Chapter 2

Ethan stood rooted in place, unable to accept that it was the same woman he loved who was standing before him.

His lips quivering, he remarked. “Lucia, I sacrificed everything for your sake. I gave away everything to save your father yet…”

“Oh please, save the melodramatics. Do you think I care?... Look, Jason is the new top gamer for Mega Sports and he just recently signed a 3-year deal worth millions of dollars. He is about to become the number one gamer in the country, so you don't expect me to leave him for a pauper like you, right?”

Her words were like knives as they lacerated Ethan's heart repeatedly, leaving him hurting badly.

“How can you say that?”

“Ugh, Lucia, can you be fast?... I've got a hard and I need to get it soft.” Jason remarked at that moment, adding salt to Ethan's numerous wounds.

“Give me a minute darling, I'm trying to talk some sense into this fool,” Lucia replied coquettishly before shifting her attention back to Ethan. “Look, let's not waste too much time on words.”

Then, she turned and made her way to the bedroom side wardrobe before pulling out a document after which she returned to stand before Ethan.

“Here are the papers, sign them so I can be free of you.”

Just then, a familiar voice remarked from behind. “I didn't think you'd be let out early.”

Ethan glanced back to find that it was Reginald Williams, Lucia's father.

“Did you know about this?” Ethan questioned, his tone laced with anger born out of betrayal.

“Yes, your career is over, Ethan, face it, so instead of trying to lie to ourselves, it's best to end things now so Lucia can move on and marry Jason.”

“My career is over because of you!” Ethan bellowed, livid that the family he had tried to protect would treat him this way.

Reginald snorted. “You'd best not say what you can't prove, for both our sakes.”

“...”

“Look, it's okay. How about this?” Reginald reached into his pocket and took out a checkbook.

He wrote out a check for $10,000 before handing it to Ethan.

“Use this and leave the country. You should be able to start your life afresh someplace else, far away from my Williams family.”

Staring at the measly sum penned down on the check, realization finally dawned on Ethan.

He was never truly a son of the Williams family.

He was only a pawn they utilized to grow their name in the gaming industry, ensuring they claimed the title of the number one company.

Now that they no longer needed him, they tossed him aside like a used towel, unwilling to have any connections with him.

His heart boiled with anger as he glared hatefully at Reginald.

Reginald raised a brow. “What?”

“Good, very good,” Ethan remarked. “Fine then, since you bastards have decided to betray me like this, don't think I'll be going easy on you.”

“Hmm.”

“Watch out, Reginald Williams, I promise that you will get what's coming.” Then turning to Lucia, Ethan added. “And you… you will pay for this.”

Without waiting for a response, Ethan decisively signed the divorce papers and tossed them aside before turning to take his leave, causing Lucia to grow scared.

Rushing to her father, she remarked. “Dad is everything going to be okay?... Ethan isn't a man to take such things lying down.”

“Don't worry,” Reginald assured his daughter. “Since the fool has dared to show his face here again, he can forget about living any longer.”

Then he took out his phone and made a call. “Yes, make sure he doesn't leave the premises.”

***

Ethan awoke to a bunch of incoherent voices in the distance, his breathing uneven.

The last thing he remembered was rushing to leave the Williams manor as he plotted revenge against them only to be assaulted by unknown assailants after which he was knocked unconscious.

Groaning softly as his head ached, he tried to move only to find that he was bound to a chair.

He struggled but soon found that his trappings were tougher than they looked.

Just as he began to consider other methods to escape, he heard footsteps causing him to look up only to find Reginald, Lucia, and Jason approaching with a few goons behind them.

“Oh, Ethan, if only you accepted my offer, it wouldn't have had to come to this, but what can I say?... I guess that stubbornness that made you the number one gamer in the country can be utilized wrongly.” Reginald remarked in a mocking tone causing Ethan to grit his teeth.

“What are you going to do to me?”

“It's simple actually.” Reginald intoned as he took a gun from his subordinate. “You are too much of a danger to be left alive so I guess you have to die.”

“I swear you won't get away with this, Reginald, mark my words!”

Reginald smirked as he glanced at Lucia. “Would you like to say anything to him, honey?”

“Just one,” Lucia remarked before taking a few steps forward.

Staring at the woman he once called his beloved, Ethan inquired. “Did you ever even love me?”

“Of course, when you were rich. I hope you can understand, Ethan, you are just a nuisance right now.”

“I see.” Ethan nodded in understanding. “You will pay…”

A gunshot rang out as Ethan's head jerked back after which his body stiffened.

Moments passed as Ethan found himself in a dark place.

It quickly dawned on him that he had died so he could only count his losses and accept his fate.

However, just then, there was a familiar sound followed by a blue screen appearing before him.

Ding

[Host has fulfilled the last condition. Activating the Legacy of the God of Games]

[System Loading]

[Congratulations to the host, you have been deemed worthy to be the successor of the God of Games, an opportunity that can change your fate forever. Are you willing to accept it?]

Ethan couldn't understand what was happening and so he played along, picking [Yes] from the two options afforded to him.

[Integrating system with the host: 10,30,50,80,100]

[System successfully integrated. Awakening host from slumber]