I, Daniel Campbell, was kidnapped on Christmas, and when I returned home, I discovered my parents had adopted a new child.
To prevent me from targeting their adopted child, Roy Campbell, my parents sent me to a popular reality TV show that disciplines troubled teenagers.
Every day I had to fight with pigs for food, compete for sleeping space, and be brainwashed by instructors before bed, forced to repeat praises about my parents and Roy a hundred times.
Whenever I made a mistake, I was stripped naked and whipped countless times on camera, and had to slap myself until Director Nathan Adams was satisfied.
After the show finished filming, I finally became the good child and brother my parents wanted me to be.
But on the day of the show's release event, when I jumped from the top of the TV station building, my parents broke down.
*****
"Dad, Mom, I'm sorry." I knelt before my parents on the doorstep, mechanically repeating the pledge I had practiced many times. "I know I was wrong. I swear I'll be good to Roy from now on. Everything will prioritize Roy. Roy is the best, Roy comes first, Roy is more important than my life."
As soon as I finished, Director Nathan Adams' voice rang out. He shouted, "Cut!"
The reality show about disciplining troubled teenagers had finally wrapped up.
After Nathan announced the end, I remained numbly kneeling on the ground.
My parents joyfully shook Nathan's hand in gratitude. "Thank you so much for teaching Daniel. When the show airs, we'll make sure all our relatives and friends watch it."
Nathan smiled and looked at me, saying, "Daniel, make sure you get along well with your family from now on!"
As he came over to help me stand, I turned pale at his outstretched hand and shrank back.
Nathan's hand froze in mid-air. My father, Jason Campbell, immediately scolded me, "What kind of attitude is that?"
I remained silent, so Nathan put his arm around my shoulders and said cheerfully, "It's fine, it's fine. The boy probably just doesn't want to leave us!"
After saying this, he patted my back firmly twice and stared at me, saying, "Just remember how good we've been to you."
I couldn't help but nod tremblingly.
After the crew left, my parents led me into the house.
As soon as we entered, I noticed Roy rolling his eyes when he saw me.
But when my parents looked at him, he immediately pretended to be excited and ran over. "Daniel, I've missed you so much! You've been gone for so long. Let me show you your room!"
Without waiting for my response, he dragged me into the room.
As soon as the door closed, he revealed his true face.
With malice, he said, "Why did you come back? It would've been better if you'd died in that place."
I was already used to seeing him like this.
Years ago, when the police first brought me home from the village where I'd been trafficked, he had already been telling me to get out of the house when my parents weren't around.
Yet I'm the one who's my parents' biological son.
Seeing that I had no reaction to him like a wooden doll, Roy smirked.
The next second, he slapped himself across the face and fell to the ground. His cries filled the room. "Dad! Mom! Help me!"
My parents quickly rushed in. Seeing the handprint on Roy's face, Jason became furious and kicked me to the ground.
He said, "What have you learned? You still dare to bully Roy? I shouldn't have brought you back!"
My mother, Maria Campbell, held Roy in her arms and looked at me with disappointment. "Roy has been so good to you. How could you treat him like this?"
Jason pulled out his phone in front of me. "I'm calling your instructor right now to see if they can take you back."
My mind went blank when I heard his words.
It was because of Roy's recommendation that my parents had sent me to participate in this reality show about disciplining troubled teenagers.
During filming, I was treated like an animal.
The production team arranged for me to rest in a pigsty, making me compete with pigs for food under the pretext of teaching me hardship. At night, I had to sleep in the corner of the pigsty. Before sleeping, I had to kneel at the instructor's feet and listen to his brainwashing about how wonderful my parents and Roy were.
I couldn't resist, or I would be stripped naked, tied to a bench, and whipped with an iron whip covered in barbs. After the whipping, I had to slap myself on camera until Nathan was satisfied.
Recalling these experiences, I immediately knelt down and began desperately banging my head on the floor. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have bullied Roy. It's my fault, it's all my fault!"
I kept banging my head, not daring to stop even when my forehead started bleeding.


Seeing me continuously kowtowing, my parents stood there in shock. Finally, Maria, unable to bear it any longer, came over to help me up.
Roy suddenly sobbed, "Dad, Mom, don't blame Daniel. It's my fault for making him hate me so much that he wants to hurt himself."
Jason's face immediately darkened with anger. "You've done nothing wrong. He was the one who bullied you first."
He walked over and yanked me up from the ground. "Stop wasting time here. I've made an appointment to get clothes made. Hurry up."