HIDDEN TRILLIONAIRE

"Richard Tucker! Come here this instant!" An angry feminine voice reverberated around the mansion. She was in her early fifties and dressed in an expensive black gown. Her eyes was on a plainly clothed young man who seemed to be in his late twenties. The young man walked towards her in an unhurried step.

"Tell me, you lazy good-for-nothing, why wasn't my room cleaned? I specifically told you to clean my room before I went out. Why isn't it clean?" The woman shouted angrily at him despite the fact he was right in front of him.

"I am sorry Mother, I had just finished washing the dishes and cleaning the living room as well as the waiting room, I was actually going to get your room cleaned.." he quietly explained but a sound cut him short.

THWACK!

The woman had slapped him hard on the cheek. "Insolence! Not one more word! Now go in there and get my room cleaned.. also as punishment you will be sleeping outside this night!" She said in anger and stomped off.

Richard turned around and walked towards the stairs, he was going to his mother-in-law's room.. that's right, the woman who had just treated him like dirt was his mother-in-law. Richard Tucker was what one will call a 'Matrilocal son-in-law' or a 'live-in son-in-law'.

Richard Tucker became an orphan at the age of seventeen, specifically on the day of his graduation from highschool. His parents had been involved in a car accident on their way to the graduation ceremony, they didn't make it.

He got admitted into college, and had to work double shifts in a restaurant to pay his tuition. He had been lucky, or rather unlucky to meet Diane Warren, who had walked into his restaurant one day and asked to use the restroom, implying it was urgent. A few seconds he showed her to the restroom and returned to the counter, a few thugs rushed into the restaurant. They demanded if he had seen a lady, the description they gave matched the lady who had requested a restroom.. Richard didn't know why he did it, but he denied it, saying no one had come into the restaurant.. his expression didn't betray anything and the thugs left. Diane had walked out after the thugs left, and was touched by Richard's good samaritan's act, thus she asked him out to dinner as a thank you. After that, they began seeing each other and then began dating.. he didn't even know her real identity then. One night, on their way back from their usual diner, they were attacked by thugs, whose aim was to pressure Diane to drop the charges against a certain a young master Brian Lawrence of the Lawrence family for attempting to rape her. Diane had refused, and things got physical, and then everything went black. They woke inside a hotel room half naked, together, staring confusedly at a group of pressmen and paparazzi.. a scandal had taken place.

Richard was forced by the Warren family to marry their daughter to minimize the damage the scandal had caused them. The charges against Brian Lawrence was automatically dropped. And from that day, Richard became the son-in-law of the Warren family.

"Richard!" The middle-aged woman, Mrs Kathleen Warren, Richard's mother-in-law, called for him, "Where is that leech, he is never around when you need him." She grumbled angrily. She disliked Richard the most.

"Mother! Stop calling my husband that!" a young lady who should be in her early twenties walked into the house, she too was dressed in a black gown. She was fair, with beautiful wavy blonde hair and full red lips; the classic snow white beauty. This was Diane Warren.

"Husband you say!? All I see is an overgrown walking parasite!" the middle aged woman spat in annoyance.

"MOTHER!" Diane shouted in anger. Right then Richard walked down the stairs, he had just finished cleaning his mother-in-law's room.

"You called for me Mother, I have cleaned your room, you can go rest now." He said quietly.

"Hmph! It's been six months you got married to my daughter, and the hype of the scandal you caused has died down. So let me ask you, when are you divorcing Diane!?" Mrs Warren said as if that's what was expected to happen.

"I am sorry Mother, but I have no intention of divorcing Diane, not now, not ever." Richard replied meekly and his eyes cast down. He knew his worth in front of these people.

"I knew it! A leech! A parasite! That's exactly what you are! You have no family, no job, no investment, nothing.. you prefer leeching off on my family!" She shouted angrily at Richard, but then turned to Diane, her expression softening, "Listen to me my dear daughter, Brian has asked for your hand in marriage. I know he once tried to hurt you, but he's a changed man, and he is perfect for you. Divorce this wretched leech and accept Brian Lawrence." Her voice and expression was so honeyed that one wouldn't believe she was the one who was cursing out few seconds ago.

