Chapter 3

When I got home from school that evening, I saw Bryan sitting comfortably on our couch the moment I walked in. He sat right next to Dad, his eyes fixed on the high-quality replica watch on Dad's wrist. He didn't even bother hiding the envy and anticipation in his eyes.

"This watch suits you really well, Joshua. I'm so envious of you for having Darlene as your wife."

Dad put on a show of male chauvinism.

"Of course. She's very thoughtful and always pays attention to all these tiny details. I've been wearing it these past few days and can't bear to take it off for even one second."

Mom listened to their conversation from the side and immediately made eye contact with Bryan. They could barely suppress the corners of their mouth from lifting smugly.

They were convinced that their plan was completely foolproof. All they had to do now was to wait until the charity gala for Dad's soul to swap with Bryan's, and Bryan would then be able to usurp the family fortune and take over Dad's life.

Mom kept up her act as a doting mother and walked over to me, patting me on the shoulder.

"You've improved a lot during the mid-year exams this time, Vernon. What would you like as a reward? I'll buy it for you."

She acted as though she had already taken over all of Dad's assets and family fortune.

I just looked up at her and smiled faintly, saying, "Thanks, Mom, but you've already given me exactly what I wanted."

She couldn't understand the intrinsic meaning behind my words and just chuckled before happily going off to fetch some more coffee for everyone.

Some time later, Bryan stood up to leave. He made sure to make a parting remark.

"I'll definitely be on time for the charity gala tomorrow, Joshua. I've prepared a massive surprise for you!"

Dad smiled and nodded as he saw Bryan out. But the moment Bryan was gone, the smile on Dad's face vanished almost instantly, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness.

"A massive surprise, huh? You mean scheming to take over my life?"

I leaned against the doorframe and texted Amber, inviting her to the charity gala tomorrow night.

Amber responded almost immediately with a long line of exclamation points and then sent me a dancing sticker.

"Vernon! I'll be your best pal for life once I've turned into a handsome man!"

I put my phone away and smiled coldly.

The charity gala was less than 24 hours away, and the show was only going to start. I couldn't imagine how interesting things would turn out later.

…

The charity gala was held at The Grand Peak Hotel in the center of the city.

Dad put on his wine-colored tuxedo, with the brilliantly dazzling watch on his wrist. He led Mom, dressed in an equally stunning dress that matched his tux, into the banquet hall.

The guests around them immediately showered them with blessings and compliments, flattering them to the heavens and back.

Mom beamed, unable to hide the delight in her eyes. There was a look of certainty in them. She clearly thought that she already had everything in the bag, and that Dad would be firmly within her grasp.

I quickly caught sight of Bryan amidst the crowd, walking toward Mom and Dad. Bryan deliberately wore a suit the same color as Dad's and slicked his hair back, dressed to outshine even the host himself.

As soon as he looked at Mom, they exchanged looks with smug expressions on their faces. Bryan had probably been dreaming of this moment for days—he would be replacing Dad and enjoying the wealth of a tycoon and the adoration of the crowd a very short while later.

Just then, my phone buzzed, and I saw a text message from Amber.

"I've reached the hotel!"

I walked out of the banquet hall and saw Amber standing rather awkwardly outside the door. She was wearing a dark blue dress with white flats, and her hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. The watch on her wrist gleamed brilliantly under the lights.

"My heart is thumping really quickly, Vernon. Are you sure that this is going to work?" she asked in a trembling voice.

I patted her on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry. You might feel a little dizzy later, but you can just lean on me while you recover. Be careful not to fall."

I then brought her into the banquet hall through a side door.

The wall clock struck exactly 7:00 pm.

At that moment, Bryan, who had been watching Mom and Dad cut into their anniversary cake, suddenly clutched his head and swayed on his feet. His eyes rolled back, and he collapsed straight onto the floor.

Next to me, I felt Amber's body go limp as well, and she slumped against my shoulder.

The banquet hall erupted into instant chaos. Mom was the first to rush over to Bryan and hug him, her voice a mix of worry and excitement.

"Bryan! Bryan, are you okay? Don't scare me like this!"

I held on to Amber as we leaned against the wall. Half a minute later, Bryan and Amber both opened their eyes about the same time, blinking slowly.

The first one to wake up was Amber, now inside Bryan's body.

She widened her eyes and stared blankly ahead of her for a couple of seconds. Then, she hurriedly touched her face and short hair, and looked down at her body—broad shoulders, flat chest.

Her eyes lit up instantly. She jumped to her feet and did a little twirl on the spot.