Chapter 1

In my past life, my parents forced me to jump into a freezing lake just to retrieve a limited-edition watch dropped by the fake heir, Carter Reed.

It left me with a 104-degree fever. I lay trapped in my bed, drifting in and out of consciousness.

Meanwhile, my parents flew the family to Miami for a vacation, just to cheer Carter up.

As I lay dying, trembling uncontrollably, I managed to call my dad, Matthew Reed, only to be met with his sharp, impatient voice.

"Tyler, your brother is finally in a good mood. Can’t you be considerate for once? Just find some meds and deal with it yourself, okay?"

Left with no other choice, I forced my rubbery legs out of bed and dragged myself downstairs for medicine. My feet slipped, I tumbled down the stairs, and died right there on the spot.

When my eyes snapped open again, I was right back on the very first day of summer break before senior year.

Carter was waving that watch in my face. He leaned in close, whispering with a smirk, "You're gonna go get it for me, right? Dad said brothers are supposed to help each other."

This time, before he could react, I snatched the watch straight out of his hand and hurled it into the center of the lake with everything I had.

"Screw you, Carter. Screw this family. I'm out!"

Chapter 1

"Tyler, what the hell is wrong with you? Jump into the lake and get Carter’s watch right now!

"Seriously, what a country bumpkin! You have zero manners! How dare you throw someone else’s stuff like that!"

Matthew’s angry, familiar roar shattered the air around me.

As the initial shock of my rebirth started to fade, the reality of what I had just done hit me. I looked around, taking in the scene. We were standing in the backyard of our family’s villa.

In my previous life, years of bouncing around foster care had left me terrified, timid, and eager to fold under pressure. So, just to keep my biological parents from hating me, I jumped into that ice-cold lake even though I knew Carter was just trying to mess with me.

I spent hours swimming in the freezing water looking for that watch. By the time I finally crawled back onto dry land, my body was burning up with a lethal fever.

So, what did my parents do?

They didn't even bother leaving behind a single bottle of Tylenol. The entire family just packed their bags and flew off to Miami to cheer Carter up.

Now, Carter was standing right in front of me again.

He was decked out in brand-new designer streetwear with an arrogant smirk on his face and defiance flashing in his eyes.

"Tyler, Mom and Dad gave me that watch for my eighteenth birthday. It’s super expensive. How could you just throw it away like that? Whatever, I'll let it slide. Just dive in and get it back for me, and we'll call it even."

Smug satisfaction flashed in Carter’s eyes, dripping with pure, undisguised contempt.

I was the biological son in this family, but Carter had stolen my place and lived my life for sixteen years. Blood didn't mean anything compared to the sixteen years of memories they shared without me. I was just an intruder, completely shut out from their little world.

"Tyler, are you deaf? Carter is talking to you!"

Matthew rushed over, bringing his hand up to slap me across the face. Before his palm could strike, I shot my hand out and grabbed his wrist.

He froze, stunned.

For the past two years, I had been the family punching bag. I took every hit, absorbed every insult, and never fought back. I had been too terrified to even raise my voice, let alone put up a fight.

Now, my hand clamped around his wrist, holding him so tightly he couldn’t move an inch.

"Let go of me!" Matthew barked, his face turning beet red.

I shoved his arm away and glared at him coldly.

"You want me to jump in to look for his watch? Why don't you make him go get it himself? Did his arms and legs stop working?"

"You were the one who threw it, so of course you're going to get it!" Matthew trembled with rage. "Besides, Carter grew up refined and sheltered. How can you compare him to a wild brute raised in the countryside like you?"

"Oh, really?" I let out a sharp, bitter laugh.

"Last week, he smashed the art project I spent six months building for the national competition. Last month, he tripped me and sent me tumbling down three flights of stairs. And last year, he took the iPad I bought with my own summer job money and gave it away without even asking.

"When he ruined my stuff and physically hurt me, why didn't you force him to apologize or pay me back? Or are you going to use that same tired excuse again? The one where he 'didn't mean to do it'?

“Well, I didn't mean to throw his watch either. So why are you forcing me to jump into a filthy lake to fetch it?"

Matthew choked on his words, his manicured face flushing bright red with frustration.