"Mother! What are you saying!? Brian tried to rape me! And why should I divorce my husband for a thug like him? I am not doing it!" Diane retorted in annoyance at her Mom's words.

One could see Mrs Warren was seething on the inside after hearing her daughter's response. She immediately turned to Richard and pointed at him, "You, outside! You're sleeping outside!" She said and turned around, storming off towards her room.

Richard smiled at his wife, trying to assure her it was alright.. he hadn't expected Diane to stand up for him.

"Just go outside and stay, I don't want anymore problems." She said and walked towards the stairs. Richard stood watching her go. He didn't blame her for the way she spoke to him. He left the house, gently closing the door behind him.

Sigh! "I really wish I can change my fate." He said and decided to walk farther away from the house to clear his head. Unknown to him, a black minivan was trailing behind him.

Richard was startled by the sudden screech of a speeding black van near him. Confused, he turned to know why or what happened, only to see masked thugs armed with crowbars and steel bats jumping down from the van. Richard didn't need a soothsayer to tell him that they were here to make trouble for him, or worse.

He bolted immediately without even asking a question. They chased after him. The Valerian Estate where the Warren Family Mansion was located was supposed to be security tight, but Richard couldn't find a single security personnel around. He didn't think much of it and ran faster. He turned towards a neighborhood he believed he could lose his pursuers.. but fate seemed to have abandoned him as he didn't expect the black van in front of him. It seemed that while the thugs chased after him, the driver had circled around to block his only escape route.

Richard skidded to a halt. The thugs chasing him were no longer in a hurry, they were now casually walking towards him, while the driver had alighted the van and walked towards him with a crowbar.

"Nowhere else to run? Little doggy can't escape anymore?" A rough voice said. Richard turned to the voice and saw it belonged to one of the thugs that was previously chasing him. That burly thug seemed to be the leader.

"Who are you and why are you here? I haven't done anything to you!" Richard attempted to reason with them.

"Little doggy, it's not us that you wronged, not really.." the man said with a smile and then stopped a few feet away from Richard, meanwhile the other thugs formed a circle around Richard, cutting off any escape plan he might be hatching. Richard raised a brow in confusion.. he was sure he hadn't offended anyone at all.. not like he had the guts to do so.

"Looks like your luck isn't really that good doggy. The boss doesn't want you around to disrupt his plans anymore." The thug leader said.

"Listen, I'm sure we can talk things out, I don't even know who this boss of yours is, I'm a nobody, really." Richard said while doing his best to keep his voice steady, but in truth he was absolutely terrified. The tone of that thug indicated that he was to be killed..

"The young master's orders were very specific; you are to be beaten to death.. not stabbed, not shot, but beaten to death." The thug said with an evil smirk. "You really lucked out. Sucks to be you doggy. You can only blame yourself for biting off more than you can chew."

Richard knew then that these thugs were intent on killing him. Knowing that there will be no help coming, Richard decided to break away from this circle.. perhaps if he can take down the leader and make a break for it back to the Warren Family Mansion, he will be safe.

Richard made a dash for the leader without a second thought, his right hand balled in a fist.. he was so close, but the thug leader was faster, way faster..

BAM!

Richard vision darkened for a moment as pain exploded in his head.. he fell down to the hard cold floor. Pain exploded all over his body as the thugs pounced on him.. hitting him with their steel baton and crowbars. Richard cried out for help, asked them to stop but they didn't. The thug leader merely laughed.

Richard wished for the pain to stop, prayed for death.. as his consciousness was slipping, he felt at peace.. finally, he could experience some peace and quiet. But then his mind drifted to Diane.

