I Became A Billionaire Overnight ( And Nobody Knew)

Chapter 1: The Kiss of Shame

The ballroom glittered with expensive chandeliers and dressed-up people. Laura Raven's birthday party was the biggest event North Hills had seen all year. Barry stood near the wall in his cheap black suit, watching his wife laugh with a group of rich men he didn't know.

One of them was Reeves Nightingale.

Reeves was tall, handsome, and rich. He wore designer clothes that probably cost more than Barry made in a year. He kept touching Laura's arm and telling jokes that made her smile. Barry hated it.

"You're bothering my wife, Reeves," Barry said, stepping between them. "Give it a rest already."

The ballroom went quiet. Everyone turned to look at Barry.

Reeves stared at him like he was an insect. Then he raised his hand and slapped Barry across the face so hard that Barry's head snapped to the side.

"How dare you speak to me?" Reeves laughed. "You're a nobody. You work as a servant for the Raven family. You make two hundred dollars a month, and you think you can talk to me like we're equals?"

Barry's face burned. Not just from the slap, but from shame.

"I was only trying to help," Barry said quietly.

"Help?" Reeves pointed at his expensive leather boots. "You've insulted me. Now you're going to kiss my boots. That's the only way you can make this right."

Barry looked at Laura. Her arms were crossed. She looked angry at him, not at Reeves.

"Barry, you're embarrassing me," Laura said coldly. "Just do what he says and go away."

Barry's heart broke a little. His marriage to Laura had never been real. Her grandmother had arranged it, thinking Barry was a good man. But Laura hated him for being poor. She never touched him. She never looked at him with kindness. They shared a house but lived separate lives.

Before Barry could move, his father-in-law Jonathan walked over. Jonathan was the head of the Raven family, and he was furious.

"If you know what's good for you," Jonathan said, "you'll do what Reeves asks."

Then Jonathan slapped Barry too.

The second slap hurt more than the first.

Barry fell to his knees. The room was completely silent except for the soft music playing. Everyone was watching him. Everyone was waiting.

Barry crawled forward and kissed Reeves' boots.

The room exploded with laughter and whispered comments.

"I can't believe he's actually doing it."

"What a pathetic loser."

"Laura should divorce him."

"He's like a pet dog for the family."

Barry kept his head down. His nails dug into his palms until they bled a little. His teeth clenched so hard his jaw hurt. But he didn't cry. He didn't show anything.

Reeves smirked down at him like Barry was garbage. Laura had already left the room.

After it was over, Jonathan grabbed Barry's arm. "Go help in the kitchen. I don't want to see your face for the rest of the night."

Barry walked to the kitchen with his head down. His suit was wrinkled. His face was red. Every servant in the house was watching him with pity.

He went to the sink and started washing dishes. The water was hot and dirty. It matched how Barry felt inside.

Hours passed. The party continued upstairs. Barry could hear the music and laughter through the walls. He worked alone in the kitchen, washing plate after plate after plate.

Around midnight, Barry's phone buzzed in his pocket. It was an old phone that barely worked. He pulled it out and saw something strange.

A notification appeared on his screen. Then another. Then another.

They kept coming faster and faster.

Barry's hands were wet and shaking as he read the messages. They were about his trading account. The small account he had started with his savings. The one with only five thousand dollars in it.

The first notification said: "Trade executed. Profit: $10.42 billion."

Barry thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

The notifications kept coming.

"Trade executed. Profit: $8.7 billion."

"Trade executed. Profit: $12.1 billion."

"Trade executed. Profit: $15.3 billion."

His phone was moving so fast he could barely read the notifications. His account balance was climbing. Ten billion. Fifty billion. One hundred billion.

Barry's legs felt weak. He sat down on the kitchen floor, staring at his phone in complete shock.

Something impossible was happening.

And nobody upstairs had any i

dea that the man washing their dishes had just become the richest person in the world.