In my past life, my elder sister, Naomi, whom I trusted implicitly, plunged me into ruin. When her lover's financial fraud was exposed, she meticulously laid every piece of blame at my feet. I became a pariah, a public enemy vilified by all, even abandoned by my own father. "We have no son who would betray our company like this!" he had bellowed. That rainy night, with despair as my only companion, I chose to end it all. Now, reborn, I awaken to find myself back on the eve of a major project launch. This time, I will not let anyone dictate my life again! In the office, I stared at the computer screen, deaf to my colleagues' sneers, and drafted my resignation letter. 1 The business proposal trembled slightly in my hands. This seemingly golden opportunity, in my previous life, had been the very document that plunged me into an abyss from which there was no return. "My capabilities are limited; I fear I'm not up to such a significant task," I said, my voice calm, as I pushed the proposal back across the desk to my sister, Naomi. The smile on her face instantly froze. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Ethan. Do you know how much effort I put into securing it for you?" I looked at my sister, her expression feigning concern, with a cold, assessing gaze. In my past life, it was she who had neatly placed every single piece of blame onto me, transforming me from a Wall Street golden boy into a reviled pariah. "Ethan, when did you become such a coward?" My fiancée, Sophia, immediately reprimanded me. "How can you expect to make any progress in your career if you're so timid and hesitant?" A cold laugh bubbled in my chest. These two women, outwardly pretending to have my best interests at heart, were in reality only concerned with Marcus. "Marcus is an Ivy League graduate; he's stronger than me in every aspect. This project would be a much better fit for him," I stated, looking directly at them. In my previous life, when Marcus and I co-managed the project, he fabricated financial records for performance. Ultimately, it was I who bore all the legal accusations. This time, I swore I wouldn't repeat that mistake. "You really should take Marcus as your role model," Sophia suddenly cooed, her eyes shimmering with adoration when she spoke his name. The irony wasn't lost on me. This woman, who claimed to love me deeply, carried another man in her heart. I suppressed the rising annoyance and continued my refusal. "I've already committed to attending the Silicon Valley Venture Summit. I simply can't free up my schedule this month." Their relentless push for me to partner with Marcus on this project was driven by a single, stark reality: without the extensive financial network I’d cultivated on Wall Street, Marcus wouldn't be able to pull off this billion-dollar multinational acquisition. If this M&A deal succeeded, it would be Marcus's express ticket directly to the board of directors. I opened my laptop and pulled up my email. "Would you like me to forward you the invitation from the organizers?" 2 Sophia stared at the screen, her expression instantly sharpening. "You didn't breathe a single word of this international summit to Marcus? What, do you think you finally have a chance to show off?" My sister Naomi's voice also turned cold. "In business, it's about sharing resources. Your autocratic style is truly eye-opening." I scoffed. "The investment banking world is a small place. Marcus usually can't even be bothered to say hello. And now it's my fault?" Although we both worked at headquarters, Marcus had never shown me anything but disdain since I joined. In the past six months, aside from mandatory meetings, we hadn't exchanged more than three words privately. Sophia grew even more agitated. "Do you have any idea how busy Marcus is? As his subordinate, shouldn't you have proactively reported this?" As she spoke, she already had her phone out, dialing the summit organizing committee. My sister Naomi, meanwhile, simply rose and left the conference room, clearly off to find Marcus. Watching them, a wave of bitter sarcasm washed over me. In their eyes, I was nothing more than a pawn to be sacrificed at will. Before long, Sophia hung up, her face grim. The summit's attendance list was full; the committee had politely declined her request. "This is a direct opportunity to meet top global investors. If Marcus misses it..." She bit her lip anxiously, then her eyes suddenly lit up. "Ethan, how about this? You transfer your spot to Marcus. I promise, the next good opportunity, you'll be the first person I think of." Hearing her words, I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms. "Just because he's Marcus, I should sacrifice my own opportunity?" For years, I had considered her the most important person in my life, yet in her heart, I was less than Marcus's substitute. Sophia suddenly adopted a wheedling tone. "You're so much younger than Marcus. What's wrong with letting a senior go first? You have plenty of other opportunities. Don't be so petty!" Looking at her sickeningly sweet act, a wave of disgust washed over me. This woman, usually a fierce and decisive force in the investment banking world, could demean herself like this for Marcus. Unfortunately, after being reborn, I had long since seen through her true colors. No longer would I be fooled by such pretense. 