Chapter 3

I bought the ticket, and sure enough, I won.

After taxes, about forty thousand dollars cleared in my bank account.

I transferred a thousand dollars to Skyler to cover her school dorm and meals for the remaining month.

With decent sleep, her energy levels skyrocketed. She had missed a lot of classes, so while I tutored her, I also solidified my own knowledge.

Just like that, a month flew by.

On the days of the finals, I performed perfectly. I chose the same university I went to in my past life—not only because I knew the professors and the curriculum, but also because I missed my old college friends.

Skyler performed incredibly well, scoring high enough to get into a good state university.

When choosing her college, she picked one very close to mine.

In our parents' eyes, having both sons get into college was a miracle. They immediately decided to throw a massive backyard graduation BBQ, inviting all our relatives.

That day, I finally tasted the joy of being the neglected sibling.

My parents had always ignored the younger son. During the party, they swarmed around Tyler—who now went by Justin—completely ignoring me.

For the old Tyler, this neglect would have filled him with bitter jealousy.

But now, as I watched Tyler being treated like a king in the center of the crowd, a cold smile played on my lips.

Free things always come with a hidden price.

The higher they put him on a pedestal now, and the more expectations my parents loaded onto him, the harder and more painful his fall would be.

This was a lesson I had learned through my own blood and tears.

Soon, Tyler and I moved to our respective colleges. Skyler’s campus was nearby, and she kept in touch, occasionally coming over to hang out.

To pay for her expenses, Skyler worked part-time at a local cafe and was always busy.

Tyler, on the other hand, was living the frat-boy dream. He skipped classes, stayed out all night, and his name was constantly on the dean's warning list for failing grades.

One day, I went to the cafe where Skyler worked to drop off some lunch for her, and I ran into Tyler, who was there to buy coffee.

He had his arm wrapped around a gorgeous girl. She was wearing designer clothes and heavy makeup, clearly coming from a wealthy family.

I recognized her instantly. It was my ex-wife from my past life, Chloe Sterling.

"Well, look who it is! Hey, classmate," Tyler smirked, spotting Skyler first.

Then, his eyes landed on me, and his face lit up with absolute smugness. His expression clearly said: *Look, I took your hot, rich wife, and there's nothing you can do about it.*