I Became a Billionaire by Lighting Candles for My Cheating Ex

The day my ex cheated on me, I cried for about ten minutes before digging out the jewelry box he gave me. I sold everything valuable inside for four hundred dollars and used the money to buy a huge box of black candles. Today, I crouched outside his apartment complex, arranging the candles in a circle and lighting them one by one. “You crazy woman! Why are you lighting black candles? Are you trying to curse my son?” His mother stormed out and jabbed a finger in my face. The other woman hid behind my cheating ex and spoke in a choked voice: “Don, I’m scared… What if she still hasn’t gotten over you? What if she does something terrible?” The onlookers shook their heads and concluded that the breakup had driven me insane. Then a ding rang inside my head. [You lit two dollars’ worth of black candles. Ten-thousandfold cashback triggered. Twenty thousand dollars has been credited to your account!] I reached for the remaining candles and lit them one by one. Chapter 1 "Suzy Shaw, have you lost your mind? Why are you pulling this kind of stunt outside my home in the middle of the night?” Donald Turner rushed out in his pajamas. I ignored him and calmly lit another black candle, placing it in the circle around me. The candlelight cast a warm glow over my face. Then a crisp ding rang inside my head. [You lit four dollars’ worth of black candles. Ten-thousandfold cashback triggered. Forty thousand dollars has been credited to your account!] What a beautiful sound. I pulled out another candle, lit it, and added it to the circle. "You’re still lighting them?" Donald strode over and reached for the candles. "Don’t touch them." I didn’t even look up. "If you knock them over, you’ll pay for them." "Can’t we just go our separate ways peacefully? Do you really have to make such an ugly scene?" He stared at me. "When you cheated on me, did you worry about making an ugly scene?" I rose to my feet and met his eyes. "Don, stop…" Lisa Cook timidly peeked out from behind Donald. She wore a spaghetti-strap dress with a blazer over it. "Suzy’s hurting. Let her vent if it helps. As long as she feels better, I don’t mind suffering a little." She finished with a smile, her eyes rimmed red. “Just look at her. How could anyone compare her to someone as spiteful and calculating as you?” Donald wrapped an arm around Lisa and glared at me. "What did I ever see in you?" I couldn’t be bothered to argue. I turned around and moved the box of candles. "You’re still lighting them? Are you trying to disturb the entire neighborhood?" Donald rushed over and grabbed my arm. "Let go." I stared coldly at him. "I’m not letting go! Get rid of these things right now!" I couldn’t break free, and my brows drew together. "Don, forget it." Lisa tugged at Donald’s sleeve and pleaded pitifully, "Let Suzy light them. If we push her too far, we’ll never be able to live with ourselves." "Such a thoughtful little thing," I said, arching a brow. Donald flung my arm away with a snort and pulled Lisa aside. I crouched down again and lit more black candles, adding them to the circle. The candle flames flickered, casting dancing shadows around us. [You lit ten dollars’ worth of black candles. Ten-thousandfold cashback triggered. One hundred thousand dollars has been credited to your account!] I lit the candles even faster. Donald and Lisa stared at me blankly. More and more neighbors gathered around, pointing and whispering, but I paid them no attention. If I could make money, what did it matter if they thought I was crazy? "Mom! That crazy woman is lighting candles downstairs!" Donald pulled out his phone. Less than two minutes later, Rachel Turner came storming out with her hair flying loose, a broom clutched in her hand. "You walking curse! How dare you light those candles outside my home? Are you asking to get yourself killed?" The broom whistled through the air as she swung it toward my back. Chapter 2 I sidestepped, and the broom struck the landscaping behind me with a vicious crack. “Careful, Mrs. Turner. You might hurt your back.” “You actually dared to dodge?” Rachel trembled with rage. “My son made the right choice calling off your engagement! You’re bad luck for any man, and whoever marries you will live to regret it!” Lisa hurried over to support Rachel while fanning the flames of her anger. “Please don’t let her upset you. Suzy’s probably just heartbroken. Please take pity on her.” “Take pity on her? Who’s going to take pity on me?” Rachel shoved Lisa away and stormed toward me before kicking over the metal tray holding the candles. The candles scattered across the ground, and their flames went out at once. [Warning: The black candles were destroyed. Cashback interrupted!] “Mrs. Turner, that wasn’t very fair.” “Not fair? You’re lighting candles outside my home in the middle of the night, and you’re lecturing me about fairness?” Rachel raised her broom and moved to strike again. “Go ahead. Hit me.” My gaze turned icy. “If you injure me, I’ll leave you bankrupt.” Rachel’s raised hand froze in midair. “Mom, don’t stoop to her level.” Donald came over and stepped between us. “Suzy, do you understand now? You could light candles here all night, and it still wouldn’t change the fact that I called off our engagement.” I ignored him and quietly began gathering the scattered candles. “You’re picking them up?” Donald planted his foot on the candles and ground them into the pavement. “Donald, move your foot.” “I’m not moving it. What are you going to do about it?” I pulled a lighter from my pocket and held the flame close to his trouser leg. “What are you doing?” Donald stumbled back several steps in fright. “Still refusing to