Project delays meant I was scrambling onto a plane the very day of my son’s engagement party. Killing time on the flight, I was scrolling through short videos when I accidentally clicked into a live stream from a popular influencer. To my shock, it was the engagement party at my own villa. “So lucky to witness the engagement of a wealthy heir! What an eye-opener!” the streamer gushed. Seeing our familiar mansion, draped in festive red decorations and bustling with activity, I was overwhelmed. Tears welled up. But as I wiped them away, a young man I didn’t recognize appeared on screen. The style of his suit was uncannily familiar—it was clearly the bespoke tux I’d commissioned from a top European tailor, exclusively for my son. Confused, I immediately dialed my son’s cell, but it went straight to voicemail. Frowning, I looked back at the live stream. In a shadowy corner, I saw him – my son, Alex – slumped on the floor. His shirt was stained with blood, and someone was casually using him as a footrest. I was horrified. Just then, the unfamiliar young man on screen helped a middle-aged man onto the stage and announced loudly, “Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome my father, Mr. Peterson, Chairman of the Peterson Group, to say a few words.” My fists clenched, rage boiling inside me. He dared call himself Chairman Peterson? Then who the hell was I, the actual chairman? 1 The moment the plane landed, my secretary greeted me with a bouquet, her face a mask of sycophancy. “Mr. Cao, congratulations on the successful project wrap-up!” I’d barely taken the flowers when a local trending news alert popped up on my phone. I tapped it open. It was some vlogger live-streaming an engagement party – and the location was my villa. Eagerly anticipating my son’s appearance, I instead saw a completely unfamiliar face on screen. Even more shockingly, the man was wearing the high-end, custom-made suit I’d spent a fortune on, the one with the subtle pattern woven with pure gold thread. I’d recognize that unique luxury anywhere. Deeply puzzled, I quickly called my wife. Her voice came through, a noisy din in the background. “Honey, don’t worry about a thing, just focus on your work trip! Everything with Alex is perfectly arranged! That suit you got him? He looks incredibly handsome in it. And all those engagement gifts you prepared, I’ve given them to him. He absolutely loves them! Gotta go, my dear, our daughter-in-law is calling me. Talk later!” Before I could utter a word, she hung up. Staring at the live stream, the pit in my stomach deepened. What on earth was going on? I sent the streamer several large virtual gifts, and sure enough, I soon received an invitation to join their private fan chat. I immediately typed: “Excuse me, who is the young man whose engagement is being live-streamed right now?” The streamer was clearly online, but there was no reply. Impatient, I initiated a voice call, only to be awkwardly refused. “Sorry, this is the Peterson family’s young master’s engagement. I can’t disclose any other information!” It seemed I wouldn’t get answers from the streamer. I switched tactics and called my son’s supervisor. Alex was currently gaining experience at a partner company, reportedly doing very well. I planned to entrust him with the family business in the future. After a long wait, the call finally connected, only to be met with Mr. Wallace’s sneer. “Are you Mr. Cao’s butler? Mr. Cao Sr. was kind enough to give your son a job, and how does he repay him? By being late or leaving early almost every day! So unreliable! Now, look at Chairman Peterson’s son, diligently working at our company, exceptionally capable – miles better than your boy!” With that, he hung up. I gripped my phone, trembling with rage, a tight pain constricting my chest. My own son… when did he become the butler’s son? 2 It didn’t take long for me to get back to the villa. The moment I reached the entrance, the staff member greeting guests saw me, and a look of clear astonishment flashed across his face. “Sir, what… what are you doing back so suddenly?” I gave the assembled crowd a cold, sweeping glance, tossed my suitcase to a servant, and strode into the house. As I stepped inside, Laura rushed towards me, her expression frantic. There was a hidden unease in her eyes as she urgently grabbed my arm, trying to pull me back outside. I stood firm, letting her tug, but my gaze caught a fresh red mark on her neck. Noticing my stare, Laura hastily pulled at her collar, trying to conceal it. Seeing her evasive eyes, I scoffed, “A mosquito bite?” Laura nodded quickly, instinctively touching the red mark, and explained in a low voice, “Alex had me helping with the engagement party preparations lately. I was so exhausted I fell asleep in the yard and a mosquito got me.” I feigned belief, nodding. Then I pulled out my phone and opened the live stream I’d been watching earlier. Though the stream had ended, a familiar profile picture stood out in the streamer’s ‘followed’ list. Clicking on the account, the feed was