2025-11-23 20:49:22“What the—“ he whispered under his breath.
Clara noticed him muttering crouched on the ground. “What is it now, Rafe? That little scratch hurts that bad?” She asked with irritation.
“What….what is this? He whispered to himself, lost in confusion.
A sharp voice snapped him back. “Rafe!”
He turned. Clara glared down at him, her expression filled with disgust this time.
“You’re embarrassing me in front of everyone! Was I such a terrible person for offering you this job!” She hissed. “Can’t you do anything right?!”
“I’m sorry, it’s just that there’s this—“
But before he could finish, the massive LED screen behind the podium flickered. The logo of Li holdings flashed onscreen, followed by a breaking news banner from London Business Daily.
||”BREAKING NEWS: Li Holdings rocked by embezzlement scandal.”
||”sources confirm insider Rafe Miller – husband to Clara Li – has stolen £150,000 from project funds.”
The hall erupted in gasps. Phones were lifted instantly.
“That’s him! The poor son-in-law!” Someone shouted.
Another murmured, “I knew he was no good from the moment he lost all his wealth…”
System message: MISSION PROGRESS: 40%
Rafe felt blood drain from his face. “That’s not true,” he said quietly, almost to himself. “That’s not true!”
Clara turned to him, fury blazing. “How dare you? After everything we’ve done for your ungrateful ass? My father trusted you with that account!”
He shook his head. “Clara, listen to me–someone’s trying to set me up!”
Jordan stepped forward, feigning righteous anger. “Set you up? Mate, you had full access to the project funds. The transfers were under your logins. Do you really think we’re fools?”
The crowd murmured in disgust.
Lord Richard Li, standing from his head chair, banged his cane against the floor. “You’ve brought shame to this family, Rafe! You used our name, our company, and now you humiliate us in front of the entire business community?”
Rafe’s voice is lost in the commotion of insults and shaming. “Sir, I didn’t—“
But before he could even say another word a sharp SLAP! cut him off abruptly.
The sound echoed through the hall.
System message: MISSION PROGRESS:90%
Clara’s hand trembled slightly, but her eyes didn’t waver. “You scum! I can’t believe I ever loved you.” She spat.
“You’re nothing but a parasite. From this moment we’re done. I’m done with your broke sorry ass.”
Laughter and whispers filled the hall again, cruel and eager.
Rafe’s vision blurred. He felt his chest tighten, air catching in his throat. Everyone was staring, again. Only this time even the pity was gone. Vanished replaced with satisfied smirks and disgust.
Clara’s mother smirked wickedly. “Guess the champagne spill was your way of celebrating your last night as a Li.”
Clara turned to the crowd and announced coldly. “As of this moment, I’m filing for a divorce.”
Rafe looked up at her, his heart was numb. He wanted to scream, to demand proof be brought out to justify this scam, to drag every liar into the light, but before he could speak, his phone buzzed violently in his pocket.
He pulled it out with shaking hands. A notification blinked across the screen:
[SYSTEM MISSION COMPLETE.]
Reward: £3,000,000 Transferred.
His eyes widened. His bank app opened automatically.
The balance glowed bright: £3,000,000.00 –RECEIVED.
He blinked again, and the system’s message appeared once more before his eyes.
[Congratulations, Rafe Miller. Your downfall is your rebirth.]
~Bonus reward for a sharp slap: business negotiation skill.~
His throat went dry.
It was real, the money was real.
The sound around him faded, the laughter, the insults, even Clara’s glare – until there was only the steady pulse of the system’s light hovering before him.
He rose slowly, ignoring the whispers. The champagne soaked shirt clung to his skin, but his voice was calm when he finally spoke.
“Clara,” he said quietly. “You just threw away the only man who ever truly loved you.”
She frowned. “Oh please, spare me ridiculous drama.”
Her mother stood from her seat. “You commit such an offense and you still have the guts to talk back so rudely?”
He shakes his head, a slow smile forming on his lips. “You all just made the biggest mistakes of your lives.” He said, staring at every single person present at that dinner.
“What did you just say?” One woman yelled.
“ENOUGH!” Lord Li yelled, hitting his cane on the ground.
“Get out of this place, and don’t you ever show your face here. The only reason I’m not arresting you is because my daughter once loved you, but cross any of my properties again and you’ll die in prison.”
He turned towards Clara, her smile faltered for a second.
“Enjoy the spotlight while it still lasts. You’ll be next.”
And with that he turned and walked out, past the broken glass, the shocked paces, and the flashing phone cameras.
Outside of the mansion, the London night wrapped around him. Cold, alive, buzzing with distant sirens. He could feel the air shift. The humiliation, the insults, the years of quiet suffering.
All gone.
He looked down at his phone again.
And for the first time he didn’t feel powerless.
He felt reawakened.
He took his first step onto the road but before he could move forward a car swiftly blew past him, and splashed cold rain water on him.
The car stopped right beside him and when the engine finally shuts off, Jacob Levi, Clara’s ex-husband, comes out of the car.
And behind him a string of reports rolled into the hotel parking lot, all clamoring out of their cars with cameras and microphones running toward Rafe.
Jacob took his sweet time walking towards Rafe and when he finally stopped in front of him he scoffed.
“Oh my, if it isn’t the disgraced and backstabbing son-in-law,” He chuckled.
“Or should I say, ex-son-in-law.” He laughed louder.
Just then another message flashed on the system screen right in front of him.
{prove you are worthy of the system 1: }stand your ground against your enemies.
REWARD~business negotiation upgrade + £25,000~
Rafe's lips twitched.
Okay then, he thought to himself, let’s play this game.
