Sunshire City.
A teenager dressed in a light blue shirt and worn-out jeans walked through the campus of Sunshire City University. His eyes frequently looking on the ground, as if searching for something.
The boy had decent looks, but his clothes seemed like they hadn't been washed in ages. The black stains on his cuffs were particularly noticeable. Passing students looked at him with disdain, avoiding him as if he were a plague.
Brentley Carter seemed accustomed to these looks. With a calm expression, he headed towards a discarded water bottle by the roadside.
"Ring, ring!"
An old Nokia phone suddenly rang.
Brentley quickly took out his phone and answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Is this Brentley Carter, Young Master Carter?" A deep, steady voice of a middle-aged man came from the other end of the phone spoke without hurry.
"I'm Brentley Carter, but I'm not Young Master Carter..." Brentley replied, puzzled.
"Young Master Carter, there's an inheritance that you need to claim. Do you have time today?" The middle-aged man's tone was respectful.
"Heh, I have an inheritance to claim?" Brentley chuckled, his tone filled with helplessness. "Buddy, I think you have the wrong guy. My family is all gone. I'm an orphan. Where would I get an inheritance?"
"Young Master Carter, I..."
Brentley Carter didn't wait for the explanation and hung up the phone, shaking his head lightly. "These scammers are getting really idle. I don't even have fifty bucks on me, and they think they can trick me? claiming I have an inheritance? my parents have been dead for years..."
Just then, Brentley's phone rang again!
Without thinking, Brentley hit the reject button and walked towards a nearby water bottle. He was worried that if he delayed, the old man who collected recycled stuff at school might snatch it up.
"Snap!"
As Brentley bent down to pick up the bottle, a red high heel stepped on it.
Instinctively, Brentley paused and looked up along the slender, beautiful leg. What he saw was a tall, sexy girl with a stunning figure.
The girl had light makeup on her delicate face, wore a black tight-fitting T-shirt that perfectly outlined her chest, and a black denim mini-skirt that hugged her shapely hips. Her long, fair legs ended in a pair of red high heels, making her look incredibly alluring.
"Ophelia, you... what are you doing here?"
Brentley's eyes flashed with surprise when he saw the girl.
The girl standing before him was none other than his girlfriend, Ophelia.
"Brentley, why are you picking up trash again? Do you really want to spend your life as a worthless trash picker?" Ophelia's pretty face turned cold, and she scolded Brentley without any mercy, her brows furrowing deeply.
"I..." Brentley opened his mouth to explain.
"What's there to explain? Forget it. If you want to pick up trash, I can't stop you. But from today on, we're breaking up. I don't want someone like you to be a stain on my life," Ophelia shouted at Brentley with a look of utter disgust.
"Break up?" Brentley froze the moment he heard Ophelia's words, his eyes wide with shock.
"Ophelia, you can't be serious, right?" Brentley asked in a low voice, staring directly at Ophelia in front of him.
"Serious? Do you think I'd joke with someone like you?" Ophelia sneered.
"Why would you want to break up out of the blue?" Brentley finally realized that Ophelia wasn't joking; she was dead serious.
"Why?
Because you're broke, just a poor guy who picks up trash!" Ophelia looked down at Brentley with disdain, giving him a once over before continuing, "Brentley, did you really think I wanted to be with you forever? Take a good look at yourself. Do you think you deserve me? You can't give me what I want!"
Brentley stared at Ophelia, his eyes empty. Deep down, he had already guessed the reason, but he couldn't accept that his girlfriend of nearly three years was leaving him over money.
"Brentley, I'm officially telling you now that we have no relationship from this moment on. I hope you don't bother me anymore!"
With that, Ophelia turned and started to walk away.
Brentley quickly stepped forward, trying to stop her, but just then, a young man emerged from behind Ophelia. He lifted his leg and kicked Brentley hard in the stomach.
"Colby?"
Brentley took two steps back, his eyes filled with shock as he looked at the young man beside Ophelia.
Ophelia skillfully hooked her arm around Colby's, her voice dripping with sweetness. "Brentley, This is my new boyfriend,
Colby!
He's better looking than you, richer than you, and knows how to have fun. Only someone like him deserves me.
