Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200\% Rebate System

Mary smiled and nodded.

For the rest of the dinner, the atmosphere became even warmer than before.

Meanwhile, far away from the comforting environment of the Waters family, Theodore was currently filming with his production crew.

While he was reviewing his script, he suddenly felt someone staring at him.

At first, he ignored it. As an actor, being watched was normal.

However, the gaze continued. It grew increasingly difficult to ignore.

Eventually, Theodore turned around. The moment he saw the person standing in the distance, his expression became colder.

Albert. A very familiar face. Years ago, Albert had been a famous actor.

Back then, Theodore was still an unknown nobody struggling to survive in the entertainment industry.

Albert had quickly realized that Theodore was the easiest target on set.

As a result, he had repeatedly bullied him.

Whenever there were slapping scenes or fighting scenes, Albert would call Theodore into the makeup room under the excuse of practicing.

In reality, he simply wanted someone to abuse.

Theodore often left those sessions covered in bruises.

Many nights, he had hidden the injuries beneath his clothes and silently endured the pain.

Now, seeing Albert again brought back unpleasant memories.

Theodore remained silent.

Meanwhile, Albert hesitated for several moments before finally gathering enough courage to approach him.

Looking at Theodore, who now carried himself with confidence and authority, Albert felt a pressure he had never experienced before.

He coughed awkwardly. "Hello, Theodore. It’s been a long time since we’ve met."

Theodore chuckled.

If he didn’t know any better, he might have believed Albert was a completely different person.

After all, this was the same man who had once abused him in secret while enjoying the protection of his fame.

Taking a slow breath and suppressing the unpleasant memories, Theodore smiled.

"Indeed. It’s been a long time."

Then he paused.

"Oh, right. There are a few scenes I need to practice."

His eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you free at the moment?"

Albert immediately understood what was happening.

A bitter smile appeared on his face. He knew there was no escaping this. Still, he nodded.

After all, compared to being removed from the cast entirely, enduring a little pain was a small price to pay.

Recently, his position within the production had become increasingly unstable.

Every day, he lived under constant pressure. One wrong move could result in losing everything.

That was why he desperately wanted Theodore’s forgiveness.

Soon, both men arrived at an isolated corner. Theodore carefully checked the surroundings.

There were no crew members nearby. After confirming everything, he finally picked up the script.

Albert swallowed nervously.

Looking at Theodore brought back memories he would rather forget.

Back then, Theodore had always behaved politely.

His professionalism and good attitude had actually made Albert jealous.

Unable to accept that, Albert had repeatedly targeted him. One particular memory surfaced vividly.

Albert had slapped Theodore so hard that day that his ears had rung.

When Theodore glared at him, Albert had merely laughed. "You want to fight back?"

Albert’s younger self had sneered. "Go ahead."

Then he had leaned closer. "But remember, I have enough power to kick you out of this industry."

At the time, Theodore had no choice but to endure the humiliation.

Now, the situation had completely reversed. As they practiced their scene, Albert’s nervousness steadily increased.

Finally, the moment arrived. The slap scene.

Albert braced himself. Then... smack! The impact exploded across his face.

The force was so powerful that he nearly spat out blood.

His head snapped sideways.

A burning sensation instantly spread through his cheek.

For the first time in his life, Albert truly understood how painful those slaps had been.

For the first time, he genuinely understood what Theodore had endured.

Unfortunately for him, Theodore wasn’t finished.

Theodore had always lived by a simple principle.

’If someone slaps you and you’re too weak to fight back, endure it. Then return the slap when you’re finally strong enough.’

And now, he was doing exactly that.

By the time the practice session ended, Albert’s entire face had swollen noticeably.

Even so, he forced himself to smile. "Your performance was very good."

Theodore stared at him before letting out a laugh. "At this point, even if I farted, you’d probably say it smells good."

The words were humiliating. Yet Albert merely lowered his head. He didn’t dare show the slightest hint of anger.

Any hopes Albert had of rebuilding a relationship with Theodore were quickly shattered.

As filming resumed, Albert’s attitude during several scenes noticeably deteriorated.

