Subtle music played in the auditorium, and several people were engrossed in conversations. Thus, only the few men standing around the blind man heard him.
As the entire group turned toward him, Chad parted his lips to speak again, but anxiety came clamping down and the words stuck in his throat, making him gasp like a fish in drying water.
[Libido +5.]
The system's voice came again.
At the impending doom, Chad forced his heavy tongue to move and boldly walked up to them.
In contrast to everyone here, the blind man was wearing a trench coat with its collars up to his chin, thus, Chad couldn't make out his features.
As he parted his lips to say something, his bodyguard appeared beside him.
After whispering something in his ear, the two walked away without a word.
[Libido +10.]
Now at 15%, Chad felt his crotch tighten and grimaced awkwardly.
Stylishly tugging at his pants, he bent over and headed toward a corner, gritting his teeth.
[Task failed. Libido +35%.]
He couldn't be more relieved that he'd found somewhere to sit quickly before that happened.
But even seated, he had to hunch forward to both hide the bulge and relieve himself.
At that moment, his phone began ringing
Pulling it out, he stared at the 'Manager 1' sprawled across the screen and paused.
Right. Chad Duncan worked several jobs to make ends meet.
The moment he answered and pressed the phone to his ear, an irritated voice hissed.
"Really, Chad? I hit on you one time and you bail from work? Just to be clear, I'm only letting you do as you like because I know I was in the wrong for hitting on my employee.
"But you're a big boy, and I thought you could handle this like a man. I may have been wrong, but that doesn't give you the right to stop coming to work."
"You also seem to have you forgotten it's almost the end of the school year and you'll need to pay your tuition again in a few months."
Chad choked on his saliva hearing the man.
What? Was he missing something?
He was definitely missing something.
Thinking fast and hard, he tried to piece together what he didn't know about this body.
First things first, he didn't know if this person had been gay from the start or if that had happened after meeting the second male lead.
But from what this manager was saying…
"Hey, don't think you can quit. In fact, if you do, I'll make sure you never get a job anywhere else until you graduate!"
At his silence, the man's voice blared once more before the line abruptly cut off.
Grimacing, Chad slipped the phone into his pocket only to nearly have a heart attack when he noticed the blind man from earlier staring into his soul.
But recalling once again that he was blind, he brushed it off. Then his gaze shifted to the new group of people surrounding him. A bunch of middle-aged men.
Though he was the youngest among them, they rallied around him, their brows furrowed in a way that made it clear they were nervous.
Thinning his lips, Chad shrugged.
He didn't expect less from someone who drove a McLaren. Whoever he was, he was clearly a big shot.
Lowering his gaze, he thought again about Chad Duncan's life.
Working multiple jobs every day to cover tuition was exhausting. That's why he, personally, had never done it and rather took out student loans instead.
If he didn't need to waste all that time working, he could transform this new life into one where he became the best lawyer New Belmont had ever seen.
That time should be spent building connections with classmates who could help his future.
But as the government site for taking out loans loaded on his phone, the first bold words written he saw froze his breath, "New Belmont does not offer student loans to students beyond their first year."
Grants?
The same.
He was the main character, for goodness' sake. Why would the author give him such stifling…
"Have you heard? The last help Rafe Harlow had resigned this morning."
"Wasn't she employed like a week ago?"
"Who cares? I'm thinking of applying. The pay is twenty thousand a month. I'll bear whatever abuse comes with the job for a month at least."
Hearing the conversation between two students behind him, Chad's eyes widened slightly.
20k?
His tuition and yearly costs were over 100k. If he worked for Rafe Harlow for twelve months, he'd have more than enough to cover next year's fees and even start life after graduation.
[Task generated. Who is Rafe Harlow?]
All of a sudden, the system's third task for the day came up.
Leaning back on his seat, the man almost laughed.
Just what were the odds?
"He's the Harlow family's heir."
Only after he answered did he realize something was off about the system's question.
Not only had it failed to mention any punishment or reward, it also went completely silent afterward.
Concluding he was right in his answer, Chad sat through the party, typing up a résumé on his phone.
Then he looked up the school site and sure enough, he found the job they spoke of and sent his résumé to the email address provided on the job posting.
The original Chad had no qualifications which was why he had been stuck doing odd jobs, so he simply filled this new résumé with exquisite qualifications, lying through his teeth.
His optimism on getting hired was low, but if the helps were resigning on their own, then he'd just keep applying until they picked him.
A while later, the blind man across him excused himself from the middle-aged men and headed to the restroom with his aide.
"Sir, we have new applicants for your help." Informed his aide as he came out of the restroom.
Handing his stick to him, the man felt around for the tap before nodding, "Let me hear their names."
"Clementine Rivers, Jonah Novak, Kelley Maddox, Chad Duncan, Penelope Cruz…"
Along the line, the man's hands trembled slightly, but his voice remained stable as he dabbed it dry with towel.
"Tomorrow, send an email to the first twenty people telling them they've qualified for an interview."
"Yes, sir." Retorted the aide, handing him his stick.
The duo then returned to the party.
Throughout the party, Chad's arousal remained, rendering him incapable of doing anything.
Since he hadn't drunk anything alcoholic the night before, he was up and alert early the next day.
At 7 a.m., he received an email confirming he had qualified for the final stage of screening for Rafe Harlow's help.
Immediately, he got ready and pulled on the suit from last night which was the only decent one he owned.
He followed the direction giving to him until he came across the most magnificent house he had ever seen.
This was even better than that of the Chief Judge's which was rumored to be the best house in New Hampshire.
Directed to go into the main house by the elderly butler outside, he did as instructed.
But the minute he stepped foot inside the house, the system's mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his head.
[Task failed.]
[Punishment: enter Love Sick mode whenever whenever your love interest, Rafe Harlow, is nearby.]
"Welcome, everyone. Today, Mr. Harlow will choose the candidate himself, based on who he thinks has the best résumé."
As his eyes landed on the blind man standing on the balcony with his aide, his entire body trembled in disbelief.
So, this was Rafe Harlow all long.
Unable to control himself, Chad turned and began heading straight to the balcony.
The 19 other applicants in attendance were stunned as Rafe's security held him back.
At this, Chad's eyes filled with tears and like a child denied of candy, began kicking his foot frantically in the air, throwing a tantrum.
"No, please! Let me see him. I want to see him. I can't live without him!"