Chapter 2

I thought I would never get my revenge. But the heavens gave me a second chance.

I was reborn as Vance’s father. This new identity was almost too perfect.

I swore to myself that I would make those two monsters pay in blood.

Bringing my mind back to the present, I looked at the woman lying on the bed.

Madeline Carter. Arthur’s wife, and Vance’s biological mother. She was in her early forties, but because of her immense wealth, she spent a fortune on skincare and wellness. Her skin was as smooth as a baby's. If someone told me she was in her late twenties, I would have believed them.

A dark, vengeful idea sparked in my mind.

With a cold, unreadable expression, I walked straight toward the bed.

"Arthur, what are you doing?"

"What do you think?" A slow smirk crept onto my face, my eyes burning with a wild desire for revenge.

"Arthur, you have an early meeting tomorrow. Don't push yourself!"

"Don't call me Arthur. Call me 'hubby'."

*Vance, you took everything from me. It’s time I collect some interest from your mother first.*

That night, I unleashed all my bottled-up hatred and fury onto Vance's mother.

The next morning, Madeline gently shook me awake.

"Honey, time to get up. You have an executive board meeting to attend."

I opened my eyes groppily to see her gorgeous face, glowing with a radiant blush. Her voice was dripping with tenderness.

From Arthur’s memories, I knew this old bastard had cared about nothing but his business and sleeping with his secretaries. He hadn't touched his wife in years.

Last night had been like rain after a decade-long drought for Madeline. She was absolutely thrilled.

Hearing the word "meeting," I yawned. My first instinct was to get dressed and go to the office, but then I remembered—I wasn't actually Arthur. Why should I care about some stupid corporate meeting?

Arthur had built a business empire worth billions, and now, all of it belonged to me. This was a level of wealth I couldn't even dream of in my past life.

In my last life, I lived like a dog. In this life, with so much money, why shouldn't I just lie back and enjoy it?

Besides, I had a cheating wife and a murderous stepson to torture. I didn't have time to deal with spreadsheets.

Without a second thought, I pulled Madeline back into my arms and lied smoothly, "Sweetheart, all these years, I poured my soul into the company and neglected this home. I neglected you. So, I’ve decided to take a long break. I want to focus all my energy on you..."

Madeline froze, looking at me in utter disbelief. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Honey... do you really mean that?"

Though Madeline had all the luxury in the world, she had been incredibly lonely, both emotionally and physically. This promise was the greatest gift she could ever receive.

She still couldn't quite believe it, but when I called my assistant and cancelled all my meetings indefinitely, her doubts vanished.

Overwhelmed with joy, she pulled me down and rewarded me passionately.

I had to admit, Vance... you had a wonderful mother.

Because of Madeline's enthusiasm, breakfast was out of the question.

We didn't get out of bed until two in the afternoon. Madeline went downstairs to cook lunch.

It was just the two of us.

My useless "son," Vance, wasn't home.

As a spoiled trust-fund brat, he got hundreds of thousands of dollars in allowance every month. He spent his days partying, getting drunk, and staying out all night. He lived like a king.

I pulled out my phone and did the first order of business: I froze every single one of his credit cards. He wasn't getting another dime from me.

Not even ten minutes later, my phone rang. It was Vance, his voice frantic and panicked.

"Dad! Why is my card declined? You need to unfreeze it right now! I just had lunch with my girlfriend, and the bill is twenty thousand dollars. They won't let me leave without paying!"

Hearing my mortal enemy call me "Dad" sent a rush of pure, vengeful ecstasy through my veins.

I sneered into the phone. "What are you crying about? I froze your cards on purpose."

Silence fell over the line for a few seconds before Vance completely lost his mind. "What?! Dad, why would you do that?!"

Adopting the persona of a stern, angry father, I roared into the receiver, "You ungrateful little piece of garbage! You dare ask me why? Do you think I don't know about the disgusting things you've been doing?"

"I am not unfreezing your cards. Figure out how to pay the bill yourself. If you can't, sell one of your kidneys on the black market. That should cover it!"

Without waiting for a reply, I slammed the phone down.

Visualizing Vance’s humiliated, panicked face on the other end of the line made me shudder with pure joy.

*You piece of trash, you're finally in my hands. The road is long, and I’m going to make your life a living hell. Good son, daddy has so many special shows prepared for you.*