It all started from false allegations.
Just like with the history of all false allegations, they came out of nowhere.
A report of half a million dollars missing from the Town Square Project, one of the company's most money making ventures in literal years.
Maximus had been the manager overseeing it, which made him the perfect fall guy.
At first, he thought it was a mistake. Then realized it wasn't just about the missing half a million. One of his co-workers, a woman he even barely knew claimed to have harassed by him.
Maximus squeezed his fists as he remembered the board meeting, the way his coworkers stared at him like he was some outcast, a criminal. None of them spoke the truth for or of him. Not one single person, even after many years of working with these people.
The sentence: I didn't do it!. Was his most spoken throughout that time period, but no one believed him.
All fingers pointed at him.
But it didn't matter what he had to say. The decision had already been made because by the end of the week, he was fired and his reputation went up in his flames with his job.
It didn't even take long for the news to spread like wild fire. First through the company employees ears, then through the ears of his friends and even through his family.
His mother tried to believe him, she really tried to as the woman that carried him for 9 months. But the evidence pointed gravely towards her son, especially with the harassment allegations.
Very soon, his girlfriend stopped answering his calls and stopped replying his text messages.
All his close friends completely ghosted him.
The company he was fired from addedd to the heat by flogging a half a millions dollars debt on him, that missing money had to be accounted for and he had to pay it back.
He slumped deeper into his torn out cushion, staring at the television on the wall of his rundown apartment.
The lightning of the room came from a single yellow bulb flickering above where he sat.
His apartment gravely reflected his life now. It was a boxy living room, a dirty, small kitchen and a bathroom with broken tiles on it walls and floors.
"Tch!" he hissed angrily as he watched the television screen dance with vibrant colours, not even paying attention to what was on. He just kept staring at it as their was nothing else to do.
His phone buzzed gently in his pocket, diverting his attention away from the television.
He returned his focus back to the television, not bothering to answer it as he already knew who it was.
Maximus ran his hands across his face as the phone kept buzzing relentlessly.
A few seconds later, it chimed and connected to the voicemail system he set up for times like this.
"You have reached the phone of Maximus Prime, leave a message after the beep…"
Beep!
"Maximus! You have got until the end of the week to pack your shit and get out of my apartment, and no more extensions this time!"
Beep!
The landlord.
He picked up the remote and switched off the television as if the images started to irritate him, and his reflection glared at him from the dark screen of the television across the room.
"Just look at you…," he muttered too himself. "Those bastards!".
He then dragged himself to his feet and walked to his rugged kitchen to get something to eat.
He opened the fridge, it was completely empty.
Then the cupboards, it wasn't empty but filled with cobwebs.
He was about opening his small pantry when a knock on the door scared him to the point his hairs puckered up.
'Who's that? Did that landlord come up here for fucks sake!' he thought to himself.
He sprinted to the door and opened it cautiously to reveal a short, fat delivery man holding a small brown box.
"Good evening Mr. Prime!" the short, fat man said shoving a white clipboard at his chest without hesitation.
"Please sign here…" the short, fat man said nonchalantly.
Maximus was utterly flabbergasted, he looked at the white clip board to see that there was no single return address for the package, just his name in block letter written boldly on the box.
He signed the package out of instinct and the short, fat man stole it from his grasp and fled down the hallway, leaving the package in his hands.
He sat back down and opened it, inside was a blank white note with nothing written on it. He found this extremely odd because why put an empty note in a package?
"...Unless it's not empty…" he said to himself as he dug around in his pocket and pulled out a lighter, sparked it on and waved the open flame against the paper.
In a few seconds, words became visible on the white piece of paper.
"If you believe the allegations are false, here's a chance to rewrite your story. Use it wisely."
"Now this ought to be interesting…" Maximus said to himself.
He reached inside the box and his fingers picked up a small nylon bag that contained a transparent pill inside.
Maximus's heart pace quickened as his reasoning came to a decision.
'Take the pill…'
With a deep breathe, he opened the transparent nylon and popped the pill into his mouth and down his throat.
"Huh!" he gasped softly as he felt it descend into his stomach.
In a few seconds, he felt a strange surge originate from his stomach and travel all the way to his brain.
"Woah!"
His pupils constricted and his pulse quickened.
~Investment God System Activated~
A silver holographic interface popped up on his view taking him completely by surprise.
"What the hell…?" Maximus muttered.
His pulse quickened even futher.
~Welcome, Host~
~Maximus Prime, your situation has been recognized and this system has been provided to you to rewrite your story.
~Success depends on your ability to make strategic and decisive physical investments~
~Would you like to rewrite your story?~
His face distorted in confusion mixed with a whole lot of disbelief.
~Starter Pack has been set at $1,000,000~
His eyes widened as he saw the huge amount of money dancing across his peripheral view.
"What? One million dollars? That is an insane amount of money!"
~Would you like to rewrite your story?~
"yes!" he replied with a stammer.
~Great!~
~Select a trigger word to summon the Investment God System~
[---]
"Trigger word? To summon the system?" Maximus said to himself as he rubbed his chin inquisitively.
"Alright, I'll use something simple…"
"Come Forth…"
~Trigger Word selected~
~>Come Forth<~