10th January 2020

Highlander International University, School gym room.

Noah Oscar, clad in a sun-faded basketball shirt and frayed jeans, sauntered through the entrance of the basketball court.

Without preamble, Noah Oscar began collecting the scattered cans and empty bottles, remnants of the rowdy crowd that had just vacated the premises.

"It would be incredible if the university holds a basketball tournament every damn day.

I could effortlessly make fifty bucks by accumulating these bottles and cans.

If I make that much every day, I can buy Jane the golden age necklace for her birthday. I can even get a Samsung Galaxy Note Z fold 3 too."

Noah held up his head and glanced at the littered gym with enthusiasm. He could envision a bright future with Jane and without even knowing, he slipped into a deep imagination, lost in his fantasy.

While he was in the middle of gathering bottles and cans and daydreaming, a group of tall male students strode out of the locker room while chatting in an audible voice.

The one leading the group had red curly hair named and some flamboyant rings on his left fingers, his name is Bernard Collins. Noah could see a cigarette in his mouth. Although it isn't allowed in the school but being from a high class family, Bernard sure has ways to deal with the school law.

Bernard glanced at Noah and with an arrogant look, he pull up a sock from his pocket and flung it at Noah.

Before Noah could dodge, the sock landed directly on his face, and a pungent sourness hit his nostrils.

"I invited everyone on the team to save their dirty outfits for an entire week so that you could earn more money. It smells wonderful, doesn't it? Hahaha"

Bernard waved his hand and the others tossed their dirty laundry toward Noah while saying mocking statements such as…

"People like this should evacuate our school while they still can!"

"This guy has dishonored the school!"

"I think he's not picking up trash, but he's purposefully spoiling our fun!"

"I..."

Noah shook the dirty sock off his face and lower his head as his cheek flushed.

He could not afford to offend Bernard.

After all, he was but a mere college student from a poor humble family.

He could only work part-time on weekends and offer his services and teaching services to his schoolmates to make quick money. Even though he is super intelligent, coming from a poor home Noah has to do all sort of handwork just to survive. Society wasn't even helpful as at home his neighbours mocked and throw hurtful words at his family and at school he was being avoided like a plague and bullied to no extent.

Going to university. He met someone who saw him for who he truly was, and loved him despite his lack of wealth which made him blind to everything else, and he worked even harder to make his lover proud.

If Noah had a choice, he would not do business with someone as obnoxious and self-important as Bernard. But since he had to make money to put himself through college, all he could do was swallow his pride and keep his resentment at bay.

_Pride won't feed, clothe or make me rich. Better to be a fool and earn than be prideful and get bullied_

This has always been his word of motivations.

He took a deep breath, picked up the sock Bernard threw, and tossed it into an empty basket which was situated close to him.

"Sixty bucks for all of them," he said after some calculation.

Bernard smugly took out his wallet, pulled out some dollars, and threw them at Noah's feet.

With a smug smile, he said, "Here's sixty-five bucks and another task I want you to run. I want you to pick up a parcel at the school gate shop and take it to the big locker room. It's for Jayden Cooper, the leader of the basketball team."

After saying that, Bernard turned around and left with the rest of the group with excitement on their face which Noah failed to pick.

Noah picked up the money from the floor and clenched it in his fist.

"I don't like dealing with Bernard and his friends, but as long as I can make money off them, I'm fine. One day I sure will make them tremble before me. I will own my own company too… hopefully."

After Bernard and his teammates left, Noah carried on picking up empty water bottles and soda cans around the gym.

After filling up his trash bag, he went to the recycling centre outside the school to sell what he had collected. The old man who runs the place gladly paid him.

Then, he rushed to the school gate to get the parcel for Jayden and then made his way back to the locker room.

Along the way, Noah carefully counted the money he earned today. It was over $105.

He was exhausted, but he felt that it was all worth it.

He could not wait to save enough money to buy lot of gifts for his dear girlfriend.