filled with photos of luxury cars and expensive watches—all gifts I had bought for my son. But the owner of this account wasn’t Alex; it was some young guy I didn’t know. Strangely, he was flaunting these things online, presenting himself as the son of the Cao Group’s chairman. I glanced at Laura and held the phone screen up to her. “Alright then, care to explain why the carefully selected gifts I bought for Alex have ended up in the hands of the butler’s son?” “Or did Alex willingly give them away?” That’s right. The middle-aged man who had taken my place on stage in the live stream was none other than our butler, Jenkins. He was even a distant cousin of mine. I’d only recently learned that his son was the same age as mine. Seeing the video, Laura’s expression turned to panic, and she instinctively took two steps back. She hesitated, glanced at me, then bit her lip and finally spoke in a hushed tone: “Actually, Alex… he wasn’t really interested in the things you bought, so he gave them to Dean.” After all these years with Laura, how could I not know what was going on in her mind? I stepped closer, forcing Laura to meet my gaze. “Then why has Alex been late and leaving early, neglecting his work?” Laura’s eyes darted around, clearly trying to come up with a plausible excuse. After a long pause, she finally said: “Your son just can’t sit still. He never wants to stay put at the company, that’s why he’s always late or ducking out early!” I looked at her deceitful face and couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh, pushing her aside. “Don’t even think about trying to fool me. You know the consequences if you do!” My eyes were hard as I said it. I had raised my son, given him a generous allowance every year, and personally taught him how to manage finances. He was no incompetent, spoiled rich kid. After the old butler passed away a few years ago, I specifically brought Jenkins over from my hometown to take his place. Then, I went overseas for business negotiations, leaving Laura to manage domestic affairs temporarily. I never imagined I’d inadvertently nurtured a snake in my own house. But now that I was back, whether they were wolves or tigers, they’d have to heel. 3 I strode into the villa. The engagement party was winding down, and most of the guests had already left. As I entered the living room, I saw my son, Alex, sitting on the sofa and called out directly: “Alex, what are you doing just sitting here?” Alex Cao froze for a moment, then turned to look at me, calling out a soft, timid, “Dad.” I wasn’t sure if it was my imagination, but it felt like there was an added layer of grievance in his voice when he called me. Even his body couldn’t stop a slight tremble, as if he’d encountered something terrifying. My son was my entire world; I couldn’t tolerate any harm coming to him. With that thought, I hurried over and looked him up and down. But Alex’s gaze darted everywhere, refusing to make eye contact with me. He had clearly lost a lot of weight; his arms were almost fleshless. A pang of distress hit me, and I gently touched his arm and back. Unexpectedly, Alex suddenly turned pale and cried out in fear. My heart clenched. I pulled up his shirt and was horrified to see his body covered in black and blue bruises. Forcing down my fury, I kept my voice low: “Alex, tell Dad clearly, what exactly happened?” Alex cowered, glancing at me cautiously, and was about to speak when a young man suddenly appeared and interrupted. “Alex Cao, you useless piece of crap, what are you spacing out for? Hurry up and get Sarah’s bathwater ready!” With that, he grabbed my son’s ear and yanked it hard. I saw Alex’s ear turn bright red and angrily demanded: “Who are you? What right do you have to give orders in my house!” If I remembered correctly, during the live stream, he was the one wearing my son’s bespoke suit. The young man glanced at me, sneered contemptuously, and suddenly shoved Alex to the ground. “This is my house. Who are you, some beggar? Get the hell out of here!” “Alex Cao, if you dawdle and annoy me again, you’ll get a taste of my whip later!” As the man spoke, he raised his fist to hit Alex in the face but was stopped in time by the butler. The butler, Jenkins, angrily kicked the young man, then hurried over to me to apologize. “Sir, this useless thing is my son. It’s all my fault for not teaching him better! I’m truly sorry!” With that, he grabbed the young man by the ear and dragged him out. Only after the butler left the room did my son’s complexion improve slightly. He curled himself into a ball, his hands instinctively protecting his vital areas, as if it were a long-ingrained habit. Was he… could he actually be afraid of them? But Alex was supposed to be the master of this house. Seeing my son’s helpless fear, I sighed softly and urged him to go to his room and rest. Alex was born prematurely and had always been frail. I had doted on him and protected him all these years. But it seemed to have made him more timid, unwilling to confide in me even when he was wronged. I