1 A year in the asylum broke me. I no longer craved my family’s love, or hated the imposter who replaced me. When my sister Scarlett came to pick me up, my blank stare seemed to enrage her. “Evan, were you stalling just to make me wait?” “If Cody hadn’t said he wanted you at his birthday, I’d have let you rot here.” I nodded. Then, as she glared in disgust, I stepped in front of a speeding car. Moments earlier, the System had told me: Obey every command, and you can return to your real family. “Are you mute? Who’s scared of that dead-eyed look?” [Host’s will to complete mission: zero. Parameters updated.] [Achieve absolute obedience. Upon death, mission complete. Reward: return to original world.] My sister’s voice and the System’s prompt overlapped. A flicker returned to my eyes. Scarlett, thinking I’d finally shown remorse, shoved a bag at me. “Change into this at the venue. What you’re wearing shames the Bates family.” Inside was an exquisite light-blue suit. My chest ached dully. She never knew I hated light blue. I’d given up on her, on this family, the day they sent me here for Cody. It was time to let go. This mission was impossible. Over the past year of torment, even the System couldn’t bear to watch. It had promised to fight for a new mission for me, begging me to hold on. It told me that when I returned to my world, not only would my adoptive mother be healed, but all my painful memories would be erased. Thankfully, it succeeded. Thank you, System. The System’s presence felt like a gentle hand on my head. [You’re welcome.] [I also visited your adoptive mother in her dreams. She’s doing well. The family of the child she saved is taking good care of her. She wants you to know she’s holding on for you, so you have to hold on too, host!] My eyes burned, a tear threatening to fall. That’s right. Mom is still conscious. She’s waiting for me. “Mom,” I whispered, my fingers clenching the bag, “I’m coming home soon.” Scarlett, who had already opened the car door, shouted impatiently, “Evan, what are you dawdling for? Do you want to die here?” “If you’re going to die, do it quickly! Don’t make me late for Cody’s birthday!” I looked up at her and nodded. For a second, she looked stunned, a flicker of regret in her eyes. “Just… just get in the car. Mom and Dad are waiting…” The next moment, I dropped the bag, turned, and threw myself in front of an oncoming truck. BANG! The screech of tires and Scarlett’s horrified scream filled my ears. This is what you wanted, Scarlett. I don’t want you, or Mom and Dad. Five years of my life, my heart, my devotion… in the end, I lost. With a gut-wrenching crash, my body was thrown into the air like a dead leaf, then slammed back onto the pavement. “Brother—!” Scarlett’s voice grew closer as I closed my eyes. My body felt weightless. Was this death? Good. I could finally go see Mom. 2 I don’t know how much time had passed. A blinding white light pierced my eyelids. The rhythmic beeping of a machine and the sharp, sterile scent of disinfectant pulled me back to consciousness. I forced my eyes open to a stark white ceiling. Looking down, I saw my right leg was in a cast, my left hand wrapped in bandages. The System’s disappointed voice echoed in my mind. [Host, you were just minutes away from dying of hemorrhagic shock and leaving this world. But Scarlett Bates carried you all the way to the hospital and even gave you a blood transfusion. Ugh! What is wrong with her? She tells you to die and then saves you?] Seeing my lack of response, it quickly tried to console me. [Don’t lose hope, host. You can just die again next time. There will be plenty of opportunities.] It seemed to realize how that sounded and quickly added: [What I mean is, since the Bates family all dote on the imposter and despise you, you should make your death count. Frame that Cody kid for it! Let him know what it feels like to be falsely accused!] I nodded silently. That was a good idea. From outside the hospital room, Cody’s tearful voice drifted in. “It’s all my fault. My brother wouldn’t have done this if it weren’t for me. Dad, Mom, maybe I should just leave the Bates family!” I heard my parents’ anxious replies. “This has nothing to do with you, son. He’s just not well! You’re the son we raised, and no one can ever replace you!” Scarlett’s voice joined in. “That’s right. You’re my only brother. Evan is probably just having a relapse. We should send him back to the asylum once he’s healed.” They had no idea that the place they’d sent me wasn’t a real mental hospital. It was an unlicensed, abusive facility run by a man Cody had paid off. The inhuman torture I endured was all his design. If the System hadn’t blocked my pain receptors, I would have been dead long ago. [Don’t be sad, host. Once you leave this world, I’ll make sure they find out everything that happened in that asylum.] I let out a soft, humorless laugh. Five years ago, I might have been sad. Now, I didn’t care. Five years ago, when my adoptive mother was in a car accident, the System found me. It told me I was the real heir in a “switched-at-birth” story from another world, and a cosmic error had landed me here. When it offered to take me to my real family, I begged it to save my adoptive mom. She had raised me for ten years, giving me all the love I’d ever known. After negotiating with the universe, the System agreed. [If you return and win over your biological family, making them feel remorse and love for you, you will earn the reward to heal your adoptive mother and wake her from her coma.] As much as I didn’t want to leave my mom, I agreed. Before I came here, I had dreamed a thousand times about what my real parents and sister would be like. When they held me, crying, swearing