Chapter 1

For our 100th-day anniversary, I rented out Skyway Garden and decorated it for the occasion.

But then I saw Linda and Joshua standing by the garden and taking pictures right in front of my eyes.

"Who's the rich man behind this? Renting out the whole garden, it is ridiculous how extravagant this is!" Lina said to Joshua.

When I heard Lina say that, I could only give a bitter smile. Not wanting to give up the last bit of hope, I called her.

Lina looked at her phone and immediately hung it up. Then, she turned to Joshua with a playful grin and said, "It's William."

Joshua smirked. "Aren't you afraid that William will get suspicious if you keep ignoring his calls?"

"He's a fool," Lina replied confidently.

She added, "Last time, I ditched William halfway through our date to meet up with you. I told him some excuse about suddenly getting my period, and he believed it. He even went and bought me some warm milk."

Joshua looked pleased. "So, does that mean I'm more important than William in your eyes?"

Lina looked shy after he said that. "Of course. I'm so over William. He's just the son of a fruit vendor, but he always tries to act like some rich kid around me. Not like you. You're rich and humble."

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly. So, that was it. Lina despised me for my background!

What Lina didn't realize was that it was all a misunderstanding from Joshua.

During one of my phone calls with my dad, Joshua had overheard him saying,"The fruit stand seems to be doing well lately. I've transferred you five hundred dollars for pocket money."

From that, Joshua jumped to conclusions, thinking I was the son of a fruit vendor. He then spread the rumor around.

In truth, my dad was one of the top fruit tycoons in the country. He owns 18 domestic bases, and the business stretches around the world.

…

I stumbled back to the dorm and felt utterly lost.

On the day of our 100th-day anniversary, I witnessed Lina's betrayal in my own eyes. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that something this ridiculous could ever happen to me.

Lina had been my first love. She was my perfect white rose. I once believed she was the kindest, most innocent girl in the world.

Now, whether she was kind or not didn't even matter anymore. What was clear was that I was the biggest fool in the world.

"Well, Mr. White has come back!"

"What are you standing around for? Come down here and greet Mr. White. Mr White, here's some expired milk I didn't finish last night. Enjoy!"

As soon as I entered the room, my roommates, Zack and Louis, started to mock me.

They called me "Mr. White", but they didn't actually think I was the scion of the White family. They were merely mocking me.

When I'd once tried to explain my dad's true background, they had laughed it off, thinking I was bragging.

Since then, they had mockingly called me "Mr. White" whenever they saw me.

I couldn't be bothered to explain back then, and today, I had even less patience for it. Ignoring their taunts, I sat at my desk and put on my noise-canceling headphones.

"Don't expose him like that. Look at how committed he is to this act. It's a skill, you have to know that not everyone can keep up a lie that big with a straight face."

Blocking out their voices, all I could think about was Lina. The sweet words that used to warm my heart were now like knives, cutting through my pride and dignity.

I couldn't believe she had played me for a fool.

And then there was Joshua. He not only spread rumors about me, ruining my reputation at school and making me out to be some vain, broken loser, but he had also made a move on Lina.

My fists were clenched tight. I was furious!

The urge to get revenge, to make them pay for everything they'd done, burned inside me. I wanted to hurt them just as much as they had hurt me. But then I slowly loosened my grip.

It was not necessary for me to do such a thing.

One was a clown who had misunderstood my life, and the other was a gold-digger who only cared about money. Why should I stoop to their level?

Just then, a notification popped up from our alumni group chat. It was a message from Joshua. Curiosity got the better of me, and I opened it.

A sharp pain stabbed at my chest.

"Everyone, take a look and tell me what you think of my girlfriend's legs." Joshua had posted this caption, along with a picture of Lina's legs.

In the photo, Lina's leg was slim, long, and in a white skirt, while Joshua's hand rested on her knee.

I let out a cold laugh.

That white skirt that Lina wore? It was the one I bought her just last week for her birthday. She had been so overjoyed at that time, hugging and kissing me, telling me I was the love of her life.

Who would've thought the first time she'd wear it would be during a date with Joshua?

