Life never gets easier, does it?
Realistically, it only grows worse over time. The deeper you sink into poverty, the more you come to realize that no one has any interest in you, no matter how presentable or healthy you appear, and everything around you becomes increasingly difficult.
"I really hate my life…"
Alex sat in front of a laptop in his room, a porn video playing as he watched with little attention to what was unfolding on the screen. The moaning and the constant collision of two bodies were at least somewhat pleasing to his ears, but his life kept him from even indulging in the moment with his eyes.
Just yesterday, he had lost his fiancée to his best friend when he caught both of them in an intimate moment in his own house. It had been quite a scene, yet Alex did not feel hurt by it, perhaps because he had just been fired from his job. Quietly, he showed them both the way out, ignoring how much his fiancée and best friend pleaded with him, calling it a mistake.
He was not particularly interested in that. If anything, he was relieved she left in such a manner, as it spared him from worrying about her complaints over his unemployment or adding further strain to his life in his effort to provide for the family he had sincerely hoped to build.
Currently, the young man was drowning in a fifty thousand dollar debt with no way to clear it. His house rent would be overdue in three days, and he had only a hundred dollars left in his account. Naturally, the only way out of this hellhole that came to mind was to take his own life. However, despite the looming struggle, Alex preferred to remain alive, as opportunities might still appear.
This was not the end, yes.
…Well, that was what he thought the previous night, until he stayed awake the entire time, his mind tormenting him with how insufferable he had become in such a short span. His kitchen was devoid of food, and hunger only intensified his spiraling thoughts.
The only distraction was the sound of the porn playing in the background. Aside from graphic design, Alex was painfully aware that the next thing he excelled at was sex. But that clearly offered no viable way to earn money. If anything, he would be the one spending what little he had to be with women. Of course, he was actually quite handsome, with full curly brown hair styled in a wolf cut and a tall, athletic frame standing at 6'2. He easily drew attention from women, yet no one would want to be with a broke man drowning in debt, would they?
For now, it was safe to say that he had no future ahead of him.
Alex groaned and paused the video.
He tilted his head toward the window, and the morning sunlight immediately struck his eyes, forcing him to wince and look away. Slowly, he stood and walked toward the window, his vision adjusting gradually to the brightness.
The broke yet handsome young man opened it to let in fresh air, then glanced at the street below. His flat was on the second floor of a five story building. What he saw made his expression darken. Two high schoolers were kissing in broad daylight, lost in their own joy while passersby ignored them.
Alex frowned.
'These two brats… shouldn't they be in school at this hour instead of disturbing society with their nonsense?'
He quickly went into his bathroom, grabbed a bucket of water, returned to the window, and poured it directly over their heads. Without hesitation, he shut the window and calmly returned to his laptop, sitting down with a grimace.
On the other hand, the two students froze as the cold water crashed over them like a punishment sent from the heavens. Their lips parted instantly as they stood there drenched, blinking in pure disbelief before their faces twisted in rage.
"What the hell!" the boy shouted, shaking his hair like a wet dog, while the girl gasped, wiping her face aggressively.
"Are you mad, old man!?"
Passersby slowed down, some stopping entirely, a few covering their mouths to hide laughter, while others openly stared as if a free show had just begun.
The boy clenched his fist, grabbed a loose stone from the roadside, and hurled it upward with all his strength, cracking Alex's window.
"Oi! Are you insane!?"
Alex's window flew open again as he leaned out furiously.
"Do you know I'll pay for that?!"
The girl scoffed loudly, dragging the boy back.
"Fuck you!" she yelled, pulling him away as they both began to run.
Alex pointed at them with pure outrage.
"You better run! Run! I'll visit your parents tonight, especially your moms!"
The boy didn't even look back, flipping his middle finger into the air.
Alex gripped his hair tightly in frustration, glancing at the cracked window once more, feeling the urge to burst into tears. That was definitely an extra expense. Of course, he could have avoided it if he had just controlled his boiling rage and played it cool like the responsible twenty-four-year-old he was. Then none of this would have happened.
"Fuck!" the young man screamed into the street before slamming the window shut.
He quickly returned to his laptop, and just as he was about to ease himself by resuming the video, an ad popped up on the screen.
"What the fuck is this? This is exactly why I hate watching porn on these dumb sites. Get out of my way."
Despite repeatedly tapping the close button, the ad refused to disappear, forcing him to read its content.
[Job offer from Real Productions]: Howdy, do you have an enormous dick and are you able to fuck really well? If yes, say no more and come work with us to stream adult content for wealthy clients who are ready to pay for your services and earn even more from streaming. Tap the link below.
Alex's expression brightened slightly. He was used to seeing ads like this, but for some reason, he was genuinely intrigued by whether this one was real and not a total scam. Perhaps it was because he was in a state of absolute necessity. In any case, he could not bring himself to ignore it.
He bit his lip, hesitating as he stared at the screen.
"It won't hurt to try it out, right? Whatever."
Without further thought, Alex tapped the link and was immediately redirected to a blank page. For several minutes, nothing appeared, and just as he was about to conclude he had been tricked again, a single word emerged in the middle of the screen.
"Sent?"
His phone dinged with a new notification. Alex glanced at his laptop, then back at his phone, confusion written across his face.
"That's just a coincidence…"
He slowly picked up his phone and read the first notification.
[Bank Alert]
Credit Alert: Your account has been credited with the sum of $5,000.00
Sender: Unknown
Transaction ID: 8473629105
Available Balance: $5,103.27
Time: 09:42 AM
Alex stared at the message, his brows knitting together in total shock. He read it multiple times before quickly opening his banking app to confirm the funds had indeed been deposited.
Instantly, another message appeared.
Alex was dumbfounded. He hadn't expected this to actually work. Could it be a more organized scam?
But honestly, who would bother scamming someone like him of all the wealthy people in the world?
That didn't sound plausible.
Still, his desperation overruled logic.
If an opportunity truly presented itself — one that could make him rich while utilizing his particular… abilities — then he was just a common man who would obviously accept it with the biggest smile.
***
When evening fell, Alex wasted no time, quickly boarding a taxi and heading straight to the hotel address sent to him.
'I have to confirm this… I need money badly.'