Noah was about to open the locker room door when the sound of a woman speaking stopped him in his tracks.

"What? Why is that voice so familiar to me?"

The woman on the other side of the door squealed with delight.

Noah's face turned red as his heart started thudding against his ribcage.

He suddenly came to the horrifying realization that the voice was so similar to his girlfriend Jean Farrows'.

"Oh, Jay, I love you." A female muffled voice said.

"Come now, Jean, that poor Noah can't give you anything. Only I can give you a rich life."

"Jay, you're mistakening. I never loved him. It was all just a game between I and my friend."

When Noah heard their conversation, he could not deny it any longer.

"Jean? What are you doing here?"

Noah's blood boiled as he booted the door accessible with force.

He was stunned and petrified by what he saw.

In the locker room

Noah saw his girlfriend, Jean, leaning against Jayden and kissing. While her left hand keeps touching Jayden's broad chest romantically, the right hand has somehow found it's way into Jayden's trouser.

Her face was red in ardour and lust.

Meanwhile, Jayden was greedily groping her breast.

"Jean!"

Noah bellowed in anger and shock.

A strong sense of pain and humiliation filled his heart like never before as he felt all air leaving his lungs. He stood there breathless and petrified.

Jean hastily closed her exposed cleavage, concealing her snow-white boobs.

"What are you doing here, Noah?" She said with a slightly red facel

" I should be the one asking you the question! Didn't you say you'd go shopping with your best friend this afternoon and then go to an opera this evening? Why are you here? "

Noah asked, clearly agitated.

"Jean, I know you don't like me being poor, but you can't be with someone like that. Don't you know how many ex-girlfriends he has? He use and dumb girls like trash…"

Noah added, his eyes red in anger.

He had worked himself to death just to buy Jean her birthday gift.

Unfortunately for him, his beloved girlfriend just cheated on him in the end.

It was unacceptable!

Instead of feeling ashamed, Jean snorted and scoffed, "Now that you know the truth, there's no point in hiding it anymore.

Do you think that I would want to be with a poor loser like you?

Sad to say, but our relationship was nothing but a bet with my friend.

I didn't expect that you'd take it seriously."

"But I love you, I wanna really spend all my days with you," Noah said sincerely.

"Your love means nothing to me." She said coldly, shattering the young man's fragile heart.

"I wanted the latest phone, but you told me I had to wait for a month.

How pathetic!

Jayden here did not only buy me an iPhone but also gave me a luxury Louis Vuitton bag."

Jayden, looking at the parcel in Noah's hand, stood up and laughed.

"Damn, Bernard is good at this. I asked him to fetch a parcel for me and he sent you. It's really exciting!"

Noah's fists clenched as Jayden spoke.

Bernard was playing a stunt on him!

Suddenly, Jayden threw a $55 bill at Noah and scoffed, "

That's what you get for helping me with my delivery.

Noah, you're a poor man who has to work part-time to survive.

What right do you have to be with Jean?"

"Jay, I'll murder you!"

Unable to stand the mockery anymore, Noah dashed to Jayden like an insane bull seeing a red flag.

"How dare you fight back?" Jayden yell condensely.

He hurled a punch at Noah, jabbing him over.

Jayden was over six feet tall.

And as the leader of the basketball team, he was agile and muscular.

Noah, however, was a few inches shorter than Jayden and was lanky.

Noah fell to the floor with a loud thud, and he felt a sharp pain on his cheek from where Jayden had punched him.

Although in a trance, he summoned all his strength to get on his feet. Before he could balance Jayden send a kick towards Noah's chest. Sending him smashing his skull against the locker.

"Aaargh!" Even with blood dropping from his head, Noah did not mind as he stood up with his slightly red eyes and rush towards Jayden again.

Seeing this Jayden scoffed and grap Noah's fist which was hurl towards his head. Grabbing Noah's head, Jayden smash him hard on the locker.

That was the last thing Noah remembered as he lost consciousness.