Instant Millionaire(Insta Millionaire) Chapter 16 to 20

[Chapter 16]

“Darling, where are we going?” Cathy asked. The more she looked at Billy, the more attractive he seemed to become.

“Wait and see.” Billy smiled. Keeping one hand on the steering wheel, he placed his other hand on her thigh and started rubbing gently.

He was popular with the girls, so dating him made Cathy look cool. If he made a move on her, would she stop him?

She glanced at his hand on her thigh, but she said nothing.

Finally, they stopped in front of a restaurant.

“Wow, the Chez Laurent! Honey, is this where we’re eating?” Her eyes widened in disbelief.

Chez Laurent was one of the top restaurants in New York.

“Surprised? Come on, let’s go in. I made a reservation,” he said with a smile. He had paid a lot of money for a table here, much more than he could afford. The restaurant was far too expensive for students, but it was worth it to make Cathy so happy.

She took his arm, and they walked into the restaurant.

As soon as they stepped inside, a young waiter walked over to greet them. “Hello, welcome to Chez Laurent. Um… Do you have a reservation?” He blushed as he spoke and then gave them an embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry. This is only my first day, and I’m still learning the ropes.”

“It’s fine,” Billy said. “I have a reservation under Wilde.”

“Ah, Mr Wilde. You’re at table eight. Please follow me,” the waiter said, leading the way to their table.

Looking around, Billy and Cathy were more than satisfied with their surroundings.

“Oh, this is lovely,” Cathy said. “Just what you’d expect from such an upmarket restaurant. I’ve never eaten anywhere so nice.”

The restaurant was very romantic with a lot of open space, comfortable chairs, crystal chandeliers, luxurious tablecloths, and candles on every table.

Just as they sat down, a small group of musicians came over to their table, playing the accordion and a violin, while someone else sang.

Everyone was watching their table with envious expressions, and Cathy felt like a princess.

“Thank you so much, darling. This is wonderful,” she said, remembering how Alex had only taken her to the cheapest places. Thank goodness she had ditched him.

She took out her phone and began recording herself. “Come on, baby, get into the shot with me.”

They filmed themselves, making sure everyone could see the restaurant behind them. Billy posted the video and tagged his friends, specifically mentioning where they were.

Within minutes, people began to reply.

“Cathy, you’re eating at Chez Laurent! That’s amazing!” one person said.

Someone else said, “I’m so jealous. No one has ever taken me there.”

“Oh, you are being spoiled,” said a third person.

The comments made Cathy’s heart swell with pride and confirmed that she’d been right to get rid of Alex. If she’d stayed with him, then she’d never have been able to eat at Chez Laurent.

**

When Alex saw the video of Cathy and Billy kissing, he felt a little upset. But mostly, he felt sorry for Cathy because she didn’t know what she was getting into.

He knew exactly what kind of person Billy was, and yet she chose to be with him. What a stupid decision.

Billy drove a Volkswagen Passat, while Alex had a Ferrari.

“You’re still thinking about her, aren’t you?” A woman’s voice came from beside him.

Startled, he turned his head and saw Emma. He hadn’t even noticed her arrive.

“No, she’s not worth thinking about.” He smiled faintly.

“Good. She doesn’t deserve your attention. She gave up on a good man like you for a loser like Billy,” Emma said, shaking her head. She looked at Alex, her eyes sparkling. “Come on, let’s go eat. I’ll treat you. We can go wherever you want.”

“Oh…” Her words reminded him that he’d promised to buy her a meal, but he’d been busy lately and hadn’t had time. “No, I’ll treat you this time,” he said. “Why don’t we go to Chez Laurent?”

“Alex, I know you’ve just had your heartbroken, so I understand wanting to keep up appearances, but it’s not necessary,” she said, smiling at him.

She knew Chez Laurent wasn’t a place that students could afford.

“Just trust me.” Alex couldn’t be bothered to explain.

They left campus and hailed a taxi to take them to Chez Laurent.

When they arrived, Alex took her hand, and they strolled up to the doors of the restaurant.

Emma panicked. She tugged at his hand to stop him. “Alex, stop playing around,” she said. “We don’t belong here.”

He smiled and said, “Don’t worry. I’m treating you, remember? It’ll be fine. I promise.” He then pulled her into the restaurant.

As they stepped inside, she saw the golden decorations and felt a little uneasy. Her legs felt like rubber, and she nervously chewed her lip. “I need to use the bathroom,” she said.

“Okay, I’ll walk you over there,” he replied.

Emma walked into the ladies’ bathroom while Alex went to wash his hands.

As he came back out, he saw Cathy and Billy approaching. Cathy was wiping at a mark on her skirt as she hurried to the bathroom to clean up.

“What are you doing here?” She hadn’t expected to see Alex.

“Cathy.” Alex stared at her.

“Did you just dare to speak to Cathy?” Billy asked, taking a step forward. Anger had his lips drawn tight. This time, he would make sure Alex listened to him. “I’m warning you one last time: don’t even say her name. Don’t even think about her!”

Alex ignored him and went to move away from them.

Cathy rolled her eyes, and as Alex moved past her, she stuck out her foot and tripped him, causing him to stumble into the wall. Then she looked right at him and smirked.

