The male housekeeper turned our entire home upside down. Every woman in the house—my mother, my sister—fell completely under his spell. They gave him everything, even the business my dad had built from the ground up.

The betrayal went deeper. My own girlfriend turned on me, stabbing me in the back to win his favor.

Their schemes finally went too far. They arranged a "car accident" that took my dad's life and mine.

But fate had other plans. We were reborn.

After three months away, I was finally home. I asked the house's male housekeeper, Jacob Miller, to give me a hand carrying my luggage upstairs.

Jacob hoisted the suitcase but had barely taken a few steps when—bang—the luggage crashed to the floor. He clutched his wrist, wincing in pain.

The noise startled the three women on the sofa. They jumped up and rushed toward him, surrounding him with frantic questions, fussing as if he were about to shatter. They scrambled for ointment, massaging his wrist with careful fingers, treating him like fragile porcelain.

Come to think of it, Jacob's mother used to work for our family. She often brought young Jacob along when she came to help. Tragically, she passed away in a car accident. Out of sympathy, my dad kept him in our household and even paid for his education.

Once Jacob had calmed down, the three women finally remembered to greet me—the one who'd been gone for three months.

My sister, Megan, glared at me like I'd personally offended her. "Did you break your hand? Can't you carry your own luggage?"

My mother, Linda, scolded me. "How could you be so thoughtless? Don't you know Jacob has an old injury and can't lift heavy things?"

Even my girlfriend, Chloe, shot me a look of pure disappointment. "I'm really losing faith in you."

Jacob, ever the smooth talker, played the hero. "It's fine, don't blame Jack. He's been away for months—of course I should help him."

His words made the three women swoon even more, their pity-filled eyes now glancing my way with thinly veiled disdain.

Just then, my dad, Richard, walked in and took in the scene. We exchanged a knowing glance—a silent, understanding look.

Jacob was a total player. Because of him, in my last life, these three women broke me down and left me depressed.

My dad, trying to care for me, handed the company over to my mother and sister. But in the end, the business he'd built from nothing was gifted to Jacob.

As for my girlfriend, she stabbed me in the back when my dad and I needed her most.

Eventually, overwhelmed with worry, my dad lost focus while driving, and we were both killed in an accident.

But thankfully, we were both reborn.

Now, sitting on the sofa, we leisurely watched the three women cluster around Jacob, buzzing over him like bees around honey.

My dad leaned close and whispered, "How about we take a little revenge this time?"

I smiled. "Great idea."

My dad had reserved a private room at the hotel to welcome me back and celebrate my return. My mother and sister insisted on inviting Jacob, saying it would be too pitiful to leave him home alone. When Chloe heard he was coming, she didn't hesitate—she brought her parents along as well.

At the table, my mom and sister eagerly competed to serve Jacob first.

"Jacob, your wrist is injured. Let me get that for you."

"Don't worry about a thing. Just eat more."

Chloe was even quicker, snatching the dish I was about to serve and placing it in Jacob's bowl before I could move.

I was so irritated I could only laugh bitterly, setting my fork down hard on the table.

Her parents clearly noticed my displeasure and nudged her subtly.

"Why don't you serve some for Jack, too?"

But Chloe shot me an impatient glare and snapped, "Jack, who exactly are you trying to impress? You're being so petty—I'm really starting to wonder if we're even compatible."

My dad calmly dropped a large chicken drumstick into my bowl and said in a neutral tone, "Yeah… maybe you're not."

Chloe pretended not to care, but I noticed her parents' expressions stiffen. Her father's face darkened as he scolded her harshly.

"Chloe! How can you speak to Jack like that?"

Immediately, the atmosphere at the table tightened.

That's when Jacob sprang into action. He stood up, smiling,

"Jack, this soup is really fresh. Let me get you a bowl."

