"Listen, Jay," Mr. Feldman's voice crackled through the phone, cool and detached. "We're letting you go. It's not personal; we're just making cuts, and—well, let's be honest. We both know you haven't exactly been a top performer lately."
Jay held the phone to his ear, feeling his stomach sink. He knew work hadn't been going great, but he'd thought things might turn around. "But Mr. Feldman, I'm working hard—"
"Hard work isn't enough right now," Feldman interrupted, his tone as dismissive as ever. "Take the rest of the day to clear out your things. Your severance should hit your account by the end of the week. Good luck, Jay."
The call ended abruptly, leaving Jay sitting at his cluttered desk in stunned silence. Just like that, he was out. Everything he'd built in the past few years—the security, the routine, the paycheck—gone in a two-minute phone call.
A familiar ringtone jolted him from his thoughts. It was Emily. For a split second, he felt a flicker of relief; she always knew how to lift his spirits. But as soon as he picked up, her tone made it clear that this wasn't a comforting call.
"Jay, we need to talk," she said, voice low and careful. "I've been thinking… I can't keep doing this. I need someone with a real plan, someone who can provide some stability. And right now… I just don't see that in you."
"Emily," he stammered, barely able to process her words. "You know things have been rough, but I'm doing my best. I can fix this."
"It's too late, Jay. I'm sorry, but I've already made up my mind."
Before he could respond, the line went dead. Jay lowered the phone, feeling like the ground had just disappeared from under him. Jobless, now alone, and with nowhere to turn, he slumped onto the couch in his small, nearly-empty apartment.
Hours drifted by, and Jay stared blankly at the ceiling, a million thoughts spinning in his head, none of them offering any comfort. His phone buzzed again, breaking the silence. He glanced down, almost afraid of what new disappointment might be waiting for him. Instead, it was a notification from a job app: "Earn extra cash driving with Drivio! Flexible hours, immediate income!"
He sighed. Driving for Drivio wasn't what he'd imagined for himself, but he needed any source of income. Desperate and out of options, he downloaded the app, set up his profile, and within minutes, he was ready to go. Almost immediately, he received a ride request. Taking a deep breath, he grabbed his keys and headed out to his beat-up Honda.
Jay pulled up to a shiny office building where his first passenger, a man in a tailored suit, waited with his phone pressed to his ear. As Jay put the car in park, the man opened the door and slid in without so much as a glance.
"Can you hurry up?" he snapped, eyes never leaving his phone screen. "I don't have all day."
"Yes, sir," Jay replied, doing his best to stay calm as he navigated the congested downtown traffic. He tried to drive smoothly, focusing on staying polite, but the man kept sighing and muttering under his breath every time they hit a red light.
A few minutes later, the man finally looked up. "Can't you drive faster?" he sneered. "You're really dragging this out, aren't you?"
Jay bit his tongue. "I'm following the speed limit, sir. There's a lot of traffic this time of day."
The man scoffed. "Excuses. Do you even know what you're doing?" He checked his watch, let out a long sigh, and leaned back, making a point of looking annoyed until they reached his stop.
When they arrived, the man got out without a word of thanks and slammed the door behind him. Jay watched him walk off, feeling the frustration rising in his chest. But before he could dwell on it, his phone chimed. He glanced down, hoping maybe the man hadn't left a review at all. But instead, the screen showed "New Review Received: 1 Star."
A bitter laugh escaped him. Even when he did everything right, life seemed to hand him one slap in the face after another. But just as he was about to close the app, a new message appeared. It wasn't like the Drivio notifications he'd seen so far. This one was different.
"SYSTEM ACTIVATED. Welcome, Jay! For your patience and perseverance, you've unlocked a reward."
Jay's brows knitted together in confusion. A reward? He tapped the notification, which opened a strange screen he hadn't seen before.
Congratulations, Jay! You have been chosen as a SYSTEM partner. Complete tasks and earn rewards. RULE: Get rewarded for every negative review you get.
Before he could process what he was reading, two more notifications popped up:
Reward: 2024 Aston Martin Supercar. Estimated Value: $245,000. Location: Lot 12A, Downtown Parking Garage.
Reward: 100% Ownership of Starlight Hotel. Estimated Value: $15,000,000. Location: Downtown Business District.
Jay stared at the screen, his heart pounding. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. A supercar? A hotel? This had to be some kind of joke, a glitch in the app. There was no way a "system" could just hand him things like this. But something about the notifications felt… real.
He scanned the screen again, rereading every word of the mysterious message.
The SYSTEM seemed to be promising rewards for sticking with his job, despite the rude passengers and bad reviews. He didn't understand it yet, but he couldn't deny the small glimmer of hope this strange message stirred in him.
"For every negative review, a new reward awaits."
For the first time all day, Jay allowed himself a smile. It was a faint one, tentative and unsure, but it was real. Whatever this "system" was, he knew one thing: he was at rock bottom, and there was nowhere to go but up.