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."