Chapter 4

Donald wiped the water from his face, his eyes bloodshot.

“Suzy, you’re asking to die!” He lunged at me, but Lisa grabbed him and held on tightly.

“Don, don’t lose your temper! She’s only trying to provoke you! If you hit her, you’ll have to pay damages and go to jail!”

Donald struggled for a few seconds before stopping. He glared at me, his eyes filled with venom.

“Fine. I won’t hit you. But I have plenty of ways to make sure you can’t stay here.”

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number.

“Hello, Uncle? That employee, Suzy Shaw, doesn’t need to come in tomorrow. Yes, fire her immediately. What about the breach-of-contract penalty? I’ll pay it. I just want her gone.”

After hanging up, he curved his lips into a cruel smile. “Did you hear that? In this city, without my permission, you won’t even find a job washing dishes.”

“Oh.”

I pulled a fresh box of black candles from my bag, arranged them on the metal tray, and began lighting them again.

Donald trembled with rage, but there was nothing he could do to stop me.

“Mom! Go shut off the power! Let her light those candles in complete darkness!”

Rachel immediately hurried into the hallway, and all the streetlights around us went out.

I stared at the candle flames before me without the slightest hint of fear.

[The system detected the host continuing to light candles in a hostile environment. Critical-hit cashback triggered!]

[You lit two dollars’ worth of black candles. Ten-thousandfold critical-hit cashback triggered. Two hundred thousand dollars has been credited to your account!]

I almost laughed out loud.

“Donald, thanks for shutting off the power. Lighting these candles feels even better now.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. I just think you’re a real good-luck charm for me.”

Donald’s temper was about to boil over when another round of shrill sirens cut through the night.

This time, three police cars arrived.

Seven or eight police officers and several fire-safety inspectors stepped out of the vehicles.

“Who’s responsible for this unauthorized open fire?”

“I am.”

“Put it out! You’re coming with us!” The officers took a hard line, and two of them stepped forward to restrain me.

“Wait! What’s going on?”

Donald hurried over.

“Someone reported an organized arson gathering and suspected illegal fundraising. This woman’s bank activity is highly suspicious. She may be laundering money.”

“Money laundering! That’s her!” Donald immediately pointed at me.

“Officer, she was bragging earlier about having two hundred thousand dollars from an unknown source!”

“Take her away!” The officers immediately put handcuffs on me.

“Suzy, look at you now.” Donald leaned close to my ear and whispered viciously.

“I’ll have the police seize every cent of that two hundred thousand dollars. You’ll be left penniless—worse off than someone begging on the street.”

In the chaos, Rachel snatched my bag and dumped everything onto the ground.

She picked up my wallet, took the cash, and stuffed it into her pocket.

“Consider this compensation for the emotional distress you caused me!”

Lisa reached for the phone on the ground. “Don, get her phone.”

Donald picked it up and demanded, “What’s the passcode?”

I looked at the ugly faces of the entire family and smiled.

The system suddenly issued another notification.

[The host has suffered humiliation. Hidden mission triggered: Light two million dollars’ worth of black candles on the spot to unlock the Divine Punishment.]

[Mission progress: $0/$2,000,000]

I looked at Donald’s smug face and said softly, “Donald, guess what? Do you think you’ll ever receive the money I earn from these candles?”