Seeing the argument slip away, Carter instantly activated his fake, manipulative victim act.

"Dad, I think Tyler is still mad at me. Look, he doesn't have to go get it. Forget it, I'll just take the blame like I always do."

He let out a dramatic, helpless sigh, instantly fanning the flames of my dad's temper.

Matthew whipped around and glared at me furiously. "Look at what you've done! You've upset your brother again!

"What the hell is wrong with you today, Tyler? Throwing his watch and putting your hands on me—you've completely lost your mind!"

Right at that moment, a deep, stern female voice rang out from the back door.

"What’s all this screaming about? I'm on an important conference call in the study, and I can hear you shouting two floors down."

Chapter 2

My mom, Evelyn Reed, walked out onto the patio with a heavy frown. Her eyes instantly landed on Carter, who was still wearing his act of brave restraint. Her brow furrowed even deeper.

"Tyler, what are you throwing a fit about now? Can't you go one single day without causing drama?"

"Mom!" Carter darted away from Matthew's side and rushed over to Evelyn, clinging to her arm. "Tyler tossed my watch right into the lake! The luxury one you guys bought me!"

At those words, Evelyn’s face hardened, her eyes burning with anger as she glared at me.

"Why on earth did you throw Carter’s watch? That was a thirty-thousand-dollar piece! You just threw it away like it was trash?"

This was my biological mother, CEO of Reed Corporation, always carrying herself around with the polished air of a self-made titan.

She didn't hesitate to spend a fortune buying an insanely expensive watch for a fake son who didn't share a drop of her blood. Yet she had never once remembered her biological son's birthday, never even bothered to wish a simple “Happy Birthday.”

"Why don't you ask him why he shoved that watch in my face in the first place?" I asked coldly.

Evelyn blinked, caught off guard for a fraction of a second, before waving her hand in sheer impatience. "He was just asking for a little help! You're his big brother, is it really that hard to give in to him for once?"

"Help?" I repeated the word, tasting the bitter irony on my tongue. "Forcing me to jump into filthy lake water with zero safety gear to hunt for a lost watch, that's just 'asking for help' in your book?

"Why don't you jump in and get it then? If his beloved mother retrieves it for him, I'm sure he'll be even happier."

"Watch your tongue!" Evelyn barked, her voice booming, "Tyler, I’m your mother! You do what I tell you to do! Now get in that water and pull that watch out right this second!"

Staring at her face full of unearned authority, a wave of dark amusement washed over me.

It was the exact same script in my past life. Matthew played the bad cop, Carter played the innocent victim, and Evelyn stepped in to lay down the hammer. The three of them worked in flawless harmony to crush the "rebellious" biological son under their heels.

Except this time, I wasn't falling for it.

"No," I said, my voice dead calm.

"What did you just say?" Evelyn narrowed her eyes as if her ears were playing tricks on her.

"I said: No. I'm. Not," I enunciated each word, heavy and deliberate.

"He gets a thirty-thousand-dollar watch for his birthday, but what about me? Did any of you even remember my birthday?

"I was robbed of my life for sixteen years, and now that I'm finally back, all you do is treat me like trash! Why should I take this?!"

Matthew screamed, his face twisting in rage, "Tyler! Do you have any idea who you're talking to?!"

"I'm talking to the irresponsible hypocrites who lost me for sixteen years, then brought me back just to use me as an unpaid maid!"

I glared at both of them, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably.

The entire backyard fell into a suffocating deadlock.

After a long silence, Evelyn let out a cold, venomous sneer.

"Fine. Look at you, all brave now. You really think throwing this little tantrum is going to make us care about you more?

"Let me tell you something, you ungrateful little piece of trash. If you didn't have my blood running through your veins, I would've shipped you right back to that dirt-poor foster family long ago.

"Letting you stay in this house is already more than you deserve. Don't throw it back in my face."

At that moment, I felt utterly powerless. Deep down, they had never accepted me as part of this family.

Honestly, that was for the best. The cruel behavior from them now meant I wouldn't feel an ounce of remorse when I tore their world apart later.

I reached into my backpack, pulled out a folded piece of paper, and slammed it down onto the table.

