergy. It won't kill me immediately.] [I'm really tired. Just stop torturing me. I'll agree to whatever you want.] Elena froze, her face draining of color. "I... I didn't mean to forget your allergy." Didn't mean to. What a clumsy, laughable excuse. I couldn't be bothered to pretend with them anymore. I turned and walked away without looking back. 3 I knew the moment Caleb showed up, I would lose. No matter what I did, I would never be the chosen one. So, I quit. A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. Caleb was back, bringing his signature pitiful act. He knocked rhythmically, sounding like he was on the verge of tears. "Atlas, what's wrong? Did I make you unhappy? I apologize, please don't ignore me, okay?" "Aren't we best friends?" While his mouth spouted grievances, a different, mechanical voice echoed in my ears. [System, what is wrong with Atlas today? He's acting weird. The script didn't say he'd be this passive. The sisters think I bullied him, and my affection score dropped by ten points!] Then, a robotic reply: [Host, please relax. I have scanned the targets. Their affection for you is still above 50. The drop is within manageable limits.] I felt a chill run down my spine. Even in the warm room, I started to shiver. Those voices again. In my past life, when Caleb orchestrated the car accident that put me in a coma, I heard him talking to this mechanical voice. They talked about destroying the Vance family, using my sisters as stepping stones. When I woke up, I went straight to Victoria. But no matter what I said, all I got was a look of disgust. Caleb had walked out of her private study, acting like a saint. "Victoria, Atlas is just confused. It's okay. I forgive him." Victoria had scolded me. "Atlas, look at you! You tried to kill Caleb, and he still cared for you while you were in a coma!" I barely remember what happened after. I just remember being kicked out into the rain. Victoria looked down at me from the porch. "Since you can't tolerate Caleb, the Vance family won't tolerate you. Without the title of the Young Master, you are nothing." 4 The memory made my body tremble. [What act is he putting on now?] I knew Caleb wasn't alone outside the door. [Doesn't matter whose affection he's farming. It has nothing to do with me. I'm leaving this family anyway.] I took a deep breath and opened the door. Caleb’s hand was frozen in mid-knock. He tried to grab my hand, but I sidestepped him. "Atlas..." He dragged out my name, his eyes darting to Sophie, who stood behind him. "Tell me what's wrong. Don't give me the silent treatment." Sophie stood silent for a long time. When she finally spoke, it was to defend Caleb. She looked at me with deep, fake concern. "Atlas, I heard from Victoria and Elena. Is there a misunderstanding? Aren't you two best friends? Do you know how much Caleb cried because you ignored him?" She sighed, acting like the benevolent sister. "I know a very famous psychiatrist. If you don't want to talk to your other sisters, talk to me. I'll take you there tomorrow, okay?" She didn't understand anything, but she was ready to institutionalize me. [Right. In your eyes, if I don't like Caleb, I must be mentally ill. When you let your fans destroy my life, why didn't you worry about my mental health then? Or are you just trying to lock me up in a psych ward to vent Caleb's anger?] Sophie froze. Her expression twisted in horror. She looked at Caleb, then at me, and finally down at her own hands in disbelief. "Atlas," she stammered. "Did... did I do something wrong?" "Please don't hate me." I shook my head warily and slammed the door shut. Through the wood, I heard a thud and Caleb’s yelp. "Sophie!" The System screamed: [Warning! Sophie Vance affection -10. Current level below 50. Host must recover points immediately!] "Don't call me that," Sophie’s voice sounded dark. "I'm not as blind as the other two. You better give me an explanation, or I won't mind..." I couldn't hear the rest as they walked away. I didn't care about Sophie’s sudden change. If they were defending him this hard now, the inevitable betrayal was just a matter of time. Nothing mattered more than staying alive.
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