My Jealous Brother Stole My Perfect Life, But It Was A Death Trap

My brother thought my wife was gorgeous and sweet, and that my life was better than his in every way. Even though our parents spoiled him rotten since we were kids, his jealousy drove him insane. One night, he lost his mind, grabbed me, and dragged me off the edge of a rooftop. To my shock, we survived—only we had traveled back in time and swapped bodies. He became me, and I became him. He used my early-admission grades to get into a top university. He used my identity to get close to the girl who would become my wife. He even used my past successful business ideas to pitch to investors, bragging about it right to my face. He thought I’d be furious. He had no idea I was absolutely thrilled to hand my old life over to him. Because my seemingly perfect, glamorous life was actually a toxic, exhausting nightmare. Now that someone had willingly taken it off my hands, I only had one thing to say to him: "Thanks for jumping into the fiery pit for me!" "Ethan, you know what? I’ve been jealous of you my entire life," Lucas said. "Jealous of everything you have. Your smart brain, your perfect life, and your incredibly hot wife, Chloe. I always felt like if I were in your shoes, I’d do way better than you." Hearing those words from Lucas made my stomach turn. We hadn't seen each other in a long time. Suddenly, Lucas had asked to catch up over some drinks. He set up a table on the rooftop of his apartment, bought some takeout, and we started drinking. We were only a few drinks in, and Lucas was already complaining like a broken record, bringing up ancient history. He actually believed that if he became me, he’d have a perfect life. He had no idea that the pain and torment I endured were far worse than he could ever imagine. I looked at him, wanting to tell him that life isn't a simple trade. You don't magically become happy just by stepping into someone else’s shoes. But what could I say? Faced with Lucas's manic, jealous glare, I just kept drinking, one glass after another. All my bitterness was drowned in the alcohol. Seeing my silence, Lucas's eyes grew red. "Ethan, to be honest, I have nowhere left to run." "What do you mean?" The alcohol was hitting me, making my head fuzzy. "Everyone looks down on me! I just wanted to prove myself! I borrowed money for a business and ended up drowning in debt. To pay it off, I started gambling, and now I owe a fortune to loan sharks..." His face contorted with rage. He suddenly smashed his beer bottle against the ground and screamed, "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 drunk—" Before I could finish, Lucas grabbed me. That was when I noticed the fresh needle marks on his arm. Was this idiot high? Taking advantage of my drunken state, Lucas wrapped his arms around me and leaped off the rooftop! "Hahahahaha!" his maniacal laughter echoed in my ears. The night wind rushed past. In those few seconds of falling, my mind finally cleared. But it was too late. I felt a mix of regret and a strange, peaceful sense of release as I hit the ground. My consciousness faded into pitch black. ... I don't know how much time passed before a familiar voice called out. "Hey, wake up! The teacher is coming!" I opened my eyes and looked around. I was slouched over a desk in a classroom. I had actually traveled back to high school! But why was I sitting in the very back row, right next to the trash can? Just then, a boy in the front row turned around to look at me. It was my own high school face! I looked down at my desk. The name written on the textbook was: Lucas Miller. It took me a long moment to realize what had happened. My brother and I had both traveled back in time, and we had swapped bodies! He smirked at me, his eyes full of smug triumph. Clearly, Lucas had finally gotten the life he had always dreamed of. He must be ecstatic right now. But he had no idea that his nightmare was just beginning. "What are you staring at?" The familiar voice called out again. I turned my head. Sitting right next to me was Hazel Brooks—Lucas’s future wife, and my future sister-in-law. She grew up in a trailer park on the outskirts of town. Her family was extremely poor. Even though she lived far away, she had to commute every day because she couldn't afford the dorms or meal plans. After school, she had to rush home to help her parents with physical labor to make ends meet. I remembered hearing that she only slept three or four hours a night, waking up at 5:00 AM, and tried to catch up during lunch breaks. Despite working incredibly hard, her grades were always