Beating the System

“Since you’re my fiancée, I’ll spend every day with you from now on. Okay?”

Maddie’s body suddenly stiffened. She stared at me with her dark eyes, then smiled.

“Okay.”

From the comments scrolling across my vision, I learned that I was living inside a novel and was the “cannon-fodder supporting male”.

Maddie was the “female lead”, and the Zimmermans’ real heir, Blaine, was the “male lead”.

The corner of my mouth twitched. Then I spoke, testing the waters.

“Since I’ve returned, shouldn’t the fake one, Blaine, return to his original family?

“He must miss his biological parents, too, right?”

The moment I said that, Mr. Zimmerman’s expression stiffened, and Maddie’s face changed as well.

The comments exploded instantly.

[If the male lead goes back to that devil’s house, he’ll definitely be tortured! Just thinking about it makes my heart ache!]

[The supporting guy really thinks he’s somebody now. He was just recognized by the family! Even if he’s the biological son, how could he be closer than the male lead they raised themselves? Besides, they’re only teasing you!]

[He must hate the male lead. He’s always been jealous of the male lead’s life. That’s why he asked something like that.]

I saw every word of those comments clearly. However, their mockery didn’t bother me one bit.

This time, they were wrong.

I didn’t hate Blaine. In fact, I was grateful to him.

After all, someone like me, born into a hellhole who had never received love in his life, got a good learning environment, regular meals, and a carefree life without being beaten or doing chores, all because of his jealousy.

I even got the chance to win the affection of a beauty like Maddie.

All of it was given to me by Blaine himself.

Before Mr. Zimmerman could speak, Maddie cut in and refused first.

“There’s no rush about that. Blaine is about to take the SATs. Changing his environment now wouldn’t be good for him…”

I smiled innocently.

“How come Blaine needs to take the SATs, but I don’t?”

Maddie paused for a moment, then smiled and took my hand. “You’re different.”

“Yes, you’re different,” Mr. Zimmerman chimed in from the side. “You’re my heir. Even if you don’t take the SATs, you’ll be wealthy and comfortable for the rest of your life.”

I nodded with a smile. “I’m really lucky.”

That evening, they brought me back to the Zimmerman residence.

I had a brand-new bedroom, one that belonged to me.

I had never had a room of my own before. Growing up, I lived in a tiny storage closet. It was windowless, dark, and damp, with mold spreading across the ceiling.

Whenever my mother got drunk and beat me while my father watched as if nothing was happening, I understood that studying was my only way out.

I worked hard, and I was talented.

Passages that other students had to memorize for hours, I could recite them perfectly after reading them just a few times.

I could infer the patterns and solve complicated math problems that confused others easily.

However, I also knew that in my family, being too good at studying was not a good thing.

When I ranked first in the entire state on the high school entrance exam and proudly showed my parents the results, I was met with a ruthless slap from my mother.

Holding a liquor bottle, she slurred drunkenly, “What are you so happy about? What’s the point of studying so much? Don’t expect me to pay for your high school!”

In the end, it was my middle school teacher who brought my high school acceptance letter and my scholarship papers to my house.

After repeatedly guaranteeing that I wouldn’t have to spend a single dollar in high school, my mother finally agreed to let me continue studying.

Even then, she still said coldly, “The moment you stop getting scholarships, you’re dropping out and going to work to make money!”

So I never dared to relax.

To keep my scholarship, I had to be first every year.

That was how Blaine ended up stuck in eternal second place.