It was exactly thirty minutes after nine when Andrew finished his last delivery.
He counted the money in his hands before revealing a smile.
"Finally. I have been able to save seven months of this job's salary. I can get Karen a beautiful necklace and take her to that new pizza place for her birthday."
Andrew had a struggling marriage, and he was trying his best to keep it together.
His wife had once been madly in love with him, but she had grown cold over the years, so he thought he would excite her with a bit of surprise.
Andrew arrived at the gates of the Winter's mansion.
"Hey, get out of here! We don't allow beggars in here." A man dressed in uniform came out of the gate station and yelled at Andrew.
"Uhm. Ben, it's me." Andrew awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck as he clutched the wrapped present in his other hand.
"Oh. Master Andrew. Welcome." Ben smiled softly at Andrew and opened the gates.
"Thank you, Ben," Andrew returned the smile. Ben was the only one who respected him in this house.
Andrew turned his face towards the direction of the mansion, and he saw the faint projection of bright white light coming out of the house.
"What's going on, Ben?" Andrew asked the guard in confusion.
Ben replied with a raised brow "I thought you'd be the first to know, sir. Today is the mistress' Birthday."
"Not that, Ben. I mean, what's going on in the mansion?" Andrew asked.
"The mistress threw a birthday party." Ben gestured towards the exclusive fleet of cars packed by the mansion.
Andrew furrowed his brows when he saw the cars of different styles and designs.
"Karen threw a birthday party without telling me?"
He felt a dull ache in his chest, but he still had to find out why she didn't tell him.
Andrew moved quickly to the entrance of the mansion. He wondered why Karen wouldn't inform him of such a big thing.
Meanwhile, everyone in the mansion was happy as they celebrated the twenty-fifth birthday of one of the top businesswomen in the country, Karen Winters.
Karen was all smiles. She accepted the gifts and well wishes.
The guests loved her; the media was present to capture the moment, and even the president of the business world honored her invitation.
Everything was going just as she had planned, and nothing could ruin it.
At that moment, the doors to the mansion burst open with a loud bang and drew the guests' attention.
Andrew walked in to see a strange man placing a kiss on his wife's hand, and he was furious.
"You. Get your hands off, my wife," he said before pulling the man away from Karen, breaking the calm environment in the mansion.
"Andrew! Leave him alone!" Karen immediately stood in between the two men and glared at him.
"Karen, what are you doing? Why are you letting another man touch you in such a manner?"
Andrew stood his ground. He couldn't understand what was going on with Karen.
"Shut up, Andrew! Why shouldn't I let him? It's my birthday, and I can do what I want with my life."
Karen had prepared for this.
"And he isn't just another man. He is Mark Twain. He is a billionaire, Andrew. Who are you?"
Shock overwhelmed Andrew as he stared at his wife's face.
He knew Karen no longer respected him, but she had never done it publicly.
This scene intrigued the guests as they watched the drama unfold.
"Who is that scum?" One of them asked,
"I heard they are both married."
"Nonsense. The Winters would never let their beloved princess marry such a gutter worm."
Andrew ignored their stupid words as he stared blankly at Karen.
Had she forgotten where he met her?
"Look at you, Andrew. You came looking like a peasant to your wife's birthday. Don't you have any shame?!" She yelled at him with disgust in her eyes.
"Karen, stop this behavior. I am still your husband." Andrew gritted his teeth in annoyance.
"What's going on here? What's all the ruckus?”
A woman stepped out. She had been attending to a guest when she heard the commotion.
"Mother. Andrew is embarrassing me. Look at him. He didn't even bring me a present." Karen’s eyes watered as she complained to her mother.
Mark came by her side and pulled her closer, trying to comfort her.
His wife’s dramatic behavior took Andrew aback.
"Karen, please, don't be like this. I got you a present."
Karen’s face scrunched up as she collected the poorly wrapped gift.
"What is this trash, Andrew? Is this the best you could do?" Karen's waterworks came on full display as she cried and leaned closer to Mark.
Her mother looked at the necklace in disdain and threw it on the floor.
"Albert. Bring the papers here."
