My family has gone into bankruptcy ever since my parents have passed away. As such, my older sister, Priscilla Lennox, and I have to shoulder a million-dollar debt.

In order to pay off the debt, Priscilla works as a paranormal house tester, whereas I've taken on a part-time gig to act as a corpse in dramas and films.

Just like that, I keep working for five years straight. As long as the debt remains saddled on my shoulders, I dare not take a day off.

At the end of the year, I realize that I still need to collect 130 thousand dollars in order to clear the debt, so I decide to apply for a job as a drug tester.

Once the experiments are over, I head over to seek Priscilla out happily with my 130-thousand-dollar payment in tow.

Unexpectedly, I come across her when she's on a phone call.

"Mom, Dad, Perry has been doing really well. You two have fun overseas. He doesn't like spending money now, so we can end his punishment next year."

It turns out that my parents aren't dead, and my family isn't bankrupt at all. All the pain and suffering that I've gone through in the past five years is just a punishment for my excessive spending habits.

My smile freezes on my face. That's when I feel my stomach churning violently before I spit out a mouthful of blood.

"Think this through carefully. Once the contract is signed, we aren't responsible for any complications that might arise."

That was the heads-up the pharmaceutical company gave me before the clinical trial.

The representative stressed it again and again. The contract we signed was legally binding.

After taking the dose, I'd be observed for five hours. If I walked out fine, they were clear of any liability for whatever happened to me afterward—even death.

At the time, all I could think about was giving my older sister, Priscilla Lennox, a decent New Year, so I signed my name without a second thought.

But now…

I looked down at the wad of cash in my hand, a wave of bitter irony washing over me.

I raised my hand and wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with my sleeve, then pushed the door open and stepped inside.

As soon as Priscilla realized I was back, she hurriedly ended the call. When she turned around, her eyes immediately landed on the blood staining my shirt.

"What happened?" she gasped.

Her expression shifted instantly. She rushed over in a few quick strides and grabbed my shoulders, frantically checking me for injuries.

I brushed her hands away, keeping my tone casual. "It's nothing. Just fake blood from the film set."

"Oh, thank God. I thought you were actually hurt."

She let out a sigh of relief.

Then, her gaze sharpened as she noticed the money in my hand.

"Where did this come from?" she asked, her voice dropping. "Perry, you didn't steal this, did you?"

My heart sank. Suddenly, it felt like I didn't know her at all.

Stealing? Was that really what she thought of me?

I clenched my fists, letting a long silence hang between us before I replied softly, "The director handed out New Year's bonuses to the crew."

She frowned, her suspicion lingering. "A bonus in straight cash?"

"Just tell me—do you want it or not?" I snapped, shooting her an irritated look. "You said we only had 130 grand left on the debt. This covers it. If you don't want it, fine. I'll give it back."

She fell silent for a moment before finally reaching out and putting it away. "I'll go pay off the debt tomorrow," she murmured.

Then, she forced a change of subject. "What do you want for dinner? I'll make something."

I looked around the room. It was a tiny studio apartment, barely 320 square feet—small enough to take in at a single glance.

It was sparse, furnished only with a wardrobe, a bed, and a cramped bathroom.

There was no kitchen, and we had to prepare our meals on the coffee table.

The ten-buck electric skillet had been going strong for five years. Its cord had shorted out twice, but Priscilla had simply patched it up with black electrical tape.

Out of nowhere, I asked, "Priscilla, aren't you tired of this?"

She looked back at me with a smile. "Not at all. My job is actually pretty easy. I just have to lie there."

Then her smile faltered. "But Perry… all these years… you must be exhausted, right?"

What I really wanted to ask was whether she was tired of the act. With a family fortune worth billions, we could have been living like royalty. Yet she chose to scrape by like this just to punish me.

Wasn't she exhausted by the charade?

But she clearly didn't catch my drift.

Fine. I'd be more blunt.

I looked her straight in the eye. "Priscilla, do you really think I'm a big spender?"

I still couldn't wrap my head around why they thought I was such a spendthrift.

Sure, my family was loaded, but I never really cared for designer labels or luxury goods. Nothing I ever bought had cost more than a couple of grand.

Compared to the other trust-fund brats in Seaville, I was practically a saint.

Priscilla's expression stiffened. "Why would you ask that? You're so much better now."

"What do you mean 'now'?" I pushed, refusing to let it go. "What about before?"

She furrowed her brow. "Back when Mom and Dad were still around, you had no concept of the value of a dollar. They built everything from the ground up. They started as farmers. Even I had to account for every cent I spent."

She sighed, her eyes searching mine. "But you? You'd pester them for birthday presents that cost thousands. Don't you think that's a bit much?"

I took two steps toward her, getting worked up. "We can easily afford it! Is spending over a grand on a phone really such a crime? What's the point of making money if I can't even have that?"

Her face clouded over. "Listen to yourself. It's just a phone. Any cheaper model would have worked just fine, but you were vain, always trying to keep up with the Joneses. That's why you were always asking for this and that."

