Reborn, I Switched My Ruined Brother

My brother Ethan has been smart since childhood.

His SAT scores were excellentgood enough to get into Harvard.

But before I could feel happy about it, I overheard him on the phone in his room:

Mia's going to community college, so I'm applying to the same school. I'm not going to Harvard.

In my past life, I stopped him and forced him to apply to Harvard.

As a result, his crush Mia Greene got engaged, and her fianc was some hot guy who went to community college with her.

When Ethan saw the news, his eyes turned red with rage, and he forced massive amounts of poison down my throat.

"What's the point of all that studying! Mia's grandfather is New York's richest manif I got together with her, I'd skip an entire social class! If you hadn't stopped me, I'd be the one marrying her now!"

I was tortured to death.

Given a second chance at life, I returned to the day the SAT scores were released.

This time, I drove straight to the city's largest orphanage.

This brother is ruinedI'll just adopt a new one!

After I died, my parents tried to ease their grief over losing a son by managing Ethan's education even more strictly.

But they never expected that Ethan, unable to sneak out to see the rich heiress, would harbor such resentment that he'd hire human traffickers to sell his own parents into the black market.

My elderly parents were beaten bloody, and in a twisted act, people hammered long nails all over their bodies.

Meanwhile, Ethan knelt before the bed where the New York heiress was sleeping with another man, begging her to look at him just once more.

My soul floated above, screaming in grief and rage, but powerless to do anything.

The next second, Ethan's incessant voice rang in my ears again:

"Adrian, I'm going to community college with Mia to study aviation."

"Harvard's too hard. Even if I graduate, isn't it all just to make money anyway?

Mia's the richest man's granddaughterisn't it better to win her over early? Don't you think so?"

His eyes were full of excited gleam and what he thought was clever calculation.

When Ethan saw I wasn't responding, he immediately got annoyed.

"Adrian, do you just hate seeing me do well?"

"Your own marriage failed. You couldn't keep your rich wifethat's your problem. Why are you stopping me from climbing up the social ladder!"

My heart instantly went cold.

My ex-wife and I were childhood sweethearts who grew up together. When my family faced bankruptcy, we were forced into an arranged marriage.

But only after getting married did I learn my ex-wife had an unforgettable first love.

Only when I caught her cheating did she admit she'd been betraying me from the start.

I'll never forget the way my ex-wife and her first love humiliated me together.

Later, I used all the money I got from my ex-wife to revive the family business, finally succeeding in getting divorced the following year.

All these years, I'd worried that Ethan would be hurt by women like I was, so I gave him twice as much materially.

From childhood, Ethan wore designer brands. Piano lessons and horseback riding lessons costing hundreds of thousandsas long as Ethan said he wanted to learn, I'd sign him up without blinking.

To create a better life for us brothers, I worked like a machine, drinking at business dinners until I got a perforated ulcer and ended up in the hospital.

I never told Ethan much about any of thisI just didn't want him to feel any burden.

But I never imagined that in Ethan's eyes, all my sacrifices would be seen as the result of me being unable to keep a woman.

And my indulgence had made him so pathetic, acting like a dog in front of rich people.

Thinking of this, I looked at Ethan with a slight smile.

"You're an adult now. You can make your own decisions about major life choices. Mia treats you so wellyou really shouldn't miss this opportunity!"

Ethan froze for a moment at my words, then hugged me joyfully.

"I knew ityou're the one who treats me best! Once Mia and I inherit the richest man's fortune, I'll definitely take good care of you!"

In my past life, when Ethan told me his New York heiress classmate had invited him to the same school,

I first asked how Mia had done on her exams and what university she was planning to attend.

When I learned Mia's scores could only get her into community college, my expression immediately turned cold, and I refused no matter what.

Ethan also turned against me and stormed out, slamming the door.

After finding out that Mia had bullied a male classmate and nearly drove him to jump off the school building, I couldn't sit still.

I earnestly warned Ethan that Mia had poor grades and violent tendenciesthe Greene family would never choose someone like that as their heir.

But Ethan insisted: "Mia's the richest man's only biological granddaughter. The future fortune will definitely be hers!"

When persuasion failed, I had to take a hard line. I called my parents back from abroad and had them monitor Ethan 24/7, forcing him to sign the Harvard application.

But the next day, the news broke that New York heiress Mia Greene was engaged, and her fianc was the school heartthrob who'd given up college to be with her.

The media portrayed this engagement as a poor boy's successful pursuit of love, a rags-to-riches tale of a pauper prince climbing up the social ladder.

When Ethan saw it, he went crazy and came to my office and smashed everything.

