The café was bustling, warm air laced with roasted coffee beans, the clatter of ceramic cups, the faint hum of indie music. Ethan sat hunched at the corner table by the window, gripping his half-empty Americano like it was a lifeline.
He hated this place now.
Once, it had been their favorite spot,his and Rachel's. Back when life still made sense. Now, the memories tasted bitter, just like the coffee cooling in his cup.
The door jingled. A familiar laugh rippled through the air, clear and sweet, like nails across his soul. Rachel.
She walked in, radiant, her caramel waves cascading down her shoulders like the universe had decided to sculpt the perfect woman. But it wasn't her beauty that stung, it was the way she smiled… at him.
Jake.
Tall, chiseled, confident. Wearing a suit like he was born into wealth. A firm hand at the small of Rachel's back as he guided her to the front counter.
Ethan froze. For a second, his world tilted. She hadn't noticed him yet,thank God. He tried to shrink into his hoodie, hunch deeper into his seat. But life wasn't kind to losers, and fate had a sick sense of humor.
Rachel's eyes met his.
And then she smiled.
Not kindly. Not sympathetically.
That smug, pitiful smirk she used to give waiters who got her order wrong. She turned to Jake, whispered something, and they both chuckled. Jake glanced at Ethan, sizing him up. The same look you give gum stuck to your shoe.
Ethan's ears burned. He wanted to disappear.
He reached for his phone, no notifications, no missed calls, no unread texts. The silence stung more than her laughter. He remembered how she'd once told him, "I need a man who knows where he's going. Not someone who's always figuring it out."
Jake, apparently, knew.
He couldn't take it. Ethan stood too fast, chair legs scraping loud against the hardwood. Heads turned. Rachel raised a brow, amused.
"Hey, Ethan," she said, sickly sweet.
He paused, throat tight. "Rachel."
Jake gave a slow, mocking smile. "Everything okay, buddy?"
Buddy.
Ethan swallowed the bile rising in his throat. "Fine. Just leaving."
"Don't let us keep you," Rachel chirped.
Laughter trailed behind him like ghost chains as he stumbled out into the parking lot. The cool breeze slapped his face, but it wasn't enough to cool the fire in his chest. He slumped into his secondhand Corolla, hands shaking.
The weight of everything came crashing down.
Jobless. Broke. Dumped. Replaced.
What's the point?
He stared out the windshield, jaw clenched. He had tried. God, he had tried. Countless resumes sent, late nights freelancing, ramen dinners for weeks. And still, not enough. Never enough.
He slammed the steering wheel. "I just wanted to be someone..."
Silence.
And then, something strange.
A flicker.
Like a spark behind his eyes.
His phone buzzed violently in the cup holder. The screen lit up, not with a call or text, but a pop-up.
MILF SYSTEM: INITIATED
Welcome, Ethan King.
Status: Pathetic Human Male.
Objective: Ascend. Conquer. Thrive.
Accept system? [Y/N]
He blinked. "What the hell…"
The screen pulsed faintly, glowing red like embers beneath ash. His finger hovered over the 'Y' key, heartbeat echoing in his ears.
A prank? A virus?
Then again… what did he have to lose?
He tapped Y.
For a moment, nothing.
Then a warm sensation unfurled in his chest. Not painful, no. It was like fire and silk, burning and comforting, laced with promise. His vision blurred for half a second.
System Accepted.
Initiating base calibration…
Hormonal imbalance detected. Confidence: Low. Libido: Dormant. Testosterone: Suboptimal.
Recalibrating...
Ethan gasped as something shifted inside him. His limbs tingled. His pulse quickened. He sat upright, alert. The world looked clearer, sharper.
Another ping.
First Task Unlocked:
"Seduce the Dominant Boss Mom."
Target: Miranda Kane
Age: 43
Status: Divorced CEO
Location: FitFuel Gym, Downtown
Reward: Confidence +2, Trait Unlock (Seductive Aura Lv.1)
"What the actual f—"
But before he could finish the thought, his mind was flooded with an image.
Miranda Kane.
Tall. Curvy. Fierce eyes. Leather pencil skirt. The kind of woman who didn't ask for power, she owned it. Her smirk alone could cripple a man.
Ethan's breath caught.
The system spoke again, not on his screen this time, but directly into his thoughts.
"She's lonely, Ethan. Powerful, but aching. Go. Learn. Conquer."
He stared into the darkened windshield.
Everything inside him screamed this isn't real, but his body? It felt real. He felt stronger, straighter. He reached for the mirror. His skin seemed less pale. His jawline... sharper? His eyes held a spark that hadn't been there in months.
No more excuses.
If the system was a joke, he'd play along. If it was real?
Then maybe, just maybe,he had a shot at something more.
He put the car in gear.
It was time to meet Miranda Kane.
And for once in his life... he wasn't going to ask for permission.