Chapter 1: Kicked Out

“Rick’s coming over tonight. He won’t be happy to see you here.”

Alistair Harlow had spent the entire afternoon slaving away in the kitchen. Just as he walked out with the last dish, his wife, Rebecca Whitfield, dropped that cold sentence on him like a lead weight. The man she mentioned was Richard Morgan, the one she’d always loved.

Alistair froze for a moment, then untied his apron with a quiet nod. “Alright, I’ll head out. I’ll wait for your call to come back.”

Rebecca’s gaze hardened. “Don’t bother coming back.”

Before he could process her words, she flung a piece of paper at him. “We’re getting divorced tomorrow.”

Alistair bent down, picking up the note. His eyes scanned it quickly, confirming its contents, and a tremor ran through him. He clutched the paper tightly as if it weren’t just a scrap of stationery but something more vital than life itself. He forced down the storm inside him and turned to leave. But just as he reached the door, a thought struck him. “Danny…”

“Alistair!” Rebecca’s voice was sharp, her face darkening. “Don’t you dare act like you’re anything to him! Just because Danny’s called you ‘Dad’ for five years doesn’t make you his father. I’m warning you, don’t bring him up. Get out!”

In fact, all Alistair had wanted was to remind her that her son, Daniel Whitfield, seemed to be coming down with something, and she should keep an eye on him.

He and Rebecca had married because of her pregnancy. After the wedding, he’d moved into her family’s home. They had a five-year-old son. To the outside world, they were the picture of a happy family. But behind closed doors, there was a truth that almost no one knew—not even Rebecca’s parents. Their marriage had been nothing more than a childish act of defiance, a petty rebellion Rebecca staged against Richard.

Alistair and Rebecca had known each other since high school. She was the school’s golden girl—beautiful, wealthy, the center of attention wherever she went. Alistair, on the other hand, was a nobody, a studious kid from a struggling family, pouring every ounce of his energy into his studies, hoping a top college would be his ticket to a better life. She was the dazzling heiress, and he was the quiet nerd in the corner. Their paths should never have crossed.

But one day, Rebecca, disheveled and desperate, sought him out. She tossed a bank card at him and made a blunt offer: to be the father to the child she was carrying. Her condition was regal. He had to give up his SATs and other immediately upcoming exams. Alistair barely hesitated before agreeing. He had no shortage of admirers, but Alistair wanted stability; he desperately needed the money.

Life can be merciless sometimes. Necessity always forces people into choices they never imagined they’d have to make. At the time, Alistair’s family was drowning in crisis. His father had caused a car accident, injuring someone badly, and the victim’s family demanded a hefty settlement. Without the money, he faced a decade in prison.

Rebecca presented Alistair to her parents as the father of her unborn child. Her parents were aghast. Her father, Bartholomew Whitfield, nearly lost his mind. He unleashed his fury, shouting at Alistair until his mother, Cordelia Whitfield, wept in heartbreak and rage. But Rebecca defended the pregnancy, leaving her parents no choice but to grudgingly accept Alistair.

With the millions Rebecca gave him, Alistair saved his father from prison.

He’d always known the child’s real father was Richard, the man Rebecca loved. Alistair knew he was just a pawn in her game of revenge, but it didn’t bother him. Their marriage was never about love; it was a transaction, cold and calculated from the start.

For years, Alistair lived cut off from the world. His life revolved entirely around Rebecca and Daniel. He played the role of dutiful househusband, cooking, cleaning, and keeping things running smoothly. He went out of his way to win over Rebecca’s parents, caring for them on her behalf. It wasn’t the life he’d dreamed of, but he had no other options. Rebecca held his IOU, a chain that kept him tethered. Without her consent, he couldn’t walk away.

He’d waited years for this moment. Finally, after an exhausting afternoon in the kitchen, without so much as a sip of water, Alistair was thrown out. Rebecca didn’t even give him time to pack. Dressed in worn house clothes, slippers on his feet, and an old flip phone in his pocket that could barely make calls, he left the house. The first thing he did was tear up the IOU.

In that instant, he felt the weight of a mountain that had crushed him for six long years finally lift. Alistair felt lighter, freer, as if he’d been given a second chance at life.

“Penniless and adrift, the world stretched out endlessly before you, yet it felt like there was no place for you in it. Two paths lay before you.”