Ophelia!"
Brentley stared at Colby. Although Colby was average-looking, he was a wealthy heir in their class. It was clear that Ophelia had left him for Colby because of his money.
"Brentley, from today on, Ophelia is my girlfriend. If I catch you bothering her again, I'll break one of your legs.
Got it?"
Colby stepped forward, his tone arrogant as he addressed Brentley.
Brentley gritted his teeth and remained silent. He knew that Colby not only had money but also connections with some gangs. If he really offended Colby, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Darling, don't waste your time with this kind of person.
Let's go!"
At that moment, Ophelia nestled into Colby's arms and whispered.
"You little vixen, can't wait to get a room with me, huh?"
Colby couldn't help but chuckle. He then pulled out a few red bills from his pocket and waved them in front of Brentley. "Brentley, I remember you would do anything for money, right? Here's fifty bucks. Go to the pharmacy and buy for us a box of condoms, We'LL need them later..."
Ophelia's eyes flashed with a hint of embarrassment at Colby's words, but she said nothing. Brentley's eyes burned with anger as he looked at the money in Colby's hand.
He had been with Ophelia for over three years, and he hadn't even held her hand, let alone gotten a room with her! But now, Ophelia and Colby had only been together for a few days, and they were already getting a room!
And Colby had the audacity to ask him to buy them condoms, treating him as if he were nothing!
By now, the area was crowded with students, all of whom were watching Brentley with expressions of disdain, as if he were the punchline of a cruel joke.
After all, nothing seemed more pitiful than what had just happened.
But what they didn't know was that the most sad part wasn't Colby asking Brentley to buy him condoms. It was the fact that Brentley was actually tempted by the cash in Colby's hand!
If Brentley could get that money, he could finally pay his rent.
"So, what's it gonna be? Are you going or not? If you don't, I'll just find someone else!" Colby asked with a mocking smile.
Brentley hesitated for a couple of seconds, then turned his icy gaze towards Ophelia. "Ophelia, I hope you never regret your decision today!"
"Regret?
Regret what? Regret breaking up with a poor loser like you?" Ophelia scoffed coldly.
Taking a deep breath, Brentley didn't even think twice before turning and walking away, disappearing from everyone's sight.
After leaving the university, Brentley returned alone to the small apartment he rented off-campus.
Since he had to work at a bar at night and wouldn't get off until around 2 am, when the dorms were already locked, he had rented a place for himself. Though the room was barely the size of a bathroom, it was enough for him.
Back in his room, memories of his time with Ophelia flooded his mind. Their once passionate promises now seemed laughable. When Brentley first met Ophelia, she was a kind and innocent girl. Everyone else looked down on Brentley, but Ophelia had always stood by his side.
However, in the two years since they arrived at Sunshire City University, Ophelia's outlook had changed as she met more people. Brentley had long sensed that Ophelia would break up with him, but he never imagined she would do it so heartlessly.
When Brentley was young, his family was quite well-off. The Carter Family was a prominent family in their area. Both of Brentley's parents held high positions in the family business. Although they weren't among the super-rich, compared to Colby's family, the Carters were very wealthy.
However, when Brentley turned fifteen, his parents died in an accident. The rest of the Carter Family saw Brentley as a thorn in their side, and eventually, he was forced to leave and fend for himself.
To pay for his tuition and living expenses, Brentley took on any job he could find, no matter how dirty or exhausting. During the day, he would collect bottles, and at night, he worked as a waiter at a bar near his school.
His classmates constantly humiliated him, but Brentley didn't care as long as Ophelia was by his side.
However, now even Ophelia had left him.
Brentley lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.
He couldn't find any meaning in his life anymore.
"Ding!"
Just then, the sound of a text message notification broke the silence.
Brentley blinked in surprise and picked up his phone, giving it a quick glance. When he saw the message, he froze, his face showing utter shock. "Your account ending in 6174 has received a deposit of $5,000,000.00. Your new balance is $5,000,025.00."
Brentley quickly sat up, staring at his phone in disbelief.
"Five million... This must be some kind of joke!"
He looked at the message, his mind filled with confusion.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Before Brentley could make sense of the message, there was a sudden, urgent knock on the door.