"Wow, she's so fair-skinned and her legs are slender. They are amazing!"

"Joshua, your taste must be off. My legs are way prettier. I just took a selfie, I'll send it to you now."

"Hey, can the beauty above send me a picture too?"

"Fuck, I was wondering why you didn't go drinking with us tonight. It turns out you went to pick up girls. How rude of you to forget your friends for the sake of a girl!"

As the messages flooded the group chat, Joshua casually sent two hundred-dollar-vouchers in the group chat, sparking a frenzy as everyone scrambled to claim it.

"Thanks, Joshua!"

"You're the best, Joshua!"

Joshua replied, "Now that you've all grabbed the vouchers, please stop complaining. I'm not the type to ditch my boys for a girl. Today just happens to be our one-month anniversary, so cut me some slack. I'm off to enjoy some leg time, goodbye."

"Joshua, you're legendary! No wonder you're a rich kid. You're always so generous. Wishing you and Lina a lifetime of happiness!"

"Come on, now. Joshua's not the kind of guy to settle for just one girl for life. If you're gonna wish him anything, wish him a massive harem with kids all over the country!"

…

I took a deep breath and decided to turn off my phone and go to bed early. One more glance at the screen, and I might've smashed it into pieces.

The next morning, a flood of messages appeared as soon as I turned my phone back on. The sender's name was saved as "Cute Wifey".

"Sorry, William, I was in a student council meeting when you called and couldn't pick up."

She continued, "Why aren't you replying?"

"You're so annoying! I've told you a million times how much I hate it when people don't respond immediately, and you're still doing it. I don't care. You have to transfer me five hundred dollars to make it up to me," she added.

"William? Please say something! If you don't, I'll really get mad, and five hundred and twenty dollars won't be enough. It'll have to be one thousand one hundred and fourteen dollars that signifies 'forever'!"

"You are ignoring me? Fine. It's always the same with you, saying one thing and doing another. You don't care about me at all."

The old me would've been terrified by these unreasonable messages and sent her multiple thousand dollar transfers without a second thought. Now, though, all I could do was just laugh.

How could she go on a date with Joshua and then immediately come to me asking for money?

Without hesitation, I replied, "I'm just the son of a fruit vendor. Don't you remember? You've been tired of me for ages, haven't you? Why do you care whether I responded to you?

Lina didn't reply for a long time until I suddenly heard her voice shouting from downstairs.

"William! Come down here! What do you mean by that?"

Lina actually came over and started making a scene in public.

I frowned, my first instinct being to ignore her. But she kept yelling my name, loud enough that even Zack and Louis could hear her.

It was strange—instead of using this to mock me, they both looked over at Joshua, who was still snoring away.

Suddenly, it hit me that they knew about Joshua and Lina's affair all along.

Chapter 2

I really couldn't understand it. Even though I was poor, I hadn't done anything to provoke them. Where did all these hostilities come from?

Lina was still shouting downstairs. It was loud enough for the entire dorm building to hear.

Zack snickered. "You might as well go down. What's the point in hiding?"

Louis took it a step further, yanking the door open and calling out to the crowd in the hallway. "William is right here in the dorm, acting like a coward and too scared to come down!"

Laughter echoed through the hallway, and I forced myself to act like I didn't care at all. With their mocking eyes on me, I walked downstairs, step by step, until I stood before Lina.

I stood still and hadn't looked up. Then, a plastic bag hit me hard.

"William, this is all the junk you gave me. I'm returning it to you! Don't bother me again, got it?"

I looked down at the pile on the ground. Not all the gifts I'd given her were there.

The expensive things like necklaces, phones, shoes, and bags remained with her.

The only things tossed back at me were the ones I had made for her myself. Among them was the moon lamp, which I spent an entire month creating.

I tried to stay calm, but when I looked up, my vision blurred for a second.

This was the first time I had loved someone with all my heart. Were all those sweet moments fake?

I couldn't accept it.

"Fine, if we're breaking up, that's the conclusion. But Lina, just tell me one thing, did you stop loving me, or did you never love me at all?"

Lina's eyes flickered with hesitation for a moment.