“You—” He glared at her as he straightened up.

She giggled. “Well, you deserved it.”

Alex didn’t want to fight with them. I don’t want any trouble, he thought. Why can’t they just let me leave?

When he tried to move around them, Cathy nudged Billy with her shoulder and tilted her head toward Alex. Billy understood and moved to block his path.

“You want to leave?” Billy asked, smirking. “Not so fast. Call me ‘sir’, and I might let you go.”

Cathy sneered at Alex and said, “You must have snuck in. Losers like you don’t belong here. If you don’t leave now, I’ll call security, and they’ll throw you out.”

She wanted to see Alex humiliate himself by having to call Billy ‘sir’. She enjoyed bullying Alex. It was so much fun.

Alex was furious. They’ve already won, he thought. And they still won’t leave me alone.

Emma walked out of the bathroom just in time to hear Cathy’s words.

“Cathy, stop it! What did we ever do to you?” she asked. “What right do you have to call security on us?” She glared at Cathy.

“Oh, so you’re here too.” Cathy sneered. “What a pair of losers.” She looked them both up and down. “Why shouldn’t I have you removed? There’s no way you’re here to eat. This isn’t a KFC, you know. You can’t just walk in here whenever you want.”

Emma was so stunned by Cathy’s aggression that she was lost for words. But she was also aware that there was some truth to what Cathy said. Alex must have been joking about eating here. Now Emma just wanted to leave. She hadn’t expected to run into Cathy and Billy, and she just couldn’t take any more of their attitude. She had no idea what to do, and it was best if they left as soon as possible.

“Alex, let’s go.” Emma grabbed Alex’s hand and turned to leave.

“And now you expect to just sneak away?” Billy asked.

He and Cathy blocked the way out, and Cathy started shouting. “Everyone, look here! These people came in to use the toilet, and they’re not even customers! Where’s the manager? Where’s the manager?”

Her shouts grabbed the attention of all the customers in the restaurant.

“Hey, look at this couple,” she continued. “They sneaked into Chez Laurent just to use the high-class toilets without spending any money on a meal. Do you think that should be allowed?”

Several customers started to cheer her on.

“This restaurant needs to keep out the riffraff. How can they just walk right in and use the toilet?” she asked. “There are plenty of public toilets. Why can’t they go there? Do they just want to use a fancy toilet for free? Do they have no shame?” She shook her head. “Maybe it’s even worse than that. Maybe they’re hoping no one will notice and they can find a corner to sleep in!”

The manager finally came over, and Cathy went to meet him, pointing at Alex and Emma. Her tone sharp, she asked, “What are you going to do about this? If just anyone can come in and use the toilets, then your hotel will get a terrible reputation.”

“Please wait a moment,” the manager responded, smiling apologetically. He turned to Alex. “The facilities are for customers only. I’m sorry, but you’ll have to leave.”

“Alex, let’s go,” Emma said quietly. Everyone was staring, and she felt embarrassed.

But Alex took her arm, stopping her from leaving. “No. We’re staying,” he said.

“The manager has told you to go, and yet you’re still here,” Cathy said, her voice growing louder again. “You are completely shameless, aren’t you? You’re still determined to hang around us, even though we’re so much better than you. It’s disgusting. Are you deliberately trying to ruin our meal? And don’t you care about destroying the reputation of Chez Laurent?”

The manager also believed that Alex was deliberately causing trouble. He frowned. “Sir, please leave now, or I’ll have to call security.”

Cathy was delighted. She was looking forward to watching Alex being dragged away by security guards.

Alex looked at the manager and said, “I have a reservation.”

“You’ve booked a table here?” Cathy gaped in surprise and then laughed loudly. What a joke, she thought.

If even a poor loser like Alex could eat at Chez Laurent, then it would lower the value of the place, and it would no longer be one of the most exclusive restaurants in New York.

Oh, Alex, you are stupid, she thought. You’re just saying that to get back at me, aren’t you? But you’ll just fail even more miserably, and it’s going to be so much fun to watch.

She could hardly wait to see the embarrassment on his face when the manager challenged him.

Everyone watched, waiting to see what happened. Alex’s clothes didn’t suggest that he could afford a reservation at Chez Laurent.

“Sir, please don’t make a scene. If you refuse to leave, then I’m sorry, but I will have you removed.” The manager lifted a walkie-talkie, clearly about to summon security.

Emma was worried. She frantically tried to think of a way out of this, but she was only a poor student, and there was nothing she could do.

“I’ve reserved table eight,” Alex said calmly. “If you don’t believe me, then check.” With that, Alex brought out his phone and showed the manager the text that confirmed his reservation.

“You’ve booked table eight?” Cathy asked. “What a coincidence. We also booked table eight. Isn’t that interesting?” She burst out laughing.

Alex must have forged a message from the restaurant before he came here, she thought. Imagine pretending to have a reservation and managing to pick the same table number as me.

The manager took Alex’s phone and checked it. He smiled as he returned the phone, his tone now respectful as he said, “I’m sorry for the misunderstanding, sir. It was our mistake. I’ll take you to your table.”

[Chapter 17]

Cathy was stunned. “No, you must have misunderstood. The text message must be a fake.”

Billy took out his cell phone and showed the manager the confirmation of his reservation. “We booked table eight.”

