Exchanged Fates, Twisted Souls

When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day we were both up for adoption. This time, my brother was quicker. He threw himself at the nouveau riche couple, calling them "Mom" and "Dad."

He had no idea. No matter how cruel that billionaire's daughter was, she was still just a fifteenyearold lunatic. However, these nouveau riche were shrewd people who had clawed their way up from the bottom and had many tricks up their sleeves. There was no way a fool like him could handle them. In the end, my brother walked the path of selfdestruction."

I, on the other hand, successfully won over the lunatic sister. She pinned me against the wall and whispered, "Little brother, you're being naughty. Looks like I'll have to punish you."

——

"Uncle, Auntie! Please choose me! I'll be good! I'll listen to everything you say!" My twin brother, Damian, ran up to the nouveau riche couple, his voice sweet and obedient.

They hesitated, whispering among themselves. "They're both ten and they look nearly identical. Which one should we pick?"

When my brother heard that, he quickly tried to sell himself. "Uncle, Auntie, pick me! I'll repay your kindness!"

Watching his anxious expression, I immediately understood he had been reborn, just like me. In our past lives, the couple struggled to decide between us. Then, the billionaire arrived with his daughter, Carmen.

The moment my brother heard the man was a billionaire and saw the beautiful girl standing beside him, he made his choice without hesitation. I ended up with the nouveau riche couple instead. However, he never expected fifteenyearold Carmen to be a psychotic yandere. The wealthy man was always busy with work and rarely home, leaving my brother at her mercy. In the end, he was disfigured and crippled, confined to a wheelchair.

Meanwhile, the nouveau riche meticulously groomed me, turning me into a talented and handsome young man. They even spent a fortune to pull strings and get me into the entertainment industry. In just two years, I became a rising star. But behind the glamorous facade lay a dark abyss, a memory I didn't want to revisit.

When I saw the couple sizing me up, my heart skipped a beat. I quickly pulled out a photo of my deceased parents and started to cry. "Sniff! Mom and Dad, I miss you so much! No one can ever replace you in my heart."

The couple's expressions changed. The woman pointed at my brother and whispered, "This one seems ungrateful. We'll take him!"

My brother's face lit up and he knelt down. "Mom, Dad! I'll be a good boy and listen to you!"

At that moment, the orphanage director arrived with the wealthy man from the capital. The rich man looked pleased to see me crying in my parents' photo. He thought I was sentimental and immediately decided to adopt me.

My brother gave me a malicious smile. "Bro, I envy you. You're going to have a rich dad and a pretty sister!"

Then, he turned to Carmen and said, "Hey, my brother will be family now. You have to take good care of him!"

He emphasized the word "care" with a sinister undertone. Carmen ignored him, her eyes on me filled with amusement. My brother gave me one last look, a look of someone seeing a dead man, then left with the nouveau riche without looking back. Watching their backs, I breathed a sigh of relief.

Brother, congratulations on taking my place in hell.

In my past life, while my younger brother was being tortured and crippled by Carmen Sherman, I was soaring to fame in the entertainment industry with the help of wealthy benefactors. I even starred in a blockbuster movie that grossed billions, making me a celebrated movie star.

To outsiders, our fates were as different as heaven and hell. My brother thought so, too. He blamed me for all his misery. When he set me on fire, he didn't know I was already tired of living. He didn't realize that the "heaven" he yearned for was actually hell.

Thinking of this, I looked at Carmen sitting beside me. Compared to the nightmares of my past life, she was practically an angel. After all, what kind of yandere sister wouldn't love her brother? Damian couldn't understand that, but he was just too foolish.

Inside the car, Carmen sensed my stare. Her cold voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Have you stared enough?" Her expression was chilling, nothing like a typical fifteenyearold girl. Her dark, eerie gaze sent a shiver down my spine.

Alright then. It's time to work my way into her heart, step by step. "Carmen, I've never seen a girl as pretty as you before. Are you really going to be my sister now?" I gave her a sweet smile, my eyes filled with admiration and longing.

Carmen turned to look at me, a hint of amusement flickering in her otherwise cold gaze. "You really want to be my little brother, huh?"

Seriously? I'm only ten years old and your dad just adopted me. Do I have a choice?

"Yeah! I'm so happy to have a sister who cares about me!" I faked a cheerful tone, then suddenly became anxious, lowering my head with reddened eyes and nervously twisting the frayed corner of my clothes. "But I guess you don't like me either. No one at the orphanage liked me; they all hated me ... "

Carmen was taken aback, stiffly replying, "I don't hate you."

I instantly stopped pretending to sob and threw my arms around her waist. "That's amazing! My sister doesn't hate me! She likes me!"

Carmen's body went rigid. The next second, she shoved me away, her dark eyes narrowing. "Get lost. Don't touch me unless I say so."

