From Villain to Virtual Sweetheart: The Fake Heir's Grand Scheme(BL)-Chapter 576: Two Brothers Hurt Tonight (part one)

Micah clutched his stomach with both hands, his fingers digging into the fabric of his hoodie as another wave of burning pain rolled through him. His expression twisted, jaw clenched so tightly that a faint tremor ran along his cheek. His stomach had already been hurting long before he drank that ridiculously high percentage of alcohol. He should have known better. He should have checked the drinks. But tonight his head wasn’t where it should’ve been.

First, he had been mulling over how to keep Darcy safe tonight, knowing full well the whole family would be gathered for dinner. Then he received the news that Grandma had been rushed to the hospital because of her old heart issue, the arrhythmia acting up again. His entire body had gone cold when he heard.

He had agonised over the news, realising how much Zhou Ruyan cared about Darcy and his effort to bring him home. She had made everyone promise not to let the news spread, fearing Darcy would be labelled as an unlucky child.

After calming down a little, he had totally forgotten about the plot. He had let his guard down, falling into the trap instead. Now, his stomach twisted and turned violently, acid burning his insides.

Micah sweated profusely, soaking the fabric of his undershirt.

"Damn it..." he hissed through his teeth, bending forward even more. His hand shook uncontrollably as he reached for his phone in his jeans pocket.

His vision turned blurry. He blinked hard, cursing multiple times under his breath, trying again and again before finally pressing Clyde’s name. The call connected almost instantly. He pressed the phone weakly to his ear, panting. "Hey... come to the Grand River hospital..." he murmured, voice barely above a whisper. The phone slipped from his hand and hit the leather seat. His breath grew shallow, loud and messy. His mind turned hazy.

Driver Dan glanced at him from the rear view mirror, eyes widening in alert. He wasted no time, pressing on the gas pedal, driving so fast that it made Micah’s dizziness worse. He tried to warn him, asking not to be rushed, but his stomach twisted again.

"Young master, hold on. We’re almost there," Driver Dan said in concern.

Micah’s response was just gripping the seat belt harder.

When they arrived at the private hospital, Micah sighed in relief.

A small part of him had feared the person plotting against him would arrange a car accident. And Grandma’s sudden relapse... he was starting to wonder if even that was manipulated.

His paranoia skyrocketed.

The door opened and driver Dan helped him get out of the car. "Young master, careful," he said, offering his arm.

Micah held onto him, his knees wobbling as he stepped out. The cold night air hit his face, cooling his sweat but not the burning in his stomach. He glanced up, reading the hospital sign.

Micah let out a shaky breath, relieved. He had not ended up in Queen’s Hospital. For a second he feared he would be there, filling in Darcy’s role to meet Silas like in the novel. When Clyde got here, everything would be fine. He thought to himself.

He pressed a hand against the nearest wall to steady himself while Driver Dan called for assistance.

In the emergency room, the staff quickly inserted an antacid into his vein to calm his stomach and stop him from vomiting blood again. The resident doctor scolded him for several minutes, demanding to know why he drank such a strong alcoholic drink when his ulcer was this severe.

Micah had no excuse. He couldn’t exactly say someone plotted against him.

So he just lowered his head and listened, wishing Clyde would show up and rescue him from the lecture.

Driver Dan stood beside the bed, sweating buckets. His head kept dipping nervously every time the doctor raised his voice. He kept glancing between Micah and the doctor, as if expecting Micah to snap back at any moment. The Ramsy household staff always knew Micah as hot-blooded when provoked. But now he sat there quietly, almost pitifully.

Tonight’s dinner event had been strange to all the staff. Rumours ran wild after seeing the unfamiliar black-haired young man at the mansion. And with how Madam Elina cried and hugged Micah, the staff’s first assumption was clear: the boy must be an illegitimate child of CEO Jacob.

And if that was true... then what would happen to Micah?

But, how could the young master Micah be too close to him? That made no sense.

Yet with how Micah had ended up in the hospital, they were more certain that the assumption was true.

Driver Dan shifted nervously. He had known Micah since he was a small child. How could he accept someone, a wild boy, taking his place?

Driver Dan was ready to announce his royalty to Micah when his phone suddenly rang. The ringtone cut sharply through the room. He stepped outside to answer it, wiping sweat from his forehead. The moment he heard the voice on the other end, his whole body stiffened. His eyes widened, face draining of colour.

"W-what...? At the dinner table? The head of the family himself...?" Driver Dan leaned against the wall for support. "He... announced it? Already?"

He hung up slowly, staring at nothing.

Albert Ramsy, head of the Ramsy family, had publicly acknowledged the new boy, Darcy, as the true heir. The lost child. The rightful successor.

And Micah...

Micah had been formally announced as the adopted son.

Driver Dan’s throat closed up. His hands shook. He turned toward the emergency room door again. Through the small window, he could see the silver-haired young man sitting alone on the hospital bed, pale, sweating, breathing shallowly.

Such a cruel twist of fate. How could this happen to them?

Driver Dan took a long, heavy breath before walking back inside.

Micah noticed instantly. The shift in Dan’s expression was obvious: shock, confusion, guilt, fear. Micah stared at him quietly for a moment. His lashes lowered. He wasn’t angry. Not even disappointed. How could he be? Anyone would think about their own future first.

"Driver Dan," Micah said softly, voice hoarse. "Thanks for the ride. You can go back now."

Dan froze. "Young master... I..."

"And please," Micah added, lifting a trembling hand, "don’t tell anyone where I am."

Dan’s mouth opened, closed, opened again. He felt ashamed of being seen through by the young man. When he heard the news, his very first thought was: What will happen to me? Will the real young master resent me? Will I lose my position?

He felt disgusting.

"Young master, I... I will never...," he said, voice cracking slightly.

Micah gave a small, tired smile. "I know. And it’s fine. Just go."

Dan hesitated, but Micah’s calm expression left him no room. After a small bow, he quietly walked to the door.

Micah watched him leave. The moment the door clicked shut, he exhaled shakily and let his back sink into the pillows.

This was only the beginning.

From now on, he would encounter this reaction again and again, the shock, the guilt, the silent judgment. He had already braced himself for it. The moment the truth came out, he knew he’d be placed under a microscope, criticised, doubted, maybe even attacked as an imposter taking a place that was never his.

A cuckoo in a magpie’s nest.

Micah pressed the back of his hand to his forehead, staring up at the ceiling lights. They blurred slightly, glowing in soft halos.

"...Whatever," he whispered, breath trembling.

He had already accepted his fate. But that didn’t make the loneliness any less sharp. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting himself breathe in the cool hospital air.

He would deal with the world later. Right now... he just needed Clyde to walk through that door.