The manager checked Billy’s text message and smiled politely. “Yes, you did reserve table eight. But your table is in the general section, and Mr Ambrose’s table is in the VIP section.”

“What?” Cathy exclaimed. “He is in the VIP section?” She stared at the manager in surprise. Alex was a loser and didn’t even have the money to eat in the university cafeteria. So how could he possibly afford such a good table at Chez Laurent? She simply couldn’t believe it.

To make up for his mistake, the manager personally showed Alex and Emma to their table.

When he arrived at table eight, the manager frowned. The table had been reserved, but it wasn’t ready. Dirty dishes still sat there, untouched, and there was no clean cutlery.

“Please wait a moment,” the manager said, his expression grim. He called over a nearby waiter. “What’s going on here? Our guests have arrived, and this table hasn’t been cleared yet.”

“The guests at this table have been here for a while,” the waiter said, frowning. “I believe they went to the bathroom.”

“What?” The manager was angry as he held out an arm to indicate Alex and Emma. “These are the guests at this table, and they’ve only just arrived. So, who have you been serving?”

“Oh!” The waiter flushed with embarrassment. “I’m so sorry, sir. I’ll go and check what’s going on.” Then he fled.

“Hey, why are you two loitering at our table?” Cathy asked as she walked over, her arm around Billy.

“You’ve been eating at this table?” the manager asked politely.

“Yes, why? What’s wrong?” Cathy asked, puzzled.

The waiter returned with a younger colleague. “Sir, he seated the wrong customer at this table.”

The young waiter lowered his head and said, “I’m sorry, sir. This is my first shift, so I’m not familiar with the seating plan yet. The customer at this table had a reservation for table eight, and I accidentally brought him to a VIP table instead of taking him to the regular section.”

The manager looked at Billy and Cathy. “I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Would you mind moving to a regular table? Our VIP guests have already been waiting for a while.”

Cathy’s mouth fell open in shock. He expects me to move aside for Alex, she thought. No. Not. That’s unacceptable!

“No way!” She flatly refused, crossing her arms.

“Oh… uh…” The manager struggled with his dilemma. “Well, are you sure you still want to eat here?”

“Of course, we want to eat here.” She scowled. “We refuse to go anywhere else.” She stubbornly glared at him.

The manager sighed to himself. “Fine. But as I’ve already explained, the cost of a VIP table is much higher than a regular one.”

“So be it. We’re already here, so obviously we’re not worried about the cost.” She sneered, seemingly unconcerned.

She simply couldn’t allow Alex to steal the limelight. You just had to come and play the big man, didn’t you, Alex? she thought. And I took your place. You’re not so important now, are you?

“How much more?” Billy asked, feeling a little nervous. Cathy might not care, but she wasn’t the one paying for it. He was!

“The food you already ordered costs around 1,000 dollars. Then there are 200 dollars for the reservation, 300 dollars for the VIP room, 400 dollars for the musicians, 190 dollars for the special tableware…”

Billy was shocked. The total was more than two thousand dollars. His heart started to beat faster, and his face burned with embarrassment. I can’t afford this, he thought. What am I going to do?

“Cathy, let’s just go and sit in the regular section,” he murmured to her.

“No, baby, I like this table, and I want to stay here!” She was not going to back down in front of Alex.

“You want to stay? Fine. Then you can stay by yourself because I’m going!” Billy was furious. He didn’t have enough money, and if he stayed here, he’d be humiliated.

With that, he stormed out, and Cathy was on her own. Her mouth hung open as she watched him leave. She looked around and realized she was standing by herself in the middle of the restaurant, and she didn’t have much money. Everyone was staring at her, and she’d never been so embarrassed.

She glared at Alex and then hurried after Billy.

The manager had the waiter clear the table, and then he asked Alex and Emma to take their seats. Various exquisite dishes were brought to the table, and the musicians returned to perform for them. A waiter stood by, ready to fetch whatever they needed.

Cathy and Billy decided to stay at the restaurant. Even though things had become awkward, they didn’t want to waste the opportunity to eat at Chez Laurent.

They sat at table eight in the regular section of the restaurant. And from their new table, they could see Alex and Emma in the VIP section.

Seeing how superior Alex’s table was, Cathy grew sullen. The loser she had dumped was sitting in the most important part of the restaurant, eating expensive dishes, and being fawned over. Jealousy gnawed at her, and she barely tasted her meal. She may as well have gone to the university cafeteria.

She was also very confused.

Eating in the VIP section would cost at least two thousand dollars. Even Billy couldn’t afford it. So why was Alex so calm? Shouldn’t he be panicking? Where on earth could he have got that kind of money?

She stared at Alex, her mind spinning, as she continued to stuff food into her mouth. After all, this was Chez Laurent, so she was going to make the most of it.

In the VIP section, Emma was just as confused. She sat at the table, wondering what was going on.

“Alex, how did you get this table? And do you have enough money to pay for this?” she asked doubtfully.

“Don’t worry. I promise I won’t embarrass you,” he said with a faint smile.

“Where did you get the money?” she asked again.

“Uh…” He thought for a moment. “I… ah… won the lottery. I guess I just got lucky. I bought a bunch of tickets, and I won 150,000 dollars.”