“Option one: You could crawl back to Rebecca, plead for mercy, and hope she’d take pity on you for the six years you’d toiled as her dutiful househusband. If she’s feeling particularly generous, maybe she’ll toss you a loan or a menial job to scrape by.

“Option two: You could cut ties with Rebecca and everyone connected to her for good. No more living without dignity, no more being at the mercy of others. The struggles you face now are temporary, and you could rise from the ashes and start anew.”

A voice echoed in his mind, clear and commanding, startling him. Without a moment’s hesitation, he chose the second path. After all the pain it took to escape that pit, he’d be a fool to dive back in. Rebecca’s temper had kept him on edge every day, always watching her mood, tiptoeing around her outbursts.

Daniel, her spoiled son, was a whirlwind of mischief, and as his nominal father, Alistair had no authority to discipline him. Every whim Daniel had, Alistair was expected to fulfill without question. Years of that oppressive, suffocating life had hollowed him out. He’d always been a quiet man, but lately, it felt like he was forgetting how to speak altogether.

“Congratulations. You’ve made the right choice. Life Choice System successfully bound.”

Alistair blinked, caught off guard. Even after six years detached from the world, he knew what a “system” was.

“Host has made a correct life choice. Rewarded with 100 system credits.”

“System Store unlocked. The host may use system credits to purchase desired items.”

At some point, it started to rain. Alistair, dressed in thin clothes and worn slippers, trudged through the downpour. Cold water seeped in and crept up his legs, but he barely noticed. He just kept moving.

“Look, Mommy, that man’s so weird. He’s like a stray puppy nobody wants…”

“Hush, don’t say things like that. Let’s go.”

A mother and child hurried past, their voices fading into the rain. Alistair hesitated, then reached into his pocket. Slowly, he pulled out his hand, and under the glow of a streetlamp, he froze. His fingers held a stack of cash. He’d been penniless, but somehow, there it was—a thick stack of bills. It looked like it was a thousand dollars. He’d spent one system credit in the System Store…and it had actually given him a thousand dollars in real, spendable cash. The system was real.

Alistair spent just over three hundred dollars on a new outfit, two hundred on a discounted pair of sneakers, and fifteen on a fast-food meal. With the rest, he planned to find a cheap motel to crash in. If he converted all his system credits to cash, he’d have 100,000 dollars. For someone with no material desires, that could last a long time.

But he held back. He’d noticed that real-world money was the cheapest thing in the System Store. That meant the other items, things he couldn’t buy with cash, were likely far more valuable. The store offered things like a Body Fortification Pill for thirty credits, a Rejuvenating Glow Pill for forty, and an Opportunity Card for fifty. The Opportunity Card intrigued him the most. A hundred thousand dollars would eventually run dry, but for someone like him, who had no degree and no work experience, an opportunity was priceless. If he could just grab hold of the right chance, he’d never go back to that miserable life. No more endless housework. No more cold glares from Rebecca. No more bending over backward for a spoiled, impossible child.

After a long, hot shower in a motel room, Alistair sprawled on the bed and, without hesitation, bought an Opportunity Card.

“Opportunity Card purchased successfully. It will take effect within forty-eight hours.”

The next morning, Alistair jolted awake at six, his heart racing. He glanced at the clock, his mind buzzing with panic. Why didn’t the alarm go off? He leaped out of bed, scrambling to throw on clothes.

For years, he’d risen at four-thirty every morning, no exceptions, not even on holidays. Rebecca had strict demands for breakfast, and Daniel was a picky eater. To prepare a nutritious yet tasty meal, Alistair would slip out of bed while the world still slept, quietly tying on his apron and getting to work in the kitchen. But no matter how carefully he tried, he could never fully please them. Rebecca and Daniel always found something to nitpick. Every complaint was met with a bowed head and a soft apology from Alistair, who would then quietly fix everything without a word of protest. He never forgot his place. He was the debtor, and Rebecca was the creditor. He knew his job was to repay her with perfect service, day in and day out.

Halfway through pulling on his clothes, Alistair stopped. As full wakefulness settled in, he suddenly remembered he was a free man now. From today on, he could hold his head high.

By nine that morning, he stood at the courthouse. The divorce proceedings went smoothly. When the clerk confirmed the divorce was finalized, a wave of relief washed over him. It was done. Rebecca was no longer a part of his life. Now, it was time to chase the opportunity waiting for him.