3 "Ethan, you're being utterly unreasonable! This opportunity should be given to Marcus!" As I pondered, Naomi had already ushered Marcus into the conference room. My gaze met Marcus's, and the undisguised contempt in his eyes was palpable. I gave a cold chuckle. "Business is a battlefield. Everyone relies on their own abilities. No one has the right to make decisions for others." I stood up, not even bothering to glance at them again as I left. Surprisingly, the summit proceeded without incident. It wasn't until I opened the company's internal network that I saw Marcus had fully taken over the M&A project. I thought the matter was closed, but no sooner had I returned from the conference than Naomi and Sophia burst into my office. Their faces were ashen, their expressions panicked. "It's a disaster! The SEC is investigating the acquisition! Marcus is truly finished this time, you have to help!" I scoffed. "What does the SEC investigation have to do with me? I've been in the U.S. this whole time. How do you plan to frame me?" Naomi's next words, however, left me dumbfounded. "I've prepared all the materials. You just need to sign a few documents. You've only been with the company for a short while, so even if they find problems, it won't be too serious." Hearing this, a chill ran through me. A vice president, my own elder sister, was willing to condemn her younger brother to fraud charges just to protect an outsider. If I took this fall, my career would be ruined, and I would even face jail time. The nightmare of my past life flashed before my eyes. Without a second thought, I refused: "Corporate fraud is a serious crime. Since he was the one leading the project, he should bear the consequences himself." Sophia was frantic, stomping her foot. "Wall Street is all about connections and favors! If you help with this, the entire industry will remember your good deed!" Listening to this blatant emotional blackmail, I could no longer suppress my fury: "You two only see Marcus! Have you ever considered my situation? One is my own sister, the other my fiancée—you two are pushing me into a fiery pit!" My voice was trembling; the tragedy of my past life made it impossible to stay calm. Naomi, however, was unwavering. "This isn't a discussion, it's a notification. The materials are ready. You have to take the fall for this." She slammed a folder heavily onto my desk. I opened it and gasped – they had actually forged an entire chain of evidence implicating me in the fraud. Such a meticulous setup; if I weren't the insider, anyone would believe these fabricated proofs. It seemed I had still underestimated their obsession with Marcus. But a mocking smile spread across my face. "Forging evidence, manipulating the market – those are serious felonies. Aren't you afraid I'll hand the evidence over to the FBI?" 4 "Are you threatening me? Don't forget, I'm your sister. If you dare to make a fuss, Mom and Dad will be the first ones to disown you." Naomi stared at me coldly, attempting to use our family ties to suppress me. In her mind, I had always been the meek, compliant younger brother who never dared to defy her. I scoffed dismissively. "Now you remember I'm your brother? For Marcus, you're willing to destroy your own brother's life. What right do you have to talk about family affection? From today on, we're cutting all ties. You two had better not bother me again." In that moment, I was utterly, completely disappointed in them. Sophia, seeing the turn of events, hastily tried to smooth things over. "Why are you being so difficult? This could be good for you too! JPMorgan Chase has promised that if you help us, they'll give you a Vice President position immediately. That's an executive role at a top Wall Street investment bank. You wouldn't be able to get it on your own for at least a decade." I couldn't help but burst into laughter. JPMorgan Chase? Ludicrous. Marcus's reputation in the industry was already in tatters; even mid-tier investment banks wouldn't touch him, let alone a top-tier one. This was clearly another one of their fabricated lies. And the consequences of this matter were far more severe than just a job title. I looked at them coldly. "You expect me to take on such a massive crime just for an empty promise? The SEC investigation is no joke." With that, I lowered my head to my documents, no longer bothering to acknowledge them. Sophia and Naomi's eyes instantly turned venomous. I glanced at them dismissively. Long before our conversation began, I had already activated a voice recorder. If they dared to make a move, this evidence would be more than enough to completely ruin their reputations. Suddenly, the office door was violently pushed open. Marcus stormed in, grabbing my collar. "Where the hell did you get those internal files?" A cold smirk played on my lips. "Guilty conscience? These files were all obtained through legal channels." Reborn into this life, how could I not leave myself a way out? Long before any of this began, I had arranged for someone to collect all the evidence of Marcus's illicit dealings. Naomi, seeing Marcus's fury, snapped, "Destroy those files immediately, or I'll fire you right now!" I merely smiled wider. "Perfectly fine by me." At the summit, I had already received offers from several top hedge funds, with salaries three times my current one. I pulled a document from my drawer and tossed it onto Naomi's desk. "Here's my resignation letter. Please approve it quickly."
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