But before she could answer, I heard Joshua's voice behind me, mocking me with a high-pitched, whiny tone. "Lina, did you stop loving me, or did you never love me at all?"

Laughter exploded from the crowd, stabbing into me like knives.

I was the one who got dumped. I was the one who got cheated on. I was the victim here, not the villain! Why was I the one being laughed at?

I just didn't get it.

As soon as Lina saw Joshua, she immediately clung to him, and her tone toward me turned even more cutting.

"William, stop pretending you were ever sincere! You were lying to me from the start, acting like you were some rich kid. But your dad's just a fruit vendor. You make me sick!"

The crowd's laughter grew louder, people pointing at me as they whispered.

I couldn't hear them anymore and didn't want to. I knelt, picked up the things I'd made, and headed back upstairs.

When I returned to the dorm, I hoped for peace, but Zack and Louis weren't about to let it go. They kept laughing at me, taunting me with endless insults.

I finally had enough and slammed my fist onto the table. "Say one more word and see what happens."

After a long pause, Zack scoffed. "You got dumped, and you're still trying to act though."

Finally, they shut up.

This was my first time going through a breakup. Even though I tried to force myself not to care, I couldn't suppress the sadness inside.

Mom called me in the afternoon, but I didn't answer. She called again in the evening, and I still didn't pick up.

By the next day, Mom showed up at school during a class break to see me.

I rushed over to her. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

She looked at me with concern and said, "I called you so many times, but you didn't answer the call. I was worried. Is someone bullying you at school?"

"No." I didn't want her to worry, so I forced a smile. "My classmates are great and I've even made a few new friends."

The truth was, from the beginning of the semester, Joshua had spread nasty rumors about me. The more I tried to explain, the more my classmates looked down on me.

To this day, I hadn't made a single friend, and my girlfriend had run off with Joshua.

I felt useless.

Mom patted my head and smiled in relief. "That's good. I brought you some things. Do you have enough pocket money? Did you bring the supplementary card I gave you?"

"I didn't bring it along, but Dad gave me enough pocket money. Besides, I don't spend that much in school," I replied.

We hadn't talked for long when I noticed people nearby giving Mom a strange and unfriendly look. She didn't understand those looks, but I had experienced them all too often.

I quickly led Mom to the school gate and personally made sure she got in the car and left.

I should've had a meal with her. After all, she had come a long way to see me, but I really wasn't in the mood. Plus, I was afraid my act would fall apart before her.

As I watched Mom drive away, I felt ashamed. Here I was, letting my mom down because of a woman who betrayed me.

When Mom leaned out the car window and waved at me with a smile, something inside me was suddenly released.

There were still so many people in this world who loved and understood me. Why waste the time and energy on someone who wasn't worth it?

At that moment, I felt a renewed sense of strength. I pulled out my phone and sent Mom a message. "Mom, thank you for coming to visit me. It really made me happy. Don't worry, I'll focus on my studies and won't disappoint you and Dad."

Mom responded quickly, "What are you talking about? All your Dad and I wanted is for you to be happy. That's all that matters."

There was truly nothing like family.

My heart felt warm as I picked up my things and headed back to class.

But as soon as I sat down, Joshua's voice could be heard from the front row.

"You just got dumped yesterday, and now you're hiring actors to put on a show? Bringing in some 20-year-old to play the role of your mom? Do you think we're idiots?"

"Yes! I was just about to say it, Joshua. If William is going to hire an actress, at least make it believable. That woman couldn't be older than 27 or 28. If she's really William's mom, then what? She had him when she was seven or eight?"

"And did you see all the designer clothes she wore and all the fancy stuff she gave William? He's trying hard to act rich, isn't he?"

"Well, she's pretty. I wouldn't mind being his stepfather."

I shot to my feet, stormed over to the guy who made the stepdad comment, and grabbed his collar, punching him without a second thought.

If someone insulted me, I can take it. But insulting Mom? That was a line I wouldn't let anyone cross.

The guy didn't expect me to hit him, so he panicked and tried to tear himself away. But seeing his pathetic face only made me angrier, and I hit him again.