stayed in Alex’s room until he fell soundly asleep before getting up to find Sarah Wang. She was the daughter-in-law I had carefully chosen. Now, it seemed perhaps I was getting old, and my judgment wasn’t what it used to be. When I called Sarah to the study, her eyes showed a hint of panic as she looked at me. I drummed my fingers absently on the desk, my expression grave as I fixed my gaze on her and began to question her slowly. “You need to tell me clearly, what exactly happened today? What is your relationship with that man? Who is he, really?” My mind was filled with suspicion. A trace of confusion appeared in Sarah’s eyes. She fell silent, seemingly afraid to look me directly in the eye. But seeing my increasingly stern expression, she finally mustered the courage to confess the whole truth. Only then did I understand the torment and suffering my son had endured after I left home. Not only had I been kept completely in the dark, but I had also indirectly pushed him into an abyss! 4 The star of today’s engagement ceremony wasn’t Alex at all; it was the butler’s son. Before the party even officially began, Alex was pinned to the ground by a group of people and given a brutal beating. When Dean Peterson, the butler’s son, saw the expensive suit Alex was wearing, he didn’t hesitate to strip it off him. Sarah tried to intervene but was viciously kicked twice by Dean. “You two are nothing but animals under my thumb! Alex Cao, you’re not worthy of wearing this suit! And I can ‘enjoy’ your wife for you too!” “Today is my big day. You just lie there on the ground and be my auspicious footstool, soak up some of my good luck!” After his declaration, he immediately ordered his lackeys to hold Alex imóvel on the floor, repeatedly grinding their feet on him. He even brazenly stuck his hand inside Sarah’s clothes, humiliating her publicly. Seeing this, a few of Dean’s cronies joined in, frequently stomping on Alex, adding new injuries to his body. Listening to how that man had treated my son, a cold smile played on my lips. I would retaliate with the harshest methods, to make him understand the price of taking what belongs to others. The next morning, when I got up, Alex was already in the dining room eating breakfast. But when Dean Peterson appeared, Alex began to tremble involuntarily, clearly showing an instinctive fear of him. Jenkins, the butler, noticed the displeasure on my face and immediately urged his son to leave for work. “Hurry up and have the driver take you! You’ll get docked pay if you’re late!” I raised an eyebrow at the butler. He had long since grown accustomed to giving his son all the family’s resources. “You both work at the same company, yet the driver is specifically sent to take an outsider, while the true young master has to make his own way?” “Jenkins, if you can’t distinguish between primary and secondary, then you don’t need to continue working here! I don’t want to see you again when I return!” With that, I arranged for my bodyguard to drive Alex and me to the company. The moment I stepped into the office, I noticed Miller’s employees gossiping about my son. “Look, the bastard son of the mistress actually showed up on time today. And he has the nerve to ride in the legitimate son’s car. Shameless!” “If you ask me, the young master is too lenient with him. Maybe I should teach him a lesson!” Shortly after, one of them deliberately bumped into my son, spilling his iced tea all over him. “Alex Cao, you piece of trash, you got my shoes dirty! What are you standing there for? Get on your knees and bow to me three times, or you won’t get through today!” Witnessing them bully my son, I immediately stepped forward to stop them. “How dare you treat the son of Mr. Cao like this? Are you planning on not working here anymore?” The group glanced at me, sneering. “So you’re the little bastard’s biological father? The one who seduced Mrs. Cao?” “Mr. Cao himself has repeatedly instructed us not to go easy on this little runt!” With that, the crowd burst into laughter. I didn’t argue further. Instead, with a deadpan expression, I called the company owner, Mr. Miller: “Get your ass down here! And see how your people are bullying my son!” The call had just ended when the employees, faces alight with excitement, looked towards the main entrance. “Chairman Cao is here again! He must be here to see his son!” I turned around and saw Jenkins, the butler, dressed in a bespoke suit and wearing the expensive watch I’d bought at auction for millions. My wife, Laura, was by his side, wearing a dress that coordinated with the butler’s attire. As Miller’s people rushed forward to flatter "Chairman Cao" and "Mrs. Cao," I didn’t hesitate. I dialed 911. “I want to report a crime. Someone is impersonating me! Also, he’s taken my watch, which is worth three million dollars.” Just then, Mr. Miller came downstairs, his face ashen. Seeing the iced tea stain on my son’s clothes, he stammered, “Mr. Cao, please… please give me a chance to explain!”
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