Before I could respond, he picked up an empty bowl and ladled a spoonful of soup. As he weaved past the others to hand it to me, he stumbled slightly, and the scalding soup sloshed over the edge, landing squarely on his hand.

His skin immediately reddened.

Panicked, Jacob pressed his hand to his own wrist and scrambled to apologize.

"I'm so sorry, Jack! I didn't mean it. I didn't know your foot would be there when I walked by. I… I just wanted to lighten the mood. Really, I'm so sorry."

He hurriedly grabbed a napkin, trying to wipe the soup off my pants. I waved him off—it was too awkward to let him do that.

But in the next second, my mom and sister rushed to surround him.

Chloe, equally flustered, checked his injury while glaring at me.

"Jack! This space is huge, and you deliberately stuck your foot out to trip Jacob, didn't you? How could you be so cruel?"

I sneered inwardly. With all this space, how did he manage to trip over my foot?

Just as my mom and sister were about to pile on with their accusations, my dad slammed his fork onto the table with a deafening crack.

The previously noisy private room fell instantly silent.

The reason was simple: this household was still run by my dad, and no one dared challenge his authority—at least, not yet.

As for Chloe's family business, it depended on my dad's company to survive and grow.

First, my dad made sure I hadn't been burned. Then he pulled me to my feet and turned to Jacob, his expression ice-cold.

"You can't even handle something this simple; there's no reason for you to continue working in my house. You're an adult now—you can be independent."

Jacob looked at me with heartbreak written all over his face. My mom, unable to stand it, immediately began to plead on his behalf.

"Honey, you can't be so hard on Jacob. Clearly, this is Jake's fault…"

"I decide whether Jake is in the right or wrong!" My dad cut her off sharply, his tone leaving no room for argument.

My mom went silent immediately. After all, if she really angered my dad, there'd be no more life of luxury for her.

Then my sister chimed in, trying to defend him.

"Dad, Jacob's been with us so long… how can you just kick him out?"

"Did we do wrong by taking in an orphan? Or by paying him a salary and funding his education?" My dad countered, his commanding presence suddenly filling the room.

I silently gave him a mental thumbs-up.

My sister stammered for a while, unable to come up with a reply.

Chloe, however, was sharper. She didn't confront my dad directly. Instead, she turned her attack on me.

"Jack, when someone makes a mistake, they have to own up to it. I don't want my future husband to be so clueless."

I shrugged nonchalantly.

"I'm not marrying you, so why should I care?"

Chloe was momentarily speechless, and I couldn't help but notice her parents' expressions darken in shock.

That meal ended in a tense, awkward silence. My dad drove me to another hotel.

"Come on. I want you to meet someone important."

Having been given a second chance at life, my dad's first priority was to strengthen me—hence my three-plus months of interning out of town.

When we entered the private room, my dad's longtime friend, Benji Harmon, and his family were waiting. They had been partners with our company and had helped us significantly in my previous life.

"Ah! Finally, you're here!" Benji greeted me with a beaming smile. "Jack, you're getting more handsome every day! Right, sweetie?"

He motioned for me to sit next to Carmen Harmon, giving her a knowing glance.

The lively young woman raised an eyebrow and smiled at me.

After the meal, my dad and Benji playfully insisted that I escort Carmen home.

I glanced helplessly at my dad, who only smiled and waved me off.

Carmen didn't object, so I politely opened the passenger door for her.

I had been childhood playmates with Carmen, but she went abroad to study. Then I met Chloe, and for several years we had lost contact.

The car ride was silent for a while, until Carmen finally broke the awkwardness. "I heard you're going to join your father's company?"

I glanced at her as we waited at a red light. The neon lights outside cast a glow across her profile, making her look even more stunning.

"Yes. That's right," I nodded.

"Then I look forward to working with you." She extended her hand.

I froze for a second. "What do you mean?" But instinctively, I took it.

"Who knows? We might end up on the same project."

Carmen blinked and let a mysterious, teasing smile curve her lips.