Judith kicked the door open, glaring at me. "Stanley Durham, so this is your real intention? You purposely let us lower our guard, only to pull this stunt and ruin Zac's career?"

Mom slapped me across the face. "I never thought you could be so ruthless. Zac is your brother! Go to the hospital and apologize to him right now!"

On the way, I finally figured out what had happened.

Zachary had been marketing himself online as a high-profile jewelry designer. This afternoon, he posted my design draft, which quickly got praise from his fans.

But some sharp-eyed netizens noticed it was a design I had previously shared on Instagram while it was still half-finished.

Soon, accusations of plagiarism began to flood in, and the situation escalated. Netizens swarmed Zachary's account, flooding his comments with attacks and criticism.

Judith and Mom couldn't stand seeing him suffer, so they rushed over to find me.

With my cheek still red and swollen, I was dragged to the hospital. There, Zachary looked at me with a tear-streaked face and said, "Stanley, we're family. Why are you doing this to me?"

Dad kicked me in the back of my knees, forcing me to kneel and apologize to Zachary.

I knelt there, looking up at them with no desire to argue.

Whatever. I'd give them whatever they wanted.

As they wished, I apologized to Zachary. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have lent you my design. I also shouldn't have shared it on Instagram while I was still working on it. I'll delete my post and clarify to everyone that I'm the plagiarist."

When I said that, there was a brief moment of shock in their eyes. They probably hadn't expected me to be so compliant.

Mom was the first to recover. She looked at me and said, "Well, at least you're finally being sensible. As long as you clarify online that you're the one who plagiarized, we can consider this issue resolved."

Dad nodded in approval. "Stanley, I'm glad you've finally learned to care for Zac. Seeing you two so close, your mom and I can rest easy when we're gone."

Judith smiled in satisfaction. "You're my husband. Even if you can't be a designer anymore, I'll always have your back. You don't have to worry about anything."

I forced a weak smile. It was because of them that I was pushed into this corner.

Soon, Zachary went live on his account, tearfully claiming he was the victim of plagiarism. "I never imagined that the person who stole my designs would be my own brother. I worked on this design at home. I never thought he would secretly take it and post it online, claiming it as his own."

Then, he pointed the camera at me. At the same time, Dad, Mom, and Judith all gave me warning glares, making sure I wouldn't say anything that could hurt him.

I curved my lips into a faint smile and said softly, "That's right. I'm the one who plagiarized. The design draft I posted was Zachary's."

They visibly relaxed at my words.

Immediately, the internet exploded with insults and curses directed at me.

Seeing the reaction, Zachary quickly begged, "Please, everyone, don't say such things. No matter what, he's still my brother. He's my family."

He threw his arm around my shoulder and hugged me tightly, showing off our brotherly bond to everyone.

But as he leaned close, he whispered mockingly in my ear, "Stanley, now our parents, your wife, and your career are all mine. What do you have left to fight me with?"

Since Zachary could remember, he'd always treated me as his enemy. His health was poor, and his grades were worse. He blamed me, convinced that I had stolen all the nutrients in the womb and caused his problems.

When I was ten, I topped the class, and he was at the bottom. Mom and Dad praised me, and he resented me for it. He tricked me into going out and pushed me into a river.

I was on the brink of death when the system chose me to be its host, saving my life.

From then on, I embarked on a bitter rivalry with Zachary that lasted more than ten years.

I spent eight years trying to win my parents' favor and five years trying to earn Judith's affection, but I failed.

Compared to Zachary, I had lost completely.

I pushed him away, speaking softly. "You won."

I left the ward and went downstairs to get some air.

The kidney transplant surgery would begin in the afternoon, and I would disappear from this world. Would Mom, Dad, or Judith shed a single tear for me?

As I was lost in thought, a group of men and women suddenly blocked my path.

"You plagiarist! You have no shame! Zac forgave you, but we won't let you off the hook!"

"A mole to the design world! You think you can get away with such blatant plagiarism just because you're Zac's brother? We'll teach you a lesson today!"

"Guys! Let's beat him up!"

Seeing they were all Zachary's fanatics, I quickly stepped back.

But it was too late. They threw rotten eggs and vegetables at me, covering me in a foul stench. People around us quickly scattered to avoid me.

The crowd grew bolder. Someone picked up a stone and hurled it at me.

The rock coming was larger than a fist. I knew there was no way to avoid it, so I closed my eyes, thinking that maybe it would be better to just die like this.

But the pain I expected never came. Judith jumped in front of me, shielding me. She then called for security to have the mob arrested.

Seeing the blood on her forehead, I felt a strange stir in my chest. "Your head…"

Judith quickly scanned my body. "Are you okay? The surgery is this afternoon. You can't afford to have any accidents now."

At that moment, the last shred of hope in me faded away completely.

I looked at her and forced a bitter smile. "Don't worry. I won't cause any delays for Zachary's transplant."

That afternoon, Zachary and I changed into blue surgical gowns and were wheeled into the operating room.

Mom, Dad, and Judith all surrounded Zachary, comforting him.

"Zac, don't be scared. We're all waiting outside. The surgery will be a success."

"Once you're better, I'll make your favorite truffle mushroom coup."

Judith pulled out a blue diamond watch. "Zac, this is the one you liked last time. I've already bought it. I'll give it to you when you're out."

No one cared about me, who was about to go into surgery as well. I should have been used to it, but my chest still twisted with a sharp ache.

Finally, I couldn't help but ask, "If I die on the operating table, would any of you be sad?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, all three of them gave me an annoyed look.

"Stanley, it's just a kidney! You're not going to die!"

"Even with one kidney, you'll be fine. Stop pretending to be pitiful!"

"I've hired the best medical team. You'll be fine. Now go do the surgery and stop making a fuss."

Amidst their rebukes, I entered the operating room without a second thought. The anesthesia was injected, and I felt the cold blade of the scalpel cutting into my skin.

At the same time, I heard the system's final countdown in my ear.

"Five, four, three, two, one. Host termination successful."

I hoped I'd never meet them again in my next life.