Part 2The Comment Feed of Fortune

The deal was done in a flash. We finished the paperwork by noon, and I moved in that afternoon.

Thanks to the comments, I figured it out: I was living inside a "make him grovel" romance novel. The main couple was currently on the rocks, and by buying their house, I was basically profiting from their relationship drama.

That night, lying in my new bed, I stared at my zeroed-out bank account and felt like I was in a dream. Thinking back on the floating text… had I eaten too much cheap takeout and started seeing things? Who in their right mind sees a live comment feed in real life?

The thought made me sit bolt upright. I had poured my entire savings of ten thousand dollars into this house and was now saddled with a massive mortgage. What if there was no "male lead" coming to the rescue? On my meager income from selling crepes from a cart, how many lifetimes would it take to pay this off?

I smacked my forehead in frustration.

A white glow flickered in my vision again. For a second, I thought I'd hit myself so hard I was seeing stars, but a closer look revealed more comments.

[Claire is really furious this time. She's throwing out everything Landon ever gave her.]

[And today is their fifth anniversary! Landon actually spent the night at the other woman's place!]

[Landon is the worst. And I actually thought he wasn't all bad deep down.]

Amidst the chorus of outrage directed at the male lead, one comment caught my eye.

[Don't throw them away, honey! Sell them! You could get so much money for all that!]

Throwing things away? That could be sold for cash?

Was this really happening?

I scrambled out of bed and dialed the agent's number, my voice trembling with excitement. "Hey, so the previous owner left some things behind. Could you give me her current address? I want to return them to her."

The agent was clearly half-asleep. "It's the middle of the night. For this? Her boyfriend is the CEO of the King Corporation. They live in the most exclusive condo complex in the city. You think she cares about a few forgotten items? She told me specifically she didn't want anything left behind. Just toss whatever you find."

He didn't give me the address. I was sweating with anxiety. Opportunity waits for no one! If I was late, someone else might scoop up all the good stuff.

Just before he hung up, I blurted out, "It's their sentimental keepsakes!"

"Huh? What keepsakes?"

"You know, from Mr. King! I saw their names engraved on something. What if this causes a huge misunderstanding between them? You have to give me the address!"

The agent was silent for a long moment, then his voice turned grim. "Then I especially can't tell you. You think I have a death wish, giving out Landon King's home address?"

He hung up.

I threw my phone onto the bed in frustration. The live feed was still giving a play-by-play of the drama at Claire's.

[Holy crap, she's throwing away a Patek Philippe? Is she insane?]

[OMG, can someone transport me there?! I want to go pick it up!]

I paced around in a panic, and then it hit me. The agent had told me the address.

I threw on a jacket and hopped onto my trusty crepe trike.

Half an hour later, I pulled up to the most luxurious residential complex in the city: The Grandview Estates.

The complex was huge, but at two in the morning, someone repeatedly hauling boxes to the curb was as obvious as a lighthouse in a storm.

Claire Sterling, carrying a heavy-looking cardboard box, walked to the dumpster and dumped its contents without a second glance.

Sweet mother of fortune!

The moment she went back inside, I pedaled over to the dumpster, pulled out a large burlap sack, and started stuffing it with treasures. One eye on the goods, the other on the villa's front door.

A few minutes later, Claire emerged with another big box. I quickly hid. As soon as she was gone, I rushed back and continued my haul.

Just as my sack was about to burst, she came out with a third box.

I tried to drag my full sack away to hide again, but it was incredibly heavy. She was almost at the door. In a panic, I gave it one last desperate tug.

Riiiiip—

The bottom of the sack tore open, spilling its contents all over the pavement.

I froze.

My eyes met Claire's from across the driveway.

The comment feed went wild.

[HOLY SHIT SOMEONE IS ACTUALLY PICKING IT UP!!]

[This is literally like winning the lottery!]

[Isn't that the girl who bought the house today? She's struck gold twice in one day. How can one person be this lucky?!]

[Honey, get your stuff back! It's not too late! Take it back and sell it yourself!]