to make up for everything, I was moved. I was grateful that fate had blessed me not only with my mom’s love but now with the love of a real family. We shared the same blood. How could they not love me? But over five years, Cody’s relentless schemes turned them against me. A year ago, he staged his own kidnapping and framed me for it. And they believed him. They wanted to disown me, to throw me out. I knelt and begged, even harmed myself to prove my innocence. But with a single sentence, Cody sent me to hell. “Mom, Dad, Scarlett… my brother is just sick. We can’t blame him. Let’s just get him the help he needs, okay?” After being thrown into that asylum, my heart died completely. I saw the truth. They were not my family. My only real family was my adoptive mother. Outside the room, Cody was still crying. BAM! The door was kicked open, shattering my thoughts. “Evan, were you trying to ruin Cody’s birthday? Is that what you wanted?!” Scarlett stormed over to my bedside. Ignoring my injuries, she slapped me hard across the face. Her own face was pale; she had clearly lost a lot of blood for me. My parents rushed in after her. “Scarlett, be careful! What on earth did you say to him to make him run into a truck?” She froze, a guilty look flashing in her eyes. “I didn’t say anything! I just told him to get in the car so we wouldn’t be late for his and Cody’s birthday…” My parents’ concern for me instantly turned to cold anger. “You troublemaker! The moment you’re out, you cause chaos. Look what you’ve done to your sister and brother!” I wanted to snap back. I didn’t ask her to save me. I didn’t ask any of you to come. If I’m such a monster, why not just let me die? But the words caught in my throat. I remembered the System’s new rule: absolute obedience. I forced myself to look up, my eyes filled with manufactured guilt. “I’m sorry, Mom, Dad. It’s my fault. I’ll apologize to them right now.” With that, I yanked out my IV, grabbed the pair of scissors from the bedside table, and plunged them toward my carotid artery. 3 Squelch. Blood sprayed across my father’s face. The room erupted in screams. My mother clutched her chest, nearly fainting. Scarlett bolted out of the room, shouting for a doctor. When I woke up again, my neck was also wrapped in gauze. The doctor said I was lucky; the scissors had just nicked the artery wall. I hadn’t managed to die. Again. My parents and Scarlett stood by my bed, their expressions a complicated mix of anger and fear. They wanted to scold me, but they were afraid of setting me off again. Cody ran in, sobbing. “Mom, Dad, Scarlett… someone posted a video of brother running into the truck online. Now everyone is attacking me!” The three of them snatched his phone, their faces growing darker as they read. HEIR OF THE BATES FORTUNE DRIVEN TO SUICIDE BY IMPOSTER BROTHER! The comment section was a firestorm, with users calling Cody a manipulative monster. Some mocked my parents for being foolish enough to favor an adopted son with no blood relation. “These damn reporters!” Scarlett’s fingers flew across the screen. “I’ll clear your name. This has nothing to do with you!” My father stopped her, his face stern as he looked at me. “Evan, why don’t you make a statement yourself? Cody is innocent. You had a psychotic episode. It wasn’t his fault.” A sharp pain lanced through my heart, but I remembered the System’s words. I had to obey. If I didn’t, I would never save my mom. I would never go home. So, I smiled and nodded. “Of course, Dad. My phone was taken away, so just tell me what to say. I’ll say it to the camera.” They paused, only then seeming to remember my phone had been confiscated a year ago. On my first day in that place, I fought back against the orderlies who tried to abuse me. They electrocuted me until I collapsed, then beat me with clubs and whips for two days straight. I was given half a moldy bun for each meal and forced to drink slop water when I was thirsty. One night, I managed to steal a phone from a drunken guard and called Scarlett. Her response was a cold sneer. “Evan, it’s only been a few days and you’ve already learned how to lie?” “The doctors there were hand-picked by us. They are professionals. Why would they abuse you?” “Just behave and get the treatment you need. Fix yourself.” I cried, I begged her to get me out. But then I heard Cody’s voice in the background. “It’s all my fault brother is sick. I took his place for so many years, he has every right to hate me!” “Just let me leave the family. Bring him home! He won’t hurt anyone but me…” My parents started shouting, ordering Scarlett to hang up. “Don’t you see you’re upsetting Cody? Hang up now! And tell them to tighten their watch on him! No more phone calls!” The line went dead. After that, for stealing the phone, I was subjected to even more unspeakable torture. Even without the physical pain, the memory of their leering, monstrous faces left me with deep psychological scars. As if worried I’d pull another stunt, Scarlett simply aimed the phone’s camera at my face. “I’ll type out what you need to say. Just read it.” I nodded and did as I was told. The video statement worked. The online outrage died down. But some sharp-eyed users noticed something was off. Why is he wearing a scarf in the middle of summer? Is he injured again? Luckily, I was in the Bates Corporation’s private hospital. News of my second suicide attempt didn’t leak. My parents pulled some strings, and the public furor eventually faded. For the month I was hospitalized, I was perfectly quiet and obedient. They were pleased with my behavior and decided to take me home. At the front gate of the villa, Cody, dressed in a tailored suit and holding a bouquet of flowers, greeted me. “Welcome