Chapter 2

What trouble could I possibly make?

Over the past year, I had been blacklisted by major companies everywhere. In the end, I drifted into courier work, food delivery, and live streaming—the confidence of the wealthy heir I once had was long gone.

Now, I was like a hedgehog with all its spikes pulled out, yet Jane still seemed afraid I might prick someone.

She even offered a rare explanation.

"Gale felt dizzy last time, so I let him lie down on the bed for a while. The cufflink probably fell off then.

"As for him being my personal secretary, that was arranged by Henry. He's just there to learn. Don't read too much into it."

The Henry she mentioned was Gale's biological father. I kept my eyes closed and gave a quiet "mm."

But she remained standing by the bed without moving.

After a long silence, when I thought she had already left, her voice came again.

"My dad's birthday is coming up—the banquet is the day after tomorrow. You'd better not make things difficult for Gale there. Otherwise, I'll divorce you."

I let out a soft sigh, my mind already racing through how many orders I would need to take tomorrow just to afford a gift.

Completely drained, I could only manage a few faint words.

"Mm. Got it."

…

I scraped together enough money just before closing time and rushed out to buy a gift.

By the time I arrived at the hotel, I realized everyone's expressions were already off.

Gale was the first to laugh.

"Alex, why are you wearing delivery clothes to a banquet like this? There are so many people here—you should at least save Jane the humiliation."

I lowered my head then, only realizing I had forgotten to change in my rush. The yellow delivery uniform felt like a slap across my face.

With frozen, reddened hands, I carefully placed the gift on the table.

"Dad, I'm sorry. I had something to take care of… I'm late. This is just a small token of my respect. I wish you a healthy and long life."

My father-in-law's expression did not soften in the slightest.

My mother-in-law picked up the gift, opened the box, gave it a single glance—and then tossed it to the floor.

"If you really wanted your father-in-law to have a long life and good health, you would have agreed to divorce Jane. Something this cheap—how dare you bring it here? It's so tacky. You're an embarrassment to our family."

She let out a soft sigh.

But that sigh landed like a heavy stone dropped straight into my already silent heart.

Henry, the man I'd called my father all these years, lifted his chin, righteous and furious.

"No matter what you do, you can't shake that poverty in your blood when you're not our real child. When Carol gave birth at the hospital, the babies were accidentally swapped. My poor Gale spent twenty-five years out in the world suffering before he finally came home… but by then, Jane had already married Alex…"

My mother-in-law couldn't hold back her tears.

"What's infuriating is that this wretched boy is still shamelessly occupying Gale's rightful place, and he doesn't feel the least bit guilty about it!"

I looked up at them—the parents who once adored me, now looking at me like I was nothing.

Then I looked at the contempt on my in-laws' faces.

And none of it seemed worth a single word.

The chilblains on my hands itched more and more. I lowered my gaze, wanting to say that I had worked nonstop from morning till night to earn the money for that gift—that I had driven too fast more than once and nearly fallen off my bike.

But in the end, I only opened my mouth slightly… and chose to stay quiet.

I forced myself to turn and walk away.

I had gone a long distance when Jane's voice drifted faintly from behind me.

"Dad, actually… that fountain pen isn't bad at all."