Whether it was because of the humiliation he had suffered earlier or the lingering resentment buried deep inside his heart, his performance became increasingly unstable.

The director’s patience finally ran out.

The moment Albert ruined another important scene, the director slammed the script against the table. "Enough!"

The entire set fell silent. Crew members immediately lowered their heads.

No one dared speak. The director glared at Albert.

"If you can’t maintain a professional attitude, then leave."

Albert’s face turned pale. "Director, I..."

"Leave."

The single word was enough. His replacement was arranged almost immediately.

As Albert stood there in stunned silence, Theodore didn’t even spare him a glance.

To Theodore, Albert was no longer worth his attention.

Meanwhile, there was someone else on set who had been waiting for Theodore to look in his direction.

After all, there had once been a time when both of them shared the same dream.

That person was none other than Andy.

During a break in filming, Theodore’s eyes swept across the set.

The moment he noticed Andy standing among the background actors, he froze.

For a second, he thought he was seeing things.

Then his eyes widened. Without hesitation, he walked over. "Andy?"

The man immediately lit up with excitement. "Yes! It’s really me!"

Theodore stared at him for several moments before breaking into laughter. "I can’t believe it’s actually you."

Andy scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "You’ve become a huge star."

Theodore rolled his eyes. "Indeed, I’ve become a huge star."

Then a mischievous look appeared on his face. "Oh, right."

He suddenly pulled out his phone.

A notification immediately appeared on Andy’s phone.

When Andy checked it, his eyes widened.

There was a one-hundred-dollar transfer. "Huh?"

Theodore smirked. "Did you forget?"

Andy blinked in confusion.

Theodore crossed his arms. "When we were kids, you bought me a ten-dollar drink."

A nostalgic smile appeared on his face. "At that time, I was so poor that I couldn’t even repay you."

Hearing those words, Andy immediately burst into laughter.

Memories from the past flooded his mind.

Back then, both of them had been child actors. Neither of them had money. Neither of them had connections.

Whenever one of them earned a little extra money, they would treat the other to food or drinks.

Andy especially remembered how pitiful Theodore’s situation had been.

The two boys had supported each other through countless disappointments.

Because of that, they had become incredibly close. Unfortunately, life wasn’t always kind.

As time passed, Andy stopped attending auditions.

The repeated failures gradually crushed his confidence.

Meanwhile, Theodore continued moving forward. Until he eventually became one of the industry’s brightest stars.

Looking at Theodore now, Andy couldn’t help feeling emotional. "Bro."

His voice softened. "You finally made your dream come true."

Theodore looked away. For a brief moment, a complicated expression flashed across his face.

The road to success had been far more painful than people imagined.

Still, a faint gleam remained in his eyes. "I guess I did."

The two exchanged contact information. Soon, they were chatting and laughing like old times.

Not far away, Albert witnessed the entire interaction.

A trace of jealousy appeared in his eyes.

’If only I had treated Theodore properly back then.’

Regret slowly consumed him.

Unfortunately, some opportunities never returned once they were lost.

Meanwhile, Theodore’s friendship with Andy unexpectedly benefited Andy.

The director began paying more attention to him.

Some crew members started remembering his name.

Eventually, he even received slightly better roles.

For many people, those opportunities might seem insignificant.

For Andy, however, they were priceless.

Rather than becoming discouraged, he felt invigorated.

Every small role represented another chance to prove himself.

A few days later, he accidentally overheard a conversation between crew members.

Only then did he learn the truth.

The reason the director had started noticing him was that Theodore had personally recommended him.

When Andy discovered that fact, he was deeply moved.

Without wasting any time, he invited Theodore out for breakfast.

Originally, he expected Theodore to refuse.

After all, Theodore was incredibly busy.

However, to Andy’s surprise, Theodore actually made time for him.

Early the next morning, they met at a familiar roadside food stall. Theodore wore a cap and a mask.

Even now, he preferred places like this.

The two sat down and began eating.

After several minutes, Andy finally looked at him. "Thank you, bro."

Theodore immediately rolled his eyes. "If I didn’t know better, I’d think I was your sugar mommy."