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All Chapters of OPPORTUNITY SYSTEM: THE RISE TO FAME: Chapter 1
- Chapter 10
14 chapters
Chapter 1. The opportunity system
James didn't know whether he was alive or not. It was as though he was helplessly trapped in between the thin line that separated life from death and death from life. He could not move but he could feel, he could feel pain, excruciating pain. His brain was pounding in his skull and the whole of his body ached, as though he had been beaten. His heart beat faintly. Even inhaling and exhaling took massive effort from him.He could also not see anything but hear faint, distant, jeering voices mockingly calling his name."....look at him, lying there like a piece of shit……"".....what a loser he is. Definitely doesn't deserve her……"".....she chose me over you for a reason. You are nothing, nothing compared to me……"Those words flitted in and out of his head, leaving no meaning behind. They seemed to bounce and echo around his skull and he could not make it stop.The faint, mocking voices seemed to grow louder and louder until it seemed as though people were beside him, bellowing in his e
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Chapter 2, Nothing but your misery
James sat up so quickly that the nurse attending to him yelped in fear. He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving. He looked around, he was lying in a cozy bed, a drip attached to his hand. The whole place smelled strongly of antiseptic. Of course. He was in the clinic.He looked at the nurse who was staring at him, still looking a little frightened."Who shouted?" He asked her."What?" She said."Who shouted? Someone shouted my name right now.""Nobody shouted your name. It's been only me here." The nurse said."But I heard someone……." His voice trailed off. The nurse was giving him a strange look, as though worried about his mental health."How did I get here? What happened." He asked instead."The guy you had a fight with, uh………""Randy?" I said, my teeth gritted in anger."Yeah, Randy. He knocked you out cold. What were you thinking picking up a fight with a guy like that?" The nurse said, raising an eyebrow.I didn't reply. It was bad enough that I had been humiliated by the gu
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Chapter 3, The challenge
James trudged home slowly, still clutching his letter of suspension in his hands. He didn't think he had ever felt this heartbroken before. Nothing he had ever experienced compared to this level of sadness.He had his future in his hands but he had thrown it away. He had the opportunity to finally make something of himself but he had been too dumb, too stupid.He had come from a poor family, a broken home. His parents had gotten divorced when he was just four years old. His father never paid child support so his mother had to grind it hard, working three jobs just to make ends meet. Now, just when things seemed to finally be looking up for him; he got a scholarship into one of the biggest schools in the country, he got a job, he got a girlfriend, he had blown it all in one stupid move. He had blown it!If only he could have reversed time he wouldn't have. He would have not confronted Randy. He would have just left him to kiss and grope his girlfriend in peace. Now he had lost everyth
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Chapter 4, You lost the bet man
Randy let out a cackle. He looked around at the dozens of students who had been watching interestedly."Come on Randy. I am just a poor kid, ain't I? Or are you scared to make the bet?" James taunted and some people laughed.Randy gritted his teeth, a little annoyed. He grasped James' hand in a handshake."It's a bet Jackson." He said, loudly so everyone could hear him. He turned and walked back into his sports car."You are soooo going to lose, dick head." He said before driving off.James stood and watched as Randy's car rode into the distance until he could no longer see it. The momentary anger he had felt had dissipated, leaving behind a feeling of panic and distress. What had he done!? He didn't have any money to pay off any debt or school fees. The money in his account was barely up to fifty dollars. The school fees and debts accumulated to almost a thousand dollars. What had he done?!James turned and walked back to the house, slammed the door shut, and locked it. He paced aro
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Chapter 5, Thirty six more hours
"What do you mean?" Randy asked. There was a trace of fear in his voice."You have to leave the team. You have to forfeit the finals on Saturday. That was the bet, wasn't it?""No!" Randy exclaimed. If he had looked shocked before it was nothing compared to his expression now. He looked horror struck."You have to." Another voice piped in. "That was the bet.""No, no you can't…..you can't make me." He stammered and backed up a few steps towards the exit door."Leave the team." A voice started. Before long, several voices had joined in. Soon, almost the whole cafe was chanting "leave the team" at Randy just as they had chanted "leave the school" at James a few minutes ago.Randy looked sweaty and pale. He looked around, dumbfounded. Even some of his usual group of friends had joined in chanting at him. He backed up a few more steps, turned and ran out of the cafe. A huge cheer erupted from the chanting crowd.**********************************************************James was the sud