Revealing the truth would cause far too much trouble, and he couldn’t risk their friendship by explaining who he was.

She frowned at him. “You can’t waste your money like this. You just spent two thousand dollars for this meal. If you keep this up, you’ll spend all your money in no time.”

“It’s fine. It’s just money.” He didn’t seem to care. “You’re a good friend, and I take care of my friends. I promised to bring you to Chez Laurent, and here we are.”

Emma was moved by his words. She thought he was rather cute.

When they’d finished their meal, Alex paid the bill, and they left. Cathy and Billy had left earlier.

Billy had planned to take Cathy to Chez Laurent for dinner before getting a room and spending some time with her. But after making a fool of himself at the restaurant, he was no longer in the mood to hang out with her. Instead, he left her at the entrance to the female dormitory and went off alone.

Alex went back to his dorm room and lay on his bed. When he’d been with Emma in Chez Laurent, he’d noticed Cathy watching him with a strange expression.

The corner of his mouth twitched in a half-smile.

He’d been willing to give Cathy everything when they were together, but now he was shocked to realize he was glad she’d made a fool of herself.

She wasn’t worth thinking about. This is only the beginning, he thought. From now on, you can do whatever you want, Cathy. I don’t care anymore.

Meanwhile, Cathy had already returned to the dorm. She was still racking her brains, trying to make sense of it all. Is Alex really rich? she wondered.

She decided to swallow her pride and ask Emma.

She pushed open the door to Emma’s dormitory and walked into the middle of a heated conversation about Emma going to Chez Laurent for dinner. Everyone seemed envious.

“Hey, Cathy,” one of the girls said. “I saw your online posts. You went to Chez Laurent, didn’t you? Did you see Emma there?”

“Uh…” Cathy felt a bit awkward. She had gone to Chez Laurent and seen Emma. She had accidentally taken her place and had been forced to leave. How could she possibly explain that without being humiliated?

She avoided the question and looked over at Emma. “Emma, can you come outside for a minute? I need to ask you something.”

Although Emma didn’t want to speak to Cathy, she still followed her out of the dorm.

“Emma, was it Alex’s idea to have dinner at Chez Laurent?” Cathy got right to the point.

“Yes. Why? Does it matter?” Emma shrugged.

Cathy was taken aback. “Where did he get the money?” She knew Alex was poor. There was no way he could afford to spend that much money.

“Why do you care?” Emma narrowed her eyes. Cathy had a reason for asking.

“Oh, Emma, don’t be so sensitive. I’m Alex’s ex-girlfriend. Am I not allowed to still care about him? Not even a little?” Cathy forced a smile and began to chat with Emma as though they were still on good terms. And it was working. After they’d spoken for a while, Emma started to warm to Cathy again.

“Emma, where did Alex get the money?” Cathy asked again when she felt the time was right.

Emma hesitated for a few seconds and then said, “Oh, he won the lottery. He got 150,000 dollars!”

“He won 150,000 dollars?” Cathy’s jaw dropped. She’d never expected Alex to be so lucky.

“Cathy, what are you thinking?” Emma asked. “Alex is poor, and this money will help to relieve the financial pressure on him. Don’t even think about stealing his money.”

“Oh, shush, Emma. Don’t be silly. Of course, I won’t steal his money!” Cathy smirked. “I’ll just let him hand it directly to me.”

[Chapter 18]

The next afternoon, there were no classes, so Alex went to the library to read instead.

As he walked up the stairs to the library, he heard someone calling his name.

“Alex”

He knew that voice well. When he turned around, he saw Cathy standing at the foot of the stairs. She was wearing the plain white dress that he’d bought for her last year.

On seeing his expression, Cathy felt triumphant. This was going exactly as she’d expected.

She strolled over to him and gave him a sweet smile. “Do I look good in this outfit?”

He was dazed for a moment, and then he answered, “What do you want?”

She pouted, not liking his tone. “What?” she asked. “We were good together, weren’t we? So why are you being so cold now?”

She looked into his eyes, making herself look sad, as she reached out to tug at his jacket. This had always worked on him in the past. Whenever she’d looked at him like this, he’d given her whatever she wanted.

But on this occasion, he merely shrugged her off, looking at her with indifference. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll be going.”

With that, he continued to climb the stairs.

Cathy stood frozen on the spot. He had always treated her like something precious, and now he didn’t seem to care at all. The difference in him was shocking.

Anger flooded her. Damn you, Alex, she thought. I don’t believe for a second that you’ve fallen out of love with me that quickly!

“Hey!” she shouted sharply, drawing the attention of everyone around her. “Alex, where is your gratitude? Last year, I had so many rich and powerful men chasing me, and I gave up all of them to be with you. Even though it meant only eating in the cafeteria and at roadside stands! I gave you everything and you repay me by abandoning me so heartlessly? Are you ashamed of me?”

She stood at the bottom of the stairs, shouting at the top of her voice. When she was finished, she adopted a pitiful expression, as if she had been cast aside by the love of her life.

The students in front of the library were all fascinated by her speech, and they turned to stare at Alex.

“Scum!” one muttered.

“She treated you so well, and you just abandoned her,” someone else yelled. “Shame on you!”

A few of the male students moved to her side to comfort her.

