Tonight was the night.
Callum Hayes straightened his collar for the third time, checking his reflection in the bathroom mirror of the hotel conference room. The company Christmas party was in full swing outside, music thumping through the walls, coworkers already drunk and laughing too loud.
He had spent two years building up to this moment. Two years of buying Gabriella coffee every morning. Two years of listening to her complain about bad dates. Two years of being her friend while secretly dying inside every time she smiled at him.
But tonight felt different. She had touched his arm earlier when she laughed at one of his jokes. She had said he looked nice in his new shirt. Maybe, just maybe, she was finally seeing him as more than just the quiet IT guy who fixed her computer.
Callum took a deep breath and stepped out of the bathroom. The party had thinned out a bit, people filtering away to the bar or outside for cigarettes. He scanned the room for Gabriella's dark hair and red dress. Where had she gone?
He checked the main hall. Not there. The bar area. Empty. His heart started beating faster. This was it. She had probably gone somewhere quiet, away from the noise. Maybe she wanted privacy for when he finally told her how he felt.
Callum walked down the hallway toward the back conference rooms. Most of them were dark and locked, but one door at the end was slightly ajar, warm light spilling into the corridor. He heard something. A sound. Breathing? No, more than that.
Oh no.
His stomach dropped before his brain even processed what he was hearing. He knew that sound. Everyone knew that sound. But it couldn't be. Not here. Not her.
Callum's feet moved on autopilot, carrying him closer even though every instinct screamed at him to turn around and walk away. He reached the door. Through the gap, he could see inside.
The world stopped.
Gabriella was bent over the conference table, her red dress hiked up around her waist. Her large breasts had spilled out of the top, bouncing with each brutal thrust. Her face was flushed, mouth open, moaning without shame. Behind her stood Kelvin Bradford, the company's arrogant sales director. His tie was loosened, sleeves rolled up, hands gripping Gabriella's hips as he pounded into her with ruthless intensity.
"Fuck, you're so tight," Kelvin grunted, one hand sliding up to grab a fistful of Gabriella's hair.
"Don't stop," she gasped, her voice breathy and desperate. "Harder."
Callum felt like he had been punched in the face.
Kelvin was married. Everyone knew that. He wore his wedding ring to every meeting, had photos of his wife and two kids on his desk. And Gabriella.…Gabriella was supposed to be sweet. Kind. The type of girl who volunteered at animal shelters and cried during sad movies.
But there she was, getting fucked like a whore in a conference room by a married man who treated everyone like shit.
Kelvin slapped her ass hard enough that the sound echoed. Gabriella cried out, arching her back, pushing herself harder against him. Her breasts swayed lewdly, nipples hard and exposed for anyone who walked by. She didn't care. Neither of them cared. They were too lost in it, too consumed by their own pleasure to even think about locking the door.
Callum finally found the strength to move. He stumbled backward, bile rising in his throat. His hands were shaking, and his vision blurred.
Two years. Two fucking years of his life wasted on a woman who was spreading her legs for a married asshole in a conference room. She had never seen him as anything. He was just the pathetic guy who bought her coffee. The safe backup. The placeholder.
Callum walked through the party in a daze. Someone called his name but he didn't stop. He pushed through the doors and out into the cold December night. Rain was falling, soaking through his new shirt within seconds, but he didn't care.
His whole life had been like this. Thirty-two years of being invisible. Of being too nice. Too quiet. Too fucking boring. While men like Kelvin Bradford got everything they wanted. The promotions. The respect. The women.
What was the point? What was the fucking point of being a good person when the world rewarded assholes?
Callum walked without direction, rain streaming down his face. He didn't see the intersection, didn't see the traffic light, didn't see the truck barreling toward him until it was too late.
The impact was instant. His body flew through the air, hitting the pavement with a sickening crack. Pain exploded through every nerve ending, then faded to nothing. Everything went dark.
He was dying. He knew he was dying. Alone in the rain on a street corner, having achieved nothing, loved by no one, leaving behind no legacy except being the virgin who bought coffee for a girl who fucked married men.
Then, in the darkness, a presence emerged.
Not a voice exactly, but a thought that wasn't his own. Amused. Mocking.
Pathetic.
Callum's consciousness flickered. He should have been scared, but he felt nothing.
You died a virgin. Pining after a woman who was getting railed by a married man while you rehearsed your confession speech. You spent your entire life being 'nice' and 'respectful' and it got you absolutely nothing.
The presence circled him.
Women say they want good men. Loyal men. Kind men. But their legs spread for assholes like Kelvin Bradford. They say one thing and do another. Every. Single. Time.
Callum wanted to argue, but he couldn't. The evidence was too fresh.
I can send you back. Give you a gift. You'll finally understand the truth about women. About the world. And you'll take everything you were denied. Every woman. Every pleasure. Every moment of power. All you have to do is accept.
"What's the catch?" Callum's thought formed in the void.
No catch. Just a game. Seduce women. Build a harem. Prove to me that female loyalty is a myth. Do this, and you'll have everything you ever wanted.
A screen materialized in the darkness, glowing with unnatural light:
[CHAOS HAREM SYSTEM INITIALIZING...]
[BINDING TO HOST: CALLUM HAYES]
[COMPATIBILITY: 100%]
[WELCOME TO YOUR NEW LIFE]
Callum didn't hesitate. He had spent thirty-two years playing by the rules. Look where it got him. Dead in the street. Alone. Forgotten.
"Yes," he thought. "Yes. Give it to me."
The presence laughed, satisfied.
Excellent choice.
Everything went white.
~
[SYSTEM BINDING COMPLETE]
[RESURRECTION INITIATED]
[WELCOME BACK, CALLUM HAYES]