Chapter 1

"Vernon? What are you daydreaming about? Come take a look at this watch I bought for your dad. It's nice, isn't it?"

Mom's voice snapped me back to reality. I blinked twice and saw her smiling gently at me.

However, the moment I saw that Patek Philippe watch, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen, I reacted at once. My scalp prickled, cold sweat broke out across my back, and my fingers trembled uncontrollably.

The horrible images from my past life flooded my mind almost immediately.

After Mom swapped out Dad's soul, her secret boyfriend—who was also Dad's best friend—Bryan Glover, assumed Dad's identity and tormented me all day and night.

He would beat me up and berate me at the slightest trigger, throw out all of my belongings, and slander me. He'd destroy my reputation in the eyes of the public, painting me as an ingrate with a dark, twisted personality.

"Go to hell, Vernon Cohen!"

When I found out the truth, I tried calling the police and telling our relatives about it. But my own mother, Darlene Sutton, was desperate to continue living the wealthy lifestyle she was used to, so she colluded with Bryan to turn the tables on me.

They twisted the facts, claiming that I was mentally ill and prone to delusions. They later forcibly admitted me, a mere teenager, into a psychiatric hospital and refused to let me out.

The psychiatric hospital was no place for treatment at all. It was literally a living hell.

The nurses and caretakers would beat me up and curse at me whenever they were in a bad mood, locking me up in a pitch-black and freezing isolation room for days on end. I was also forced to swallow bitter pills and medication that left me dizzy, nauseous, and delirious for days.

The other patients also often bullied me, stole my food, tore my clothes, and shoved me to the floor and trampled on me whenever they liked.

I had wept and begged for mercy countless times, hoping that Mom would pity me since I was her son and save me from this living hell, but I never saw a shred of compassion from her until the day I died.

She continued living in luxury, contentedly enjoying the wealth that Bryan had usurped from Dad. Meanwhile, Bryan kept living with Dad's face and body, basking in the adoration of the masses and living a life of opulence.

When I saw that Dad was about to touch the jewelry box the watch came in, I deliberately slipped and swept my arm across the tabletop, spilling a glass of water into the box.

"Mom! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to do it!" I said at once, feigning panic as I grabbed some paper napkins and quickly dabbed at the velvet inside.

Mom's expression was as dark as thunder. Her eyes were filled with impatience, and it was obvious that she was about to yell at me.

But Dad spoke up for me at once and said gently, "It's fine. I'm sure that Vernon was just distracted because he was a little too exhausted from studying. It's not his fault."

Dad looked at me with concern, his eyes holding the same warmth and fatherly love I remembered before the swap in my past life.

I felt a lump in my throat when I saw my real father looking at me with such affection. He was still the man he was before he got replaced. My eyes stung with unshed tears.

This truly was my real dad, Joshua Cohen.

I forcefully suppressed the surging hatred and sorrow in my heart and spoke in a casual tone.

"Mom, Dad's hands are still greasy and buttery, and it's going to be a huge pity if such an expensive watch gets soiled. Maybe he can put the watch on after we're done eating the king crab legs."

Mom glared at me darkly. She was just about to retaliate when her phone rang just then.

She glanced at the phone screen and hurriedly made her way out to the balcony to answer it.

While she was gone, I hurriedly stashed the wicked watch away so that it was completely out of sight. When Mom came back after her call, I smiled and acted the part of an obedient son.

"Mom, you can go ahead if you've got other things to attend to. I'll put the watch on Dad later."

Mom looked hesitant, but she didn't want to appear too suspicious. So, she simply nodded and said, "Alright. Make sure you put it on properly and send me a photo of the watch later."

Then she hurried out of the door.

Dad was still peeling the king crab legs for me and feeding them to me, completely oblivious to the fact that something was amiss.