Chapter 1

In my previous life, I was sponsored by a wealthy man and even ended up marrying his daughter. My younger brother, however, struggled at the bottom rung of society.

He was jealous that I lived a worry-free life and that I even had a beautiful wife by my side. Meanwhile, he was drowning in gambling debts, constantly having to hide and evade detection.

With bloodshot eyes, my brother drags me to the rooftop but accidentally falls down with me. We get reborn on the day the wealthy man selects candidates.

This time, he rushes forward and kneels at the wealthy man's feet.

"Shane, in this life, the family fortune and the heiress are all mine!"

What he doesn't know is that despite having all the money in the world, it doesn't guarantee he'll live to spend it.

Chapter 1

After falling off the rooftop with Sean, I felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

I wouldn't have to live in constant fear anymore, nor would I have to face someone I didn't love every day.

But when I opened my eyes again, I found myself back in my junior year, on the day the Jennings family came to select students for financial aid.

Sean and I stood before Mr. Raymond Jennings. I observed the man who had been my father-in-law in my past life. He sat there arrogantly, casually flipping through the report cards as the principal introduced our situations.

"Mr. Jennings, Shane Reid and Sean Reid are students from financially disadvantaged backgrounds at our school. The two are brothers and orphans from the same orphanage."

As soon as the principal finished speaking, Sean rushed forward and knelt before Mr. Jennings.

"Mr. Jennings! Please sponsor me! I will definitely repay you well in the future!"

When I saw how Sean eagerly rushed toward the promise of money, I understood that he—like me—had been reborn.

In our past life, Mr. Jennings had chosen to sponsor me, the top student. So now, Sean was trying to seize the chance before Mr. Jennings made his choice.

Sean and I weren't biological brothers—for some reason, the orphanage director had just given us similar-sounding names. We grew up together, and I had once genuinely considered him a brother, thinking it was a bond of mutual dependence. However, he had pushed me off the rooftop out of jealousy.

"Mr. Jennings, I will obey your every word!"

After Sean said this, Mr. Jennings's eyes did indeed light up. I knew he was interested. He desperately wanted an obedient puppet, something I hadn't been in my past life.

Sean had grasped the crucial point and successfully captured Mr. Jennings's attention.

"Mr. Jennings, please sponsor Sean. I am willing to withdraw from this opportunity," I said.

My voluntary withdrawal provided a perfect conclusion to this sponsorship. After coming out of the office, Sean swaggered up to me, gloating, "Shane, this time, I'll be the one who reaches the peak of life!"

I almost laughed out loud. "Congratulations."

Little did he know what kind of abyss awaited him.

Chapter 2

In my past life, after being sponsored by the Jennings, I no longer had to work day and night to scrape together my tuition fees. This meant I had more time to focus on my studies.

As a result, on the eve of my graduation, I secured an opportunity for an advanced course of study abroad based on my excellent grades.

I was away for three years. I thought I could achieve something upon returning and build a good life through my own efforts, but I unexpectedly lost the most important person in my life.

After returning, at Mr. Jennings' suggestion, I married his daughter, Macy Jennings.

I agreed readily. He thought it was to repay his kindness, but he didn't know I was actually seeking revenge.

My lover had died under Macy's car. However, the Jennings covered up the fact that Macy was driving under the influence, allowing her to walk free. The victim's family didn't receive any compensation. Their already ill health worsened from the shock, and they died of depression.

After getting married, I learned why Mr. Jennings insisted on marrying Macy to a poor boy like me with no background.

It was because no respectable family was willing to have her.

Macy frequented various pleasure establishments daily. Any man was welcome, and she had no restraint. During one drunken episode, she contracted an incurable disease—AIDS.

Mr. Jennings knew his daughter's days were numbered and urgently sought an obedient son-in-law. Through scientific intervention, he hoped she could give birth to a normal child so that someone could inherit their large family business.

What he didn't expect was that while I agreed to marry Macy, I refused to touch her.

It was because I cherished a deceased person in my heart. Moreover, Macy was the murderer who took my lover from me.

However, Macy had me tied to a chair, where she then slit both our arms and smeared her virus-laden blood onto my wound.

Since Macy couldn't get what she wanted, she would drag me to hell with her.

After being infected, I tried to gather evidence of the Jennings family's crimes as quickly as possible. One night, through a crack in the study door, I saw Mr. Jennings wiping tears while sighing over a photo.

When I took a closer look, I saw that it was a photo of the woman I'd loved most.

Chapter 3

Before I could figure out the reason why Mr. Jennings did that, Sean came looking for me.

During the years I was abroad, Sean became addicted to gambling. He dreamed of making it big, but ended up losing everything instead.

After I married Macy, he hit rock bottom and came to me to borrow money.

But because I refused to comply with their arrangements and had contracted the disease, the Jennings kept me under strict watch. I didn't even have a job—where would I get money to lend him?

In a fit of anger, Sean dragged me to the rooftop. He was jealous that I had gained Mr. Jennings' favor and that it had changed the course of my life. He was envious of me making a fortune and marrying a beautiful, wealthy woman.

He thought I had stolen his sponsorship opportunity and, as if he had been possessed, became fixated on killing me.

Unexpectedly, the moment he pushed me, he slipped and fell down with me.

Sean couldn't control his laughter as he ran away, shouting like a madman, "It's mine! It's all mine!"

He didn't know that the wealthy family he longed for was the nightmare I desperately wanted to escape from.

I should thank him.

Following Sean's departure, I eagerly ran to the library. I needed to find her.

Now that I had started over, everything was still possible. I could finally prevent her death and spend the rest of my life by her side.

I saw the girl in the white dress studying alone by the window. Her dress was old, but she had washed it clean. Sunlight spilled over her, and even her hair glowed with a golden light, making her look like an angel.