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Chapter 6, Life's so hard man
Thirty-six hours…….. thirty-six hours to go. James knew what that meant. In all the excitement of his overnight wealth, he had forgotten a crucial detail in the dream he had had that night a few days ago. The opportunity system in the dream had told him he had three days to spend the money or he would face dire consequences. Half of those three days were gone and he wasn't even halfway spending all the money."Well?" A voice snapped at him and he looked up. Selena was still standing, her hands folded and her face frowned. He had almost forgotten she was there. He had gotten so carried away with his thoughts. "Aren't you going to say something?" She asked angrily. "Are you just going to sit there, gaping at me like a moron?" James mumbled something inaudible and cleared his throat."What was that? Why did you stop suddenly?" Selena persisted.James opened his mouth to reply but couldn't get any words out of it. The words were stuck in his throat. He closed his mouth again and divert
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Chapter 7, Thirty million dollars
James gulped down the rest of the whisky. He could feel the drink burning back some warmth into him, ridding him of some of the cold and numbness he felt inside.He wanted to talk with someone. He looked at Scott who was scrolling on his phone. He had an urge to tell this stranger about his woes, the challenges he had in spending all the money judiciously and on time. Was that wise? He didn't know. He decided to throw all caution to the wind. "I've got 250 thousand dollars," James said with a little of a hiccup."Huh?" Scott said, looking up from his phone."I said I've got 250 thousand dollars in my bank account, Scott..""Oh." Scott said, looking amused and a little confused. "Well, I've got 700 thousand dollars in my bank account Mr…..""James, just call me James," James said, finishing his sentence for him."Mr James." Scott finished."Well, I need to spe…..sorry, to invest all that money very quickly. If I don't, things could get bad for me." James said in a hurry.He wasn't sur
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Chapter 8, R.J. Black
“Thir…. thirty million?” James stuttered. “Thirty million dollars?”“Yes. Thirty million dollars.” The opportunity system replied.“And I don't need to ……. spend it all in three days or anything?” James asked.“No. It is yours to spend as you wish.”James stared at the opportunity system and then looked at the floor. Thirty million dollars! That was probably more than all the money he had ever received in his lifetime combined. If he got that amount of money he would never be poor again. He could move his mother from the old slum of a house she was living in. He could give his brother all the help he needed in his business. He would have all the cars and houses he had ever wanted but never had. He would be rich. “What job do you need me to do?” James asked. His voice was surprisingly calm and clear. His fear had evaporated, replaced by a grim determination.The opportunity system brought out something from within his cloak and threw it to the ground.“Pick it up,” he said. James sto
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Chapter 9,
“Excuse me please.” A voice said, jolting him out of his reverie. He looked up and saw that he was causing a little hold-up at the entrance.“Sorry.” He said and stepped aside for them to pass.He perused the picture again. He had to be sure it was truly R.J. Black and not some random person. He looked at the man again and back at the picture. He was convinced. It was him. Excitedly, all thought of working out now nonexistent in his head, James ran towards his car just as R.J. Black entered the jeep and drove out of the parking lot. James started his car and followed the jeep.James followed the jeep through town for several minutes. He made sure to keep a discreet distance so as not to cause suspicion.The jeep finally stopped in front of a bungalow at the very edge of town. James parked his car in a distance. He didn't know whether to get out of the car and try to sneak towards the house. Before he could decide, R.J black was walking back outside again, this time, he was flanked by
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Chapter 10. Broad daylight robbery
James stood up quietly, “please don't kill me” James fearfully voiced out, it was more of a whisper, he shrieked in fear and obeyed them. He was not ready to lose his life, at least not yet.Who are these people, and what do they want from him? He thought and looked for a way to engage them. That should be the wisest thing for now.“Follow us like a little puppy nigga” one of the men said and pushed him aggressively from behind. “Please I… I will give you anything you want, just spare me” James shakenly. James started hoping to get a reply from them so he could engage them further.They ignored him, James was sweating profusely. His life has not known peace since he met the opportunity system. Now he is left alone to face this mess. “Please I can…” “Enough!!” One of the men shouted at James. James shrieked. “Do you know what we want from you?” The man continued. They led him into a black SUV car and zoomed off. “We don't want much from you, Just Thirty million Dollars” another man
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