Chapter 1

My brother thought my wife was gorgeous, sweet, and that my life was perfect in every way.

As the spoiled golden child of our family, his jealousy drove him insane. One night, in a fit of psychotic rage, he grabbed me and dragged me off the edge of a high-rise rooftop.

But instead of dying, we woke up to find we had traveled back in time—and swapped bodies. He was now me, and I was him.

Tyler used my early Ivy League admission to go to a top college. He used my identity to get close to my gorgeous wife, and he used my past successful business plans to pitch to big investors. He even swaggered in front of my face, trying to gloat. He thought I would be eating my heart out.

Little did he know, I was absolutely thrilled to swap lives with him.

My past life only looked glamorous on the surface. In reality, it was a total train wreck. Now that he had willingly jumped into the fire for me, I only had one thing to say to him: "Thanks for taking over my miserable life, bro!"

"Justin, you know what? I’ve hated you since we were kids. I envied everything you had—your smart brain, your smooth life, and your incredibly hot wife, Chloe. I always felt that if I were in your shoes, I’d live a much better life than you."

Hearing Tyler say this made me feel a wave of mixed emotions.

My brother, who I hadn't seen in ages, had suddenly asked to have a heart-to-heart drink with me. He set up a table on the rooftop of my apartment, bought some takeout wings, and started drinking beers with me.

After just a few cans, Tyler started whining like a broken record again, bringing up all the old family drama from years ago.

He honestly believed that if he became me, he would have a perfect life. But he had no idea that the pain and torment I went through were ten times worse than anything he could imagine.

I looked at him, wanting to tell him that life isn’t a simple trade. You don't magically get happy just by stealing someone else's life.

But what was the point of saying anything?

Faced with his near-manic, jealous glare, I just kept drinking, one cup after another.

All my bitterness was drowned in the alcohol.

Seeing that I remained silent, Tyler’s eyes grew bloodshot. He leaned in and whispered, "To be honest, Justin... I’m at the end of my rope."

"What do you mean?" The alcohol was hitting me hard, making my head spin.

"Everyone looks down on me! I just wanted to prove myself! I borrowed money to start a business, but I ended up in massive debt. To pay it off, I started gambling, and now... I owe a bunch of dangerous loan sharks..."

At this, Tyler’s face twisted into something monstrous.

He slammed his beer bottle onto the ground, shattering it. "It’s not fair! Why does everything go smoothly for you, while I’m always the loser? If I’m going down, I’m taking you with me!"

"What are you talking about? You're wasted..."

Before I could finish, Tyler lunged forward and grabbed me. That was when I noticed several fresh needle tracks on his arm!

Was this crazy bastard high on something?

Taking advantage of my drunken stumble, Tyler wrapped his arms tight around me and leaped off the rooftop!

"Hahaha! Die with me!" he screamed, laughing like a maniac.

The wind roared in my ears. In those final seconds of free fall, my mind snapped into sharp focus.

But it was too late.

I felt a pang of regret, but also a strange, overwhelming sense of relief. Then, I hit the ground, and my consciousness plunged into absolute darkness.

...

I don't know how much time passed before a familiar voice called out to me.

"Hey, wake up! Mr. Davis is coming!"

I opened my eyes and looked around. I was slumping over a wooden desk in a crowded classroom. I had traveled back to my high school days!

But why was I sitting in the very back row, right next to the trash can?

Just then, a guy in the front row stood up and turned around to look at me. It was my own high school face!

I looked down at my desk. The name scribbled on the textbook was *Tyler Miller*.

It took me a long moment to process what had happened. My brother Tyler and I had both reincarnated, and our souls had swapped bodies!

He smirked at me from across the room, his eyes full of smug triumph.

Clearly, Tyler had finally gotten the life he had always dreamed of. He must be throwing a party in his head right now.

But he had no idea that his nightmare was only just beginning.

"What are you staring at?"

The familiar voice spoke up again from next to me.

I turned my head. Sitting at the desk beside mine was Tyler’s future wife, Skyler Vance.

She had grown up in a poor trailer park on the outskirts of town. Her family was extremely broke. Even though our prep school was miles away, she had to commute every day because she couldn't afford the boarding fees or meal plans. She also had to work a grueling night shift at a local diner to help her family pay rent.

I remembered hearing that she only got three to four hours of sleep a night, trying to survive on short naps during study hall.

Even though Skyler studied like crazy, her grades were always terrible.

After all, human energy is limited. When you're running on zero sleep, how can you focus in class? She never had time to finish her homework at night, so she was constantly getting reprimanded by teachers and had been banished to the back row with the slackers.

Back in high school, Skyler was actually quite pretty in a cute, natural way, but the old Tyler always mocked her for being "trailer trash." He hated her permanent dark circles and said she was embarrassing to be seen with.

He preferred those popular, heavily-makeup-wearing girls or the edgy chicks who sneaked into VIP clubs.

Later on, for some reason, the two of them ended up together and got married.

During that time, I was busy at college, so I didn't know much about how Tyler and Skyler’s relationship actually played out.

Right now, I rubbed my temples, keeping my emotions in check. I let out a soft laugh and said, "Nothing."

Tyler’s original life was actually much easier and happier than mine.

Since he didn't appreciate it, I was more than happy to take it!

The college entrance exams were just a month away. With my Ivy League-level brain and knowledge, reviewing the high school material was going to be a breeze.

But Tyler had slacked off and partied for three straight years. Even if you gave him another three years, he’d have to start from scratch—let alone now, with only a month left!

The turning point of our lives was here again.