Jeff's expression was a mix of worry and gentleness, but his words felt like a death sentence.

"You disgraceful son!"

No sooner had Jeff's words faded than our father, Thomas Cunningham, slapped me across the face.

The sting left a metallic bitterness in my mouth.

"What did Jeff ever do to you that you'd treat him like this? If we hadn't taken you in, clothed and fed you, you'd still be slaving away in an orphanage! You thankless traitor!"

Alice's words were filled with venom, her anger erasing any memory that I was their flesh and blood, the son they had lost and found after so many years.

"I know Kelvin hates me for stealing the life that was supposed to be his, but I never aspired to be the Cunningham family's heir. All I wanted was to be with Wynnie and to sometimes bask in the warmth of our parents' love. If Kelvin can't accept me, then I'll just have to leave."

Jeff's voice was tinged with defeat as he turned to leave, but Wynnie's grip on his wrist stopped him in his tracks.

"Don't you dare say that. The one who should be leaving isn't you! As the future heir to the Gibson Group, I declare that if anyone other than Jeff marries into the Gibson family, the Cunninghams won't see a dime of our investment ever again!"

Wynnie's declaration was ironclad.

With a second chance at life, she longed to give Jeff everything she never could before.

However, it took me back to our early days of marriage.

She had whispered to me back then that her love for me was the reason for our union.

We dreamed of a brood of bright, beautiful kids, but she had a company to steady.

Winnie had no time for the distraction of pregnancy.

For her, I had swallowed my pride and mingled in circles I despised.

For her, I had endured surgeries that wrecked my body, all because of her whims.

I was like an eagle that fell into the trap, my wings stuck, falling without strength.

"Kelvin, get over here and apologize to Jeff! If you're truly sorry and vow to stop antagonizing him, we might let you stay, but you're out of the Cunningham house for now. Find somewhere else to live."

My parents offered that as if it were a generous compromise.

To me, it was a joke.

I had done nothing wrong from the start, yet I was supposed to apologize to Jeff, the one who had set me up.

"I did nothing wrong!"

I spelled it out for them, each word deliberate.

Apparently, my defiance was too much for them. They lost all patience and snapped.

"If you're so set on leaving, then you're leaving everything behind. Those clothes you're wearing were bought with Cunningham money, right? Strip them off!"

I could not help but let a wry smile across my face. Without a word, I began peeling off my clothes.

In the dead of winter, the front door stood ajar, letting the biting cold wind whip through, sending shivers down my spine. My exposed skin quickly turned a frostbitten shade of blue and purple, a chill that paled in comparison to the ache in my heart.

Down to my undergarments, I tossed the clothes to the floor, ready to walk away.

"Hey, what's in the suitcase?"

Jeff's casual reminder triggered something in our already enraged parents.

"Open that up too. You're not taking anything that belongs to the Cunninghams."

"If you don't want to be our son, if you don't want to be the Cunningham heir, then go back to being the nothing orphan you were!"

At their command, the servants snatched the suitcase from my grip.

They must have sensed my vulnerability since their movements were rough and careless.

My suitcase burst open and old clothes scattered everywhere. Among the mess, two cherished photo frames tumbled out.

One held a family portrait from when Wynnie and I got engaged.

The other was a photo frame of the late orphanage director who had raised me—the only person who had ever shown me kindness.

However, before I could even react, Jeff, quick as a flash, stomped down. His expensive custom-made shoes shattered the fragile glass with a sharp crack.

"No, please don't!"

I threw myself at Jeff, trying to grab the photo from under his feet, but ended up with his boot crushing my fingers instead.

Glass dug into my skin and blood began streaming out, but I could not worry about that.

I pulled my hand back, stinging with cuts, and shoved Jeff with all my might.

That was when I finally got the photo back, but it was all bent and dirty, covered in grime.

When I pushed Jeff and he stumbled, my dad lost it.

"You have the nerve to shove Jeff?! You know he's always been sickly!

"Get out! Just get out! From this moment on, you're dead to us, as if the Cunningham family never had a loser like you!"

They were prioritizing Jeff's safety, blind to my bleeding hand.

Only Wynnie, off to the side, saw my injuries and winced.

All I did was pick up the director's photo and clean it off. I did not even bother looking at the engagement photo of me and her on the ground.

I tucked the frameless photo away carefully, taking one last look at the family and the love of my previous life.

"The Cunningham family didn't raise me. It was the orphanage you looked down on. If you can't bear to lose Jeff, then act like I never came back. From now on, let's be strangers in this vast world."