The teacher, Brandon, walked in just as I was about to throw a third punch. "William, what are you doing?"

Seeing Brandon, I took a deep breath and let go of the guy. "Say one more thing about my mom, and I'll hit you harder next time."

The entire class glared at me with disgust. "What's William trying to pull?"

"We didn't even call him out by name, and he's over here acting all offended. What a joke."

"William can't take people talking about it? Does he really think that was his mom? Pathetic."

Brandon stood in front of the room, looking at me with the same cold expression.

"William, being poor isn't something to be ashamed of as no one can choose where they were born. However, having a poor character is totally another thing to consider. Since this is your first offense, I'll let you off with a formal warning. Don't let it happen again."

Chapter 3

I couldn't help but smirk at the teacher's words.

He didn't even bother to ask why I had hit someone and went straight to handing out punishment. With bias like that, what was the point in saying anything?

As much as I wanted to storm out of the classroom, I needed the credits, so I forced myself to stay.

Thankfully, I had already taught myself most of this material back in senior year, so I didn't even bother listening. Instead, I pulled out my phone and started scrolling.

While checking my social media, I came across a post from Joshua.

What caught my attention was the car in Joshua's post, which was the same model as mine. That particular car wasn't common, so it surprised me that he had one, too.

But then, something else made me pause. One of the photos in his post looked oddly familiar.

Wasn't that a picture of my family's orchard?

Not wanting to jump to conclusions, I immediately sent the photo to Alan, my family lawyer.

Alan replied quickly, "Yes, this is indeed from our orchard. We took these photos in August for promotional purposes, but they haven't been released to the public yet."

How did Joshua get his hands on an unreleased photo of our property? I was stunned.

I quickly messaged Alan again. "Could you do a background check on Joshua, my roommate? I have a feeling that something's not right."

I couldn't shake the suspicion that he might have hired a hacker to breach the computer system of my family's orchard just to mess with me.

After class, I headed toward the library. On my way, I passed a bulletin board and noticed a large poster pinned up.

"The First Starus Creative Entrepreneurship Competition!"

I had been involved in small business ventures since high school, earning some pocket money along the way, so this event piqued my interest.

I stopped to read the details carefully. It started with signing up and then submitting a project proposal, and the grand prize was five hundred thousand dollars.

As I was absorbed in reading, a group suddenly shoved me, nearly knocking me off balance.

I turned to see Joshua with his arm around Lina, flanked by a few classmates, all sneering at me.

My eyes instinctively went to Lina. The clothes, shoes, and bag she was wearing were all gifts from me.

I didn't know if she had forgotten or simply didn't care. She sure had some nerve if it was the latter, strutting around in her ex-boyfriend's things.

But surprisingly, I didn't feel that same sting of jealousy anymore. Instead, I felt like she had played her part well. She'd fooled me into believing she loved me.

"William, are you seriously thinking about entering this competition?" Joshua eyed me up and down like he didn't even know me.

"Don't tell me you've lost your mind over that five hundred thousand dollar prize! Do you even have the capital to start a business? Look closely, this contest is all about creativity and profit. Without money, what business are you going to start off with? If you don't invest anything, what kind of returns can you expect?"

One of his lackeys chimed in, "William can always sell those knockoff products. Five dollars a piece, and he might actually make a profit."

Lina couldn't help but laugh at that.

I ignored them, pulled out my phone, and snapped a picture of the poster before leaving.

But before I could walk away, Joshua quickly stepped in front of me and blocked my path.

My temper flared instantly.

"Move!" I snapped.

"Hold on, William. If you want to act though, I'll give you the chance. Why don't we both sign up for this entrepreneurship competition and see who ranks higher?" Joshua offered.

Compete with Joshua? Please. He wasn't worth my time.

I sidestepped him and kept walking, but he taunted me again. "What's the matter, are you scared of me?"

Lina followed and joked in a self-righteous way, "Go on, William, don't be afraid. Who knows? Maybe miracles do happen, and you might win."

Joshua crossed his arms. "Tell you what, William. If you win, I promise I'll stop messing with you for good."