“Hey, gorgeous. Why are you wasting your time on a man like that?” one asked. “Just toss him aside.”

“You’re far too good for the likes of him,” another man agreed. “He’s not worth getting upset over.”

Alex couldn’t understand what Cathy was up to.

Her claims simply weren’t true. Before they’d dated, there hadn’t been such powerful people chasing after her. And, yes, he was poor, but he’d still treated her well. He’d always been respectful and had never pressured her for anything.

Several girls surrounded Alex.

“You were lucky to have such a good girlfriend,” one girl said.

“You’ll regret letting her go,” said another. “Take her back, or you’ll find yourself the hottest topic online.”

Cathy marched over to Alex and grabbed his arm with some force as if she was afraid that he would run away.

“Thank you, but we’re fine,” she said to the other students, who quickly dispersed.

“What are you up to?” Alex demanded as they walked through the school. He couldn’t seem to shake her off, no matter how hard he tried.

“You won 150,000 dollars?” She glanced slyly at him.

“Yeah, I did, but that has nothing to do with you,” he calmly pointed out.

So that’s why she came looking for me, he thought. He smiled wryly. He should have known.

Cathy was stunned. Alex seemed to have gone back to being cold.

“Don’t say that. After all, we made so many beautiful memories together.” Her smile felt a little awkward.

“When we were together, I would have given you every last cent of my money, and I wouldn’t have cared, but now I’m much wiser than before,” he said. “So, thank you for helping me to understand that no matter how much I gave you, it would never have been enough.”

When he saw her shocked expression, his heart felt a little lighter. He opened his mouth but didn’t know what else to say, so he simply freed himself from her grip and walked away.

Cathy’s heart sank with disappointment. This was all too much. If only she’d broken up with Alex a few days later. Then the 150,000 dollars would have been all hers.

As she watched him leave, she became anxious. If she missed this opportunity, she might not get another, and then his money would be completely out of her reach.

“Alex!” she shouted. No matter what, she would fight for that money.

He stopped, and she quickly caught up, hugging him from behind, and pressing her face against his back.

“Alex, you’ve changed. You were never so cold to me before,” she said quietly. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but now I must confess. Alex, I broke up with you for your good.”

“For my good?” He gaped at her, stunned speechless and fighting hard not to laugh. God damn it, she says it’s for my good, he thought.

“Of course, I did it for your sake.” She stepped in front of him, her expression determined. “When we were together, you were so tired from doing all kinds of part-time jobs to buy me gifts and nice meals. I felt so sorry for you. And that’s why I decided to break up with you.”

“Really?” he asked. That is quite a good reason to break up, he thought. Could it be true?

“Don’t you believe me?” She kept her expression serious. Alex remained silent, and she felt she was getting somewhere. “But it’s different now,” she continued. “Now that you have money, we can have everything we want without you having to work so hard. Everything will be better.” She blinked up at him. “You do understand that I was just trying to do what was best, right? You can’t just give up on me now that you have money.”

“Do you want me back simply because of my money?” he asked, staring into her eyes. “Be honest.”

“I don’t care about the money. You’re the only man I care about.” She didn’t look away. “Leaving you broke my heart! From now on, even if you end up penniless, I will stand by you. I swear. Please, Alex. Let me be with you.” She dived into his arms.

For a moment, Alex was at a loss. It felt just like the old days. He slowly put his arm around her.

When she felt him hold her, Cathy hid a smile.

“I honestly thought you didn’t want me anymore!” She stepped out of his embrace and gave him a light thump on the chest.

Looking at her pretty face, Alex wanted to be with her forever. If she was being sincere about wanting to be with him, then he would treat her as well as before.

“Cathy, would you like me to transfer some money to you?” Alex took out his cellphone as if he would pass her the money the moment she said yes.

“No.” She smiled. “I already told you that I’m not doing this for the money. Keep it. If I need anything, I’ll tell you.”

Since Alex seemed to trust her completely, there was no need to ask for money right now. There would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

She held his arm as they strolled around the campus. They walked to the small square in front of the canteen, where some kind of event was being held in a red tent.

A girl with a ponytail walked over to Alex. “Hi. We’re from a local charity,” she said. “And for the last two days, we’ve been running a fundraiser for poor children from the nearby village. Their lives are so difficult. Would you be willing to help them?”

“All right, I’ll donate. Can I pay through my phone?” Alex asked.

“Sure, just use this code.” The girl handed him the information. “Thank you so much. This money will be used to help the poorest children in the region.”

He arranged the payment on his phone. Cathy leaned in closer, trying to see how much he had donated, but he was already finished.

From the red tent, a female voice exclaimed, “Wow! We just got 130,000 dollars!”

Hearing this number, the crowd were stunned into silence.

The donation was enormous. Other students had donated twenty, fifty, or a hundred dollars each. The other donations combined didn’t come to 130,000 dollars!

Everyone was eager to know who had given so much. That kind of money could pay for the tuition of quite a few students.

“Oh, it was you!” said the girl with the ponytail, realizing the truth as she looked at Alex. “You donated 130,000 dollars.”

“Yeah. I just want to help the local kids,” Alex said, shrugging.

Everyone gathered around, staring at him as if he was some kind of celebrity.

