They Favored the Imposter, Now They Regret Losing Me

They stepped closer, grinning with filthy amusement.

“I wonder how this young master feels about playing with. Never tried a man before—just thinking about it excites me. With an ass like that, it’s bound to be fun.” As he spoke, one of them lunged forward and pinned me down.

“Brother, you go first. I’ll take my turn after.” The man in front of me began unbuckling his belt. Terror gripped me.

“Don’t you dare touch me! I’m the Reed family’s second young master!”

“Second young master? Mr. and Mrs. Reed only treat you like a dog.”

“You think being their blood makes you their real son? Only Lucas is the true young master—you’re nothing but a stray!”

“Truth is, Lucas sent us to deal with you tonight!”

I bit the man holding me hard.

“You bastard! How dare you bite me!” He screamed and let go. I seized the chance and climbed onto the windowsill.

“Don’t come any closer, or I’ll jump!”

“This is the third floor! You’ll be crippled if not dead!”

They charged toward me, and I had no choice—I leapt from the third floor.

The ground was tiled. I was lucky to survive, though my leg snapped on impact.

Bleeding, I dragged myself toward the noise of the party.

“Clara! Clara!” I shouted, but no one answered. Then I heard sounds from a corner room downstairs—sounds I recognized too well.

I pushed open the door and saw my wife and brother, disheveled, tangled together.

“What are you doing?” Clara rose slowly, smoothing her skirt.

“I drank too much and mistook someone for someone else.”

“I look nothing like Lucas. Was he drunk, too? Mistook someone as well?”

“Are you insane? I said I mistook someone else!” He turned, froze when he saw me.

“How did you end up covered in blood?”

“I jumped from the third floor—that’s how I got here.”

“Are you out of your mind? Jumping from that high?”

“Lucas sent people to force me! I had no choice but to jump to escape their filth!”

Tears blurred my vision as I spoke.

Lucas began crying too, tears streaming down his face.

“Ethan, I know you’ve always hated me, but how can you accuse me like this?”

“I’d never order someone to harm my own brother. This is absurd!” Clara pulled him into her arms. “Ethan Reed, that’s enough! How could you frame your own brother?”

I was about to respond when my parents and sister rushed in.

Without a word, my father slapped me hard across the face.

My head spun. “Dad, why did you hit me?”

“We heard everything outside! You’d stoop so low to frame your brother—you deserve it!”

“I didn’t frame him! Look at me—my leg’s broken!”

My sister snapped, “Stop acting! What a pitiful trick! Ethan, you’ll do anything to ruin Lucas!”

I looked at the four people dearest to me—my wife, my parents, and my sister.

They all stared at me with the same expression—disgust and contempt.

“You all think I framed him? Fine. I have proof. Come with me.”