Andrew's brows furrowed together as he heard what she said.
'What papers were they talking about?'
The butler, Albert, came with the papers, and he handed them to Andrew.
Andrew's eyes darted across the paper, and his heart clenched in pain.
"Karen!" Andrew yelled, causing the lady'seyes to widen. He had never acted this way to her before.
"What is this? You want to divorce me?!" he shouted.
His mother-in-law immediately shielded Karen from his blazing fury.
"Yes. I told Karen to marry you because we thought you were the loyal son of the Grey family, but it turns out that you are just a useless bastard." Karen's mother said with a scornful look on her face.
“I don't want you anywhere near this family again."
Her finger was poking his chest as she spoke.
"Camela! Watch your tongue!" Andrew screamed at his mother-in-law. He had lost every iota of respect for them since they publicly insulted him.
Camela drew her face into a frown, and just as she was about to retort, the loud sound of a slap resonated around the hall.
Andrew stumbled back, and his cheek stung with a sharp pain. It was James, his brother-in-law who had slapped him.
"James. Don't hit him again." Karen pleaded to her brother.
"He has no right to talk to Mama like that," James said as he glared at Andrew, but Karen held him back.
Andrew was utterly stunned. These people were ingrates.
They would be nothing without him.
He had secured a brilliant spot for Karen’s business with his former connections and helped her grow.
How could she turn her back on him now because of some unfortunate events?
"Andrew. Sign the papers, and let me be. I'm pregnant with Mark’s child. I love him and want to stay with him."
Karen said, with a step forward while she clung to Mark, who held his shoulders high.
The hall became as silent as the grave, and Andrew's eyes shook.
He rubbed his hand over his face before letting out a laugh. He had been stupid, but no longer.
"I am not signing those divorce papers."
Andrew said with defiance in his tone. He would make every one of them pay. He didn't know how, but he would.
His phone rang, He picked it up, and the line quickly connected.
"Hello, am I speaking to Andrew Raine?"
The voice had a sense of urgency.
Andrew's heart quickened. "Yes, you are. What's wrong?"
"I'm calling from the Dickens General Hospital. Someone rushed your mother here, and we need to see you at once." The line immediately went off after that statement.
Andrew felt his world breaking into a million pieces.
His mother was in the hospital?
Andrew called out a taxi and rushed to the hospital. He met a nurse sitting at the reception.
"Excuse me, please. My name is Andrew Raine. Someone called me here because of my mother."
The nurse looked up, and her face scrunched up at the sight of the man in front of her. He was a little handsome, but what he wore revolted her.
"Follow me." She muttered and took him to the doctor's office.
The nurse led Andrew into the doctor's office, and he took his seat.
"Hello, doctor. My name is Andrew Raine."
The doctor looked up with an expressionless face.
"Mr. Raine, let's cut to the chase. Your mother is in a critical condition.”
Andrew swallowed hard. He understood where this was going, and he held his breath.
“Her heart cannot function properly, and her two kidneys are on the verge of failure.” The doctor paused, letting his words sink in.
"If you truly want to save your mother, I advise you to prepare the sum of three million dollars as soon as possible. We can only keep her alive for three days."
"Three million dollars???"
