World Domination: My Rise To The Top

James sat at the dining table, his mind buzzing with excitement. He had made more progress in two hours than he ever thought possible, and the rush of success still lingered in his chest.

He fought the urge to devour his food quickly and head back to his room. Instead, he forced himself to chew at a reasonable pace, though his foot tapped against the floor impatiently.

His unusually bright mood didn't go unnoticed.

Across the table, Leslie arched an eyebrow, watching him with a smirk.

"You're all smiley. Did you finally get together with Natasha?" she teased, resting her chin on her palm.

James barely spared her a glance as he continued eating.

"Get together, your ass," he muttered through a mouthful of rice.

Leslie gasped dramatically, her hands flying to her chest as if he had just committed an unforgivable crime.

"Mom! He just cursed at me at the dinner table!" she exclaimed, turning to Patty with an exaggerated look of horror. "Lack of table manners! What are we going to do about this heathen?"

Patty merely chuckled softly, shaking her head.

James, on the other hand, paused mid-bite and glared at Leslie, his expression darkening playfully.

"If you don't quiet down right now, I'll personally gift you a very lovely knock on the head," he said, his voice eerily sweet, a sinister smile curling on his lips. "One that will echo for eternity."

Leslie's smirk faltered for a second, her eyes narrowing as if weighing whether to continue pushing his buttons. Then, she pouted and returned to her food, muttering something about "oppressive older brothers."

Patty, seated at the head of the table, watched their exchange with a warm smile. She had always loved their banter—it kept the house lively, made everything feel normal even when life was anything but.

But as she glanced down at her own plate, her smile faded.

She had been trying not to think about it, but the worry clung to her, suffocating.

She had spent the past week losing sleep, thinking of what to do when the inevitable happened.

Her company was shutting down.

It wasn't a matter of "if" anymore—it was a matter of "when."

Soon, she would be out of a job, and she had nothing lined up.

She wanted to provide the best for her children, but what had she really done?

She had always felt like she was never enough.

Not as a wife—her ex-husband had made sure of that.

Not as a mother—no matter how hard she tried, it never felt like she was doing enough.

Her throat tightened, and she clenched her hands into fists beneath the table.

I'm failing them.

The thought echoed in her mind like a cruel whisper.

I'm failing both of them.

She forced herself to swallow the lump in her throat and plastered a small smile back on her face. They couldn't see her like this. Not now.

James remained oblivious to her turmoil.

He was too busy finishing his meal at record speed.

As soon as he was done, he stood up, gathered his plate, and walked over to the kitchen sink, rinsing it quickly before setting it aside.

On his way back to his room, he passed by Patty and leaned down, pressing a quick peck on her cheek.

"Thanks for the food, Patty," he murmured.

She smiled and nodded in response.

Leslie watched him disappear down the hall before shaking her head.

"What is he up to now?" she mumbled.

James walked into his room and shut the door behind him, and locked it, his heart already racing in anticipation.

He walked over to his bed and sat down, grabbing his phone.

His fingers hovered over the screen for a moment before he exhaled and muttered,

"I'm not stopping until I hit at least three grand. Only then can I rest."

He tapped the betting site icon, and the screen lit up, displaying his current balance.

$0.00

"Let's fund you first," he said, as he opened his bank app, to fund his betting account.

After the deposit had been made, he saw the balance in his betting account change.

$1000.00

"Good. Let's start."

James cracked his fingers, stretched his neck, and got to work.

He made the necessary settings, putting it in automatic, before placing his first bet.

Win.

A second bet.

Loss.

Win.

The hours ticked by, but James barely noticed.

At some point, his back began to ache from sitting hunched over for so long, but he ignored it as he continued to watch his betting account balance fluctuate.

His entire world had shrunk down to the numbers flashing on his screen, the sound of his own breathing.

He lost. He won. He lost again.

But he never panicked.

The Martingale strategy was working, and he was disciplined enough to stick to the rules. He made sure that he didn't do anything stupid as he knew that he was still gambling, and as Ralph said, he can still lose everything.

Win. Loss. Win. Win. Loss.

The pattern repeated itself over and over, and slowly but surely, his balance grew.

At some point, his stomach growled, but he barely registered it.

At another point, his phone vibrated with a message from Leslie—probably wondering why he hadn't come back downstairs for the two of them to watch movie together.

He ignored it.

His eyes stayed glued to his phone screen, determination burning in them.

Win. Loss. Double. Win.

His heart pounded.

His fingers trembled slightly.

Almost there.

The clock on his phone read 3:42 AM, but James didn't care.

Another bet.

Another win.

And then—

$3,005.

James let out a long, shaky breath.

He collapsed into his bed, staring at the screen, his vision slightly blurred from exhaustion.

He had done it.

Three thousand dollars.

His hands were clammy, his muscles sore from being tensed for so long, but none of that mattered.

He withdrew everything.

A few minutes later, a notification from his bank confirmed the deposit.

A low laugh filled with disbelief escaped his lips.

James grinned.

He had done it.

He let out a deep breath and stretched his arms, his joints popping from hours of stillness.

His head felt heavy, his eyelids drooping, but he didn't care.

He leaned back against his pillow, exhaustion finally hitting him like a freight train.

As he slowly turned his head toward the window, he noticed the faint golden light of dawn filtering through the curtains.

The sun was rising.

James chuckled to himself.

"Damn… I pulled an all-nighter."

His body begged for sleep, but his mind was still wired, still buzzing with adrenaline. He closed his eyes for a moment, and let himself bask in the moment.

He wanted to check the system's notifications but he decided to put it aside for the moment. What he needs right now is to sleep.

And so, with a smile, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep immediately.