Road To Revenge: Obtaining a villain system

002. The Bet

The voices coming from the bedroom sounded low. Intimate. The kind of whispers you don’t want to hear from anyone but your partner —and certainly not in your home, on your bed.

Niccolo walked towards the bedroom door, every step heavier than the last. He noticed that the door was partially open, and what he saw through that crack would haunt him forever.

Kimberly. Arching her back. Laughing. Her head thrown back in ecstasy. And Gregory —his boss —leaning over her like a lover who’d claimed her for years.

He staggered forward, pushing the door fully open, his lips parting in a breathless gasp. They didn’t hear him at first. Or maybe they did and simply didn’t care.

“Kim...?” His voice was barely a whisper, broken and small.

She turned her head lazily, like she’d just noticed a fly in the room. Her eyes met his— and there was no shock, no shame, no remorse. Just boredom.

“Oh. You’re home,” she said, her tone sharp and dismissive.

Gregory didn’t even bother covering himself up. He stretched, exhaling deeply, before slipping on his shirt without urgency. Like it was just another business meeting. Another transaction.

Niccolo dropped to his knees, as though his body had given out completely. His hands trembled violently, and tears gathered in his eyes before he could stop them.

“Why?” he asked. “Why would you do this to me… to us?”

Kimberly slid off the bed and stood tall, completely unapologetic. She wrapped a silk robe around her body, not out of modesty, but out of convenience.

“Because you’re pathetic, Niccolo,” she said coldly. “A loser. You took this long to figure it out. It was embarrassing.”

He shook his head, unable to comprehend her cruelty. “But... I loved you.”

“Love?” She scoffed. “Don’t be so dramatic.”

And just then, laughter erupted from behind him. The door had creaked open, and in walked Layla, Jenna, and Rose— three of Kimberly’s closest friends. They looked like they’d been drinking. Lipstick smudged, perfume thick in the air. They didn’t stop laughing. One of them even clapped.

“You owe me three hundred bucks, Layla!” Jenna chirped, pulling out her phone. “I said he’d find out after eight months. You said six.”

Layla waved a hand dismissively, sipping from a champagne flute she must’ve brought in with her. “Still worth it. Watching his face right now? Priceless.”

Niccolo stared at them in horror, realization crashing down on him like a wave of acid.

“You... made a bet?” he choked. “You knew... all of you knew?”

“Of course they did,” Kimberly said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. “I told them after it started. We had drinks, we laughed, and we figured —why not spice it up a bit? You were never around anyway. Always working. For him, no less.” She jerked her chin at Gregory, who merely smirked.

“I gave you everything,” Niccolo whispered. “I worked those hours for you. To make this life better.”

Kimberly rolled her eyes. “No, you worked for yourself. You were obsessed with your work, and it's not even like you're a staff. Gregory never liked you, Niccolo. He always said you were too eager. Too desperate.”

Gregory didn’t correct her.

Niccolo’s vision blurred. His heart felt too big for his chest. Every beat was a violent thud of betrayal.

Kimberly walked past him like he was a piece of discarded clothing on the floor. She grabbed her phone and sent a text. Then she turned to face him again.

“I want a divorce. Now that you know, there’s no reason to keep pretending. I’ll be moving out tonight.”

Layla tilted her head. “Oh, actually... you might want to stay with a friend for a while, Nic. This house? Kimberly already transferred it to her name last month. It’s hers now.”

“What?” he breathed.

Kimberly smiled like a cat that had finally caught the canary. “Gregory helped with the paperwork. He’s good with that sort of thing.”

“You... you planned this.”

Kimberly leaned down, cupped his chin like he was a child, and whispered, “Of course I did.”

Niccolo couldn’t move. Couldn’t scream. He was frozen in time, humiliation dripping from every pore, pain laced into every breath.

The women left the room still laughing. Kimberly didn’t even look back.

Gregory lingered just a moment longer. “Just business, Nic,” he said, adjusting his watch. “And by the way, don’t bother coming in tomorrow. Your position has been terminated. You’ll find a severance packet waiting in your inbox.”

Then he walked out, leaving the door wide open, as if to make sure Niccolo knew: nothing was private anymore.

He stayed there on the floor for what felt like hours. The ring he had bought for her felt so heavy in his pocket.

Eventually, he dragged himself to his feet and walked into the bathroom. He splashed cold water on his face and looked in the mirror. The man staring back at him wasn’t the same.

That man had trusted too easily. Loved too hard. Worked too much. Gave too freely.

That man was gone.

What remained was hollow.

But in the stillness of that night, as the echo of laughter faded and the front door slammed for the final time, a new seed was planted deep within Niccolo’s chest.

He was wronged terribly, and for what? For loving his wife.

The seed of hatred was planted in his heart. No matter what it took, he would have his revenge.

He would start over. Alone, if he had to. Broken, but not buried. This story wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

Even if it was the last thing he did, he would find a way to make them pay.