The convenience store's fluorescent lights flickered overhead as Karl wiped down the counter, his tired eyes scanning the clock. Just one more hour.
Ding! The door chimed, and a familiar voice called out, "Hey Karl, working again?"
Karl looked up to see his college roommate, Jake, strolling in with a lazy grin. "Yeah," Karl replied, forcing a smile. "Just one more shift."
Jake grabbed a bag of chips and a soda, tossing them onto the counter. "You've been grinding nonstop. What's the occasion?"
Karl's face softened, a dreamy expression replacing his exhaustion. "After today, I'll have exactly $683. Enough for that perfume Anna wanted."
Jake's smile faltered. "Wait… you're seriously spending all your savings on a bottle of perfume?"
Karl nodded eagerly. "It's her birthday tomorrow. She deserves the best."
Anna—the first girl who had ever truly cared about him. The one who asked if he'd eaten, who held his hand when he talked about the orphanage. She was everything to him.
Jake hesitated, then leaned in. "Look, man… I don't wanna ruin your mood, but I saw Anna yesterday. She was getting into a car with Ethan and his rich-boy crew."
Karl stiffened. "So? She has other friends."
Jake sighed. "Karl, those guys are vultures. And Anna was hanging all over Ethan like—"
"You're wrong," Karl snapped, his grip tightening on the counter. "Anna wouldn't do that."
Jake held up his hands. "Fine. Just… be careful, okay?"
Before Karl could respond, the door swung open again. A tall, broad-shouldered figure sauntered in—Ethan Whitmore, the most arrogant trust-fund brat on campus. His cold blue eyes locked onto Karl, and a smirk twisted his lips.
"Well, well. If it isn't Convenience Store Karl," Ethan drawled, his voice dripping with condescension.
Karl forced a polite tone. "Can I help you, Ethan?"
Ethan tossed a pack of gum onto the counter. Then, with a theatrical gasp, he snapped his fingers. "Oh, wait—I also bought a protein bar. Did you steal it?"
Karl's stomach dropped. "What? No, I—"
"I swear I left it here," Ethan continued, feigning outrage. "Guess I'll have to report you to your manager."
Panic surged through Karl. He couldn't afford to lose this job—not when he was so close to getting Anna's gift. "P-Please, Ethan, I didn't take anything! Just… tell me what you want."
Ethan's smirk widened. "Funny you should ask." He pulled a small package from his jacket and slid it across the counter. "I need you to deliver this to my buddy's place. A private villa outside town. Do that, and maybe I'll forget about the missing item."
Karl swallowed hard. "Fine."
---
After his shift, Karl rushed to the boutique, heart pounding as he handed over his hard-earned cash for the delicate perfume box.
Anna's going to love this.
He then hurried to the address Ethan had given him—a sprawling mansion lit up like a beacon in the night. Music thumped from inside, laughter spilling out onto the lawn.
Karl hesitated. He'd never been invited to parties like this.
Steeling himself, he pushed through the crowd, calling out, "Where's Ethan? I have a delivery!"
The room fell silent. Then, a chorus of laughter erupted as Ethan emerged from the crowd—with Anna draped over his arm, her sequined dress glittering under the chandelier.
Karl's breath caught. "Anna? What are you—?"
Anna rolled her eyes. "Uh, it's my birthday party, dumbass."
"But… you said it was tomorrow—"
Ethan burst out laughing. "Oh, this is good." He snatched the package from Karl's hands and tore it open—revealing a box of condoms.
"Thanks for the delivery, Karl, it'll be useful tonight" Ethan sneered. He turned to Anna. "Looks like you lost the bet. His gift didn't even break $1000."
Anna's face twisted in disgust. "This is what you got me?" She grabbed the perfume and hurled it against the wall, glass shattering. "Months of pretending to care about your pathetic ass, and this is all you could afford?"
Karl's vision blurred. "Bet…?"
Ethan clapped him on the shoulder, his voice a venomous whisper. "The game was simple: Anna had to make you fall in love with her. If you spent over a grand on her birthday, she won $10K. But since you're a broke loser…" He grinned. "She owes me this."
Ethan showed him the condom that Karl brought him.
Anna shot Karl a look of pure hatred. "Thanks for nothing."
The crowd erupted in cruel laughter. Someone shoved him. Another threw cash at his feet. "Bark like a dog, orphan boy!"
Karl stumbled out, his mind numb.
---
He woke up in his dorm, clutching a crumpled dollar bill with "POOR" scrawled across it.
Then—
[Ding! Host located. True Love Rebate System activated.]
Karl jolted upright. What the—?
A robotic voice echoed in his mind:
[Welcome, Host. This system aims to help you find true love. Every dollar spent on a woman will be rewarded 10 times back. Increase a woman's affection to 100% for special rewards.]
[Initial funds: $1000. Mission: Raise a woman's affection within one month. Failure = bankruptcy and death.]
Karl checked his phone. His balance: $1003.25.
"It's real!"
His hands shook.
Ethan's words echoed in his mind:
"The first rule of being rich is stepping on the poor."
Karl's lips curled into a dark smile.
Time to play the game.