Yep, definitely a yandere. Moody as hell.

The wealthy man in the front seat laughed and told Carmen to get along with me. I knew this home was really just for Carmen and me. He was always busy with work, so only Carmen would be around. As long as I could get on the good side of this yandere sister, everything would be fine.

When we arrived at the mansion, the wealthy man told the housekeeper to set up my room next to Carmen's. And so, my mission to win over my yandere sister began. On my first day of school, I clung to her arm, crying, "Carmen, I don't want to be apart from you. I'm scared, boohoo ... "

Carmen saw my snotty, tearstreaked face, looking like a pitiful, abandoned puppy. Ultimately, she didn't have the heart to push me away. From that day on, I became her most devoted fan. I couldn't stop saying "my sister" with pride. When I was sick, I refused to take medicine unless she coaxed me. When I couldn't solve a problem, I'd ask her to teach me and if I got it right, I'd ask for a hug as a reward.

I was always stuck to her side, like a bit of tagalong. After three years, Carmen had grown accustomed to my clinginess and no longer minded my physical contact. The housekeeper even smiled and said, "This is the first time I've seen Miss Carmen care about someone like this. Boy, you're truly blessed."

Hearing that, I knew I had her right where I wanted her.

That night, I took advantage of the thunderstorm and climbed into Carmen's bed. When she came out of the bathroom after her shower and saw me lying there, her face instantly darkened. "Carmen, I'm scared! I just had a nightmare. Can I sleep with you? Please?"

Before she could lose her temper, I beat her to it and started crying. Her expression turned complicated, with anger, coldness and a deep sense of helplessness. Uhoh. Did I push my luck too far?

I quickly got off her bed, sobbing and apologized, "I'm sorry, Carmen. When I was little, my mom always held me when there was a thunderstorm. I just … I miss her."

A flicker of hesitation flashed through her eyes. She muttered something under her breath and then, just as I was about to leave with my pillow, she grabbed me back. "You can sleep here. Just behave yourself, got it?"

I was shocked. Did it work? That night, I slept in the same bed as Carmen. A strange emotion enveloped me as I felt her gentle pats on my back. Though I wasn't by her side in my past life, I knew her well enough. She wasn't always this obsessive about Damian. She lost her mother young and her billionaire father was rarely around. She lacked love and desperately craved it.

But Damian, that idiot, became the wealthy heir and spent his days showing off, surrounding himself with useless friends. He saw Carmen as a rival, an obstacle to inheriting their father's fortune. Later, he even dared to try to have her kidnapped and assaulted, which led to Carmen breaking his legs and scarring his face."

I knew my role in this life: I would "heal" this broken, possessive woman with love and somehow, I had already started feeling a strange sense of belonging with her. "Sis, I'll become strong enough to protect you."

I meant every word. Carmen paused, then chuckled softly. "Mm, then grow up quickly."

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, Carmen was now a college student and I had just turned eighteen and finished my college entrance exams. I saw Damian again at my comingofage party. He trailed behind a wealthy couple dressed in an expensive tailored suit, looking like a young celebrity. However, his face was pale and his expression lifeless. Life clearly hadn't been kind to him.

When he saw me appearing in my simple attire, he straightened his back and walked over, tilting his chin up as he scanned me from head to toe. "Looks like you haven't been living too well either. That psycho Carmen wouldn't even buy you a decent suit?"

Before I could respond, a cold voice rang out behind me. "Who are you calling a psycho?"

Damian's already pale face turned ghostly white the moment he saw her. In our past life, she had tormented him beyond recognition. Just one look from her, filled with disgust, was enough to make him tremble. "II'm sorry. I was talking nonsense!"

Carmen didn't spare him another glance. Instead, she turned to me and draped a wool shawl over my shoulders, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. My little brother, I made this for you myself. Happy birthday."

She pulled me into a tight hug, her voice slightly choked up. "You'll be leaving for university abroad soon. If you miss me, just call. I can always fly over to see you."

Then, she held me even tighter and whispered, "If you're uncomfortable there, I'll buy you an apartment near campus and hire a private chef from home to cook for you."

I gently declined Carmen's offer. In this life, I finally got to live like a normal person. All I wanted was to experience college life just like any other student. "Don't worry, sis. I'll take care of myself. Remember? Stay lowkey."

Carmen chuckled, wiping away her tears. "Alright."

As she turned to greet other guests, Damian finally snapped out of his stunned silence. He grabbed my arm, his voice filled with urgency. "Why is she so nice to you?"

I ignored his flustered expression and replied with a halfsmile, "She’s, my sister. Isn't it normal for her to be nice to me? Or are you saying your rich parents aren't nice to you?"

