Harem Tycoon System

Chapter 8: Balance, Tears, and a Glimmer of Hope

|They say if you truly love someone, you'll keep fighting even when there's no hope. But… what if hope itself is what destroys you?|

Lucas’s footsteps echoed rapidly down the white, disinfectant-scented hospital hallway. His breath was ragged—not from physical exertion, but from the weight pressing down on his chest. His hands trembled, his heart pounded, and his eyes darted around, searching for the figure who had just left him with a gaze full of fury and pain.

“Caroline!” he called out, nearly desperate. “Wait, please... just listen to me!”

The woman Lucas knew inside and out came to a halt. His memories of his wife flooded his mind, overwhelming Ethan’s soul and taking over.

Caroline stood frozen, her back straight, but Lucas could see her arms slightly trembling. He rushed toward her, and once he was close enough, he reached for her hand.

The hand that used to be warm… now felt much thinner.

“Caroline, I—”

Before Lucas could finish his sentence, Caroline turned around. Her gaze was sharp—like a knife stabbing into his chest. She jerked her hand away harshly, as if Lucas’s touch was the most disgusting thing in the world.

“Don’t touch me!” she hissed. “My God... you can not only run now, but also flirt with your doctor! Absolutely despicable.”

Lucas froze. His eyes widened. “No! It’s not what you think. I can explain—”

“No need!” Caroline snapped. “Everything is crystal clear. If you’re already healed, then pay off your hospital bills, sign the divorce papers, and take your damn stuff from the house.”

Lucas was stunned.

Caroline looked at him once more, and this time, something broke inside him—the glint of tears gathering at the corners of her eyes.

“And don’t ever show your face to me or Emma again.”

Then she walked away.

Her steps were quick. Her shoulders trembled slightly. But she didn’t look back. She gave Lucas no chance to speak. No room to explain that all of this… wasn’t what he wanted.

Lucas stood frozen in the corridor.

His eyes stared blankly at the hospital wall.

Then a ding sounded in his head.

[MISSION FAILED: KEEPING LOVE ALIVE] -1500 points. Balance deducted: $1,500,000,000 from main account.

Lucas stared at the notification blankly. Money. Points. The system. This damn game. Why was his life now dictated by a digital system that toyed with his emotions and feelings?

There was no voice from the system. No response to his frustration.

Lucas let out a bitter laugh. “Ridiculous,” he muttered. “All of this is ridiculous.”

He wanted to be angry. At someone. At the system, at life, even at himself for being so easily fooled by false hope. But now... he could only stand there in silence. Stunned amidst the white walls and the beeping of heart monitors from nearby rooms.

“Hospital bill, huh?” Lucas murmured while looking at his phone. His account balance had dropped drastically due to his failure. But there was still enough left to pay off the hospital bill.

“Well then, let’s start there.”

After paying the hospital bills, Lucas left the building with a receipt in hand and a heavy burden on his chest. He walked to the bus stop, then took public transport to the old house he once shared with Caroline and their daughter, Emma.

Memories flooded him along the way. Emma’s laughter when she first learned to ride a bike. Caroline wiping his sweat when he got home from work. Warm hugs, crying in each other’s arms, small arguments over who should wash the dishes that night.

Now all of it was just haunting memories.

When he arrived, he didn’t dare go inside. He only stood at the gate, staring at the house he once called “our home.”

Then, a small voice called out.

“Papa?”

Lucas turned quickly.

A little girl with curly hair stood near the gate. Her eyes widened with hope. “Papa, is that you?”

Lucas smiled faintly, holding back tears. “Yes, sweetheart. It’s me.”

Emma opened the gate and ran to hug Lucas. He bent down and held his daughter tightly. The broken world around him seemed to flicker with a tiny light.

“Papa... Mama said you went far away,” Emma whispered softly.

Lucas swallowed hard. He stroked her hair. “Papa’s not going anywhere again, sweetie.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. This time, Papa promises.”

Then an older woman emerged from the house with a scowl. She was the part-time nanny who looked after Emma while Caroline was out. Lucas then asked Emma to wait inside.

“Papa will get something for you. Wait inside, okay?”

Lucas waited until Caroline returned from the grocery store. He stood in front of the house like a stranger, holding a plastic bag containing a small toy for Emma and another small box he couldn’t wait to give Caroline—just bought from the nearby store.

But when Caroline got out of the car and saw Lucas, her face instantly turned cold.

“If you’ve packed your stuff, leave now!”

“I will, but I can’t divorce you! Please give me time to make things right for you and Emma.”

Lucas tried to reach for Caroline, but she backed away in fear. Not wanting to add to her pain, he placed the bag of gifts for her and Emma on the ground.

Caroline looked at him with disgust. “Take all your stuff and leave!”

“It’s just a gift... for you and Emma.”

Her expression mocked him. She didn’t open it. “Don’t think you can buy my forgiveness with cheap gifts.”

Lucas sighed deeply. “I’m not buying anything, Caroline. I just hope... maybe you’ll listen to me. Just five minutes.”

Silence. Caroline stared at Lucas. Then she let out a bitter laugh.

“Fine. Five minutes. But after that, you leave.”

Lucas nodded.

He explained everything. His plan. The system that defied rational explanation. His struggles in the hospital. Why he seemed too close with the female doctor there.

“She was just a partner... in the mission I received. I didn’t do anything inappropriate. I never betrayed you, Caroline.”

Caroline listened, without interrupting, but also without showing any emotion. After Lucas finished, she stared at him for a long time.

“I’m tired, Lucas. I’m not just tired of your absence... I’m tired because every time you come back, it’s always with a new drama. Always a new wound. Another burden. And now you’re talking nonsense about a system? I don’t care if you’re caught up in some kind of gambling. We’re getting divorced—let’s just deal with our own mess!”

Lucas looked down. “I know you won’t believe me. And I won’t force you. But give me one last chance... to be a good father. To be a husband who’s... worthy.”

Caroline stood up and shook her head. Then she threw Lucas’s gift into the trash.

“Divorce me and let me and Emma be happy!” Then she walked into the house, ignoring him.

A system notification appeared again—Lucas’s points had dropped even more. He cursed in frustration. Apparently, each time he failed to reconcile with his wife, the system treated it as a failure. At this rate, he really would end up homeless if his points kept dropping.

“New mission available. Take it or decline?” —System

Lucas bit his lip until it hurt. Do I really have to be enslaved by this damn system?