Andrew couldn’t believe his ears. “I can’t do that, Doctor. Three million dollars in three days is impossible. There has to be another option.”The doctor inspected Andrew. From how the man looked, he knew he wouldn’t be able to pay the money.However, three million dollars was what they needed to go through with the standard procedures, and he had not even gone to the compensation of the surgeons.Three million dollars was just the tip of the iceberg. “I’m sorry, Mr. Raine. If you can’t get that amount, I’d have to prepare a spot for your mother in the cemetery. You can leave.”Andrew picked himself up from the seat, and his shoulders fell. His eyes were blank as he pondered on his next step.“I should say my last goodbye,” Andrew said sadly.The hospital had placed his mother on life support with different wires connected to her body system.Machines beeped around her as they tried their best to keep her alive.Andrew clenched his fist as he watched her. He had used his money to g
Andrew looked at the quest and saw that he had to spend a billion dollars in a day. It was more than he could ever imagine. He rushed to the hospital and immediately went to see the doctor. “Excuse me, sir, where would I pay the money?” Andrew asked the doctor. “You have the money?” The doctor asked in surprise; he didn’t think the young man could accomplish such a feat. “Yes,” Andrew said one word, and the doctor called in a nurse to direct the young man to the accounting office. The moment Andrew walked out of the office, the doctor picked up his phone and made a call. “Hello, Mr. Winter. He has made the payment.”James shot up from his bed when he heard the doctor’s report.Andrew paid his mother’s fee? He had ensured it wouldn’t be possible, so what went wrong? “Do not do the surgery. Think of some excuse.” James said and disconnected the call. The doctor looked at his phone. He couldn’t think of an excuse because it could ruin his professional history if anyone found out
'He's lying to me, but why?' Andrew thought in his mind as he looked at the doctor.Andrew held back his emotions, and he stepped out of the doctor's office without saying a word.Andrew walked into the room where the hospital had kept his mother, and he sat by her side.There was nothing he could do if the doctor refused to treat his mother. He could only wait until the surgeon was free. Then a thought came to him.If the system could instantly give him a sum of one billion dollars, then, maybe it could help with his mother's surgery."System, I need a surgeon for my mother's surgery," Andrew said with hope in his eyes.[Searching for top surgeons.][Surgeons located.][What do you need a surgeon to do?]Andrew's eyes widened in delight at hearing the reply of the monotone voice.The system was the answer to his problems."My mom needs a heart and kidney transplant." Andrew said in an instant.He would show that doctor that he wasn't to be messed with.[Narrowing search to surgeons
Karen couldn't believe what her manager had relayed to her.How could the Comsor Terrain cancel her contract?"Mom!" Karen screamed out.Carmela rushed down the stairs when she heard her daughter's voice."What's the problem, Karen?"Karen stood up from the dining room and arranged her clothes. She had to find out what was going on in that company."Mom, the cosmetics company canceled my contract,"Karen said in a rush while she moved to the door."What?" Carmela was surprised. Her daughter's spa had brought in a lot of customers for the company, including drawing in a massive amount of wealth. It was unreasonable for the company to terminate the contract. "I don't know either, Mother. Tell James to meet me at the company. We have a lot of work on our hands." Karen said as she stepped out of the house.She rushed into her Rolls-Royce and stepped on her accelerator.As Karen rushed to the Comsor Terrain company, she didn't know that this was only the beginning of her problems.Andre
Andrew stared at the system panel before him in excitement.It was time to get his rewards.[Host has taken down one of his money.][Achievement unlocked.][Achievement: Mass spender.][Mass spender: A billion dollars spent in a day.][Reward: A hundred million dollars.]Andrew heard a ding from the phone in his pocket."This is real!" He said in a loud voice.His bank had sent another alert to him.Before he could celebrate, another panel appeared in front of him. [Achievement unlocked.][Achievement: Golden Speedster.][Golden Speedster: Host used less than twenty-four hours for a daily goal.][Reward: A hundred million dollars.]A notification sound from his phone echoed through the office, and Andrew didn't know whether to laugh or cry. [Achievement unlocked.][Achievement: Fast Achiever.][Fast Achiever: Earned more than one achievement in a day.][Reward: Three hundred million dollars.]"This is too much."Andrew laughed out loud. He never imagined he would have so much in one
Inside the mansion of the Winters was a heavy silence which enveloped the hearts of everyone in the wide parlor room as they faced the flat-screened television. "I can't believe this." Karen said with a fallen look on her face depicting the sadness she felt from within.Her mother, Carmela, was sitting with her, and her brother stood at the other end of the room. He had a mug of coffee in his hand, with a frown across his face, and his eyes on the television. They had turned to a news station because Carmela had heard gossip from the women at her elderly gathering about a new spa that would be opened soon."Owner of the top earning company in the city, Comsor Terrain, Mr. A, has decided to increase the discount of the new spa at the Cunningham Hotel to a staggering ninety percent for the first five hundred." The newscaster said with a shocked look on her face, followed by a smile of interest.She couldn't believe that such an offer could actually exist."I can't compete with this."