I felt speechless as Joshua just wouldn't quit.

It seemed like the only way to shut him up was to give a lesson. I stopped in my tracks, turned around, and stared at him.

"Fine. I'll compete with you. But let's raise the stakes. If I win, you kneel in front of the entire school, apologize to me, and then leave this place. If I lose, I'll do the same," I said.

Everyone around us went silent, stunned by the challenge. They didn't expect me to take it this far.

Lina laughed awkwardly. "Isn't that a bit extreme?"

Joshua just scoffed. "I don't mind. I'm just worried you'll back out when the time comes."

I turned to Lina. "When we were together, did I ever break a promise to you?"

Lina's face turned red, and she muttered softly after a moment of hesitation. "No."

"Then we're good. Joshua, are you in or not?" I asked.

"Are you kidding? Will I be afraid of you? Let's do this, and Lina can be our witness," Joshua replied.

The bet was sealed.

Ignoring their laughter, I headed straight to the library to start my research.

This entrepreneurship competition wasn't something that anyone could just breeze through. The person had to show real results and scalability. Plus, having a mentor's recommendation would score him extra points.

I immediately sought out my professor, Roger Hopkins.

"An entrepreneurship competition? Do you want to participate in it?"

After listening to my idea, Roger pursed his lips and laughed disdainfully. "Don't take this the wrong way, William, but this kind of competition isn't for you. Starting a business in college sounds easy, but it takes capital. Do you have any?"

I didn't want to lie to him, so I nodded. "I don't have much, but I can manage to get the capital around ten million. I'm not aiming for anything huge, but just a small project. I was hoping you could write me a recommendation letter."

"Ten million!" Roger's eyes widened in disbelief, and for a moment, he just stared at me silently.

I wasn't sure if he thought it was a lot of money or too little, so I added, "If you think that's not enough, I have other accounts I can pull from."

"William!" Roger suddenly yelled my name, and his expression grew impatient.

"Why are you so… vain? You are only a freshman, and you're already this vain. When you step into the real world, you're going to run into serious trouble, do you realize that?" Roger snapped.

I was taken aback and quickly tried to defend myself. "Mr. Hopkins, I'm not lying to you—"

"Enough!" Roger interrupted and cut me off mid-sentence. He tossed my proposal onto the floor without a second glance.

"You think the faculty doesn't know what you're up to? Let me be honest with you. Everyone's heard about you. If you don't have what it takes, stay in your lane. You're poor and your character's not any better. I don't even know what your parents taught you."

I wanted to ask what exactly he thought was wrong with my character, but arguing wouldn't help.

Instead, I pulled out my phone, opened my banking app, and entered my password to show him my balance.

Just then, the office door swung open, and Joshua strode in, along with Lina and a few others. He completely ignored me, shoving me aside as he smiled at Roger.

"Mr. Hopkins, could you help me out with a recommendation letter? I'm entering a startup competition, and a mentor's recommendation could really boost my chances."

"Of course! That's no problem at all. It's just a letter, after all." Roger's tone shifted entirely. He was now warm and friendly, like he was a different person compared to just now.'

Rofer quickly picked up his pen and easily wrote a recommendation, finishing it with his stamp before kindly asking Joshua, "Do you need a digital copy too?"

Chapter 4

"No need for it, thanks, Mr. Hopkins." Joshua said as he grabbed the recommendation letter, then swaggered over to me with a smirk.

"William, you didn't have startup capital, and now you don't have a mentor's recommendation either. How exactly do you plan to compete with me? Or are you just waiting for a miracle to fall from the sky? Honestly, you're such a failure at life. What's even the point of you being here?"

With that, Joshua and his crew strutted out of the office, leaving behind his smug words.

I had no interest in engaging with him. Instead, I turned to Roger and asked, "Mr. Hopkins, you mentioned earlier that I have poor character. You heard what Joshua said to me just now. How would you judge that?"

Roger barely glanced up from what he was doing, and his tone was icy. "William, if one person looks down on you, it might be their problem. But if everyone does, shouldn't you start reflecting on yourself?"

