Riches in Disguise novel 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.

Lina spat. "Now, it makes sense how you had the capital to start your business. You've been living off some rich woman. I can't believe I even saw you differently."

Zack even gestured crudely at me. "Bet you put on a show for us day by day, but at night, you're crawling into bed with her, begging for it. What a joke!"

His comment drew raucous laughter from the crowd.

I shot Zack a cold look. 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 a room with me.

"Zack, I used to think it was just pathetic how you followed Joshua around. Now I see you deserve it, being his lapdog. With your character, that's all you'll ever be," I said.

"What did you say?" Zack was enraged and embarrassed as I had unknowingly struck his nerve. He rushed up to me and wanted to fight with me.

I 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 a thud.

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

Zack was not convinced and lunged at me again. But he was no match, and I easily tripped him once more, and he hit the ground hard.

Feeling defeated, Zack turned to Joshua for help. "Joshua! William is out of control! Let's take him down together and teach him a lesson!"

However, Joshua ignored Zack's suggestion. He gave me a cold stare and said, "Tell you what, William. Hand over those gifts, and we won't spread any rumors about you being kept by a rich woman."