The game had just begun.
Previous Chapter
Latest Chapter
Goodbye, Rafe Miller
Rafe finally stood up and dragged himself toward the sink and splashed cold water on his face, watching the pink-tinted drops fall into the basin. His reflection stared back, hollow eyes, bruised lip, jaw tight with exhaustion.He had almost died a few minutes ago.He pushed away from the mirror, pacing.It wasn’t just humiliation anymore. They actually wanted him gone.Then, a faint chime.The air in the room seemed to hum. Rafe froze. The reflection in the window flickered, then the System appeared again, lettering glowing faint blue across the glass.[SYSTEM ALERT: USER EXPOSED TOO EARLY] Threat Level: Critical. Observation Detected – Multiple Entities.Recommendation: Relocation Required.Rafe blinked hard, his breath catching. “What do you mean exposed?” he muttered. “You’re saying people know… about you?”The text pulsed.System: “Attention has been drawn to your sudden rise, Rafe Miller. Visibility threatens continuity.”Rafe rubbed his temples, forcing himself to think. His
Run Or Die
London had a strange way of going quiet after midnight.The rain had stopped hours ago, but the streets still glistened under the orange lamplight, slick and reflective like sheets of glass.Rafe crossed the bridge toward South Bank, the faint hum of the Thames beneath him.His new suit hung perfectly, the expensive fabric hugging his shoulders, a small, quiet reminder that the man walking home tonight was not the same one who once bowed to the Li family’s insults.He felt lighter somehow.Not happy, just… focused.Every step brought him closer to something he couldn’t yet name.His phone buzzed in his pocket.[Sub-Alert: Unusual Movement Detected.]Rafe frowned. “Unusual movement?” he murmured.He stopped at the end of the bridge and glanced behind him. The street was mostly empty, a delivery van passing in the distance, a couple huddled under an umbrella, a lone cyclist gliding past.Everything looked normal.He shrugged it off and kept walking.By the time he reached the narrow str
The First Real Trail
The bell above the door chimed softly as Rafe turned toward the voice.Jacob Levi stood near the entrance of the luxury store, grinning like he owned the place. His navy suit was crisp, his tie knotted perfectly, and his eyes carried that same glint of entitlement Rafe remembered too well.“Rafe Miller,” Jacob drawled, walking closer with that slow, confident stride of someone who never once doubted the ground beneath him. “Didn’t expect to see you here. Lost, are we?”Rafe didn’t respond. He simply adjusted the jacket he was holding, his fingers brushing the fine wool fabric.Jacob laughed, shaking his head. “You always were full of surprises. From begging your wife for lunch money to browsing Hartmann suits? What’s next, a yacht?”Rafe exhaled through his nose, calm. The insults didn’t sting anymore. They just sounded small.“I heard about you,” Jacob continued, stepping closer until their reflections shared the same mirror. “The disgrace of the Li family. Raising a small dying cafe
Risk: Accepted
Rain returned the following morning.It always did in London, falling in slow, apologetic sheets that blurred everything into grey.Rafe sat by the window of his modest South Bank flat, the glow of his laptop screen reflecting off the mug of black coffee beside him. The city outside hummed faintly, buses growling, footsteps splashing through puddles, a siren in the distance.On his screen, a spreadsheet blinked back at him.Company names. Stock prices. Notes scribbled like scattered thoughts.Finance for beginners, the title of the tab read.He leaned back and rubbed his eyes. Two weeks ago, he wouldn’t have cared about the importance of a portfolio. Now, he was consuming everything he could, equity, valuation, market trends, leverage ratios.Not because he suddenly adored numbers.But because numbers were the language of those who had ridiculed him. Those he wanted to crush.Clara’s father had once scoffed across their dinner table, his voice dripping with disdain.“You wouldn’t last
The Loading Screen
Rafe cursed under his breath, “Who the hell are you?” and chased after him.The rain hit the pavement in silver sheets as he burst through the cafe door.“Rafe? Where are you going?!”He ignored Amara’s calls, his attention drilled to one person. The system user.“Hey!” Rafe called out. The man didn’t stop.He moved fast, dancing through the crowd like smoke, slipping between pedestrians and puddles with so much precision.Rafe followed, shoving past people, ignoring their protests. His shoes splashed through puddles, breath clouding in the cold air.The man turned down a narrow side street, glancing back once, his eyes glowing faintly blue.Rafe’s pulse spiked. He really is a System user too.“Stop!” Rafe shouted. “You— you know about it, don’t you?”The man didn’t respond. Instead, he darted across the street as a car honked, brakes screeching inches away.Rafe barely cleared the next lane, his jacket sleeve brushing against a side mirror. His lungs burned, but adrenaline drowned mo
Signature: USER-02
The rain had stopped by morning, leaving London wrapped in a grey haze.The streets glistened, buses hissed through puddles, and Rafe moved quietly among the crowd, just another face in the city that had already forgotten him.He stopped by a lamppost to check his phone.A faint blue flicker appeared in his vision.[SYSTEM MISSION #2: PROVE YOUR WORTH]Objective: Earn £10,000 profit in 48 hours without using System money.Reward: unknown.Penalty: Balance deduction – £1,000,000.He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “No pressure, huh?”Two days. No System funds.Just him, and his brain.And honestly comparing it to what he faced in the Li’s house, it was nothing.By afternoon, he wandered through South Bank’s quieter streets, the ones where old shops clung to life between shiny glass towers. Thaat’s when he saw it: “CLOSING DOWN SALE – 3 DAYS LEFT”, printed across the dusty window of a small café.He paused. The place looked dead — lights dimmed, furniture stacked near t
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