“What’s your name?” the girl asked. “I’ll make sure you get a proper acknowledgement for your kind donation.” She pulled out a pen and paper, ready to note down his details.

“Forget it,” he said. “It’s no big deal.” When he finished speaking, the surrounding students sighed.

This man was so incredibly generous.

Was he secretly rich? It wasn’t a huge sum of money for some people, but usually, when someone donated that much money, they wanted everyone to know about it.

“Cathy, let’s go.” Alex looked over at her.

“You donated all of your money?” An ugly expression crossed her face.

Her heart had sunk when she’d heard the voice announcing the donation, and she’d frozen with shock.

“Yes.” He moved closer and took her hand, smiling. “Didn’t you just say that you would be with me whether I have money or not? Well, I wanted to use that money to do something worthwhile. I’m sure you’re happy with that. Don’t worry. I still have more than 160 dollars, so we can go to the cafeteria and get some buns.”

“Get lost!” she snarled, shaking off his hand.

“Cathy? What’s wrong?” He looked over at her.

“Alex, you’re a stupid loser who deserves to be poor for the rest of your life!” She glared fiercely at him, retreating one step at a time. Then, she whirled around and flounced off.

Alex shook his head. He’d hoped that she’d changed, but as expected, she’d let him down.

Oh, Cathy, he thought. You have no idea that I still have a lot more than 130,000 dollars.

[Chapter 19]

Alex was wandering around the school when Zara called.

“Zara,” he answered the phone. “Do you need my help with something?”

He had little to do with Zara, so why else would she call?

“No, of course not. Holy shit, I don’t think anyone else overthinks things as much as you do.” Zara’s tone was full of disdain. “I called because I need you to come to the Coffee Palace just off campus.”

With that, Zara abruptly ended the call.

Alex was puzzled. What does Zara want with me? he wondered.

He left the university and made his way to the Coffee Palace, a high-end coffee shop that the wealthier students visited.

He entered the coffee shop and spotted Zara’s colourful hair. She was dressed in jeans and flat shoes, and she wore light makeup.

“Hey, Zara. Are you here alone?” he asked, looking around in surprise.

“Yes. Obviously,” she snapped. “Do you see anyone else here?”

A waiter walked over and asked, “Sir, what would you like?”

“Don’t bother asking him. He’s never been here before and wouldn’t know what to order,” Zara said to the waiter. “Just give him a cappuccino.”

She sipped her coffee as she sized him up, trying to decide if he was suitable for her plan.

Alex felt uncomfortable when she stared at him like that. What on earth did she want from him?

Zara smiled, apparently satisfied with him in some way.

“I’ll just come right out and say it,” she said, watching him. “I need a favour. I want you to date, my cousin.”

“What?” Alex gaped at her. “Zara, don’t be silly.” He knew she thought he was a loser, so she couldn’t possibly want him to be her cousin’s boyfriend. He must have misunderstood.

“I’m serious.” She glared at him. “My cousin doesn’t have many requirements for a boyfriend. As long as you’re honest and well-behaved, she’ll accept you. I think you can meet those standards.”

“But…” Alex was filled with suspicion.

“But what? What’s wrong with dating my cousin?” She scowled. “Don’t argue. Just treat her well.” She nodded as if he’d agreed. “Okay. Good. Sit right here, and my cousin will arrive soon. Don’t screw this up.” With that, she walked out of the shop, pulled out her cellphone and called her cousin.

“Hey, Cousin, are you nearly here?”

“Almost. I’m only a few miles away,” her cousin replied. “Did you find someone?”

“Yes, I found someone. He’s sitting in the Coffee Palace right now,” she said. “I promise that this guy is a loser. There’s no one better suited. If you met him on the street, you’d never know he was a student; you’d think he was a construction worker.”

“Ah, that’s perfect.” Her cousin seemed happy. “Then I’m sure I’ll be able to use him to attract Robert.”

“I don’t understand. Why do you need a loser to pretend to be your boyfriend? Can’t you get Robert some other way?” Zara had no idea what her cousin was trying to do.

“You don’t know what it’s like,” her cousin said. “Robert is a manager who brings in millions of dollars, and he’s my superior. He likes me, but at the end of the day, he has all the power. To turn things around, I need to make him jealous, so he’ll ask me out.”

“But why do you have to date a loser?” Zara still couldn’t wrap her head around it.

“It’s obvious. If I pick a loser over Robert to be my boyfriend, it says that Robert can’t even compete with a nobody. It will throw him off balance. Then he’ll realize how much he likes me, and that will speed up matters.”

“Oh… That’s so smart!” Zara finally got it.

Less than a minute after she ended the call, she spotted a black Buick pulling to a stop in front of the Coffee Palace. A slim, long-haired woman wearing a pair of black stockings stepped out of the car.

Right away, she attracted the attention of several men, who stared at her as if she were a model.

“Cousin!” Zara called out, quickly walking toward her.

“Come on,” her cousin said. “He’s waiting inside, right? Let’s go in.” She paused. “You didn’t tell him that we’re using him, did you? Don’t tell him. It’ll be more realistic this way, and it’ll be more likely to fool Robert.”

“I’m not stupid!” Zara laughed. “It’s just that when I think of you dating someone so far below you… Well, I wonder if it’s worth it.”