'If only he was wealthy and powerful! Why? Why was fate cruel to him!? Why was wealth elusive to him!? Why couldn't he be rich as others!?. If there's a second chance at life, I will never be poor, I will do whatever it takes to become the most powerful man.' And with that thought, Richard died.

*

In a lonely alley of the Valerian Estate, a lifeless body of a certain young man laid there. There was no sign of life, no heartbeat nor movement. That body has been there for almost an hour. His once plain casual clothes were now bloodied and muddy. His black hair were matted with thick blood and bit of brain mucus from the bursted up skull. Nevertheless, even in that deathly state, a miracle was happening. Even though by logic he was dead, and his heart had stopped circulating blood, his mind however was still working, or rather his subconscious mind was undergoing changes.

«Data collection complete. Host matches the requirement of the system. Host's current status: Deceased. Injecting revitalization serum to Host. Host current status: critical. Injecting advanced healing serum to Host. Host current status: Salvageable. System booting in progress. Time required: One hour thirty minutes.»

DUDUM! DUDUM! DUDUM!

The heart of the lifeless body began beating once more, color began to return to his once pale face. His wounds began healing at a fast pace that will make any doctor drop his jaw. His fingers began twitching as life force began coursing through his veins once again.. and then.. his eyes finally opened.

"GODDAM!" He shouted as he sprang up in a sitting position. "Ugh! I feel like I've had a fight with a freight train." He felt his hands were wet and squishy, only then did he notice the bloodstains all around him, and even on him. He remembered being beaten.. to death. Richard immediately ran his hands all over his body.. "What's going on? How come I'm not dead, and there's not even a single scar on me. What the hell just happened!? It certainly wasn't a dream as I can very well see the bloodstains on me."

«System booting in progress.

98%..

99%..

100%..»

«Ding!

Welcome Host Richard Tucker, to the Trillionaire System. I will be your personal assistant and aid you in your journey to acquire wealth, becoming the very first Trillionaire of your generation.»

"Nani!???"

Richard stared at the words on the holographic panel in front of him. He could not make sense of what was happening to him right now.

"Hahahahahaha! I get it, those thugs must have hit me so hard that I'm seeing things right now." As he was about to stand up, the words and the holographic panel dissolved as if they were never there.

"Yep! I knew I was hallucinating." Richard stood up, he could see his clothes didn't look anything presentable. He couldn't walk around the street of the estate looking like he committed a genocide.

«Ding!

System Integration Complete.»

The holographic panel was back again. "Seriously!?"

«Startup package awarded.

Bonding reward (Lvl 1): For every hour Host has the Trillionaire System, $500 will be awarded to host.»

Richard was stunned. He was thinking of taking off his bloodied T-shirt and then jog back to the Warren mansion, but now, he's considering staying put, for at least an hour.

"Not like I've got anything to lose. Might as well check if this system of a thing is real, or simply something my banged up brain conjured."

ONE HOUR LATER!

Richard had found a clean place to sit. He had also taken off the bloodied T-shirt as it had begun to stink.

Just then, his phone vibrated. Richard reached his pocket and brought out his outdated Apple iPhone. On the screen was a message he was waiting for but still didn't believe it will come.

'Credit Alert:

United Bank of Alvarez:

$500 has been transferred to your account.

Sender: xxxxxxxxx'

"Hehehehe. Now this is something I never expected to see." Richard chuckled. There was no way he won't believe in the system stuff now. Seeing the transfer alert on his phone, he knew it was real.

"Five hundred dollars for every hour, huh?" Richard muttered and did the math.. "That's twelve grand everyday!!!" Richard's eyes went as wide as a Martian saucer, "HOLY FRIGGIN COW! In a month!!!?? That's $360,000! And that's just for level one.. what happens when it levels up!" A crazy grin found its way to his lips. He was a pauper no more.. but then his mind went back to what had happened earlier. He was targeted because he was poor and without backing.. he was a nobody.. and worse he didn't even know who sent those thugs.

