Hmm... Yes, that's me. The ugly one. The mistake. The person who doesn't deserve your attention, right? You're here, flipping through pages, perhaps unmoved. I can see it in your cold, indifferent gaze.
But... you stopped. Strange, isn't it? Why pause at these words when the world teems with better things? I'll warn you—this is not a story for entertainment. Not a tale to be told by candlelight or savored with a cup of coffee. It's not even a story of triumph. If you want the truth, this is a funeral story, and you are its attendee.
I should be frank with you—I hate introductions.
They reek of false promises, metaphors, and allusions far removed from logic.
But here's my truth—in your hands, you hold the tale of a man who was never meant to be born, a man condemned from the moment of his existence.
They told me life is sacred, beautiful, and... worth fighting for.
But they never told me how cruel it could be for someone like me. They never told me what it feels like to be a living curse, to be hated for something beyond your control... because of the face I possess.
I won't keep you long.
You're just an ordinary person. You're not important, and I don't care whether you read this or not.
But if the introduction captivated you, or if you bought this book because of it, allow me to say that I've deceived you, and I'm sorry for that, and...
And me?
I'm standing at the edge of my life right now, awaiting my end.
I don't know when those scoundrels will catch me, but they're coming.
My story is chaotic and will disturb you.
In some lines, it's superficial, while in others, it's deep enough to drown in.
You'll get to know the minds of hypocrites up close—people like me and you and everyone else, even your family and friends, and perhaps even yourself if you're a hypocrite. It's impossible not to find yourself among the pages of my ridiculous novels.
You'll discover irrefutable truths and face the dark side of life and the darkest corners of the human soul.
Let me ask you: "Are people equal by nature?"
Of course, you'll say no... don't be foolish!
The difference between us is as clear as the sun on a hot afternoon—poverty and wealth... beauty and ugliness... strength and weakness.
This is the truth.
Power, money, and influence.
Things everyone wishes to obtain.
But let me surprise you: "I had everything."
Wealth beyond imagination.
A name known worldwide.
And a life covered in gold.
But here's the surprise:
Take every word you've heard out of one ear and block the other so those words never enter your mind again because,
Despite all the advantages I've mentioned to you,
My life was worse than hell.
My name is Leon Martinez.
My family is the Martinez family.
One of the richest families in this country—perhaps in the world, with wealth estimated at 500 billion dollars.
If money were a religion, we would be the gods.
This life seems like a dream, doesn't it? Like a fairy tale. But let me stop you here.
Life didn't just slap me.
It gave me the middle finger to my face and crushed all my dreams.
I have five siblings, each more perfect than the other.
First is History, the golden boy genius with black hair and eyes red like ripe plums. He's the favorite of my father, Yagami, who treats him like a son from heaven.
Then Arthur, the beloved socialite with brown hair and blue eyes who can win people's hearts just by talking to them.
Yi Lian, the spoiled princess with long brown hair and enchanting black eyes, considers herself above everyone. If you threw her pride into the sea, it would cover all its waters.
Sarah, the mysterious one, wears a black mask or what I think is a face covering and never takes it off. She always tries to play the role of a strange character from one of those anime series whose name I've forgotten, but she's undeniably beautiful.
And finally, Karma, the reckless one who loves playing with dangerous things and fears nothing... except my father.
Do you know what they have in common? They're all beautiful with eye-catching appearances, faces like works of art. My mother boasts about them wherever she goes.
As for me?
A completely different story.
I'm not a beautiful picture on a novel cover but a nightmare too ashamed even to look at its reflection in the mirror.
My face distorts society's rules,
Especially in a family like mine. According to doctors, my mother suffered from diabetes during her pregnancy with me and took abortion pills, but they didn't work.
She refused to terminate the pregnancy for fear of cancer, so I was born... against her will.
You might ask: "How could this happen?"
But my luck is terrible.
I'm just a mistake.
A black fate and a disgrace in this family's history.
I was born slightly deformed because of her addiction to alcohol and medications during pregnancy,
Like isotretinoin for treating skin problems.
Damn her.
I wish I had died before I was born.
If my bad luck were distributed among all people, they would all perish.
In a family that worships appearance,
I was the exception. I was just an ugly shadow among artistic paintings.
Do you see the difference now?