It was a handwritten family severance declaration, with only a few razor-sharp lines scrawled across the page:

[I, Tyler Reed, hereby sever all family relations with Matthew Reed and Evelyn Reed, effective immediately. From this day forward, whether through sickness or death, we’re complete strangers.]

Chapter 3

At the bottom of the page, my signature was already there, stamped with a bright red thumbprint.

"What’s this?" Evelyn looked down, her face turning instantly pale and rigid.

"A family severance declaration. My signature is already on it," I swung my backpack onto my shoulders, my voice dead calm as I said, "Starting today, I have zero relation to this family."

Matthew snatched the paper off the table. The second his eyes swept over the text, his hands started shaking with absolute fury.

"Family severance declaration? Tyler, you think your wings are fully grown now, huh? You really think you can cut ties just by writing a stupid piece of paper?"

"Legally, you two are my birth parents, and I can't change that," I said, staring back at him with icy apathy, "But starting today, you exist only as names on my birth certificate. Beyond that, we’re complete strangers."

Matthew crumpled the paper into a tight ball, threw it onto the dirt, and let out a cold scoff.

"You just graduated high school. Where the hell are you going to go without us? You think your poor foster dad can afford to keep feeding you?"

"Where I go is none of your business." I turned on my heel and started walking toward the front gate.

"Stop right there!" Evelyn bellowed from behind me, "If you dare step foot out of this gate today, don't you ever think about coming back! You won't get a single penny of the family fortune!"

I didn't slow my pace, just waved a hand over my shoulder without even looking back.

"Don't worry. The next time I set foot in this house, it'll be to kick every single one of you out."

A barrage of screams and curses erupted behind me, followed by the sharp crunch of a ceramic coffee mug shattering against the stone patio.

Stepping out of the gated community, I flagged down a cab and headed straight for the tallest skyscraper in the city.

That was the headquarters of Walter Corporation.

It was my parents' main business rival, as well as the most powerful corporate empire in the city.

The heiress to Walter Corporation, Hailey Walter, was someone I had met by chance years ago when I was still lost.

Back then, I was in middle school. On a rainy night, I helped a drenched teenage girl who was lost on a back road, bringing her home to give her a warm drink.

Only later did I discover that the girl was Hailey.

In my past life, after my biological parents brought me back, she reached out multiple times.

She even discovered financial fraud in Evelyn's records and tried to help me reclaim the company stock that was rightfully mine.

However, back then, brainwashed by Carter, I rejected her kindness and pushed her away under his manipulation.

It wasn't until after I died that I realized Hailey had remembered that rainy night all along.

In the end, she was the one who sent my family to prison.

Stepping into the ground floor lobby of Walter Corporation, I took a deep breath and looked at the receptionist.

"Hi, I'm here for Hailey Walter. Please tell her Tyler Reed is here, and I brought all the evidence of the Reeds’ tax fraud and bribery."

In less than three minutes, the doors to the private executive elevator slid open.

Hailey walked out wearing a sharply tailored designer suit, radiating the effortless aura of high-society power and cool composure.

The second her eyes landed on me, a sudden wave of shock and obvious concern flickered across her face.

"Tyler? What are you doing here?" She rushed over to me.

Her eyes swept down my faded T-shirt and my beat-up backpack, and her brow instantly furrowed.

"Did your family pull something again?"

Hearing that long-lost genuine concern, my eyes stung with heat.

In my previous life, she was the only person who had ever stopped to ask me, "Are you okay?"

"Hailey, I’ve cut ties with my family," I said, pulling a thick envelope out of my backpack.

"This contains every shred of evidence regarding Mom's tax evasion and corporate bribery. Does that offer to help me still stand?"

Hailey blinked in surprise, then took the envelope. Without opening it to check, she gestured for me to follow her into the elevator.

"The Walters have plenty of attorneys, but we're missing the key witness who can make them pay." Her cool, steady voice echoed in the elevator cab. "Since you've decided to step up, I'm placing our entire legal team at your disposal."

Inside Hailey's private office, I laid out everything that happened at home, along with the meticulously organized evidence of Evelyn’s illegal activities.

