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Chapter 3: Look at These Legs, Aren't They Attractive?
🕑 Added 2025-08-05 15:54:00 +0000 UTC"Going somewhere today, sweetheart?"
Sarah's face lit up as she watched Alex adjust his hair in the hallway mirror. He'd actually gotten dressed properly - styled hair, fresh clothes, standing tall with energy she hadn't seen in weeks. After watching him nearly waste away following that disastrous fight with his father, seeing him take care of himself again felt like a small miracle.
The past few days had been hell. Sarah had barely left his side, terrified he might slip back into that dark place that had nearly killed him. But today? Today he looked like her son again - the bright, confident young man she remembered before gaming consumed his life.
"Yeah, Mom. Meeting up with Danny and the crew." Alex's smile was genuine, and it made Sarah's heart ache with relief.
Every time he called her 'Mom' in that casual, affectionate way, it hit differently than it used to. In his previous life, Alex could barely remember his mother's voice - she'd died when he was so young. Now, hearing Sarah's warm concern and feeling her love was like a gift he'd never expected to receive.
"Don't stay out too late, okay? And whatever you want for dinner, I'll have Chef Martinez make it special." Sarah's relief was obvious. Her son was finally acting like himself again instead of the hollow, broken person who'd nearly died in this very house.
The whole family had been walking on eggshells since Marcus banned Alex from gaming and sold his prized account. Alex had completely shut down - wouldn't leave his room, wouldn't see friends, wouldn't even go to school. His mental state had deteriorated so rapidly that the heart attack seemed almost inevitable in retrospect.
But this? This was progress.
"Mind if I borrow your headset to call Danny? Want to make sure he's actually around before I head over."
Sarah appreciated that he was being considerate, letting her hear him make plans instead of just disappearing. "Of course. And Alex? Victoria's coming by tonight. She managed to find that limited edition mecha figure you've been wanting - had it shipped from Japan."
"She actually got it?" Alex's excitement was pure and instinctive, his body's muscle memory taking over. This version of him had always been obsessed with collecting figures from classic games.
Victoria had always supported his hobbies, unlike their father. A third of his impressive collection came from gifts she'd brought back from business trips. More importantly, when everything went to hell, Victoria had quietly paid off his debts to relatives and covered the worst of his credit card damage. Their parents still didn't know the full extent of how much money he'd actually burned through.
The Bluetooth headset was sleek, projecting a holographic interface when Alex raised his palm. The technology still amazed him - they'd completely skipped the smartphone era and jumped straight to seamless AR integration.
"Danny, you at the cafe? I'm heading your way."
"Holy shit, Alex! You're actually leaving the house?" Danny's excitement was infectious, his voice crackling through the headset. He'd been worried sick about his best friend, especially after Alex had refused to see anyone for weeks. "I'll be waiting at the usual spot."
Danny's maid cafe was their regular hangout - three floors of elaborate cosplay and overpriced coffee that served as their unofficial headquarters.
"Give me thirty minutes."
Sarah was already calling for their driver before Alex could ask. She wasn't ready to let him drive himself yet, not after everything that had happened.
After Alex left, Sarah stood alone in their mansion's grand foyer, emotions churning. Yes, she was relieved to see him improving. But the fear lingered - what if he relapsed? What if this was just a temporary upswing before he crashed again?
The whispers from their social circle hadn't stopped. Her son, the wastrel. The heir who'd thrown away every advantage. It broke her heart, but more than that, she worried about his future. When would he truly grow up and take responsibility?
Alex settled into the luxury sedan, watching the city blur past through tinted windows. This world's version of the capital was even more impressive than he remembered from his previous life. The country had modernized rapidly, avoided many of the political upheavals that had plagued his original timeline, and emerged as a true superpower.
His grandfather's story was completely different here too. Instead of being persecuted and losing everything during political purges, he'd built an empire that his father had expanded into one of the nation's largest conglomerates.
They were riding in a Gravity - top-of-the-line luxury from his family's automotive division. The irony wasn't lost on him that one of this world's premier sports car brands was called "Husky" while there was apparently a dog breed named "Trump." The butterfly effect had produced some truly bizarre changes.
What really struck him was how completely electric vehicles had taken over. Internal combustion engines were essentially extinct except as expensive collector's items for the ultra-wealthy. The tax burden alone made owning a gas car cost more than most people's houses.
The maid cafe was exactly as excessive as Alex remembered - three floors of elaborately costumed servers who treated regular customers like minor celebrities. The girls recognized him immediately, clustering around with practiced enthusiasm, guiding him toward the VIP area where Danny held court.
"There he is!" Danny bounded up from a table where he'd been playing some complicated board game with half a dozen maids in frilly outfits. "Looking good, man. Really good. I was starting to think we'd lost you for good."
Danny was the definition of a trust fund playboy - devastatingly handsome, impossibly wealthy, and completely unable to commit to any woman for longer than a few weeks. His girlfriends all had that same Instagram influencer look, which made Alex wonder if Danny even noticed when he switched from one to another.
"Sit, sit! Get him his usual," Danny commanded, wrapping Alex in an enthusiastic bear hug before pulling him onto the plush sofa. "So what's the plan? Gaming marathon? Hit the clubs? I know this new place where—"
"Actually, I need to talk business." Alex's serious tone cut through Danny's party planning.
"Business?" Danny's party mood evaporated. "Shit, how serious are we talking?"
"I need startup capital. Five hundred grand to launch a gaming company."
The words hung in the air like a confession. Danny's face went through several expressions - surprise, concern, and something that looked almost like fear.
"Alex, man... tell me you're not talking about going back to that game. Please tell me this isn't about Infinite Realms again."
"I'm talking about building games, not playing them. There's a difference."
"Is there?" Danny was getting agitated now, his usual carefree demeanor cracking. "Because from where I'm sitting, it sounds like you're diving right back into the same obsession that nearly killed you."
Danny snapped his fingers, and one of the cafe's most attractive servers glided over - a petite brunette in a perfectly tailored maid outfit. Without ceremony, he guided Alex's hand to her exposed thigh above her black stockings.
"Feel that," Danny said urgently. "Real skin. Real warmth. Real human connection. Isn't this better than pixels on a screen? Isn't this worth more than some virtual fantasy?"
Alex jerked his hand back, his face flushing with embarrassment and anger. "Did my mother call you?"
"I... what? No, of course not." But Danny's shifty expression gave him away immediately.
"You're a terrible liar, Danny. What exactly did she tell you?"
Danny's shoulders sagged in defeat. "Okay, fine. She called right before you got here. She's terrified you're going to relapse, and honestly? So am I. You nearly died, Alex. Literally died. Over a game."
"This isn't about playing games—"
"Look, even if I believed that, I'm completely tapped out right now." Danny gestured around the expensive cafe. "This place bleeds money. The overhead on keeping this many girls employed is insane, and business has been slow. Even if I wanted to help, I don't have that kind of liquid cash right now."
Alex stared at his best friend, seeing right through the excuse. Danny spent more than half a million on his lifestyle every month. The money wasn't the real issue - it was trust. Danny didn't believe Alex had really changed.
"Right. Thanks for nothing."
Walking out of the cafe, Alex pulled out his mother's headset again. Danny was a bust, but he had one more option. Jake might be more understanding - assuming he was even in town.