“Don’t worry. It’s just for show.” Her cousin was perfectly calm. “I’ll just use him for a few days, and once I’ve landed Robert, I won’t need the loser anymore, and I’ll dump him.” She looked at Zara. “Please tell me you didn’t pick someone ugly. After all, I have to look at him over the next few days.”

“He looks pretty good,” Zara assured her. “We’d better go in.” They walked into the coffee shop.

“Alex, my cousin is here,” Zara shouted over to him. “Don’t just sit there. Come and meet her.”

Alex heard her and quickly stood and turned around.

When he saw Zara’s cousin, he was stunned. It was Karen! The assistant manager at Metro Sky Bank had caused him so much trouble.

When Karen first saw Alex, she was sure that her cousin had found a real loser. But when she saw his face, she recognized him as the guy she’d tried to throw out of Metro Sky Bank. What a shock!

After the incident, she had heard Robert say that the Supreme Card did belong to Alex. And that meant his assets were worth at least thirty million dollars!

Curious, she had asked Robert how much money Alex had. Although he hadn’t given her a specific figure, it was clear from his answer that Alex’s wealth was vast.

So, the person now standing in front of her was seriously rich, and she didn’t know what to do.

“Hello, how are you?” Karen made the effort to be polite now that she knew who he was.

“Hurry up and pull out a chair for my cousin. Where are your manners?” Zara snapped, glaring at Alex.

“No need. I can do it.” Karen tried to use her eyes to signal her cousin to be nicer, and then she pulled out the chair and sat down.

Zara felt a little confused. What’s wrong with Karen? she wondered. Is Alex too much of a loser? What was wrong? This was what Karen had asked for, so why didn’t she seem happy?

Maybe Karen just wants me to be nicer to Alex to help reel him in, she thought. Then, he’ll be easier to control.

“Karen, this is Alex,” she said. “He’s a student at the university, and he’s nice enough. I think you’ll get along well.” She smirked at her cousin.

Alex seemed unaware of what was happening. This loser has no idea we’re using him, Zara thought. Does he think my cousin likes him? I can’t wait to see how he reacts when she dumps him.

She introduced Karen and then decided to order some cake to go along with their coffee. But the shop was busy, and she couldn’t get the waiter’s attention.

“Alex, why are you just sitting there, not saying anything? Why don’t you go and find the waiter?” Zara drummed her fingers on the table as she glared at Alex.

“You stay. I’ll go,” Karen said hastily, standing up. She wasn’t going to send a rich man to chase after the waiter.

Zara pulled her back down. “Sit down, Cousin. He’s the gentleman.” She turned to Alex. “Are you going to make one of us go?” She scowled at him. “Well? Do you have no shame?”

Alex was used to her attitude, so he didn’t bother arguing, but simply stood and walked over to the counter.

After speaking to the waiter, he went to the bathroom. When he walked back out, Karen was waiting for him with a fawning smile on her face.

“Mr Ambrose, I’m so sorry for Zara’s behaviour. She shouldn’t have spoken to you like that,” she said, panicking.

“It’s fine. Zara has always treated me like that. It doesn’t matter.” He smiled lightly and met her eyes. “You know who I am now, don’t you?”

The last time they’d met, she hadn’t believed he was really rich.

She nodded. Even though she wasn’t sure of his exact identity, she knew he had unimaginable wealth.

“I don’t understand,” he said, puzzled. “You’re attractive, and you have a good job, so why are you insisting on having a poor loser as a boyfriend?”

“Ah… Well…” She didn’t know how to answer that. She couldn’t tell him she was only using him to make someone else jealous.

Alex was so much richer than Robert, she realized. This might be a good opportunity. If she managed to hook Alex, then she could become seriously rich. Yes. This was the perfect chance to charm him.

“When I misjudged you at the bank, I felt terrible,” she said, hoping he’d believe her. “And I realized I should be with an ordinary person to help me understand life better. Of course, if I find someone I get along with, it could develop into something serious, maybe even marry one day.”

If she seemed humble enough, maybe she could win his favour.

[Chapter 20]

“Really?” Alex caught a hint of something else within Karen’s eyes whenever she looked at him.

“I wouldn’t lie to you. I promise. Cross my heart and hope to die.” She sketched a cross over her heart.

“Hmm…” He watched her closely. “But you already know my identity, so I guess I’m not suitable for you.” He could tell that she was up to something, so it was better to stay away from her as much as possible.

Except Karen wasn’t willing to give up such a wonderful opportunity. No matter how hard he tried to get away, she was determined to capture him.

“Mr Ambrose, to be perfectly honest, there’s another reason why I’m so anxious to find a boyfriend right now.” She stepped a little closer. “My family are pressuring me to get married to a man called Robert, but I don’t like him at all. If I’m already dating someone, they’ll leave me alone. Please, Mr Ambrose, help me.”

When Karen had entered the coffee shop, she’d been thinking about how to get Robert to notice her, but now that she knew Alex was much richer, her plan had changed.

Seeing the hesitation on Alex’s face, she managed to squeeze out a few tears. With a delicate sniff, she said, “Mr Ambrose, I have no other choice, and I know you are a nice person, so please help me.” Her voice broke with a small sob.

