I Level Up with the Trillionaire System

Jack Neuman sauntered across the stairs to the porch, his breath hitched. A weary expression plastered his face, his back hunched as he walked. Moreso, his eyes were filled with a storm of negative emotions.

Things weren't supposed to end like this, he thought bitterly, eyes lingering on the wooden door before him.

A week ago he had lost his job, everything collapsing before him. He'd tried looking for a job, but to no avail. So, he surrendered himself to fate.

As if life weren't cruel enough, his mother's condition took a drastic turn. Two days ago, she was rushed to the hospital and the medical report was grim. She had brain cancer, in the terminal stage.

Why did it have to happen? He gritted his teeth, hands trembling. It took him a few seconds to finally open the door and step into the living room.

It had been cozy once, but now it was empty. He had sold everything in his possession to fund his wife's younger sister's university. If not for the loan sharks who came to his rescue, covering his mother's hospital bills would have been impossible.

He glanced at the empty walls which used to bear numerous portraits; they were empty as well. Mary, his wife, had taken all of them down for an unknown reason.

The bungalow had been a hallmark of his wealth and prestige in the past, now it was a symbol of his failure. Soon, he'd sell the property to fund Mary's six-month trip to Switzerland.

He trudged across the staircase, headed for his bedroom on the second floor. That was when he heard the creaking and moaning sounds.

‘What’s going on?’ his eyes narrowed in puzzlement. No one was supposed to be home as Mary had gone off to visit her parents.

A burglar? He became extremely cautious, his hands slowly clenched into a fist. Carefully, he snuck up to the door and slowly opened it to peek inside.

What he saw caused his breath to hitch, eyes widened in shock. For a brief moment, he just kept gazing at the scene within the bedroom, frozen on spot.

Right there on the bed was Mary and a man making love passionately. This same man was the one she had claimed to be her business associate.

‘No, no!’ he screamed inwardly, pushing the door ajar.

Mary and the man noticed him at that moment, their eyes flashing with surprise. They immediately pulled the bedsheet to cover themselves, eyes still fixated on Jack.

“Jack?” Mary chuckled nervously. “What are you doing home so early? You're supposed to be… with your Mum?”

“I should be asking you the same, Mary!” Jack yelled, veins popping across his forehead. “What… what are you doing with him?!”

Mary narrowed her eyes, and anger welled up within her. “And what do you mean by that statement? Who are you to tell me whom I should associate with?!”

Jack's world crumbled totally as he watched his wife in disbelief. He had never expected such a grievous betrayal from her and it still struck him like a dream.

He had just caught his wife cheating on him and she didn't even have any iota of guilt. Moreso, the man didn't even show him any regard. It was as if his wife and the man regarded him like a mere husk.

“Honey, who's that?” The man asked, tilting his head toward Jack.

‘Honey?’ Jack's legs wobbled under him. The air suddenly turned thick, making him let out short gasps.

“Oh, him?” Mary smiled at the man. “James, you really have to ignore him. He's the stupid ex-husband I told you about.”

“The one who became useless?” The man called James sneered.

“Who the hell are you calling useless?!” Jack glared at the man, teeth gritted. Rage completely took over him, making him rush toward the bed.

Seeing this, Mary leaped out of the bed to block his path. Even though she was naked, she didn't care and glared back at Jack.

“Step away, Mary,” Jack warned.

“Or what?” She asked, her arms folded across her chest. “What are you going to do? Sue me in court?”

Before Jack could reply, she chuckled, “Oops, I forgot. You're now a pauper!”

“Mary…” he whispered, tears streaming down his face. His heart was gripped by the pain of betrayal and misery.

He had lost everything, his mother was at the hospital, and now this? This was already too much for him to bear, the endpoint of it all.

“We… we can still fix this,” his eyes softened, voice pleading. “I'll forgive you—”

“You'll forgive me and what?!” Mary snapped. “Weren't you the one yelling just now?!”

Jack lowered his head in utmost defeat. He was no longer man enough to be the head of his family. He felt his wife could do anything she liked, as long as she didn't abandon him. She was the only person he had left apart from his family.

“I'm very sorry, Mary,” he said. “Let's fix things—”

“It's a little too late for that, don't you think?” Mary sized him up, then edged toward James. “I'm getting married to James next week.”

That statement struck Jack like a hammer on an anvil, his pupils dilating in disbelief. “What are you talking about, Mary?” He asked. “We still have time to fix things…”

“The divorce papers are coming tomorrow,” she replied blatantly. “If you sign or not, that's none of my business. James and I are still getting married.”

“But…” he said, pupils shaking. “Our marriage vows…”

“Can you even listen to yourself?” She replied, frustrated. “I didn't sign up to be married to a pauper!”

Jack's lips trembled as he stared at his wife. He couldn't believe his eyes right now. After everything he had done for her and her family, things weren't supposed to end this way.

“You heard your wife!” James barked at him. “Or should I say, my wife?”

Mary sat on the bed beside him and gave him a kiss, ignoring Jack who was just some meters away. He just watched as both of them kissed, till he could no longer bear it.

He walked out of the room, defeated and broken. A buzz in his pocket jolted him out of his misery and like a husk, he reached his hand to grab his cellphone. He sighed and glanced down. Margaret Neuman flashed on the caller ID.

He swiped the answer button and said, “Hello, Margaret…”

“Jack?” Margaret answered from the other end, her voice shaky.

“What's the matter?” He asked, his heart tightening.

“Jack… Mum is… She's…”

“Mum's what?!” He barked furiously, his body shuddering.

“Mum's dead.”

The news dropped like a bomb. It wasn't a nightmare, but the reality that misfortune had finally overwhelmed him.