Swapped Lives: Thanks for Jumping Into My Hell, Brother

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!" 1 "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. 2 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 slightly out of touch, I had to start from the basics. I pulled out freshman and sophomore math and physics workbooks, picked the hardest problems, mastered them, and moved on. During recess, Tyler walked over to my desk with his hands in his pockets, whistling. He had a mocking smirk on his face. "Yo, little bro, studying hard?" Tyler laughed. "Why put in so much effort? Come on, let's go ditch class and grab a burger!" I looked up at him, my voice completely flat. "The finals are around the corner. Aren't you going to study?" I remembered the betrayal of my past life vividly. The moment he dragged me off that roof, all brotherly love and blood ties had died. I felt nothing but cold indifference toward him now. "I already got the Ivy League early admission with a full scholarship. Why would I need to study? Did you forget?" Tyler smirked, leaning over my desk. Ah, right. I remembered now. During our senior year, the school had offered me an early admission spot, but the old me had turned it down because I wanted to prove myself in the actual SATs. But on the day of the exam, I mysteriously got severe food poisoning and ended up with a terrible stomach bug, messing up my scores. In the end, I had to settle for a mediocre state college. It didn't matter. This time around, I would do even better! Because throughout my entire life, I had always relied on my own brain and hard work. That was where my confidence came from. "Oh. Well, congratulations then," I said, completely unbothered. Tyler’s face fell slightly when he didn't see the jealousy or anger he expected. Finding it boring, he muttered a curse and walked away. I put my head down and went back to solving calculus problems, sharpening my mind. I had to admit, Tyler's body was incredibly healthy. He had been athletic since he was a kid, strong and rarely getting sick. I, on the other hand, had been a sickly child who caught a cold whenever a cool breeze blew. Later in life, due to constant stress and heavy drinking at business dinners, I had developed liver cancer. To keep my family from worrying, I had kept it a secret. No one knew. In this life, I would take care of this body. Health is the ultimate wealth! While I was deep in study, Skyler nudged my elbow with her pen. "Are you sick or something? Why are you suddenly studying?" She paused, looking at me suspiciously. "And you didn't even yell back at your brother. Usually, you two would be throwing punches by now... What's up with you? You feel like a completely different person." I smiled but didn't explain. I actually felt a lot of sympathy for Skyler. She was a good girl. In our past life, she had worked tirelessly to support Tyler, never complaining about his laziness. Back then, I always thought she was way too good for him. Soon, our homeroom teacher gave us a surprise pop quiz, telling us to swap papers with our desk partners for grading. Since the test was easy, I finished it in ten minutes. Skyler was still struggling, nodding off every few seconds. When we swapped papers, I got a near-perfect score, while Skyler’s paper was a disaster of red ink. "How... did you cheat?" Skyler gasped, staring at my paper. "No, wait, I watched you the whole time. Have you been secretly studying behind my back?" "These questions aren't that hard," I said casually. Skyler looked at her own failing grade, her shoulders slumping. "Not hard? I couldn't understand a single thing. I guess I really am just stupid." Seeing her sad face, I felt bad. If things went normally, once we graduated, Skyler and I would never cross paths again. Unless... I asked, "What are your plans after graduation?" Skyler kept her head low. "My dad said if I don't get into a decent college, I have to marry the local mechanic's son and work at his garage." No wonder she was trying so hard. No wonder she ended up marrying Tyler in the previous life just to escape her family. "How about I tutor you?" I offered. Skyler stared at me. "You?" "You don't trust me?" "I do! Almost nobody in our class got the score you just did!" Skyler sighed. "But even with a tutor, I don't have time. I barely get any sleep as it is." "That's easy. Move into the school dorms. I'll pay for your housing and meal plan," I said. "Where would you get that kind of money?" Skyler asked, her eyes wide. "Wait, why are you being so nice to me? Are you possessed by a ghost?" "Do you want to get into college or not?" I cut straight to the point. This was Skyler’s only shot at changing her destiny. There was no way she would say no. She agreed immediately, saying she would tell her parents she got a school grant for accommodation. As for the money, that was easy. In our past life, during senior year, a friend and I had walked past a local convenience store and bought lottery tickets for each other. I didn't win, but he won fifty thousand dollars. The winning numbers happened to be my birthday plus my lucky number. The store owner had even hung a banner celebrating it for a month. I remembered those numbers vividly. Now, I just needed to buy that ticket. 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.*