I sold my house and blew $990,000 on a card-breaking livestream. The whole internet thought I was insane, just waiting for me to lose everything. All I did was post a single comment in the chat. “You promised that if someone spent a million dollars and didn’t pull the grand prize, you’d pay out a hundred times the cost. Well, I didn’t just spend a million, I’ve just dropped another million. Let’s see how much you can afford to lose.” In my past life, my son stole my life-saving surgery money for that very card, a theft that led to my death. But that “ultra-rare card” had been stashed away by the streamer the entire time, gathering dust in a warehouse. Reborn, I would make them pay. I would leave them with nothing. 1 The streamer, “Ace’s Breaks,” and his co-host, Nina, couldn’t wipe the grins off their faces. “Alright, chat! Let’s give it up for our girl Serenity! Serenity, you’re already in for nine hundred and eighty grand!” Ace boomed, scooping up a pile of opened packs for an assistant to clear away. “Serenity, you should probably call it a night! Don’t get carried away! This solid gold chase card, the Golden Minotaur, there are only ten in the entire world. It’s not gonna be an easy pull!” Nina covered her mouth, giggling. “Don’t say that, Ace. What if Serenity is the chosen one? You got this, girl! Go for it! Nina’s rooting for you! The very next pack could be the one!” The chat was a waterfall of text. “HOLY S**T, is this woman for real or just crazy? $980,000!” “I did the math. The streamer’s opened 9,800 packs. At $100 a pack, that’s almost a million bucks! For one piece of cardboard?” “Probably some accountant who embezzled company funds.” On my side of the screen, my face was a mask of stone as I ordered another hundred packs. The purchase confirmation sent a shockwave through the livestream. Ace roared with laughter. “I’m impressed! Genuinely impressed! Serenity, to thank you for your incredible support, I’ll stay here all night if I have to. I’ll open every last pack myself!” Nina chimed in. “She’s an absolute legend! Chat, spam those good-luck emotes! Let’s send Serenity all our energy!” I watched the two of them, my eyes cold as ice. In my last life, they used the exact same lines to manipulate my son, Leo. Leo stole the fifty thousand dollars I needed for my heart bypass surgery and poured every cent into this stream. By the time I found out, it was too late. The shock sent me into a spiral, and I collapsed. My life ended on the cold tile floor of a hospital bathroom. After I died, I watched as my relatives pointed fingers at Leo, calling him a curse, a bad omen. And I watched as Ace and Nina, after their stream ended, retrieved the Golden Minotaur from their warehouse. They called their boss, gloating. “Boss, you’re a genius! This ‘Million-Dollar Payout’ promise is the perfect bait. Who’s crazy enough to actually spend a million on trading cards? With the card in our hands, we decide when—and if—it ever gets pulled.” When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn. This time, I sold my only house and scraped together three million dollars. You’re so sure no one would spend a million to call your bluff? I’m not just going to spend it. I’m going to spend until you have nothing left to your name. 2 “Lisa! Are you insane?! You actually sold the house?!” My sister Eva’s voice was a shriek over the phone. “That was the only thing you and your husband had left! What about Leo? Where are you going to live?!” I listened calmly to her desperate, uncomprehending cries. My eyes were fixed on the screen, on Ace, who was now mechanically ripping open packs like an automaton. A cold smile touched my lips. “Lisa, stop that creepy smiling! Did someone scam you? I’m calling the police right now!” Eva was on the verge of tears. “Eva, don’t worry about me. I know what I’m doing.” “You know what you’re doing? And that involves selling your house?” I hung up. I knew she meant well. After I died in my past life, she was the one who fought for me, who demanded justice. But Ace’s company smeared her as an extortionist, and she eventually succumbed to depression. This time, I wouldn’t let anyone I loved get hurt. Soon, another hundred packs were opened. Still no Golden Minotaur. When I didn’t immediately place another order, the tone of the chat shifted. “Where’d she go? The rich lady finally go quiet? Ran out of cash?” “LMAO, $990,000 down the drain. She’s probably waiting in line for a spot on the nearest rooftop.” Nina put on a worried expression. “Serenity, are you still there? Please don’t scare us. Card breaking is supposed to be fun, don’t do anything drastic.” Ace sighed, a perfect picture of fake sincerity. “Sigh. We always tell everyone to be responsible with their spending. This lady just wouldn’t listen. Nina, maybe we should call the police? If something happens, we can’t be held responsible.” In a flash, they had washed their hands of the situation, a move that earned them praise for being “conscientious streamers.” I transferred another million dollars into my account and placed my next order. “Ace… Serenity just bought ten thousand one hundred more packs of the Mythic Realms collector’s edition!” Nina’s voice trembled. The screen exploded with question marks and exclamations of "NO WAY." Ace’s smile froze on his face. He never, in his wildest dreams, imagined someone would actually throw away over a million dollars chasing a single card. He