He continued, "Why do you think Joshua singles you out? He doesn't treat anyone else this way. He seems to get along just fine with others."

I laughed dryly. "So that's how you see it. Well, Mr. Hopkins, you certainly live up to the ripple of a teacher. I've learned a lot."

Roger suddenly spun around and glared at me. "What do you mean by that? William, it's exactly because of your attitude that people find you annoying. Let me tell you—"

Only an idiot would stick around and let Roger finish ranting. I walked out of the office, not bothering to listen to the clatter of whatever he was throwing in frustration behind me.

On the way back, I got a message from Alan.

"Mr. Wilson, I've gathered the information on Joshua. Would you like me to send it to you now? Interestingly, there's quite a connection between the two of you."

A connection between us?

I immediately replied to Alan's request to send it over. Finding a bench, I sat down to read, and what I saw left me completely stunned.

It turned out Joshua was the one of the beneficiaries of a charitable foundation my dad had set up in my name.

The foundation supported students, focusing on those with good grades and strong character and grooming them to join our family business and eventually become key figures.

The ultimate goal was for these students to return to their rural communities and help boost the local economy by starting their own businesses.

Joshua was one of the main beneficiaries.

That was why his monthly allowance was higher than that of other students.

But what neither Dad nor I could have ever imagined was that Joshua had been taking the money meant to support him, blowing it on parties and girls, and having a good time instead of focusing on his studies.

I was speechless. Without hesitation, I messaged Alan. "Stop all of Dad's funding to him immediately. I'll explain everything to Dad."

"Understood, sir," Alan replied.

After that, I called Dad.

"Hey, William! Did you run out of pocket money? No worries, business has been great this year. I'll wire you another five hundred."

The "five hundred" that Dad meant was five hundred thousand dollars.

Joshua overheard that exact statement at the beginning of the semester, triggering the nightmare my life had become ever since.

I was speechless. "Money's not an issue, Dad. It's about Joshua. It turns out he's one of the students we've been supporting through the foundation. But his behavior's terrible, and I don't think we should keep funding him."

"The foundation money's basically your allowance. If that's your decision, go ahead," Dad replied.

"Thanks, Dad. By the way, I'm entering an entrepreneurship competition. I've figured out the project, but I need specialized technical help. Could you spare a couple of your team members for me?" I requested.

Dad chuckled as he was clearly intrigued. "Starting a business in your first year of college? Alright, tell me about the project first. If it sounds solid, we'll take the next step."

I explained the idea to Dad, and after hearing me out, he immediately sent over profiles of some of his top employees to choose from. I didn't hold back and picked three of the best.

After a long day, I returned to the dorm, only to hear Johsua loudly boasting as soon as I walked in. "You guys have no idea! Lina's body is insane! I was shaking when I held her. I've never been with a girl that perfect before!"

Joshua noticed me walking in, but instead of stopping, he got even more animated.

"Do you know what the most shocking part is?" Joshua asked.

Zack and Louis played along eagerly. "What is it? Spill!"

"Yeah, don't keep us hanging, Joshua!" Zack added.

Joshua smiled smugly. "The most shocking part is that Lina told me she was still a virgin."

Zack gasped in disbelief. "No way! Haven't Lina and William been dating forever? Didn't they get together right when the semester started? And still, nothing happened between them?"

"Maybe William just can't perform! Look at him, he always looks so drained and seems powerless!"

"Lina probably doesn't even like him! I mean, with her looks, a cute face and a killer body; she's destined to be a social media star. There's no way she'd stick around with a poor guy whose family runs a fruit stand."

I had already stopped caring about Lina, but they still thought using her to get under my skin was funny.

I felt that they were so pathetic.

I opened my laptop and continued working on my project plan.

Just then, Joshua glanced over at me and casually said, "Oh, by the way, I've got something to share. I've officially secured an investment from Spring Harvest Agro-Tech. My startup's about to kick off."

I froze momentarily.

Spring Harvest Agro-Tech? Wasn't that Dad's company?

I just spoke to Alan today about cutting off Joshua's funding. How could they possibly be investing in his startup?

