Framed as the Other Man Chapter 1

I rushed back from out of town to attend my nephew's parent-teacher conference, only to be mistaken for a kept man by my future brother-in-law.

He brought a group of his buddies, smashing classroom furniture, and repeatedly declared that I would pay the price.

The moment I stepped through the door, he struck me with a stick, sending me sprawling to my knees.

"You lowlife, daring to seduce my wife and trying to mess with my son? If I don't teach you a lesson today, I've lived for nothing!"

"Once I cripple you and you're bedridden for the rest of your life, let's see how you leech off rich women then!"

He, in front of numerous parents, repeatedly struck me with a toilet mop handle.

I covered my head, scrambling away like a stray dog, while his laughter grew increasingly maniacal.

A second before I lost consciousness, my sister finally burst into the classroom.

* * *

When I received a call from my nephew's teacher saying someone claiming to be the child's father was causing trouble, I floored the gas pedal and sped to the school.

My brother-in-law had passed away five years ago, and the more I thought about it, the more frightened I became.

I called my sister several times on the way, but all calls went unanswered.

Then I remembered, she hadn't paid much attention to my nephew's school affairs these past few years, probably didn't even know which way the classroom door opened.

So I headed upstairs myself, phone clutched in hand, ready to call the police at any moment.

Before I even reached the classroom, the tumultuous noise already threatened to shake the building apart.

A man's vulgar curses pierced my ears.

"Don't blame me for interrupting the parent-teacher conference. This kept man outside is practically riding over my head!"

"He sends my wife harassing messages all day, hotel receipts, expense statements—he's spent all her dowry money!"

"And today, he brazenly wants to attend my son's parent-teacher conference? How am I supposed to tolerate that?"

"Any decent person would be furious!"

"I'm a fitness influencer, half a public figure, at least. Today, I'm making him pay for his actions!"

Hearing this, I hurriedly quickened my pace.

The moment I reached the classroom door, a group of parents were stirred into righteous indignation by his words.

"Go ahead, buddy! We'll pretend we didn't see anything! The parent-teacher conference can wait; we absolutely can't let a kept man like that off the hook!"

"I despise scum who break up families, born of a mother but raised by no one!"

The man, encouraged by the cheers, rolled up his sleeves, eager for a fight.

"Thanks for the support, everyone. You don't mind if I livestream this, do you? Let the whole internet recognize that kept man!"

The more I listened, the more something felt wrong.

Standing at the door, I craned my neck to look inside, only to lock eyes with a familiar face.

Wasn't that Liam Ellis, my sister's soon-to-be new husband?

I'd been living on my own these past few years after my family kicked me out for not marrying, so I'd only seen his photos on my sister's social media.

My sister had mentioned he was a fitness influencer, and I'd even thought about asking him for some pointers.

But my sister said there'd be plenty of opportunities after they got married, and the matter was dropped.

Now, looking at his face, red with rage, I quickly pulled out my phone to call my sister.

I called three times, still no answer.

I sent her a message.

【Did you do something to upset Liam? He's causing a scene in our nephew's classroom!】

【Now that your career's taking off, you can't be fickle. If there's a misunderstanding, clear it up with him quickly! Mom and Dad are already angry enough about my situation; if your wedding has any problems, it'll kill them!】

Just as I sent the second message, a pair of clean athletic shoes suddenly appeared before me.

Before I could even look up, my short hair was violently yanked.

A powerful force dragged my entire body into the classroom.

Then a kick landed squarely on my lower back, sending me sprawling to the ground, out of control.

When I looked up, a phone was practically shoved into my mouth.

Liam snarled, "Everyone, take a good look! This is the kept man I was talking about!"

"He was just hiding by the door, probably heard me talking and didn't dare come in!"

"What, you do something so disgusting, and you're still afraid to admit it? If I were you, I'd hide my face in my pants when I went out!"

With that, he tightened his grip, and the camera directly smacked my lip.

A professional fitness enthusiast’s blow was not light; my lip quickly swelled up into a large lump.

Seeing my miserable state, not a single person around stepped forward to defend me.

Instead, they pointed fingers and cursed at me.

My lips were numb for about ten seconds before I recovered, then I looked up at Liam and urgently began:

"You've misunderstood, I'm not a kept man, I—"

Before I could finish, he swung his sports bag, forcefully hitting me in the face.

Blood immediately gushed from my nose, and my phone fell to the side, its screen cracking.

He snatched it up, clutching it in his hand, and said coldly, "Still saying it's not you! This is the phone my wife bought! I even screenshotted the payment bill! You just wait for the lawsuit and pay back the money!"