"I'm still scared." Karen whispered, her heart was beating frantically. James turned towards her and flashed her a small smile, doing everything to take away her fears. "You don't have to be. I heavily doubt it's him. It will never be him." The silence was so deafening that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone watched with bated breath as the figure approached the doorway. Nobody had the faintest idea who it was gonna be. Karen had her heart in her hand despite the fact that James was doing everything to calm her down and ask her not to worry. She felt a foreboding that something was very wrong, and she was rarely wrong when she felt like that. Now it was happening again, in a time she wished it wouldn't. That's when the figure came into view, revealing Andrew. He was dressed in a tuxedo, and glasses. He exuded an air of confidence that commanded the focus of everyone who was present. He was given a standing ovation as he held out his hands for the two beautiful women. They interl
The ball party was gradually drawing to a close but for him, the night was just the beginning. He had a lot of things that he needed to take care of. With Karen gone and disgraced, the rest of the evening was mainly filled with murmurs about what had happened. News stations all over the city were already displaying the events that had taken place tonight. It no longer hurt him that he had done that to her, because he knew she deserved every bit of it. Not long after, the guests began to disperse and the events of the evening gradually faded into the background. Andrew retired at his mansion that night, but he spent most of it awake as he thought about his plans for the future, which was to start the next day. He had already instructed some of his men about the unveiling which was to take place the next day and preparations were already in progress. He slept with a smile that night. The next morning, he didn't waste any time before announcing the opening of his new spa. He had invite
"What do you mean by that?" He growled after he was updated about the state of his health bars. There was nothing he got in response, and that made his blood run cold. He couldn't imagine being defeated by the giant thing in front of him. He got up again, feeling refreshed and strong again before moving back to a safe distance to think about what to do next.It was very clear from the foregoing that this was going to be a very hard mission, and if he wanted to win it he had to use his brain, rather than his brawny side. He had to plan, but it was frustrating because his best two options had just been thwarted and used against him before he knew what was happening. If he tried to keep on fighting without thinking, he knew he would surely be defeated in the blink of any eye. But it was worrisome because there was nothing he could do now, every other option he had in his mind was gone. Gritting his teeth against the cluelessness he was going through, he continued to think about it, ho
From the way that the ground shook, he knew that the enemy was coming and needed to be very prepared for whatever and whoever the bops of the level three was. With the mystery sword in his hand, he started to walk around, navigating the virtual landscape of level 3. However, he was faced with a shocking realisation that the mission wasn't just direct, it involved a lot of side but quick quests that he needed to perform before getting there. There were always one or two bugs he had to kill before moving forward. These bugs came in the form of some things- like miniature lizard men. He also had to keep an eye for poisonous plants that seemed to be newly added to the virtual landscape. They lay strewn along the path, and were probably waiting to strike whoever crossed it. The system made sure to explain it to Andre who also made sure to watch out for them and avoid coming in contact with it. According to the system, the poisonous plants didn't totally kill anyone it came in contact w
Some days later, Andrew was going about his usual routine when he suddenly began to feel a strange sensation. It kept pulling at him, and it felt as if an invisible force was tugging at him from all directions. He couldn't understand what was going on and it got more confusing because his system hadn't told him anything. He was so terrified as the feeling continued to intensify. It got so bad that he began to feel dizzy. He staggered to the couch in the living room and collapsed on it before facepalming in confusion. "What is going on?" He asked, groaning in pain. He looked around him but his vision was suddenly starting to feel dizzy. His system didn't respond, which further heightened his confusion, distress and fear. Was there a malfunction? He thought, before slumping right on the floor. He could feel his senses shutting down, and before he could react, the familiar portal appeared in front of him. It glowed, and he was half-expecting something or someone to come out from it.