terrible. After all, human energy is limited. Without enough sleep, how could she focus in class? She never had time to finish her homework at home, so she was constantly sent to the back of the classroom by the teacher. Back in high school, Hazel was actually very cute in a pure, natural way. But Lucas always looked down on her, calling her a country bumpkin and complaining about her dark circles. He thought she made him look bad. He preferred girls who dressed provocatively, or rebellious girls who hung out at clubs. I didn't know how they ended up together and got married. I was away at college back then, so I didn't pay much attention to their relationship. Now, rubbing my temples to suppress my racing thoughts, I let out a light laugh and said, "Nothing." Lucas's life was actually much easier than mine. Since he didn't appreciate it, I would gladly take it! With final exams just around the corner, I knew I could catch up easily. I still had all my knowledge from my previous life; reviewing wouldn't be hard. But Lucas had spent three years slacking off. Even if you gave him another three years, he'd have to start from scratch. And there was only a month left before the finals! Our paths were about to diverge once again.To catch up quickly, I made a strict study plan. The last month of senior year was mostly for review anyway. But since I was a bit rusty, I started with the basics, going through junior year practice exams, picking the hardest problems, mastering them, and then moving on. During recess, Ethan strolled over, hands in his pockets, whistling. He had a mocking smirk on his face. "Hey, little bro, studying hard?" Ethan sneered. "Why bother? Come on, let's go hang out!" I looked up, my expression completely flat. "The finals are coming up. Shouldn't you be studying?" The betrayal of our past life was still fresh in my mind. The moment he dragged me off that roof, any brotherly love I had for him died. Now, I felt nothing but cold indifference. "I'm already on the early-admission track with a full scholarship. Why would I waste my time studying? Did you forget?" Ethan grinned. Hearing this, I remembered. Back in senior year, the school had nominated me for an early-admission scholarship, but I turned it down because I wanted to test my limits and get into an Ivy League. But on the day of the finals, I had severe food poisoning and diarrhea. I completely messed up the exams and ended up going to the safety school that had offered me the early admission anyway. It didn't matter. This time, I would do even better! I had always relied on my own brain and hard work. That was my ultimate confidence. "Oh. Congrats, then," I said, entirely unfazed. Ethan was disappointed not to see any anger or regret on my face. Feeling bored, he rolled his eyes and walked away. I put my head down and went back to my practice problems. I had to admit, Lucas’s body was incredibly healthy. He had always been athletic and strong. He was great in fights and never got sick, unlike my old body, which was frail and constantly needed medicine. In my past life, because of constant business drinking and stress, I ended up with liver cancer. I kept it a secret so my family wouldn't worry. No one knew. In this life, I would take care of this body. Health is the ultimate wealth. While I was studying, Hazel nudged my arm with her elbow. "Are you sick? Since when do you study?" She paused, then added, "And you didn't even pick a fight with Ethan. Usually, you two would be screaming at each other by now... What's going on? You feel like a totally different person." I smiled but didn't explain. I had always felt bad for Hazel. She was a kind girl who supported her family, and she never complained after marrying Lucas. In my past life, I always thought she deserved someone way better. "What are your plans after graduation?" I asked. Hazel lowered her eyes. "My dad said if I don't get into college, I have to get married and start working." No wonder she worked so hard. And no wonder they ended up together right after graduation. "How about I tutor you?" I offered. Hazel stared at me. "You?" "You don't believe me?" "I do! Your practice test scores today were higher than almost anyone in class!" Hazel sighed. "But even with a tutor, I don't have time to sleep." "That's easy. Move into the school dorms. I'll pay for it," I said. "Where would you get that kind of money?" Hazel looked suspicious. "Wait, why are you suddenly being so nice to me? Are you possessed?" "Just tell me, do you want to pass or not?" I asked directly. This was Hazel's only chance to change her