He pounded the desk and shouted at me:

"Mia's fianc should have been me!"

To calm him down and stop him from obsessing over that woman, I doubled his allowance and spent a fortune taking him on trips all over the country.

Ethan wanted all kinds of luxury goods, and I bought them for him.

But in return, Ethan went crazy and hung me from Mia's helicopter in the suburbs.

"If you hadn't stopped me, I'd be the one who climbed into the Greene family! You ruined everything for me!"

I was suspended in the air, sliced bloody by the rotating tail rotor, and then watched myself fall into a valley, with no remains left to bury.

Only then did I realize that Ethan hated me to the bone, and his greatest wish was to be a kept man.

In this life, I won't try to save Ethan again.

If he wants to be a kept man, I'll let him lock himself together with that abusive woman forever.

There are plenty of boys who want to study. Since this brother won't work out, I'll just get a new brother.

Ethan happily called Mia to tell her they could go to the same school.

The two of them talked sweetly for a long time.

After hanging up, Ethan did something unprecedentedhe walked over to the cleaning lady and took the broom from her hands, saying proudly:

"Adrian, from today on, I'll do the housework. That way, when I go to the new school and live with Mia, I can take better care of her. Mia will definitely be moved by me."

I stood there stunned. I suddenly remembered that a few years ago, when I got seriously ill from drinking continuously to win business contracts, Ethan just watched coldly from the side and wouldn't even pour me a glass of water.

So Ethan wasn't incapable of taking care of peopleI just wasn't worthy of it as his brother.

I gave a bitter laugh, feeling like all my years of genuine devotion had been fed to the dogs.

I gave the cleaning lady an extended vacation, had her teach Ethan all the chores, then returned to the living room and settled into the sofa to watch TV.

It was Ethan's first time doing housework. He was sweating profusely, and before long, he couldn't take it anymore. He looked up at me with aggrieved eyes.

If this were my past life, seeing Ethan like this would have made me too heartbroken to let him continue.

Now, living this second life, I would never seek such suffering again.

I just pretended not to see anything and focused on watching TV.

Ethan, getting no sympathy, threw down the broom and ran back to his room in a huff.

I watched him and just found it funny. He couldn't even do basic housework, yet he wanted to be a kept man serving a rich girl?

Before long, Ethan came running out and said to me:

"Adrian, I'm going to the next city with Mia for a party. She's already rented a place there, and I'll just stay at her place. This is perfect!"

Mia was famous in her circle for loving SM.

Since Ethan was so eager to jump into the fire pit, I naturally wouldn't stop him.

When I didn't answer for a long time, Ethan became angry and embarrassed, screaming shrilly:

"I get it nowyou really can't stand seeing me happy! Someone as selfish as you has no right to be my brother!"

I rubbed my temples, feeling somewhat tired.

"I told you, you're an adult now. You can make your own decisions. You don't need to ask me anymore."

Hearing this, Ethan's expression changed instantly, like flipping a switch, his spirits immediately restored.

"You're the best! I need to go find Mia right away and tell her this good news."

With that, Ethan left the house.

Right after, I also went out and drove to the city's largest orphanage.

After learning my intentions, the director took me to meet the children there.

The orphanage children were noisy and rowdy, but one boy sat quietly to the side, completely indifferent to my arrival, focused intently on the vocabulary book in his hands.

I walked over to him and asked softly, "Do you really like studying?"

The boy's voice was small but not timid.

"Studying is very important. Only by working hard can I change my destiny."

I smiled at him. "Would you be willing to come home with me? I'll be your brother and find you the best teachers to help you study."

The boy nodded vigorously.

I took the boy to the director to process adoption papers. When I learned the boy's name was Lucky, I couldn't help but frown.

The boy sensed my reaction and looked at me cautiously.

I sighed and patted the boy's head. "How about I give you a new name?"

I took the boy shopping for daily necessities, then took him to change his name. He took my surname and became Wesley Armitage.

I hoped he would always know the direction in his heart as precious as the moon, and not bow down for sixpence like my brother Ethan.

On the way home, Wesley kept looking at his new ID card over and overclearly, he really liked his new name.

When we got home, I cleaned out the spare room for Wesley to live in.

It was getting late, and I was just about to have Wesley go to his room to rest when I heard the sound of the door being unlocked.

"Adrian, I'm back! I've already talked to Mia"

Ethan's voice stopped the instant he saw Wesley, then he looked at me in disbelief and demanded sharply:

"Who is he? What's he doing in my house!"

Wesley looked at me helplessly.

I looked at Ethan calmly.

