Alex leaned back on his bed, staring at the glowing screen in his hand. The number in his bank account still made his heart skip a beat. ₵10,099,000. Unreal. He almost wanted to pinch himself again, just to be sure this wasn't a dream.
He laughed softly to himself. "With this much money… maybe I can finally get a girlfriend. No more worrying about splitting bills on cheap dinners, no more stressing over dates. I could actually… spoil someone."
The thought made his chest warm. For the first time in years, the idea didn't sound impossible.
"Let's see what else you can do…" he muttered, tapping the glowing icon of the Sugar Daddy System.
The interface popped up, elegant and golden, like some high-end luxury app. Missions, account balance, inventory—it looked just like a game's menu.
[Welcome back, Host!]
Alex grinned, then closed it.
Two seconds later, he opened it again.
[Still here, Host! Ready to spoil?]
He chuckled, then closed it once more.
And again, after a moment, he opened it.
[Persistent, aren't you? But don't worry—we're bound forever.]
"Creepy…" Alex muttered, tossing his phone onto the bed. "Alright, enough system play for now."
He reached for his actual phone instead. His thumbs hesitated for only a moment before typing into the app store: dating apps.
His screen quickly filled with colorful icons and flashy slogans—Find Love Nearby!, Swipe Your Way to Destiny!, Serious Dating Only!
Alex smirked. "Well, if I'm supposed to be a sugar daddy, might as well start looking, right?"
Before he could download anything, the sharp ding-dong of his doorbell echoed through the small apartment.
He blinked. "Huh? Who's that?"
Sliding off the bed, he padded over and opened the door.
Standing there was his landlady.
"Good evening, Alex," she said with a polite smile. She held a small notebook in one hand. "Sorry to bother you, but it's the twelfth. I've come to collect this month's rent."
For a moment, Alex just stared. His landlady, Mrs. Rivera, was probably in her late twenties—young for someone running a building. Her dark hair was tied back loosely, framing her gentle face. She wore a simple blouse and skirt, nothing extravagant, but she carried herself with quiet strength.
Alex quickly shook off his daze. "Ah—right, of course! Give me a second."
He grabbed his wallet from the desk and handed her the neatly counted bills.
"Thank you," Mrs. Rivera said softly, jotting it down in her notebook. "You've always been punctual. Makes things easier for me."
Alex nodded, smiling nervously. "No problem. Gotta keep the roof over my head, after all."
She chuckled faintly at that. But as she turned to leave, Alex found his eyes lingering on her. He knew her story—most of the tenants did. Her husband had died in a tragic car accident two years ago, leaving her to manage the building while raising her little boy alone.
He'd seen the kid a few times, a cheerful four-year-old who always ran around the courtyard with a toy truck in hand.
Mrs. Rivera lived just two floors below him. Alone now, except for her son.
As she walked away down the hallway, Alex felt an unfamiliar heaviness settle in his chest. Not pity exactly… but something else.
He closed the door slowly, leaning against it.
"…She really is beautiful," he whispered to himself.
His phone buzzed on the bed, the Sugar Daddy System's golden glow flashing faintly in the darkening room.