To make up for it, my parents adopted him. But when I returned home after three years as an exchange student, I found my two older sisters, who had always doted on me, throwing a lavish birthday party for the adopted son, Brian. In front of all the guests, they announced that Brian was the true young master of the Thorne family, and I was merely his backup blood bank. When Brian wanted my room for a painting studio, they threw my belongings into the maid’s quarters. When Brian wanted shares in the company, they took the stock transfer agreement my father had left for me and gave it to him without a second thought. And when Brian decided he fancied my fiancée, the childhood betrothal was transferred from my name to his. In my past life, I was tortured to death. Bound by a foolish notion of family, I never fought back. This time, I’ve been reborn. And I plan on destroying every single one of them. Through the noise of the grand ballroom, I saw Brian, surrounded by a crowd of sycophants. As they were fawning over him, saying how I, the “other” son, wasn’t fit to lick his boots, I strode forward and ripped the watch from his wrist. “This is ‘The One,’” I announced, my voice cutting through the chatter. “A one-of-a-kind timepiece my father bought for me at a record-breaking auction. You’re just some backwoods nobody. Don’t you have any shame, parading around with stolen goods?” The room fell silent. Then, a wave of ridicule erupted. “Is Caleb Thorne sleepwalking? Causing a scene at his own brother’s birthday party.” “He’s just desperate for attention. You can take the boy out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the boy.” My two sisters, drawn by the commotion, rushed to Brian’s side, shielding him as if I were a wild animal. Brian clutched his wrist, his face a mask of wounded innocence. My eldest sister, Clara, immediately started shouting for the housekeeper to fetch the first-aid kit, as if the faint red mark on Brian’s wrist might vanish if she didn't act fast enough. My other sister, Giselle, shoved me hard. “Caleb, have you lost your mind? How dare you hurt your brother!” she shrieked. “Dad bought that watch for his real son. Are you his real son? Don’t be so shameless. Give it back.” I clenched my fist around the watch, a cold sneer on my lips. “His real son? If he’s real, what am I, a fake? Giselle, did you get your head slammed in a door? You don’t even recognize your own brother? Let’s see you say that to Dad’s face!” Giselle’s face turned purple with rage. Brian held her back, sighing with theatrical magnanimity. “It’s alright, Giselle. Caleb came from a rough background. He wasn’t raised with manners. Don’t hold it against him. It’s my fault, as his older brother, for not guiding him better.” He continued, his voice dripping with false humility, “If it weren’t for my rare blood type, Mom and Dad wouldn’t have been so worried about my health. They wouldn't have been forced to bring him here as a foster son. It’s my own body that’s failed me. It’s only right that I should be more patient with him.” I almost laughed out loud. It was the same old act. In my past life, I had been cut to pieces by Brian’s soft, insidious words. He loved to play the victim in a crowd, saying things that seemed thoughtful but were designed to belittle me and polish his own halo. He made everyone believe I was nothing but trash, while he was the chosen one. In reality, he was an idiot who needed the Thorne family to pull strings just to get him into community college. The guests, of course, lapped it up. “Brian is a true credit to his family. So kind and understanding. Not like some people who stick a feather in their cap and think they’re royalty.” “Exactly. A guttersnipe from the middle of nowhere. The Thornes give him a life of luxury and he’s still not satisfied. Now he’s trying to steal from the real young master. The nerve.” Brian shook his head, a look of weary resignation on his face. “It’s alright if I’m wronged a little. Please, don’t blame my brother. He comes from a place of hardship. I can understand his jealousy. I will do my best to guide him onto the right path.” His performance of generosity won him a wave of sympathy. “Young Master Brian, you’re too kind,” someone gushed. “Yes, if you keep spoiling him like this, that ungrateful viper will only take advantage of you.” Clara’s eyes narrowed on the watch in my hand. Her tone was imperious. “Give me the watch.” My eyes were red with fury. “This watch, ‘The One,’ was a gift from my father. To me.” Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “Caleb, we took you in. Not so you could bully my real brother. If you can’t accept your place as a foster child, then get out of this house.” I couldn’t believe it. These words were coming from the sister who had cherished me, protected me, since I was a child. The chill in my heart wasn't from a single moment, but a slow, creeping frost. I laughed. “It’s not your place to tell me to get out. And no one is taking this watch today.” Giselle exploded. “Are you all blind?” she screeched at the household staff. “You’re just going to stand there and watch this brat steal from the young master? Get it back!” The butler, Harrison, rolled up his sleeves and was the first to move. I’d seen him exchanging glances with Brian earlier. I knew he’d been bought. I grabbed a wine bottle from a nearby table, smashed it on the edge of a dessert cart, and held the jagged neck out in front of me. “I’d like to see you try! Think very carefully about who the real young master of this house is. The people who sign your paychecks are my parents. Anyone who touches me today will be packing their bags tomorrow.” My ferocity stunned them. Many of them had worked for our family for years. They knew me. They hesitated, unsure. But Harrison lunged forward, snatching the watch from my hand and presenting it to Brian with a fawning smile. “Young Master, I’m an old servant of this house. I’ve watched you grow up. No one can impersonate you, and no one can take what is yours. This watch was made for you.” I kicked the back of his knee, hard. He crumpled to the floor. “You’re an employee. Who gave you the right to snatch things from my hand? What, did Brian offer you more money than my parents do?” Harrison’s eyes darted away, his guilt obvious. Brian rushed over to shield him. “Brother, if you’re angry, take it out on me. Why are you bullying Harrison? He’s an old man. He only spoke up because he’s heartbroken seeing you steal my things day after day. I know this watch is a priceless gift from Dad, and I know you’ve been jealous of it for a long time. You’ve even snuck it out of the house to show off. I can forgive all of that. Just promise you won’t bully Harrison anymore. You can have the watch.” He turned away, his expression a perfect blend of resignation and pain. I pointed at my own nose in disbelief. Me? Jealous? I was the heir to a fortune. Jealous of him? Of his backwoods origins? Of his talent for drama? I felt sick to my stomach. The guests, however, were outraged on his behalf. “What an amateur. He lives a life of luxury for a few days and thinks he’s the real heir. Now he’s bullying the staff. If he doesn’t have a mirror, he should take a look at his reflection in a puddle.” “Caleb is a venomous snake. This is like a real-life fable.” “Poor Brian. The true heir, being tormented by a wild dog.” “This was supposed to be a beautiful party. He’s ruined everything.” Clara’s brow was furrowed in disgust. “Have you made enough of a scene? Are you not satisfied until you’ve dragged the Thorne family name through the mud? The reason Dad called this watch ‘The One’ was to declare to the world that Brian is his one and only true son. Have we been too good to you over the years? Have you forgotten what you are?” Giselle added, “We should just send him back to whatever hovel he came from. With our family’s resources, it wouldn’t be hard to find another match for Brian’s blood type.” I looked at the two sisters who had raised me, and a deep, bone-chilling cold washed over me. My parents had spent a fortune finding several children with my rare blood type. They had let me choose which one to bring home as my adopted brother. But Clara and Giselle had looked at the photos and unanimously chosen Brian. At the time, I thought it didn’t matter who it was. Their job was just to be my companion, and to provide blood if I ever needed it. But looking back, their reaction was strange. Two people with completely different personalities, instantly agreeing on one boy. In my last life, they had used my parents’ business trip as an opportunity to throw this same party for Brian. They had publicly declared him the true heir and me the backup blood bank. Humiliated and ostracized, I was then goaded by Brian’s taunts until my sisters forced a bottle of hard liquor down my throat and locked me in the cellar. By the time my parents returned, my body, dead from a severe allergic reaction to the alcohol, was already beginning to rot. In that life, accused by the sisters I adored, I had been too heartbroken to even speak, let alone defend myself. This time, I stood up straight. “You know perfectly well who the real Thorne heir is. You think you can get away with bullying me in front of all these people? Let’s see how you explain this to Mom and Dad when they get back.” My defiance, even after their verbal assault, gave some of the smarter guests pause. “Could it be… Caleb is the real heir?” “You know, he may be dressed simply, but he does resemble Mr. Thorne.”
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