Hailey looked at the neatly arranged pile of documents, a flash of admiration and deep pain passing through her eyes.

"This evidence is enough to put Evelyn away for ten years," Hailey said, setting the papers down and looking straight at me, "Tyler, you don't need to worry about a thing for the rest of the summer. Go stay at my private resort and get some rest. I'll handle the rest."

I shook my head, my jaw setting tight. "No, I want to watch them burn with my own eyes."

Chapter 4

Seeing the sheer determination in my eyes, Hailey remained silent for a couple of seconds before giving a firm nod.

"Fine. Starting right now, you're a special consultant for the Walters’ legal team. Every piece of evidence you hand over is just going to be another nail in Evelyn’s coffin."

Meanwhile, back at the Reeds’ residence, the mood was pure bliss.

"Dad, did that bumpkin Tyler really pack up and leave?" Carter slouched on the couch in the living room, his face twisted into an arrogant sneer.

"Leave? Please. It’s a cheap cry for attention." Matthew scoffed, not even looking up as he shoved another designer shirt into his suitcase for their trip to Miami.

"He spent sixteen years raised by dirt-poor nobodies. All he knows is manual labor. Where's he gonna go without our money?"

"But what if he tries to get revenge or something?" Carter asked, faking a look of pure innocence.

"A couple of days ago, I saw him sneaking into Mom's study."

"What damage can a worthless kid actually do?" Matthew yanked the luggage zipper shut with a violent snap. "Besides, we’re his biological parents. Whether we slap him around or scream in his face, he has to take it. Retaliate against us? What kind of monster does that make him?"

Right on cue, Evelyn walked out of the study holding a fresh cup of coffee, her face full of cold indifference.

"Even if he did manage to dig up something from my office, it doesn't matter. Police Chief Sam Miller and I go way back. Whatever happens, he'll cover for me."

"What about my watch, though?" Carter whined, refusing to let it go.

"Once we get back from Miami, I'll buy you a way better one," Evelyn said, affectionately patting his shoulder, "Come on, let's get going. Don't let that party pooper ruin our mood."

That very night, Carter flexed hard on Instagram with a brand-new photo dump.

The first photo showed him, Matthew, and Evelyn in the first-class airport lounge, clinking champagne flutes together. The caption was extremely arrogant:

[Best summer ever with the only family that matters. As for certain petty people out there, maybe it's time to learn your place.]

Carter’s shallow friends flooded the comments section in seconds:

[Bro is living the dream! Your parents really spoil you rotten!]

[Wait, did the country bumpkin cause drama again? Who does he think he is?]

[Ignore him Carter, you're the real heir to the throne!]

Carter replied to every single comment with the exact same message:

[Thanks guys, he’s just having a tough time fitting in, I guess. I'm really trying my best to get along with him!]

Sitting in Hailey’s high-rise office, eating takeout while sorting through documents, I let out a bitter laugh.

Trying your best to get along with me? Is that what you call trying to ruin my life and watch me bleed out?

I tossed the fork onto the table and cracked my knuckles over the keyboard. It was time to organize the final batch of files, the smoking gun that proved Evelyn had bribed multiple city officials.

I only stumbled upon these files in my past life right before I died. Carter thought he had erased every single digital footprint, but he had no idea I backed up the entire drive.

Early the next morning, inside the most lavish resort hotel in Miami.

Evelyn wore a sweeping summer dress, sipping cocktails by the pool with a few of her business partners. Matthew and Carter strutted around the deck in beach shorts, posing for photos like they owned the world.

A portly business partner chuckled, taking a sip of his drink. "So, Mrs. Reed, I heard that long-lost kid of yours is throwing a tantrum again?"

Evelyn waved her hand dismissively, not giving it a second thought. "He was raised in the countryside and doesn’t know his place. Let him suffer out on the streets for a few days, and he’ll crawl back on his knees."

"Ah, nobody handles business like you. A massive company like yours needs someone tough enough to run the show."

Evelyn took a sip of her red wine with a smug look on her face. However, before she could swallow, her phone buzzed frantically against the table.

It was her CFO.

"Mrs. Reed, we have a problem! The IRS and federal agents just raided the office!"