Chapter 2

[That stranger threw every single family photo from my desk onto the floor.]

[All I did was ask who he was, and he suddenly burst into tears, saying everything there had originally belonged to him.]

[That was when I found out he was my parents' long-lost son, Ethan.]

[I had just opened my mouth to comfort him when my parents ran in.]

[I thought they had come to help me.]

[To my surprise, they walked right past me, wrapped Ethan in their arms, and demanded to know why I was bullying him.]

[I said I wasn't, but Ethan immediately revealed the cuts on his arm from broken glass.]

[He pointed at me and complained, "I only wanted to stay closer to Mom and Dad, but Henry called me trash and said I didn't deserve to even fight him for anything!"]

[Mom didn't hesitate for even a second before slapping me. She said, "In this family, Ethan gets whatever he wants. It's not your place, as an outsider, to say otherwise!"]

[Dear Diary, do you believe me?]

[I really didn't do it.]

[What hurt me wasn't Ethan framing me, but the fact that Mom once said I was the son she was most proud of. I was the most handsome son she had.]

[Tell me, how can people change their hearts so quickly?]

The moment Bonnie finished reading, Mom immediately pointed at the diary and snapped, "I already told Henry that even if Ethan came back, I would never abandon him!

"But on Ethan's very first day home, Henry gave him attitude! I'm his mother. How could I tolerate that?"

Dad chimed in as well. "He's been a liar since he was little! A diary is just a book where he can write whatever nonsense he wants!"

The crowd laughed. "Maybe he skipped the part where he hurt Ethan himself."

Netizens quickly realized what was happening.

[Isn't this the guy from that SAT interview?]

[Is this one of those 'guess who's the real heir' family dramas?]

[Why is the fake son even acting offended? Wasn't he stealing someone else's stuff? Calling him an outsider isn't wrong, is it?]

[Exactly! He occupied the real heir's place in a wealthy family for over ten years. It's only right that he returns everything!]

Ethan bit his lip, and his eyes glistened with tears.

"I guess Henry's only acting like this because he's afraid I'll replace him after coming home.

"But even if he refuses to admit it, I still won't blame him."

Bonnie smiled bitterly. "So Henry being an honor student for three years was all an act too?

"I'm honestly curious how he managed to fool so many people."

The next second, she flipped to another page.

[April 1st, 2024.]

[Dear Diary, I've finally made peace with things.]

[Ethan is Mom and Dad's biological son. That's something I can't change.]

[But I'll work harder at school so I won't disappoint them.]

[Oh, and I have a secret to share with you today.]

[Can you believe it?]

[The prettiest girl in school, Celia Harris, confessed to me!]

[Being adopted by Mom and Dad was already the luckiest thing that ever happened to me, and now I get to be with the person I've liked for so long too?]

[Dear Diary, how am I this lucky?]

By the time Bonnie finished reading, Celia's face had turned bright red. She blurted out, "I was forced to date Henry!

"The person I liked was Ethan! If Henry hadn't threatened me and said he'd get Ethan kicked out of the Jefferson family, why would I ever have been with him?"

The crowd immediately burst into whispers.

"I knew she would never like Henry."

"Celia was smart for choosing to do it on April Fool's Day. Henry actually thought it was real!"

Bonnie shook her head. She sounded a little disappointed. "I warned Henry long ago not to get involved in relationships during school. I never imagined this was what he'd thought."

Mom nodded in agreement. "Henry threatened Celia first. Who can blame her?"

Bonnie turned another page and continued reading.

[August 22nd, 2024.]

[Tonight, Celia said she'd been tricked by a group of thugs into going to a bar. I panicked and hurried there without even hesitating.]

[But when I arrived, I found out Ethan had only lost at a game of Truth or Dare.]

[Celia wanted me to drink in his place.]

Before Bonnie could continue, Celia jumped to her feet again. "Henry is hopeless! How can he even make up lies like this?"