Chapter 2

Mark was nothing like the way Mom and Ian had described him in my previous life. He wasn't temperamental, domineering, or violent.

If anything, I thought he was incredibly smart. He was simply proud and egotistical.

The cracks in his relationship with Mom showed up soon after we moved in.

Mom was nothing more than a pretty face, all looks and no brains. To be honest, she and Dad were a match made in heaven.

Dad was a scion with more muscle than brains. He could only marry Mom because of his recklessness and his family's wealth.

When Grandma and Grandpa were still around, they shielded him from the consequences of his recklessness. However, after they passed away, Dad let his friends talk him into all kinds of investments, and he lost everything—his own savings and the inheritance that Grandma and Grandpa had left him.

That was why Mom immediately found someone new and divorced him.

…

My plans to study abroad were put on hold because of Mom's constant opposition. Still, with my grades, I could easily get into one of the country's top universities.

"Ian, you're here!" Julia Lovell, Mark's housekeeper, greeted.

"Julia, is my mom home?" Ian asked.

"She went shopping, but your brother's upstairs studying."

I heard Ian's footsteps approaching my room. Without waiting for my permission, he pushed the door open.

"Drop the act, Ethan. No one's home. Who are you trying to impress by studying that hard?" he mocked, yanking the book out of my hands.

Even though he lived with Dad, he came over almost every month to get some money from Mom, along with new gadgets and trendy clothes.

He always left with the car packed to the brim. Yet, he would show up the following month wearing the same shabby clothes.

It was probably because Dad took everything and traded it for cash to feed his gambling addiction. In this life, he didn't just drink; he gambled too.

Mom couldn't stand the thought of Ian suffering with him. Hence, she asked Mark if they could take Ian in and raise him together.

Mark agreed, but to my surprise, Dad refused to let Ian go. After all, he relied on Ian to squeeze more money and things out of Mom just to get by.

"You've studied yourself dumb. What's the point of studying so much? You're not half as good-looking as I am, and even Mom and Dad don't like you. You wouldn't be living this comfortably if I hadn't given it up for you. Enjoy it while you can because it won't last."

Right after saying that, he started rifling through my things.

To be fair, this room had belonged to him in his previous life.

He rummaged through everything and clicked his tongue. "You don't even know how to enjoy life. What is all this junk you bought? All you ever do is bury your nose in those stupid books!"

I ignored him and let him do whatever he wanted.

"Ian, my darling, is that you?"

I watched coldly as Mom walked in, acting as if she and Ian were starring in some heartwarming family drama.

Noticing how my room had been turned upside down, she said, "What could you possibly find in his room? Come to mine. I just stocked up on clothes and gadgets for you! Grab whatever you want."

Without sparing me a glance or a single word of concern, she dragged Ian out of my room.

Julia came upstairs with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice. When she walked into my room, she started cleaning up as if she'd done it a hundred times before. "I've never met a mother this biased."

Still, it didn't matter. Her good days were numbered anyway.