She gestured to our cramped surroundings. "You've had nothing for the last five years, and look at you. Haven't you gotten by just fine?"

I stared at her in disbelief. The blood in my veins felt like it had turned to ice.

Fine? In her eyes, had these past five years really been "fine" for me?

I'd spent every day playing a corpse, begging directors for more scenes just to scrape together an extra 50 bucks. Sometimes I was sprawled in the mud; sometimes I was face-down in foul drainage ditches. I'd lie there, motionless, for ten hours at a stretch.

My old archenemy, Matthew Logan, had seen how far I'd fallen and seized every chance to mess with me, but I had no way to fight back.

Just so Priscilla and I could have a decent New Year, I'd even signed up for a clinical trial. I still had no idea what those experimental chemicals were doing to my body.

Did she really think I'd been getting by just fine?

A twisting pain seized my stomach again, and Matthew's words came back to me.

"You're a moron, Perry. You brought all of this on yourself. I'm going to follow you wherever you go. Whatever set you're on, I'll be there. My family has enough money to buy my way onto any production I want. For the next five years, I'm going to make your life a living hell."

A sudden chill shot through me, making my hair stand on end.

Five years. Why did he say exactly five years? Did Matthew know something too?

My gut told me that Priscilla was hiding even more than she was letting on.

I balled my fists, suppressing the urge to confront her right then and there. "Fine. I'll change."

Priscilla set the dishes down and patted my head, looking relieved. "That's more like it. Eat dinner on your own. I have to head to work."

I just nodded.

After dinner, Priscilla left for work.

Once she left, I waited a few minutes before putting on a mask and cap. I slipped out the door, following her at a distance.

As soon as she cleared the run-down neighborhood, she stepped to the curb and made a quick call. Less than five minutes later, a sleek black Maybach pulled up right in front of her.

Once she got in the car, I quickly hailed a cab to tail her.

…

Half an hour later, she walked into an upscale restaurant.

I waited five minutes before slipping inside and finding a table directly behind hers.

Nerves got the better of me. I kept my head down, not daring to look at who was sitting across from her. But the moment I heard the voice from the other side of the table, I froze.

"Priscilla, I've been messing with Perry just like you asked. He's been a real good boy lately, hasn't he?"

It was Matthew!

"Exactly. Only by suffering out there will Perry finally realize that money doesn't grow on trees," Priscilla said, her voice flat, as if she were discussing the most ordinary thing in the world.

"And as a thank you," she continued, "I'll look after your family's business interests. But we can't let Perry find out yet. Once my parents are back from abroad after the New Year, I'll fill them in."

Her words hit me like a punch. My breath hitched, and my heart nearly stopped.

A waitress came by to take my order, but I didn't dare make a sound. I just pointed randomly at the menu, my hand trembling, and gestured for her to leave quickly before Priscilla noticed me.

Matthew's voice was dripping with artificial sweetness. "Priscilla, isn't it exhausting? Telling Perry you're off doing haunted-house sleep tests when you're actually just taking the long way home every night? Why didn't you just go abroad with your parents in the first place?" he asked.

Another wave of shock crashed over me.

So the haunted-house gig Priscilla told me about was a lie too. While I was struggling, she was hiding from me and retreating to the comfort of our home every night.

Had I been the only one suffering through this hell for the last five years?

Priscilla sighed. "Perry is my brother. I couldn't bear to leave him alone in the country. Besides, even though the company moved overseas, we'll be bringing it back eventually."

She added, her voice tinged with a touch of melancholy, "The five-year punishment we set back then has flown by in the blink of an eye. Time really flies."

Did time really fly? I gave a bitter, silent chuckle.

For me, every single day of those five years had been torture.

Playing a corpse wasn't as easy as it sounded. At Matthew's instigation, I was always assigned to the filthiest, most grueling spots. Whether the wind howled or the rain poured, I had to remain perfectly still.

Over time, I'd developed a chronic chill in my bones. Back and leg pain had become part of my daily routine.

And to them, all of this was just a "punishment". How ridiculous!

"Matthew, you've worked hard these past five years too. Take this as a token of my appreciation."

The conversation at the table across from me continued as Priscilla handed Matthew an exquisite gift box.

He opened it and let out a delighted gasp. "Whoa, this watch is incredible!"

My heart plummeted to the depths of despair. That was the exact watch I had asked Mom and Dad to buy me five years ago.

They had refused at the time, telling me it was far too expensive. I hadn't been obsessed with it, so I eventually just let it go.

But looking back now, that watch was likely the catalyst for my five-year sentence.

But why? With a family fortune worth billions, why was I subjected to five years of misery just for wanting a watch?

Why could Matthew, whose family wasn't nearly as well-off as mine, get whatever he wanted with ease?

Was I spoiled? Was I disobedient?

I had been a well-behaved child my whole life, never once defying them. Why did I have to suffer like this?

My emotions finally broke loose, and I couldn't hold back anymore. I slammed my hand onto the table and shot to my feet.

Every head in the restaurant snapped toward me—including Priscilla's. She turned around, the color draining from her face instantly.

"Perry? What are you doing here?" she blurted.