Dumped on my anniversary, I activated the billionaire system

chapter 1

A stack of thick, cream-colored legal papers slammed into Julian’s chest, the sharp edges scratching his neck before scattering across the scuffed linoleum floor of the kitchen.

He didn't even flinch, but his knuckles turned bone-white as he gripped the edge of the counter he’d just spent two hours scrubbing.

"Sign them, you useless parasite," Eleanor Sterling spat, adjusting the heavy diamond tennis bracelet on her wrist—a gift from her daughter's new boyfriend.

"And hurry up. Damien is picking Madison up in ten minutes for their anniversary dinner, and I don't want your depressing aura ruining her mood."

Madison didn't even look at him.

She was too busy fixing her lipstick in the reflection of the microwave door, acting like Julian was nothing more than a piece of cheap furniture she was finally throwing out.

"Just sign the damn papers, Julian. We both know this marriage has been a joke for three years. You cook, you clean, and you hide in the garage when my friends come over. It’s pathetic."

Julian swallowed hard, the bitter taste of three years of humiliation coating his tongue.

He had given up his own ambitions, worked grueling, bloody night shifts as a paramedic to pay off his late father's massive medical debts, and played the perfect, obedient house husband just so Madison wouldn't have to worry about a single thing.

But none of that mattered to the Sterling family, because all they saw was a guy who didn't drive a Porsche and couldn't buy them country club memberships.

Eleanor stepped closer, her designer heels clicking loudly before she kicked his worn-out work boots with the tip of her shoe.

"Look at you. You're thirty years old and your net worth is in the negatives. Damien Croft just transferred two million dollars into Madison's account just as a 'good morning' text. What did you get her for your anniversary? A home-cooked meal? Don't make me laugh."

"I loved her," Julian said, his voice low and raspy, but before he could even finish the sentence, Madison let out a sharp, mocking laugh that cut right through him.

"Love doesn't pay the mortgage, Julian. Grow up. Now pick up the pen and sign so I can go live my actual life."

The sheer disrespect hung heavy in the air, and right as Julian felt that familiar, suffocating wave of defeat washing over him, a sharp, electronic chime suddenly echoed directly inside his skull.

[Ding! Host's emotional threshold reached. Binding the God-Level Absolute Choice System...]

Julian froze, and right before his eyes, a glowing blue holographic screen materialized in the air, completely unseen by the two women berating him.

[Option 1: Drop to your knees, cry, and beg Madison for a second chance. Reward: +10 years of miserable groveling, permanent nerve damage in your legs, and a lifetime of bad luck.]

[Option 2: Slap the entitled bitch across the face, sign the divorce papers, and walk out the door. Reward: $10,000,000,000 in liquid offshore cash, God-Level Medical Skills, and a 30% controlling stake in Croft Enterprises.]

The text hovered in the air, and for a split second, the kitchen went dead silent.

Julian stared at the glowing letters, then he looked at Madison’s smug, expectant face, and the heavy fog of depression that had clouded his mind for three years just vanished, replaced by a cold, ruthless clarity.

He reached down, picked up the cheap plastic pen from the floor, and stood up to his full height.

Madison rolled her eyes, crossing her arms and tilting her chin up because she thought he was finally going to sign the papers, but before she could even utter another insult, Julian’s hand blurred through the air.

CRACK.

The sound echoed like a gunshot in the small kitchen, and Madison’s head snapped violently to the side as she collapsed onto the hard linoleum, her lip instantly splitting and blood dripping onto her pristine white blouse.

Eleanor shrieked in absolute horror, her hands flying to her mouth, but Julian didn't even look at her.

He just dropped the signed divorce papers onto the counter, looked down at his bleeding ex-wife, and smirked.

"Happy anniversary, Madison."