life. There was no way she would refuse. She agreed immediately, saying she would tell her parents she saved up enough money to stay at school. I wasn't sure how much I could raise her scores in just one month. But I had to try. As for the money, that was easy. In my past life, my friend and I had bought lottery tickets for each other at a convenience store after school. I didn't win, but he won fifty thousand dollars. The winning numbers happened to be my birthday and lucky numbers. The store even hung up a banner celebrating it for a month. I remembered it vividly. I used to wish I had been the one to buy that ticket. Now, I just needed to buy it myself.I bought the ticket, waited for the draw, and sure enough, I won. Fifty thousand dollars wasn't a massive fortune, but after taxes, it was enough. I transferred a few hundred to Hazel to cover her room and board. With proper sleep, her energy levels skyrocketed. She had missed a lot of classes, so while I tutored her, it also helped me reinforce my own knowledge. A month flew by. On the day of the finals, I performed perfectly. I chose the same college as my past life because I wanted to leverage my memories and I missed my old friends. Hazel performed exceptionally well, scoring high enough to get into a decent state college. Her college was very close to mine. In our parents' eyes, having both sons get into college was a miracle. They immediately threw a massive graduation party and invited all our relatives. I quickly realized the perks of being the "neglected" brother. My parents had always ignored Lucas. At the party, they swarmed Ethan—well, Lucas in my old body—and completely ignored me. To my brother, this neglect used to breed intense jealousy. But now, as I watched Ethan being treated like a superstar in the crowd, a cold smile crept onto my face. Free things always come with the highest price. Everyone was putting him on a pedestal now, and our parents had massive expectations. The higher they climbed, the harder they would fall. I had learned that lesson through blood and tears. Soon, Ethan and I started college. Hazel was at the nearby campus and kept in touch, occasionally coming over to hang out. To afford tuition, Hazel worked a part-time job from day one, keeping herself extremely busy. Meanwhile, Ethan was out partying every night. He skipped classes constantly, got written up by the RA, and was on academic probation. One day, I went to the store where Hazel worked to bring her some lunch. I ran into Ethan, who was shopping there. He had his arm around a gorgeous girl with flawless makeup and expensive clothes. She clearly came from a wealthy family. I recognized her instantly. It was my ex-wife from my past life, Chloe Vance. "Oh, look who it is! My old classmate!" Ethan noticed Hazel first and waved. Then, his eyes landed on me, and his face lit up with smug satisfaction. His expression practically said, *See? Your beautiful, rich wife is mine now.* "Wow, you two are hanging out?" Ethan patted my shoulder, laughing. "Hey, do you want me to introduce you to some hot girls? She's a bit too plain, don't you think?" Chloe slapped his arm playfully. "What are you talking about? Do you know a lot of hot girls?" Ethan quickly pacified her. "Of course not, babe. I'm just trying to help my loser brother out." I smiled slightly, completely unbothered. I felt absolutely nothing for Chloe. My past life had completely cured me of any affection for her. She had cheated on me, had a child with her lover, and let me raise him for years without knowing the truth. Why would I ever want a toxic woman like her back? Hazel looked insecure, nervously rubbing her hands. "I'm just working here. Lucas and I are just friends." Chloe hummed, looking Hazel up and down, but said nothing. "Alright, we have a date to get to. We won't disturb your little study group," Ethan laughed, pulling Chloe away. "When you guys get paid, make sure to buy your big bro a nice dinner!" Watching them walk away, Hazel sighed. "Ethan and his girlfriend seem so happy." "Yeah, I hope they stay together forever," I said casually. In my mind, I thought: *A trash man and a trash woman. A match made in heaven.* I knew exactly why Chloe and Ethan were together. Chloe liked Ethan’s handsome face, and Ethan wanted Chloe's family money. They were bound to destroy each other. But that was none of my business. Soon, graduation rolled around. During my four years of college, I hadn't been idle. I started my own business. Having lived a whole life in the industry, I still had all my connections. One of them was my old angel investor.