home, brother!” He bent down to hug me, then whispered in my ear, “You little bastard. I have plenty of ways to send you right back to that asylum.” Before I could respond, he let out a sharp cry and threw himself backward. His head hit the edge of a stone step with a sickening crack, and blood immediately started to gush. “Brother, why did you push me? I knew you still hated me…” he sobbed, his voice choked with grief. Blood streamed down his neck, staining the collar of his light-blue suit. “Evan! I knew you were faking it! You’re just as vicious as ever!” Scarlett rushed over, kicked my wheelchair aside, and cradled Cody in her arms. My father slapped me hard across the face. “You worthless thing! Apologize to your brother!” The blow knocked my head to the side. I saw a smooth, grey stone on the path. “Okay. I’m sorry.” I picked up the stone and smashed it against my own head. A hot stream of liquid ran down my face. My family stared in horror. My mother screamed, lunged forward, and snatched the rock from my hand. “You foolish child, what are you doing?! Someone call the doctor!” 4 After my head was bandaged, they wheeled me to the family luncheon. Cody cut a slice of mango cake and offered it to me. Then, he "tripped," sending the cake flying. He burst into tears, wailing that he’d made it himself and that I was taking my anger out on his hard work. My whole family scolded me. My father ordered me to apologize. Scarlett roared, “You are going to eat every last piece of that today!” Not a single one of them remembered that I was allergic to mangoes. “I’m sorry. I’ll eat it.” I remained obedient, picking up the dirty cake from the floor and stuffing it into my mouth. After a few bites, rashes erupted across my face and arms. My throat began to swell shut. My mother gasped. “Evan, you’re allergic? Stop eating!” I was on the verge of suffocating. But they forced an anti-allergy pill down my throat. Once again, I failed to die. Scarlett looked away, her voice stiff and awkward. “Why didn’t you say you were allergic?” Why didn’t I say anything? Because five years ago, she already knew. I opened my mouth, but all that came out was a quiet whisper. “I’m sorry. I forgot.” She flinched, as if the memory had finally surfaced. “You…” A flicker of guilt crossed her face, but her words remained harsh. “Don’t you know your own body? If you can’t eat something, just say so. No one is forcing you.” “Okay, sister.” My complete submissiveness convinced them that my mental illness was truly cured. They decided to throw a joint birthday party for me and Cody to dispel the public rumors and restore Cody’s reputation. The party was held at the city’s most luxurious seaside restaurant. Before we left, Cody started crying that the jewel-encrusted crown my mother had personally designed for him was missing. The whole family searched frantically, finally finding it crushed at the bottom of the trash can in my room. “Brother, if you don’t like me, I don’t have to go to the party. But why would you destroy Mom’s creation?” he wept. My mother looked at me, her eyes filled with disappointment. She took the crown she’d bought for me and handed it to him. “If you can’t stand to see Cody happy, then you don’t deserve this either. Apologize to your brother.” “I’m sorry,” I said. Again. The ballroom was filled with guests. All eyes turned to Cody as he pushed my wheelchair. He looked like a radiant prince, while I sat hunched and dull, a plain scarf still wrapped around my neck. Everyone knew about my "condition" and kept their distance. I was a broken, lonely doll, serving only as a backdrop for Cody’s brilliance. “Brother, since your legs are hurt, let me cut the cake for you, okay?” he asked gently, leaning down. I looked at the massive, multi-tiered cake, topped with two small figures of boys holding hands. I gave a small, ironic smile at the detail and nodded. Amid a chorus of birthday wishes, Cody’s hand “slipped,” and the knife sliced off the head of the figure meant to represent me. “Oh, I’m so sorry, brother! I didn’t mean to!” he cried, fumbling to fix it, only to knock a huge piece of cake onto my lap. “I’m so, so sorry…” His eyes turned red with panic. “Let me help you change. You can wear my diamond suit. It’s a gift.” It was a one-of-a-kind, custom-designed suit from Scarlett, a gift of immense value. Everyone praised Cody for his generosity and grace, a true heir of the Bates family. I instinctively started to refuse. “No, it’s fine. I can just wipe it off.” Tears instantly welled in his eyes. “Brother, does this mean you won’t forgive me?” Before I could answer, my parents and Scarlett hissed at me. “Don’t be ungrateful. Cody is giving you his most precious gift, what more do you want?” So, I obediently nodded. Cody wheeled me to a private room at the end of the hall. The moment the door locked behind us, his expression turned sinister. “You little bastard. After today, you’re going straight back to that asylum!” He clapped his hands, and several large, masked men emerged from behind a screen. My heart pounded. “What are you doing?” He threw the diamond suit on the floor, his smile venomous. “What am I doing? You’ll see…” He messed up his own hair and gave the men a signal. They moved towards us with menacing grins. I was about to scream, but they shoved me aside and started punching Cody in the face. “No! Help me!” he shrieked. The door was kicked open. Scarlett burst in, followed by a crowd of guests, just in time to see the lead thug holding a knife to Cody’s throat. “Don’t move, or I’ll kill him!” the thug yelled. He snatched the diamond suit from the floor and backed towards the window with his accomplices.
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