Karen seemed genuine. She was also very beautiful, and her tears made Alex feel sorry for her.

His heart softened, and he agreed. “Oh, okay. I’ll do it.”

“Thank you, Mr Ambrose.” She smiled through her tears.

“But I have one condition,” he said. “I don’t want anyone to know my identity, and that includes Zara.”

He needed to stay anonymous. If everyone knew who he was, it would cause too many problems.

“That’s fine.” She didn’t hesitate.

Truthfully, she had no intention of telling Zara. Her cousin loved rich people, and if she found out Alex was wealthy, she would want him for herself. And since she went to the same university as Alex, she had an advantage over Karen.

And Karen wasn’t prepared to tolerate any rivals for Alex’s attention, not even her cousin.

She felt a little smug. Her cousin was spending time around a rich person and didn’t even know it. Zara believed Alex was a loser!

They went back to their seats, where Zara was waiting for them.

“You jerk. I told you to go and find the waiter. What took you so long?” Zara scowled at Alex.

“Zara, don’t be rude!” Karen glared at her and then turned to Alex with a smile. “Here, sit down. These cakes look delicious. Why don’t you try one?” She slid a cupcake onto his plate.

“And now you’re serving him?” Zara laughed as she teased her.

Of course, she didn’t know why Karen was treating Alex so well. No doubt, she assumed Karen was still trying to trick him.

Zara glanced at her with a mischievous smile.

They began to eat their cakes and sipped their drinks. Zara didn’t think much of Alex, so she didn’t want him to get too comfortable.

When Karen saw her expression, she started to worry. Zara has no idea what she’s doing, she thought. She’s provoking someone who has enough wealth to last her ten lifetimes. Does that sound like someone she should shout at?

Zara was playing with fire, and if she made Alex angry, she’d regret it.

When she’d finished eating, Zara wiped her mouth with a napkin and asked, “Alex, what do you think of my cousin?”

“She’s nice,” he said simply.

Karen felt a surge of triumph. If Alex liked her, then she’d have a much better chance with him.

“Idiot, my cousin is beautiful. And you’re lucky to be her boyfriend.” Zara laughed contemptuously. Although her cousin was only using Alex, he would benefit from being her boyfriend for a few days. “Surely you’ve noticed that my cousin is attractive. To be perfectly blunt, she’s completely out of your league. You do know that, don’t you?” she asked haughtily.

When she finished speaking, she glanced at Karen. By talking up her cousin and pointing out how far above Alex she was, Zara was making it easier for her to get rid of him later. I’m sure she’ll thank me for this, she thought.

But Karen didn’t feel grateful at all. Instead, she fought the urge to hit Zara.

Alex was not inferior to her. It was quite the opposite! And Zara was going to ruin her plan.

Even if Karen didn’t manage to marry Alex and was only ever his lover, she would still be happy.

“Zara, don’t talk nonsense,” she snapped.

Zara didn’t understand why Karen was glowering at her. She’d thought her cousin wanted her to make fun of Alex.

“My cousin is in love with you,” Zara teased. “So, you need to listen to her and not talk back. If she wants something from you, then just do it and don’t argue, okay?” She continued to demand more from him.

Karen scowled.

“Although you and my cousin are dating,” Zara continued, “that doesn’t mean you can do anything you want. You have to treat her with respect. Don’t even try to hold her hand, let alone anything else.”

Zara felt she needed to make things clear. Alex was a loser who hadn’t been with many beautiful women, and since he believed this relationship was real, he might try to make a move on her cousin. If that happened, her cousin might get hurt.

The blood rushed to Karen’s head as she listened to Zara speak. That kind of remark was inappropriate, and Zara seemed to have abandoned the plan. Karen was getting angrier and angrier.

If I can’t even hold his hand, then how am I supposed to develop a relationship with him? she thought. She couldn’t wait to get close to Alex, and Zara seemed to be intentionally causing trouble.

“That’s enough, Zara. Knock it off,” she said, her tone unpleasant.” I’m looking for a boyfriend, not a servant. What’s wrong with that?”

Zara didn’t realize that Karen was angry, so she kept talking. “You might be my cousin’s boyfriend, but you still have to give her space and the right to do whatever she likes.”

“What do you mean?” Alex asked.

“You are a bit dim, so I’d better spell it out,” Zara said. “While my cousin is dating you, she can still ask out any man she’s interested in. She can even hold hands with other men and hug them, and kiss them, and you can’t say anything. Even if you later break up, you still have to agree she’s free to do what she wants.”

Zara spelt out the terms of the relationship. At some point, her cousin would go on a date with Robert, so Alex needed to be prepared.

“So, I’m in a relationship with your cousin, but I can’t touch her at all,” Alex said, narrowing his eyes, “while other men can hug and even kiss her. And even if I see her doing it, I can’t say anything.”

“You finally get it. That’s exactly what I meant.” Zara grinned.

Alex’s mouth hung open. “But—”

Karen’s temper boiled over, and she slapped Zara’s face.

Every single person in the coffee shop was staring at them. And Karen flushed in embarrassment.

She simply hadn’t been able to take any more of Zara’s nonsense. When she’d heard her cousin humiliating Alex, implying that he was inferior, she hadn’t been able to hold back any longer.