I looked at Joshua, speechless. The same guy who always accused me of putting on airs was clearly doing just that himself.

Joshua shrugged at me. "What are you staring at? What, do you think I'm pulling strings? I can't help it! My dad is the owner of Spring Harvest Agro-Tech. I'd be a fool not to use my family's resources, right?"

Zack and Louis looked at him with something close to admiration.

"No way! Does your dad own Spring Harvest Agro-Tech? That's the biggest orchard company in the country!" Zack exclaimed.

"Well, that explains why you're so loaded. Your family runs all those orchards!" Louis added.

Meanwhile, I was speechless. Joshua was unbelievable. He'd gone and claimed John, my dad, was his dad.

How could anyone behave like this? I couldn't wrap my head around it.

Joshua walked over and knocked on my desk. "William, if you'd kept your head down at the beginning of the semester, I wouldn't have bothered with someone like you."

"But no, you just had to show off in front of me and embarrass me in front of that senior. Now, you're getting what you deserve."

The senior?

A scene from the start of the semester flashed in my mind.

A pretty senior helped us find our dorm. Once inside, both Joshua and I handed her a drink at the same time. Mine was more expensive, so she picked mine. After that, she was a bit nicer to me.

But that was it.

I looked at Joshua in shock. "So, you started all these rumors and sabotaged me, all because of a bottle of soda?"

Joshua scoffed. "I just couldn't stand you showing off!"

"Was it me showing off, or was it you?" I stood up, as I was tired of putting up with it. "I'm pretty sure that the owner of Spring Harvest has the last name 'White'. Are you sure he's your dad?"

Chapter 5

Joshua's expression instantly darkened.

He clearly hadn't expected me to know anything about Spring Harvest Agro-Tech, but when Zack and Louis turned their curious gazes toward him, he quickly tried to regain his composure.

"You don't know anything! Sure, the company's owner's last name is White on paper, but my dad owns over thirty percent of the shares."

"Please don't talk like you understand when you have no clue! You're just embarrassing yourself!" Joshua snapped before storming out of the dorm room, not daring to stay a second longer.

Watching him leave in such a hurry, I couldn't help but find it amusing.

"But Joshua, this is just the beginning of your downfall," I thought.

Over the next few days, Joshua was in a constant rush, barely spending any time in the dorm. And even when he did come back, he was glued to his phone, biting his nails as he furiously sent messages.

Zack and Louis tried to talk to him and even invited him out for drinks, but he turned them down every time.

I knew exactly what was going on.

Two days ago, the foundation sent out the student stipends, but Joshua hasn't received a dime since I cut off his funding. Of course, suddenly losing his financial support had him panicking.

With him too busy worrying about his lack of money, I finally had the peace of mind to focus on my startup project.

Dad had always been there for me, supporting my studies and life, and I wasn't about to let him down.

That evening, I returned to the dorm with my laptop and found Zack and Louis huddled around Joshua, trying to console him. His eyes were red like he'd just finished crying.

As I walked in, Zack suddenly piped up. "Look at William—he's got nothing, broke as hell, and he's still doing just fine!"

"Exactly!" Louis agreed to it.

"If someone like William can make it, what are you even worried about? It is just your family that cut off your allowance, and we can lend you some money to get you through this rough patch. You can sort things out with them later."

After hearing this, Joshua's eyes lit up, and he immediately looked at them. "Really? You guys are willing to lend me the money?"

Zack and Louis, who had been talking big, started to hesitate when it came down to actually lending the money.

"I don't have that much left myself," Zack mumbled.

"I could lend you a thousand dollars, but you've got to promise you'll pay me back by next week, or I'll be starving," Louis offered.

Joshua slapped their shoulders with a confident grin. "Don't worry! My parents just wanted me to learn to be independent, so they froze my card for a while. It'll get unfrozen once I talk to them in a few days. Not only will I pay you back the money, but I'll even throw in some interest."

As soon as they heard there'd be interest, they quickly transferred one thousand dollars to Joshua without hesitation.

I watched the whole scene unfold, opened my mouth to say something, but then decided against it. They were completely brainwashed by Joshua.

