Chapter 2: System

Leo stood there frozen unable to believe his own eyes. His girlfriend was cheating on him with his boss.

Katie, catching sight of Leo, gasped in shock. “You...what are you doing here?”

Ethan, moved away from the two and leaned casually on the elevator wall, folding his arm with a sly grin on his face.

Leo struggled to find words amid the whirlwind of emotions crashing over him.

“You--why--whats was going on here?” Leo sputtered his voice quivering from the shock. It was as if his whole world had been turned upside down.

Katie had a guilty look on her face but she quickly brushed it off and looked right at Leo with confidence. All trace of shame on her expression was gone.

“"That's right, Leo. I cheated on you. I was only with you because I thought you had potential, that you'd achieve greatness. But you've disappointed me. Reduced to a mere coffee boy, you're nothing but an embarrassment.” 

Each word Katie uttered was like a dagger through Leo's heart. It was the excrutiating pain he had ever felt. No amount of mistreatment or harsh insult he face had hurt this much. 

Leo had attempted to conceal the extent of his mistreatment from Katie. He had thought since Katie worked on the top floor and him on the 13th, he would keep her in the dark about his plight. He had hoped she wouldn't discover the truth until he had a chance to change his circumstances, but she ended up finding out.

 Leo gaze then turned Ethan and he saw him grinning. He frowned figuring out that Ethan must have been the one behind his secret been revealed.

Ethan then affirm with a nod as if reading Leo's mind.

He had seen Leo and Katie on a dinner date wearing a couple t-shirt, and felt resentment.

He couldn't understand why a beauty like Katie would date a poor useless bum like Leo.

Then he thought she must'nt have known Leo had been reduced a slave. So Ethan made a decision to expose him.

Ethan had called her to the 13th floor and there she saw Leo mopping a coffee spill while his manager berated him.

In a hurry to clean up the mess, he tripped and he fell to the ground. Causing the whole office to erupt into laughter.

Katie covered her face in embarrassment, she couldn't believe she was dating such a loser. Leo hadn't even told her he had gotten demoted and wasn't the manager anymore.

Ethan seized the opportunity and asked her if she knew Leo. Katie denied it and Ethan proceed to woo her, offering her riches and luxury. Katie couldn't resist, seeing a chance to ascend the social ladder by dating the owner of the company.

She accepted Ethan's advances and had been waiting for the right moment to break up with Leo. That's why she had invited him to lunch.

Ethan had called her earlier to give her a gift and offered to treat her to an expensive meal. She had immediately decided her meal with Lei would have to be postponed.

On their way down the elevator stopped on the 13th floor, and as soon as the doors opened, Ethan suddenly started kissing her. 

Katie knew Ethan had done it on purpose because he knew she had a thing with Leo, but she didn't care.

The luxurious bag Ethan had just gotten for her was a dozen times the entire money Leo had ever given to her.

“I'm breaking up with you Leo. I don't want to date a loser who can't even take care of me. I need to survive as well and you look like you're barely hanging,” Katie coldly said.

Leo couldn't deny the truth in her words, but the fact that she was cheating on him with the very person responsible for his suffering was a bitter pill to swallow.

"I know I'm lacking," Leo admitted, "and I can't provide for you like he can. But you should've broken up with me before jumping into his arms." 

“Of all people why him?” Leo said pointing at Ethan.

“Hey, watch where you point those hand. I think you've forgotten your place you bastard.” Ethan chimed in with a threatening look.

 Leo refused to be intimidated. 

This was his breaking point. Things were never going to get easier, things would never get better.

“Why would you date this bastard of all people!” Leo yelled unable to control his anger but Katie slapped him hard on the cheeks.

“How dare you, talk to him like that!” Katie exclaimed.

Leo chunk stung with pain and he felt humiliated.

“Fine let's breakup. It seems I was so blinded by my feelings for you. I didn't see you were just a shallow oppurtunist." Leo spat unable to control his anger.

 His insulted earned him a kick to his stomach from Ethan, and he crumpled to the ground clutching his stomach in agony.

“You son of a bitch. How dare you talk to my woman that way. You're worth nothing and you don't mean anything to her anymore. So know your place.”

Leo groaned feeling shitty that he said such awful words. He knew he couldn't work here anymore that for sure.

He couldn't live like this any longer, one where he'd lose all his dignity, so Leo made his choice.

“Hey Ethan. Do you know the most painful thing you can do to a man?" Leo asked standing up with a wicked grin on his face.

Ethan frowned wondering if Leo had gone insane, but then Leo suddenly moved, delivering a well aimed kick to Ethan groin. 

Ethan yelp with a pained grunt as he collapse to the ground. His expression turning into a ugly visage of pain as he placed both hands on his crotch.

Katie was shocked by Leo's audacity, and rushed to Ethan's side, cradling him as he groaned in pain.

“Leo have you mad. How dare you hurt him.”

Leo ignored her, he felt liberated. He flung off his glasses and loosened his tie, taking heavy breath. He could finally breath. 

Katie looked at Leo like he was a different person. She didn't think he was someone capable of hitting someone.

“You...you'll pay for this. I'll make sure you pay." Ethan managed to say but he was still in obvious pain.

Leo didn't reply and left with a snort. He didn't care what would happen. Worst case scenario he gets thrown in jail for assault. At least that would spare him from the loan shark.

As he walked towards the exit he ran into the manager, who seemed surprised to see him

“You where are you going here ? Don't you have work to do.”

“Work? what work. I quit just a few minutes ago."

Mr Thompson blinked in disbelief.

“Is this a joke.”

“Do I look like I'm joking?"

Leo said and walked past him but then a voice causes him to paused.

It was that of Ethan yelling for security to catch him

Leo look back and saw a pair of burly men hurry toward him.

He clicked his teeth in frustration and turned to run, but then, a text suddenly appeared in his field vision, startling him.

[Initiating connection to the new world: Earth...]

[Connection successful]

[Integrating System]