Andrew devised a plan as soon as he got out of the alleyway that evening. He wasn't going to wait around before doing what he needed to do. He wanted to deal with James, with those that he had bullied in the past. He couldn't imagine the sight of seeing him being dealt with by the same people he considered weak and vulnerable. The search for potential allies began the next morning, and the first person he reached out to was a young man with tousled blonde hair. He was hunched over a collection of broken Gadgets as he worked. His name was Gilbert, and he was a very talented mechanic whose skills had been overshadowed by James and his oppressive regime. He approached Gilbert with a friendly smile and sat right beside him. Gilbert didn't say anything when he saw Amdrew, he just looked up and continued to work on his stuff. He feared he was going to be bullied yet again, and it would be best if he just kept to himself and didn't say anything that would incite the bullying. "Hey there,
The next day came with a lot of surprises, a staggering lot. The next day, Andrew was sitting in the crowded auditorium after an announcement was made online. The auditorium was bedecked with noise until the school chancellor took the stage, and his voice boomed over the chatter of the students. You could hear a pin drop now. "Attention, everyone!" He said, and smiled as he paused as if allowing the announcement to sink in before he continued again. Andrew looked around, wondering if James was somewhere around. He doubted it. "It's that time of the year again- the season for choosing our school president." He said, and the whole.crowd erupted in cheers. Andrew felt a thrill of excitement run through him when he heard that. This was his chance to make a name for himself, to prove that he was more than just a lowly street fighter. But quickly and sadly, he reminded himself that he was here for a mission and that was to defeat James, not fight for a position in a school. He was inte
The duo rounded a corner before they began walking down into an alley. Behind them were James's men. Some of them had been wounded during the fight but the injuries sustained were not bad.The alley had a faint glow of streetlights which cast eerie shadows on the graffiti-covered walls. Andrew knew that James was about to pair him up with somebody big, but he didn't care as a matter of fact. He had every resource to deal with whoever it was. But there wasn't a doubt that he was filled with anticipation. And if there was anything he was happy for, it was the fact that James didn't waste much of his time before introducing himself and offering him a chance to join his men. They didn't didn't stop walking until they reached a cul-de-sac at the end of the alley. James turned and pushed something in the wall while Andrew watched. After some seconds, the small parchment on the door opened and two curious eyes stuck out to observe who had paid them a visit. The parchment closed almost imme
The following day after what had happened in the school corridor between James, his goonies and the innocent student, Andrew came face to face with yet another discovery. As he made his way across the school grounds, he stumbled upon a heated confrontation between James and a group of rival students. From what was going on and the way they were shouting at themselves, it was pretty clear that a fight was going to break out soon and it did not look any good. The way they were insulting and being abusive towards each other told him to hang around for a little while because it was about to go down yet again and maybe he could use it to his advantage this time. He continued to wait as the altercation intensified, they were getting ready to throw hands but he feared about the whole thing getting worse. It was very possible that these people might be even worse than what he expected but he was going to wait and find out what was going to happen. If it got so bad to the point where his sy
Acclimatising himself to the bustling environment of the new school, Alex (Andrew) couldn't help but pick out one of the distinctive features that the university had. It was very surprising to him that there was still a case of social hierarchy that determined a lot of things here. The pecking order was clear, because there were certain groups of students that held swag over the others. They did everything in their power to enforce intimidation and fear so that others who weren't part of their group would steer clear. There were numerous reports of students getting into fights and the police intervening every now and then. He wondered if he was going to use it to his advantage in any way possible, and also asked his system if it would be nice to beat up the bad guys and get reward points from them, but he got a reply that it wasn't yet the time. He couldn't wait. He was walking through the crowded corridor one afternoon when he stumbled into a very troubling scene. Something had hap
Karen stared at the letter for a while, nodding her head as if she was replying to the owner of the letter. There was something about the letter that ignited the fire in her heart even though she had been feeling so terrible and awful for a number of days now. Something about it revived the vengeance in her, the one that she had no idea how to awaken since Alex had done what he did to her. Alex was in her plans, and she vowed that one day she was going to get him and deal with him, and teach him what would never make him forget her in a hurry. But she knew that the person behind all this was Andrew, and he was in fact, the one who needed to be seriously dealt with. She couldn't believe that she had allowed Alex into her life and he had easily escaped like that, now she couldn't let the public know that she was drugged because it would arouse a lot of suspicions that she was with another man. So for now, she decided that it was going to be best to lie low and only raise her head whe