Chapter 1

My roommate's dad suffered a horrific accident at work. Even after our class organized a fundraiser, he was still nearly a hundred thousand dollars short.

Yet when I handed him a hundred thousand dollars in cash, Chase Sterling, our campus "trust-fund kid," sneered at me in front of everyone:

"Donating counterfeit money? If this delays his surgery, Sean, you're literally a murderer!"

"You'll do anything for clout, won't you? Did you really think nobody knows your broke background?"

"A hundred grand? Your parents couldn't scrape together half of that if their lives depended on it!"

To make matters worse, Chloe Reed—the girl I had crushed on forever—stood right beside Chase, laughing at me.

Facing Chase’s smug, arrogant grin, I made a single phone call.

Minutes later, an armored truck packed with cold, hard cash pulled up right outside our building.

Looking down at Chase, battered and bruised under a literal shower of cash, I planted my foot firmly on the back of his hand:

"Don't mistake my low profile for your excuse to flex."

"What you consider your entire family fortune? That's just my pocket change."

"Sean, no... this is way too much. I can't take this!"

Staring at the hundred thousand dollars in cash in my hands, my roommate, Leo, panicked and pushed the duffel bag back toward me.

Leo's dad had fallen from a high scaffolding at a construction site and was currently clinging to life in the ICU.

When our advisor learned about his situation, she organized a class fundraiser.

Even after everyone chipped in, Leo's family was still a hundred thousand dollars short of paying the emergency medical bills.

Over the past three years at NYU, Leo had helped me out a lot.

So the second I heard the news, I withdrew a hundred thousand dollars in cash to cover the emergency.

Seeing that I wouldn't take no for an answer, Leo bowed his head, eyes rimmed with red:

"Sean, I'll never forget this. I swear I'll pay back every single cent!"

Watching me casually pull out a hundred grand, the rest of the classroom gasped in utter shock:

"Sean has kept such a low profile for three years. Who knew his family was loaded? Even Chase only gave ten grand, and Sean just dropped a hundred grand in cash!"

"Looks like our campus king is about to get dethroned! Honestly, down-to-earth guys like Sean are way more likable than Chase anyway..."

Amid the chatter, Chase suddenly strode through the classroom door.

"Ha! What a bunch of clueless idiots. You can't even spot fake bills. No wonder you'll stay broke your whole lives!"

Nobody dared to talk back.

Everyone at NYU knew Chase wasn't just filthy rich—he allegedly had massive connections behind him.

For three years, he had used that supposed influence to act like an untouchable tyrant on campus.

Seeing Leo clutching the bag filled with a hundred thousand dollars, Chase waved a hand.

His lackeys instantly charged forward and ripped the bag away.

Then, on Chase's orders, they dumped the cash into the air, letting stacks of bills flutter down across the floor like confetti.

Leo scrambled to his knees in a panic, desperately gathering the scattered bills.

Seeing Chase smirk down at him like he was tormenting a stray dog, fury erupted inside me:

"Chase, what the hell is wrong with you?! That's life-saving money for Leo's dad! Have you lost your damn mind?!"

"Life-saving money?" Chase kicked Leo onto his side.

"More like murder money! You know damn well his dad is dying, yet you bring prop money just to hype yourself up."

"You're sick, Sean! Doing anything for clout—where the hell is your conscience?!"

Rage burned behind my eyes.

"Who told you it's fake? If you want to throw a tantrum, do it somewhere else. Don't waste Leo's time!"

Leo pushed himself up, clenching his fists as he shouted through gritted teeth:

"You just can't stand that Sean donated more than you! You hate that he stole your spotlight! Calling it fake is just an excuse to protect your pathetic ego!"

Leo's words instantly wiped the smirk off Chase's face.

"Leo, shut your worthless mouth! My ego? Don't forget, I gave you the most out of anyone here!"

"Now that Sean flashes a fake hundred grand, you're already dropping to your knees to lick his boots? How cheap are you?!"

"Oh, by the way, don't you guys know? Sean's parents literally had to sell their house just to scrape together his college tuition."

"A piece of trash like him could never afford a hundred grand!"