move?” I asked flatly. “Then I’ll burn you along with them.” Without changing expression, I began lighting the candles again. The flames sprang to life, growing brighter and stronger. [You lit four dollars’ worth of black candles. Ten-thousandfold cashback triggered. Forty thousand dollars has been credited to your account!] “You’re insane!” Donald pointed at me, his hand shaking. He pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of my face. “I’m posting this on Instagram right now. Let’s see how everyone reacts when they see what a hysterical shrew you are.” “Go ahead.” I didn’t even look up as I continued lighting the candles. After uploading the post, Donald walked over to me. “See that? This is the power of public opinion.” I looked up at him and placed another black candle onto the metal tray. “Donald, do you really think I care?” “Compared to your gossip, I care more about whether these flames are burning brightly enough.” I placed the last candle from the box onto the metal tray. The candles burned brightly, illuminating the darkness. [You lit twenty dollars’ worth of black candles. Ten-thousandfold cashback triggered. Two hundred thousand dollars has been credited to your account!] That brought my total to two hundred thousand dollars. I stood up and dusted off my hands. “All right. That’s enough for tonight.” Donald froze. “You… You’re done?” “Yep. I’ve earned enough.” “What did you just say about earning enough?” “I said I’ve earned two hundred thousand dollars.” I turned to him, wearing a dazzling smile as I watched his stunned face. “Donald, thanks for letting me use your family’s lucky little spot.” Chapter 3 Donald’s expression turned ugly. “Two hundred thousand dollars? You must be dreaming!” He strode over, snatched up the empty candle box, and hurled it to the ground. “Do you think putting on this ridiculous spectacle will make me see you differently? You’re just trying to get my attention, aren’t you?” I said nothing and watched him perform in silence. “Let me make this clear. You can forget about me! Lisa is gentler than you, more understanding than you, and she’s…” “Poorer than me,” I interrupted. Donald choked. “What did you say?” “I said Lisa is poorer than me.” I pulled out my phone, opened my banking app, and shoved the balance in his face. “Look. Two hundred thousand dollars. It’s not much, but it’s enough to buy your life.” Donald stared at the screen, his eyes widening. “How is this possible? Where did you get that money?” “What does it have to do with you?” “Did you steal it?” Donald seized on the accusation. “Mom! Call the police! Her money clearly came from somewhere illegal!” “Don, maybe we should let it go…” Lisa grabbed his arm, her eyes brimming with tears. “If Suzy really gets arrested, she’ll lose everything. That would be so awful for her.” I let out a cold laugh. Donald immediately dialed the police. “Hello, police? I’d like to report something. My ex-girlfriend is setting up some kind of candle ritual outside my home, and she’s carrying a huge amount of unexplained money… Yes, we’re downstairs at Parkview Apartments, Building Three.” After hanging up, he looked at me smugly. “Suzy, just wait.” “There’s nothing to explain. It’s all legitimate income.” I crouched down again, picked up the crushed candle box, folded it flat, and tucked it into my bag. At that moment, Rachel appeared with a garden hose. She turned on the tap and sprayed the spot where I had been lighting the candles. “Get rid of this bad luck! Wash it all away!” The icy stream sprayed directly onto my calves, soaking them in an instant. “Suzy, your clothes are wet. Do you want to go upstairs and change?” Lisa covered her mouth as she laughed. “No need. A little water won’t put out my fire.” I stared coldly at them. Ten minutes later, a police car arrived with its siren blaring. “Who called the police?” “Officer, it was me!” Donald shouted. “That woman was lighting black candles outside my home in the middle of the night and threatening to burn me alive! She has two hundred thousand dollars of unexplained money. It has to be stolen!” The officer looked at me, then at the scattered candles on the ground. “Is that true?” “Officer, he’s making false accusations. I was lighting candles, but I did it in an open area, away from anything flammable. “As for the two hundred thousand dollars, it came from legitimate investment returns. I have the transaction records to prove it.” “That’s bullshit!” Donald panicked. “She’s just a regular wage worker! Where would she get two hundred thousand dollars in investment returns?” I handed my phone to the officer and pulled up my bank statements and investment records. The officer examined them carefully for a while. “This is legitimate income.” He returned my phone and turned to Donald. “You understand that making a false police report can have legal consequences?” Donald froze, his face flushing red. Lisa quickly tried to smooth things over. “Officer, it may have been a misunderstanding. Don was just worried about everyone’s safety. Please don’t blame him.” “All right. If it was a misunderstanding, settle it between yourselves. And be more careful with the candles in the future. Use them only in designated areas.” After the officer gave us a brief warning, he got back into his car and drove away. Donald finally lost his temper. “Suzy! What kind of trick did you pull?” He rushed over and reached for my collar. I kicked the hose beside me, sending a powerful stream of water straight into Donald’s face. “Cough, cough… You!” “Donald, I’m warning you. Don’t provoke me.” I stared at him, my voice icy. “Otherwise, you’ll be the next thing I burn.” 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?”