Even if I told them the truth now, they'd just accuse me of being jealous and trying to sabotage him.

I could already picture the whole mess, with them attacking each other later. So, whatever. Let them go ahead and play their game of brotherhood.

The next day, I had just taken a seat in the back row for class when I noticed Joshua walking around the classroom, phone in hand, borrowing money from everyone.

I couldn't help but feel puzzled.

Didn't Zack and Louis just lend him two thousand dollars last night?

"Sorry, guys. I'll pay you back in a couple of days. My mom froze my card, and it is Lina's birthday today. I need to scrape together some cash to buy her a gift, or she'll definitely throw a fit," Joshua said.

I froze for a moment and glanced at the date, realizing it was indeed Lina's birthday today.

I had already prepared a gift for her in advance, a handbag I designed myself, with a custom logo from one of my favorite brands.

But now, it seemed like there was no point in giving it to her anymore.

After class, I immediately met with the staff to discuss my startup project. They sent me a concept image and said, "Mr. White, the version is nearly complete and ready for testing."

I was excited. This was the first time I had developed something entirely independently, and I was eager for it to succeed.

"Great, keep pushing forward," I replied.

With their top-tier talent on board, everything was progressing smoothly and efficiently.

Just then, a round of applause erupted from the front of the classroom. I looked up to see Lina had walked in at some point.

Lina was wearing a light blue skirt, her long hair cascading down her shoulders. With her fair skin and shy smile, she looked as pure and innocent as ever.

In the past, seeing Lina blush like that would've made my heart skip a beat, and I wouldn't have been able to resist hugging and kissing her.

But now? I didn't even care to spare her a second glance.

"Joshua, you're too sweet to me." Lina held a necklace encrusted with small diamonds, and she was thrilled. "Can you help me put it on?"

Joshua grinned, and amid the clapping and whistling from the crowd, he fastened the necklace around her neck. The people around them immediately started cheering.

"Kiss her! Kiss her!"

As Joshua and Lina slowly leaned in closer, I thought I wouldn't care. But just before their lips met, I found myself feeling uncomfortable.

I was about to look away when Lina suddenly pushed Joshua away; her face flushed, and she ran out of the classroom in embarrassment.

It turns out that Brandon has just walked in.

Seeing the commotion, Brandon wasn't upset at all. He glanced at Joshua with a smile and said, "No dating in the classroom, Joshua. It's fine that you're popular, but at least think about the feelings of the single guys here."

Everyone burst into laughter, and the atmosphere was light and cheerful.

But I just sat at the back, completely disconnected from this fake sense of joy.

After school, I had just stepped out of the classroom through the back door when I ran right into Lina.

The hallway was empty except for the two of us. Instead of giving me her usual scornful look, she paused and glanced at me with a hesitant expression, like she wanted to say something but couldn't.

Before I could make sense of it, Joshua and a few other classmates appeared. Lina quickly ran over to him, leaving me utterly confused.

Back at the dorm, I was about to change my shoes when I noticed something off. My limited-edition sneakers were missing. I searched everywhere but couldn't find them.

When Zack and Louis returned, I could only ask them.

"Who would wear your shoes? Are you out of your mind?" Zack snapped. Unsurprisingly, a simple question turned into an insult.

Louis, who was sipping his soda with a serious face, chimed in, "There are only two possibilities here. The first possibility is the dorm manager tossed them out as trash; or the second is you made this up just to blame us."

I gave him a cold stare. "There's a third possibility that Joshua took them."

There were only four of us in the dorm. If Zack and Louis hadn't touched them, then left only Joshua. I avoided using the word "stole" to spare him some dignity.

As soon as I said that, Zack and Louis looked at me like I'd just told them the wildest joke they'd ever heard. Louis even spat his soda all over the floor and laughed.

"Are you serious? Do you think Joshua would wear your shoes? Oh man, I must post this joke in the group chat!" Louis howled.

Zack shot me a disgusted glare. "Do you even realize how much Joshua hates knock-offs? He was a guy that worn designer brands his entire life! You said that Joshua was wearing your shoes? I'd sooner do a headstand and puke."