Chapter 2
Tears streamed down Oliver’s face like broken pearls, his expression a picture of helplessness.
He looked at me with such pleading eyes people would’ve thought I was the villain.
“James, I… I didn’t…” Oliver choked out, voice trembling as he turned desperately to Richard and Emily for help.
Emily pulled Oliver into a protective hug, shooting me a furious glare.
“James, that’s enough. Oliver was only trying to be nice, and this is how you act? You have no manners at all,” she scolded.
I almost laughed.
Manners?
In my previous life, when they took me in, they forced me to take etiquette lessons I hated, stuffed me into suits I couldn’t stand, and turned my life upside down.
If I so much as deviated from their demands, they’d say, “See? He’s too unruly from living out there. Not a trace of a proper young man.”
To them, “manners” were just a tool to control me.
“My manners? They’re what my parents taught me: respect gets respect. But if someone messes with me, don’t blame me for fighting back,” I shot back coldly.
The so-called family reunion ended in chaos. Richard, face flushed with anger, stormed off with the others in tow.
They left in a rush, Oliver still sobbing in Emily’s arms—embarrassment oozing from every step.
I thought they’d finally leave us alone, but I’d underestimated how controlling they could be.
The next day, my adoptive dad’s supervisor called him in. After beating around the bush, he delivered the news: due to “business restructuring,” my dad had to take unpaid leave.
Then my adoptive mom got fired from the supermarket—excuse being “overstaffing.”
Not long after, someone reported our food stall for “health code violations,” forcing us to close for a “thorough inspection.”
Overnight, every source of income for my family was cut off.
My adoptive parents were frantic, at a loss for what to do.
That night, we sat in the cold, quiet living room. My adoptive dad sighed deeply and slid a bank card across the table to me.
“James, your biological parents sent this. There’s $150,000 on it,” he said.
His gaze was troubled. “They said… if you agree to transfer to Elite High School, everything can go back to normal.”
Elite High School was the most prestigious school in town—the one Oliver and his older sister Samantha Lane attended.
I stared at the card, my heart turning to ice.
Typical—this was exactly how they operated.
They never once considered my wishes. Instead, they forced their self-righteous “kindness” on me, trying to control my entire life.
They truly believed cutting off all our paths would make me obey and return to them—so I could be their obedient son, a meek bird trapped in their gilded cage.
This was exactly what happened in my previous life.
To give me a “better future,” my adoptive parents had cried as they watched me get into the Lane family’s car.
But this time, I wasn’t going to let them win.
I pushed the card back to them.
“Dad, Mom, don’t worry,” I said.
I looked at their worried faces, my heart aching but my tone firm.
“If we lose our jobs, we’ll find new ones. If the food stall closes, we’ll move and start over. But if you lose me as your son, that’s something you’ll never get back.
“I don’t want to transfer to Elite High School, and I sure as hell won’t go back to the Lane family. All I want is to stay here with you two.”
My adoptive mom’s tears spilled over. She pulled me into a hug, sobbing too hard to speak.
My adoptive dad’s eyes were red-rimmed. He slammed his fist on the table.
“Alright. We’re not going. Who cares about those rich families? They’re nothing to us. Worst case, I’ll work construction—break my back if I have to. As long as I’m standing, you two will never go hungry.”
Seeing them stand up for me, warmth flooded my chest.
These were the real parents—my treasure in both lives.
I knew this was far from over.
Ignoring them wouldn’t change anything.
If I wanted things to change, I had to make the first move.
The next morning, wearing my well-worn school uniform and carrying a backpack, I walked boldly through the gates of Elite High School.