"This is my house. Who I let in isn't for you to decide."

"He's my new brother, also your brother. His name is Wesley. If you can accept it, accept it. If you can't, then get out."

Before I finished speaking, Ethan grabbed a vase from the living room and smashed it hard on the floor.

"I don't agree! If you don't kick him out, I'll die right in front of you. I don't want you as a brother anymore!"

This was Ethan's usual tactic.

In my past life, every time I refused Ethan's excessive demands, he would threaten me by harming himself or cutting off our relationship.

And I, craving familial affection, fell for it every time. I usually couldn't resist and gave in.

After making his threat, Ethan expected to see me compromise like before.

But I just stood there, unmoved.

"If you want to die, hurry up. I can't stop you, and I don't want to."

Thinking of how my parents suffered in my past life, I felt he deserved to die eight hundred times over.

Ethan never imagined that I, who had always doted on him, would suddenly become like this. He immediately grew furious.

He rushed at Wesley and grabbed him.

Ethan's freshly done manicure made his nails especially sharp. He deliberately dug them deep into Wesley's skin.

Wesley winced in pain but didn't dare make a sound.

"You little brat, did you trick Adrian! You parentless thing, what right do you have to steal my brother!"

Ethan, the straight-A student, really got into cursing, his mouth full of obscenities.

I'd always taught Ethan to be gentle and polite. Before, he was just cold, but he'd never used profanity in front of me.

Eighteen years of upbringing and teaching couldn't compare to a few months of Ethan being around Mia.

Remembering my past life, I just felt utterly pathetic.

Seeing Ethan raise his hand to slap Wesley, I quickly stepped forward to stop him, pulling Ethan away.

"If you can't accept this, get out. If you keep throwing tantrums like this, don't blame me for being rude!"

Hearing this, Ethan looked hurt, as if he couldn't bear it anymore, and ran out crying.

But I knew in my heart that Ethan's sadness wasn't because of me.

It was just because something he'd possessed for so many years suddenly no longer belonged to him.

"I'm sorry. Maybe I should move out. Ethan really seems to hate me."

Wesley came over to me, his eyes a bit red, his voice full of apology.

I calmly told him, "You're my brother too. You don't need to accommodate anyone."

After that, I took Wesley back to his room and comforted him for a while. Wesley fell into a deep sleep.

I returned to the living room and began cleaning up the mess Ethan had left.

Ethan had been pampered by me since childhood and had never suffered such humiliation.

With this incident, unless I lowered my head and apologized first, Ethan definitely wouldn't come back anytime soon.

After cleaning up and returning to my room, I let out a slow breath of relief.

Finally, I could take time to plan for Wesley's and my future.

Wesley was seventeen this year. After summer vacation, he'd be starting his junior year of high school.

His grades were excellent, but due to family upheaval during middle school finals, he'd only gotten into an average high school.

After entering the orphanage, Wesley worked part-time jobs while also helping out at the orphanage,

sacrificing his sleep time to study.

Even so, Wesley's grades in high school were still outstanding.

After learning all this, I first spent a fortune pulling strings to transfer Wesley to the city's best high school.

To catch up with the accelerated program's pace by the new semester, I found renowned teachers to arrange one-on-one summer tutoring for him.

In my past life, when Ethan first entered high school, he'd once given up on himself because he couldn't keep up with the school's pace.

I both tried my best to encourage him, telling him not to lose confidence in learning, while also pulling connections to find suitable teachers for him.

But in my past life, all my painstaking efforts became, in Ethan's mouth, me forcing him to study for my own selfish desires and restricting his freedom.

Some people are just born ungrateful. Unfortunately, in my past life, I paid with my life to understand this truth.

In the following days, I woke up early every day to take Wesley to tutoring, then went to work at the company.

After work, I'd pick Wesley up from tutoring.

At these times, Wesley would always excitedly tell me in the car what new knowledge he'd learned that day and what interesting things happened in class.

On weekends, I'd take Wesley out to experience new things, broaden his knowledge, and expand his horizons.

These days spent with Wesley made me very happy too. This joy was something I never experienced in my past life.

But good times didn't last long. When Wesley and I were traveling in the neighboring city, I received a call from the police station.

"Is this Mr. Adrian Armitage? After our preliminary investigation, Ethan is suspected of intentional assault. He's currently at the police station. Please come by."

I froze in place.

In my past life, because of my firm stance, Ethan had already broken up with Mia at this time, and I was watching Ethan closely, not letting him have any contact with Mia again. I never expected that in this life, without my intervention, in just half a month, Ethan would get into such big trouble.