My question struck a nerve, bringing back painful memories. Damian broke down. He clutched his hair tightly as if drowning in agony. "How could this happen? Why is it like this?"

Just then, a couple's voices rang out behind him. Damian's face instantly paled. "Damian, Mr. Magnus is here today. Come with us to meet him!"

The wealthy couple dragged Damian away, but his entire body trembled. His eyes met mine, silently pleading for help. I sighed and stepped in to block their way. "Uncle, Auntie, it's been years since I last saw my little brother. Can we talk for a bit longer?"

The wealthy couple didn't dare offend me. After all, I was the son of the richest man and had always been wellloved by him and my sister. "Of course, of course."

The man smiled and agreed, but his wife quickly pinched Damian hard. "Hurry up! If you mess things up, you'll be sorry!"

Damian grimaced in pain but nodded obediently. As they walked away, he let out a sigh of relief. His legs seemed to tremble slightly and I couldn't help but find it amusing. "What's wrong? Your parents don't treat you well, huh?"

My expression must have triggered something in him because he suddenly lunged at me, trying to grab my collar. "I don't believe you! I don't believe you! You must be lying! The only reason you don't wear expensive clothes is that you're hiding injuries, right?"

I quickly understood after watching his hysterical reaction. It seemed he was experiencing the same torment I had endured in my past life. In my previous life, after the wealthy couple brought me home, they subjected me to a twisted form of "education."

I was only allowed to sleep four hours a day. The rest of my time was spent studying chess, painting, advanced mathematics, piano and horseback riding. Years of sleep deprivation took a toll on me. One time, I fell off a horse and almost ended up paralyzed. The couple kept track of every penny they spent on me, including my medical expenses.

When I turned eighteen, they forced me to repay them with interest. That was when my life started spiraling into an inescapable abyss. They trained me to be charming and obedient, using me as a tool to entertain wealthy women and powerful men. All those glamorous opportunities? They were brought with my body, my blood and my tears.

Once, a mighty man used me so ruthlessly that I couldn't get out of bed for days. I couldn't even walk or go to the bathroom. The pain was unbearable. I felt filthy. My mind and body were exhausted, but there was no way to escape their grasp. The night I won the Best Actor award, three powerful men were already waiting for me in my room, ready to "celebrate" with me.

In my darkest hour, my brother appeared in a wheelchair, his eyes red with tears and burned me to death. Judging by the timeline, he had just entered the entertainment industry in this life. He had probably only endured physical abuse from the couple, not yet the true horrors they would unleash.

Damian lifted my clothes and cried when he saw my smooth chest. "Why? Why didn't Carmen Sherman abuse you? You were supposed to be covered in bruises! There have been rumors for years that the Shermans treated you, their adopted son, terribly. How could you be living better than me?"

His emotions ran high and as he moved, he seemed to pull at the wound on his arm, wincing in pain. I just stared at him, a silent, mocking smile on my face. The rumors Carmen spread was to protect me. She loved me so much that she had to hold me in her arms every night to sleep. Watching Damian fall apart, I smirked. "What's wrong, little brother? You don't seem happy that I'm doing well. Are you not satisfied with your life even in this lifetime?"

Damian's sobbing stopped instantly. His face was frozen in shock and panic. "YYou were reborn too?"

I didn't answer directly. My smile grew even more playful. "You had the first pick in both lives, yet you still ended up losing? Are you really that useless?"

That word 'useless' made his eyes turn bloodshot with rage. "I'm not useless! Just watch, I'll climb higher than you! I'll be more successful than you!"

I nodded, still smiling. "Sure, go for it!"

With all its dirty tricks and moral bankruptcy, the entertainment industry seems the perfect place for him. Let's see if he still talks about success after that hell. The wealthy couple waiting for him grew impatient and called for him again.

Damian wiped his tears, lifted his chin and put on a smug face. "Adrian, just wait! I'm going to be a superstar! When that happens, I'll get my fans to cyberbully you! I'll expose all the evil things you've done!"

Evil things? What evil things have I done? In both lives, I let him choose first. After our parents died, I gave in to him on everything. Still, in his eyes, none of that was enough. He only wanted to crush me under his feet. He never saw me as his older brother.

"I know Carmen was just putting on a show for your comingofage ceremony today. I can't wait to see the day she ruins your face and breaks your legs!" Damian left me with those parting words, laughing as he walked away. He wasn't wrong. Carmen was indeed putting on an act.

I lifted my head and looked across the room. She was holding a wine glass, entertaining guests, but her eyes never left me. There was a strange, unreadable glint in them. The next second, she smiled and walked over, pulling me into a dimly lit private room. Then, she pressed her body against mine. "Adrian, I heard everything you two just said. You've been very naughty. Looks like I need to punish you."