Chapter 8

Joshua spotted the gift box on my lap and reached for it without hesitation. Before I could stop him, he tore it open but froze in shock. Inside the box was a Cartier skeleton watch, its crown embedded with a striking blue gemstone, worth around 30 thousand dollars. It was impossible to pass this off as a fake. It had to be the real deal. Lina's eyes sparkled as she gasped, "That's gorgeous!" Most of our classmates came from modest backgrounds and were equally stunned. For them, a monthly allowance of over five hundred dollars was already considered generous, with some surviving on just a few hundred. Seeing something this expensive was understandably a rare occurrence. I snatched the watch back and slipped it onto my wrist. Since they were so eager to look, I'll let them see it more clearly. Sure enough, as soon as I put the watch on, Joshua and his friends looked at me like they wanted to eat me alive. Joshua's eyes, especially, turned red with jealousy—he was on the verge of losing it. "William, you've got some nerve, flaunting gifts from your sugar mommy. Have you no shame at all?" Joshua sneered. "Sugar mommy?" I blinked, caught off guard. What kind of rumor was Joshua cooking up now? Joshua let out a laugh. "Don't even try to deny it. We all saw you cozying up to that rich lady. If that's not you being kept, then what is it? And don't try to tell me she's your sister since I know you're an only child!" The students around us immediately began shooting me disapproving glances. Lina spat. "Now, it makes sense how you had the capital to start your business. You've been living off some rich woman. I can't believe I even saw you differently." Zack even gestured crudely at me. "Bet you put on a show for us day by day, but at night, you're crawling into bed with her, begging for it. What a joke!" His comment drew raucous laughter from the crowd. I shot Zack a cold look. He knew perfectly well that I attended all my classes and returned to the dorm on time every night. Yet, he had no problem spreading lies to please Joshua. People like him didn't deserve to share a room with me. "Zack, I used to think it was just pathetic how you followed Joshua around. Now I see you deserve it, being his lapdog. With your character, that's all you'll ever be," I said. "What did you say?" Zack was enraged and embarrassed as I had unknowingly struck his nerve. He rushed up to me and wanted to fight with me. I was not afraid at all. I grabbed his arm, twisted it behind him, swept his legs from under him, and sent him crashing to the floor with a thud. Louis laughed when he saw Zack fall. Instead of offering to help Zack, Louis took out his phone to take a photo. Zack was not convinced and lunged at me again. But he was no match, and I easily tripped him once more, and he hit the ground hard. Feeling defeated, Zack turned to Joshua for help. "Joshua! William is out of control! Let's take him down together and teach him a lesson!" However, Joshua ignored Zack's suggestion. He gave me a cold stare and said, "Tell you what, William. Hand over those gifts, and we won't spread any rumors about you being kept by a rich woman." The group's eyes lit up at the suggestion. They could already see the money they'd split from selling the watch and the unopened gift. But I knew the truth—Joshua would never share the loot. He was too desperate and poor now. I looked at him with pity. "Joshua, there was a time you could've earned this watch yourself. But you threw that chance away. It's too late now." Joshua was confused by my words. "Stop talking nonsense! Are you giving it to me or not? If not, I'll ensure everyone in school knows you're being kept by a sugar mommy." "Do whatever you want," I replied. I didn't care about any of that. "But first, let's settle our bet. You lost the competition, which means you owe me a kneel and an exit from this school. So, what's it going to be?" I questioned. Joshua didn't seem the least bit surprised. He had prepared for this moment and immediately put on a smug expression. "A bet? What bet? What are you talking about? It's ridiculous that I will bet with you!" I raised my brow. "Are you planning to just let it go?" Joshua raised his arm arrogantly. "I will admit it if I promised it before. But you can't just say it without any proof. Since you say I had a bet with you, please show me some proof, William. Do you have any recordings or witnesses? If you can prove it, I'll honor the deal!" Until that moment, I'd thought Joshua, despite his rotten character, was at least a man of his word. After all, he had paid me back for the shoes we'd fought over. But today, he shattered whatever respect I had left for him. I turned to Lina. "You were there when we made the bet, Lina. Don't tell me you're going to pretend you didn't hear anything." I knew she'd chosen Joshua for his money, and I couldn't hold that against her. But I couldn't believe she'd flat-out lie to protect him. Lina's face flushed, and she quickly lowered her gaze. "I don't know what you're talking about. Whatever happened between you and Joshua has nothing to do with me." Joshua burst out laughing. "You thought you could scare Lina into backing you up? Are you out of your mind? She's my girlfriend!" I stared at Lina for a long moment before managing a bitter smile. "So that's who you are. I wasted a whole year on you." Lina's eyes widened in disbelief as if she couldn't fathom I'd say something so harsh. But the sight of her feigning innocence only deepened my contempt. If anyone should be crying right now, it was me. I no longer felt the slightest sympathy for her. With a final cutting remark, I turned to leave. "Lina, remember what I'm telling you right now. When the truth finally hits you, don't cry about how unfair life is. You'll only have yourself to blame." I walked away, letting their insults bounce off me. "Sugar baby! Gold digger!" They could say whatever they wanted. They'd all regret it soon enough. After leaving the competition, I went straight to Tom. "I need to switch dorms." Tom barely looked up from his notebook. "William, switching dorms won't solve your problems. If you don't learn to get along with others, you'll run into the same issues no matter where you go." As I was already boiling with anger, Tom's words pushed me over the edge. "Get along? You're telling me I'm the problem here? What exactly did I do wrong?" Tom immediately latched onto my words, like he had caught me in a trap. "Listen to yourself! With that attitude, it's no wonder you can't get along with others. How do you expect people not to boycott you?"