Chapter 1

I was the real heir who was switched at birth.

The night I came home, Mom pointed to the red-and-black roulette wheel and said, "If it lands on red, you can make a request. If it lands on black, you behave and obey."

I thought I'd finally found a family.

But for a full three years, my little brother Alex always landed on red, while I forever got black.

The cool toys, the sunny bedroom—all went to him.

Even when I was sick in bed, desperate for a sip of water, I had to wait until his cartoon was over.

On New Year's Eve.

Burning up with a forty-degree fever, coughing up blood, I begged Mom to take me to the hospital.

"Same rules," she said.

She brought out the wheel again.

I mustered all my strength and secretly pressed my finger against the back of the wheel.

For the first time, the pointer slid toward red.

My eldest sister grabbed me: "Zachary! Even if your luck's that bad, you can't cheat like that!"

My second sister shoved me to the ground: "You'd go this far just to make us stay with you? That's disgusting."

My third sister snapped my finger: "Break the rules, and you pay the price."

They threw me down and slammed the door on their way out.

Through tear-blurred eyes, I stared at that deformed finger.

I'm sorry.

In my next life, I'll definitely... try harder to land on red.

...

The piercing cold and pain suddenly vanished.

I felt so light, floating upward.

Looking down, I saw a small figure curled up on the floor.

Wearing a faded old pajama—that was Alex's hand-me-down.

The wheel had landed on black, so I only deserved used clothes.

His right index finger bent unnaturally, cheeks flushed with fever.

That was me.

Thirteen-year-old Zachary Thorne, who had stopped breathing.

Suddenly, I remembered three years ago, when I was brought back.

Mom held out the wheel, her voice clear and calm: "Zach, you're my biological son, and of course I love you. But Alex has been with us for ten years, and we love him just as much."

"I can't play favorites. So, for absolute fairness, we'll decide everything in the house with the wheel from now on. Pure luck, no one loses out. Okay?"

A fifty-fifty chance—it sounded so easy.

I nodded eagerly, full of hope and anticipation.

But Lady Luck never favored me, not even once.

I don't know how much time passed before laughter echoed from outside the door.

"That hotel's lobster was pretty good, just too far away."

"Alex loves lobster. It's worth the drive no matter how far."

Mom's voice was full of indulgence.

"Oh, right, I got that new limited-edition sneaker you wanted. You'll have it tomorrow."

"And my reward for finals?" Alex's voice was bright and clear.

"Of course—annual pass to the amusement park plus that rare Lego set. Enough?"

"Yes! You're the best, Mom!"

Floating above, I felt a hollow ache in my chest.

Lobster, limited-edition sneakers, amusement park, Lego.

Whatever Alex wanted, he got it effortlessly.

And me?

Two years ago, my head was splitting with pain, and I wanted time off to go to the doctor.

The pointer landed on black.

Eldest sister sneered: "Just a little headache and you're whining? Last time Alex scraped his knee and bled, but he still went to the city for the math competition and won."

Later.

My backpack broke, and I wanted twenty bucks for a new one.

Landed on black again.

Second sister snorted: "A forty-dollar backpack lasts two years and falls apart? Look at Alex's Hermes one—three years and still like new!"

"You just don't know how to take care of things, born with a cheap streak."

But the more blacks I got, the more I lost.

Cool toys, sunny bedroom—all to Alex.

Even when I was sick in bed, wanting a sip of water, I had to wait until his cartoon finished.

After countless defeats, I stopped hoping.

I even started avoiding it, terrified of seeing that wheel.

Until Grandma Lily, who raised me in the countryside, passed away.

I finally mustered the courage: "Mom, can I go back..."

Before I could finish, my third sister waved her phone excitedly.

"Mom! Look, Alex won first in the math competition! This is amazing!"

Mom's impatience melted into joy.

"My sweet boy, making me so proud! What reward do you want? Mom will say yes to anything!"

Dad smiled too: "We should celebrate properly."

I stood there, throat tight: "But Grandma Lily, she..."

"Enough!" Mom's face darkened. "What a happy day, and you bring up death? It's bad luck!"

My second sister immediately brought the wheel.

"No more talk. If it lands on red, you can go."

I shut my mouth.

That night, facing the direction of the countryside, I kowtowed three times to say goodbye to Grandma, crying "I'm sorry."

I stood by the wheel until midnight.

In the end, I didn't spin.

Because I knew the result would be black.

"Bang—"

The door swung open.

Mom and Alex walked in, wearing matching cashmere coats.

Alex had a sparkling diamond watch on his wrist, which was the gift from Grandma when I came home.

Because the wheel landed on black, Mom said "You don't deserve such an expensive watch," so it ended up on Alex's arm.

Alex squatted down, lifting his coat hem, tone innocent: "The floor's so dirty... Why is Zachary still lying here?"

Eldest sister frowned: "Country folks are like that. They get tired and just flop on the ground, no matter how filthy."

Third sister lounged lazily: "That's why Alex, even if not blood-related, has that natural class. Some people, even their genes can't wash away that cheap vibe."

Alex curiously touched my face but jerked back.

He yelped: "Mom! Zachary's face... it's colder than ice!"

Mom, who was taking off her coat, froze.

For some reason.

I felt a faint hope.

What would their reaction be when they found out I was dead?

Mom came over, first noticing my twisted finger, looking shocked for a moment: "His finger... how did it bend like that?"

My third sister leaned against the entryway, casual: "I snapped it."

Mom glared at her, a bit angry: "You really don't know your own strength. He's still your brother!"

Hovering in the air, I stared at her blankly.

Warmth filled my heart.

I knew Mom still loved me.

But it didn't matter anymore. I couldn't feel the pain.

My third sister lifted her chin: "Mom, you set the rules yourself. Cheating gets punished. Alex remembers that and always follows them. Is it fair to him if we let Zachary slide?"

Mom's lips twitched, then she glanced at Alex.

The little boy bit his lip, eyes rimming red, like a scared bunny.

In that instant, her voice softened: "Fine, but next time, not in front of Alex. He's sensitive."

That flicker of emotion over me rippled like a pebble in a deep pond, barely noticeable.

Mom reached out, not to check my breathing.

Instead, she poked my shoulder disdainfully: "Zachary, get up."

"Pretending to be dead?" She kicked my shoulder with her high heel.

"You'll try anything to skip the family dinner, to make us feel guilty. You're full of tricks! Pulling every low stunt."

My second sister grabbed a glass from the coffee table and flung it.

Scalding water splashed half my face.

"Ready to wake up? Can you stop using these cheap tactics for attention?"

Water droplets rolled down my temple into my collar, but I didn't even flutter an eyelash.

Alex stepped back a little, timidly: "Mom, I feel like... Zachary might really be wrong."

To soothe Alex's hurt feelings, my second sister patted his back and shoved a fancy gift box into his arms.

"Sweet Alex, I know you're kind, but some people are born to play the victim. They don't deserve sympathy."

Mom ruffled Alex's hair: "The more you indulge him, the worse he'll get next time. Pretending to be dead today, threatening to hang himself tomorrow. He's just trying to force us to apologize."

Third sister snickered: "This afternoon he was throwing a fit to go to the hospital, now he's playing corpse. What does he do besides ruining the mood?"

Perhaps wanting to end the drama quickly, Mom squatted down and pinched my philtrum hard.

Even when my lips turned pale from the pressure, I remained still.

She lost patience completely.

Raised her hand and slapped my face.

"I should've never softened and brought you back if I'd known you were this stubborn and toxic!"