Impersonated by My Own Adopted Son: My Revenge Was Brutal. Chapter 2

A moment later, Miles ran back in, head bowed, looking guilty and pained. "Master Silas will proceed with the investiture. The young master should just behave himself."

Of course. No matter how I was mistreated, it was nothing in their eyes.

Silas snickered. "See? You made him run for nothing..."

Before he could finish, someone burst in energetically.

It was my fiancée, Sophia Patton, daughter of the General.

Miles thought she was here to help me, his worried expression vanishing. I just shook my head with a small, humorless smile.

When we were kids, she followed me around constantly, saying she'd marry me when we grew up, pestering her father to arrange the betrothal and exchange family tokens. But ever since she met Silas, she became obsessed, helping him humiliate me.

Sophia anxiously looked Silas up and down, as if terrified he'd lost a single hair.

Then she turned to me, her face full of disgust. "A beggar. I can't believe I was fooled by you, actually thinking you were the Duke's son. Thank goodness the Heir told me the truth. If I had actually married you..."

"The General's family would have been a laughingstock!"

My own fiancée confirmed the lie about my identity.

That instantly changed the minds of anyone who might have still half-believed me.

This whole drama got everyone else whispering, their curious eyes darting between us. Silas's smugness grew more obvious.

To help Silas further, Sophia's face hardened. She ripped the pendant from her waist. "Take back this engagement token! A lowlife like you will probably only ever marry some cheap street girl!"

Watching Sophia's resolute act, I remembered my past life. After my death, the President was furious. Sophia knelt before my uncle, the President, weeping, insisting she had always loved me, that she was just misled by villains into doing such foolish things.

It was so laughable, I couldn't help but chuckle.

Sophia's face darkened. "What are you laughing at..."

"I'm laughing at how blind you are, mistaking trash for treasure. Breaking off our engagement for a beggar. I wonder what the old General will say when he finds out."

My words made the crowd gasp.

"Silas is the beggar?"

"But why are the Duke's older sons letting him receive the title?"

The murmurs started again, everyone's eyes shifting between Silas and me.

Me: handsome features, sharp eyes, an air of inherent nobility.

Him: dressed in fine clothes, but his eyes and posture still screamed cunning, vulgarity, and a cheap imitation.

Silas turned pale, swaying slightly. He quickly retorted, "If you're really the Duke's son, why won't your brothers let you receive the title instead of me?"

Sophia sneered, "Silas is too kind-hearted to expose you! And now you turn around and accuse him!"

Their words flipped the situation again. Caleb Miller, who had just been embarrassed, regained his confidence.

"He's just a beggar! If I beat you dead today, no one would stand up for you. Let me teach you a lesson for Silas!"

Several other young men from prominent families chimed in, ordering their guards to grab me. They kicked my legs out from under me, forcing me to my knees.

"Teach him how to apologize properly," one said, then they forced my head down, slamming it against the floor again and again, until the ground was stained with blood.

Sophia pulled Silas behind her. "It's too dirty. Don't let it offend your eyes."

Silas smirked triumphantly. "I told you not to cross me. You don't have a say in this family, do you?"

I defiantly raised my head, glaring at him. "Mother is coming back soon! Then none of you will get away with this!"

After the ceremony, my father returns triumphant from the war. The President, having already honored him greatly, will shower me with rewards.

That's why these people are rushing to suck up now.

But in my past life, I didn't even live to see Father return; Silas framed me. I never saw my father again before I closed my eyes for the last time.

Silas crouched down, whispering mockingly in my ear, "You really are naive. The Pattons command significant military power. As long as I marry Sophia, who would dare touch me?"

Thinking of how yielding in my past life only led to a miserable death, I wouldn't let him go this time.