"Someone certainly wants me death for some reason, and I haven't offended anyone. Hmm, for the meantime, no one must know of what I posses, not even Diane." Richard muttered, "Well, first things first, let me get a clean set of clothes."

*

Richard walked into a cafe. He had left the Valerian Estate and decided to get some coffee and clear his head a bit. He had bought a plain T-shirt at a Mall inside the Estate.. but just like the Estate itself, the commodities in the mall were expensive.. the cheapest was $500. Having about $750 in his account, Richard had bought the cheapest T-shirt for $500. Now in a clean plain T-shirt and a dirtied trouser, Richard walked into a cafe a few minutes walk from the estate.

"What can I get you, Sir?" A sweet voice asked him. The waitress smiled at him, but he could see the smile wasn't genuine, just a mask. Not like he was complaining, his dressing gave off the impression of a homeless man.

"Cappuccino, and Brownies." Richard replied. The lady's smile didn't fade until she turned and went to get his order.

Just then, a lady in her early twenties walked in. The chiming of the bell at the door drew Richard's attention, but the moment he saw the face of the lady he walked in, he wished he hadn't looked up.

"Oh, if it isn't Richard Tucker. Didn't fancy seeing you here." The lady spoke, but her tone was laced with disdain. "Are you running an errand for your inlaws or you're here on break?" She then chuckled at her own words.

"Hello Jenna." Richard greeted her, the lack of enthusiasm in his voice made it apparent he didn't want her near him.. but she still took a seat at his table and sat in front of him.

Jenna Parker, Richard's former college classmate, and crush. She had once told him back in college, that unless he had a million dollar in his account before graduation, she will never accept him as her boyfriend. When the scandal between Richard and Diane was released, she was the one who spread the news on the school forum, which made Richard to leave the group.. and now she was here of all places.

"Found a job yet?" She asked with feigned concern on her face. Richard didn't respond.

"Honestly, I didn't know I'll meet you here.. will you mind buying me a cup of coffee, for old time sake." Her eyes fluttered and her face had a pleading expression, but Richard didn't fall for it. She knew he was penniless.

"Oh my!" She softly exclaimed with feigned surprised. "Oh goodness me! I forgot you have no money on you! My bad." She smiled.

Richard simply stared at her with a bored expression on his face, 'Great, I have just returned from a physical death, and now I'm about to be psychologically murdered.. hopefully I get another system.'

Just then, the waitress brought the cup of cappuccino and a plate of brownies to Richard. Richard thanked her and quietly sipped his cappuccino.

"Tsk! A cup of cappuccino and brownies, I can't believe this is what you've been reduced to. Its a good thing I didn't accept you then, if I did, who knew what part of the slums I'd have found myself living in by now." She gestured to the waitress to come.

"Latte, single-origin coffee, and a gourmet sandwich." Jenna said an air of authority. The waitress flashed a genuine smile and scurried off to get the order. Her attitude inflated Jenna's ego, and she turned back to Richard who quietly munching on the brownie.

"Unlike your penniless self, I happen earn annual salary of $60,000." Jenna said with pride.

Richard almost burst out laughing.. did she just say annual? That's a fraction of what he now makes monthly. Right then his phone vibrated again, Richard knew the system had sent him another $500. Richard checked the time and realized it was getting late. He should get back to the mansion.

"My birthday is in a week from now. If you do show up, I will consider filling your belly, but in return you'll serve my guests." She said as if she was certain Richard will be at her birthday party. She opened her purse, took a piece of paper and pen and scribbled on the paper, then slid it towards Richard.

"That's my address, I'll have food ready for you, and perhaps a few hundred dollars, but you'll get it only after the party is over." She didn't even look up at Richard while saying this, but rather went back to her sandwich.

Richard didn't even glance at the paper, he simply stood up, walked to the counter and made a transfer to pay for the coffee and brownies, then walked out of the cafe. To him, Jenna no longer mattered, she was now beneath him, just as the Richardsons will soon be beneath him.