Riches in Disguise

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.

I even saw you differently." Zack even gestured crudely at me. "Bet you put on a show for us day by day, but at

comment drew raucous laughter from the

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

pathetic how you followed Joshua around. Now I see you deserve it, being his lapdog. With your character, that's all you'll ever

embarrassed as I had unknowingly struck his nerve. He rushed up to me and wanted

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

when he saw Zack fall. Instead of offering to help Zack, Louis took out his phone to take

was no match, and I easily tripped

"Joshua! William is out of control! Let's take him down together and

and said, "Tell you what, William. Hand

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

"Joshua, there was

you threw that chance away. It's too

nonsense! Are you giving it to me or not? If not, I'll ensure everyone in school

I replied. I didn't care about any of

you owe me a kneel and

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

"Are you

"I will admit it 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

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