I had promised her that I would marry her when I returned. But not long after I went abroad, she lost her life in a car accident.

I didn't even get to see her one last time.

I didn't even get the chance to take care of her ailing mother for her.

We were both born to live a life of misfortune. Fortunately, I now had the chance to rewrite our ending and make up for our regrets.

I approached her and softly called out her name, something I had silently repeated in my heart countless times.

"Willow."

Chapter 4

Willow Goodwin came from a single-parent family and relied only on her mother since childhood. Although they weren't wealthy, they were a warm and happy family.

Later on, her mother, Elise Cantrell, became seriously ill. Willow, who was still in school, had to work part-time during breaks to earn money for medical expenses.

After finishing her shift one night, she encountered a drunk Macy, and her life was cut short.

Amid the sunshine, she looked up at me with a warm smile on her face. It was a scene I had dreamed of countless times.

"Didn't the principal ask for you? Why are you back so soon?" she asked.

I sat down beside her and explained, "It was about the sponsorship. The spot went to Sean."

She held my hand and softly comforted me, "It's okay. Even without the sponsorship, you can still get scholarships. We just have to work hard."

I nodded and clasped her hand in return. The warmth from her palm made me feel at ease.

Still, I needed to find a way to make money quickly, for Elise's illness would flare up soon.

To prevent another accident, I also had to stay by Willow's side as much as possible.

After thinking it over, I suddenly recalled something. In my previous life, when I went abroad, the wave of content creation was just beginning to rise. Perhaps I could seize the opportunity and give it a shot.

I registered an account after I sent Willow home. I decided to record myself daily at my part-time job and while studying with Willow in my free time. Occasionally, I would also share some study tips. Willow's gorgeous looks also attracted many followers to my account.

Our simple yet hardworking life evoked sympathy and resonance among netizens. They hoped for a happy ending for us and also for the chance to turn their own lives around.

My account gradually gained some popularity.

But that was when Sean began constantly causing trouble for me. Although he had received the Jennings' sponsorship, it was still far from the wealthy life he fantasized about. He hadn't even met Macy yet.

In his mind, I should have been struggling just to get by. Instead, I had seized an opportunity to improve my life. Naturally, he couldn't accept it.

My scholarship was anonymously reported.

Chapter 5

The school authorities came to me and said that, based on the report, they were going to question me in accordance with the procedures.

Willow wanted to accompany me to meet with the school board, but I declined. "Don't worry, I can handle it myself. Don't you have a part-time job? Go on ahead."

At my insistence, Willow went to work.

In the school office, I looked at the contents of the report. It stated that I spent all my time earning money and making videos, raising questions about whether I had time to study and whether my grades were genuine.

It also argued that since I already had considerable income, I should give the scholarship to students in greater need.

I responded calmly, "First, this is a scholarship, not a stipend. My grades meet the standard, so the scholarship should be mine."

I took out my phone and pulled up my social media account. The extensive footage I had accumulated during my daily studies now proved useful, and I presented it to the school board for review.

"My studies have not fallen behind a single day. If there are doubts about my grades, I accept being retested with a different exam paper."

The school board accepted my proposal. Under their supervision, I effortlessly began answering the questions on the new exam paper.

In the end, the school stated that my grades were genuine and that my scholarship wouldn't be revoked.

By the time I came out, it was already late. I called Willow, wanting to pick her up from work.

However, she didn't answer her phone even after a dozen calls.

Numerous terrible thoughts churned in my mind. I had lost Willow once before, and I certainly couldn't allow her to be in any danger again in this life.

I quickly calmed myself and hurried to where Willow was working part-time for the day. She was substituting as a waitress at a bar tonight.

As I passed by the entrance, I saw Macy's figure. She emerged from a fiery red supercar and tossed the keys to the doorman before sashaying inside.

A voice inside my head told me not to let Macy see Willow.

Chapter 6

I rushed into the bar. I weaved through the crowd, but I couldn't see Willow anywhere. I grabbed a waitress and said, "Excuse me! Have you seen Willow?"

She looked around, puzzled. "Huh? She was just here."

After thanking her, I continued my search. Since Willow was just here, she couldn't have gone far. I would definitely find her.

A partially open door caught my attention. I pushed it open and found it led to the alley behind the bar.

The streetlight was broken, leaving the alley pitch black and impossible to see around. Faint, chaotic noises came from deeper in, and I followed the sound inward.

"Help!"

As I got closer, I heard a cry for help. It was Willow.

I grabbed a discarded beer bottle from the ground and charged forward.

"Sean! Let her go!"

Sean had Willow in a chokehold as he tried to drag her deeper into the darkness. I smashed the bottle over his head, and he reflexively let go of Willow, raising his hands to cover his head.

The flying shards cut his fingers, and he turned to look at me with murderous intent in his eyes. This look was one I had seen before.

Before he could react, I kicked him into a corner and hid Willow behind me.

Curled in the corner, Sean glared at me viciously. "Shane! Are you seeking revenge? You think you can beat me?"

I ignored his taunts and said, "Willow is innocent. You shouldn't hurt her."

Sean sneered. "Innocent? If you're doing well, it means she's not innocent! Why should you be doing well?"

I pushed Willow away and told her to wait for me at the alley's entrance.

Then, I looked down at Sean and feigned a sad expression. "I'm doing well? I have to work endless jobs. Isn't this the life you wanted for me?

"Anyway, I admit that I can't catch up to you in this lifetime. But if you hurt Willow… I don't mind going after Macy. You wouldn't want me appearing in front of her, would you?

"Speaking of, do you want me to help you with that? Guess who I just saw in the bar? It's the person you want to meet the most. Don't you want to seize the opportunity and enter the wealthy circle earlier?

"Macy is inside."