swallowed hard, taking a huge gulp of water to steady his nerves. “Ahem… Serenity, what are you doing? This has to be a joke, right? I really think you should stop. I’ll have my assistant cancel the order for you.” His voice was now laced with a tremor he couldn't hide. Seeing his panic, I initiated a paid video call, a premium feature on the platform that streamers couldn't refuse. My voice filled the broadcast. “Don’t panic, Ace. The rules of your stream… I remember them correctly, don’t I? If a customer spends a million dollars and doesn’t pull the Golden Minotaur, you pay out one hundred times the cost of the packs. Am I right?” The chat, which had been mocking me moments before, fell silent. Everyone was stunned. Ace and Nina’s faces went white as sheets. “Ma’am, you… you can’t be serious. That’s just for show, you know? To make the stream more exciting…” Ace stammered, his earlier composure completely gone. “For show?” I pressed. “Behind you, on that wall, written in bold, crimson letters, are the words: ‘MILLION DOLLAR PULL OR 100X PAYOUT.’ And you’re telling me now that’s just for show?” As if remembering, Ace whipped his head around. The massive sign on his wall seemed to mock him, and beads of sweat broke out on his forehead. The viewers started catching on. “WHOA! He’s right! That rule is real! I always thought it was just hype!” “I remember that! Ace says it all the time, daring some whale to take the challenge!” “A hundred times a million… that’s a HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS!” “Oh my god! This is getting serious!” “The streamer’s not gonna back out now, is he? This is gonna be epic!” The tide of public opinion had turned. Ace stared at the chat, his lips trembling, unable to form a single word. He shot a desperate look at Nina, but she just lowered her head, avoiding his gaze. Just then, my son, Leo, burst into the room. He had clearly been watching the stream, and his face was flushed. “Mom! Is that you on Ace’s stream?! Have you gone crazy? Where did we get that kind of money?! Stop! Cancel the order, right now!” 3 It was the first time I had seen my son since being reborn. Looking at his distraught face, my heart felt like it was being twisted by a knife. But I pushed him away, my voice as cold as steel. “Get out. Now.” “Mom! The teachers said gambling is illegal! You’ll go to jail! I don’t want you to go to jail!” Leo sobbed, falling to his knees and clinging to my legs, begging me to stop. “Get out!” I roared. Leo froze, stunned by my outburst. I had never, ever been this harsh with him. But this was for his own good, to break his addiction to these cards, and to fuel my revenge. Steeling myself, I scooped him up, carried him out of the room, and locked the door. I ignored his frantic cries and banging on the door, my resolve unshaken. After dealing with Leo, I fought back my tears and turned my attention back to the livestream. Ace and Nina, having overheard the commotion, saw an opportunity. Ace’s face contorted into an expression of righteous indignation. “Serenity! That is unacceptable! How could you do something like this in front of your child? You’re teaching him to gamble! How can you call yourself a mother?” Nina’s eyes immediately welled up with tears. “Please, ma’am, stop this. Think of your son, look how scared he is. You can always earn more money, but you can’t replace your family! For his sake, please, stop this madness!” They had seized the moral high ground, painting me as a degenerate, unfit mother. The chat erupted again. “Wow, I’m sick. She’s using her kid’s money to gamble?” “What a psycho! She doesn’t deserve to be a mother!” “Streamer, call the cops! This is child abuse!” I watched the screen, a bitter smile on my face. In my past life, this is exactly what they said about me. I ignored their performance and pressed on. “Stop trying to pin labels on me. First, answer my question, Ace. One million dollars and no card means you pay me a hundred million. Is the promise you advertise every single day valid or not? If it’s not, then refund my money.” Backed into a corner, Ace knew he couldn’t talk his way out of it. He grit his teeth and forced a smile. “Alright! Serenity, since you’ve got the guts, then Ace’s Breaks will play along!” He slammed his hand on the table. “I’ll open them! I’ll open every single pack right here, in front of hundreds of thousands of people! If I don’t pull two Golden Minotaurs out of these next ten thousand one hundred packs, I will personally pay you two hundred million dollars! I, Ace, am a man of my word!” He was calling my bluff with a gamble of his own. He was betting that he could produce one Golden Minotaur from my next million-dollar order. They were clever, phrasing it as two cards for the combined two-million-dollar purchase. This would give them an excuse to go to the “warehouse” to get more stock, where they would insert the hidden card into a pack. If they pulled one, the crisis would be averted. If they didn't, the hours it would take to open ten thousand packs gave them more than enough time to forge a card and reseal it. It would make for amazing television and get them out of the payout. It was a classic trick of theirs. I watched Ace’s face, twisted with a desperate excitement, and sneered internally. He’s finally taken the bait. He’s living up to the persona he created. The real show was about to begin.
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