Chapter 31 Do Me a Favor
The commotion was hardly subtle, and soon enough, a curious crowd had gathered.
Many had just come from the auditorium and were well aware that
this incident might not be as one–sided as it seemed.
Though whispers stirred among the onlookers, most refrained from voicing judgment too hastily.
Still, a few discreetly pulled out their phones to record the unfolding drama.
Lucas‘ eyes gleamed as he noticed them filming.
Everything I said is true.
Eleanor and Victoria did look after Kenneth.
Even if things soured between them later, it’s not like he should
turn around and treat them like strangers now.
The more he dwelled on it, the more exhilarated he felt. He could hardly wait to see Kenneth’s reputation crumble.
Meanwhile, for once, Eleanor and Victoria found themselves in the rare position of moral advantage, and neither showed the slightest
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inclination to clarify the situation.
Marianne’s gaze grew cold as she watched their self–righteous
posture.
Some friends they are.
They can’t wait to watch him fall from grace!
Her heart ached for Kenneth.
At that moment, Kenneth calmly pulled out an old stack of receipts. Without a trace of hesitation, he laid them out before the
crowd.
“You keep going on about everything you’ve done for me, but does that mean what I did for you counts for nothing?
“Eleanor. Yes, you took care of me. And my parents thanked you for it, with generous project deals for your family. Or have you forgotten that?
“Victoria, your drunken, abusive father, the one I had arrested? That was me. And everything you needed after that? I covered it.
Every expense.
“Lucas, before you started playing the pitiful ‘poor student‘ card, I was the one paying your tuition and living costs. And what did I
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get in return?”
Faced with hard evidence, the three could say nothing in their
defense.
Still, Victoria clung to the last shred of defiance. “We were friends. You helped me because you wanted to, didn’t you?”
Kenneth gave a cold laugh. “Sure. So tell me, why did the shoes you bought with my money end up on Lucas‘ feet?
“Is that your idea of valuing our friendship?”
“You!” Victoria flushed. “Lucas didn’t have anything nice to wear. I was just trying to help! Why are you making such a big deal out of a pair of shoes?”
Embarrassed, she snapped, “Fine! I’ll pay you back for them, okay?”
“Great,” Kenneth replied at once. “Pay me now.”
Victoria froze.
She hadn’t expected him to take her up on it, and truth be told, she didn’t have the money.
The crowd didn’t hold back. “That’s some friendship,” someone
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scoffed. “If you want to give a gift, use your own money. Don’t spend someone else’s.”
“Seriously. Who does that?”
“Kenneth, need someone else to take care of you? I volunteer as your lifelong bestie!”
You kidding? If friendship came with that kind of payback, who wouldn’t sign up?
“Me too! Count me in!”
“And me!”
Laughter rippled through the crowd.
Eleanor and Victoria turned crimson, having never endured such public mockery.
Lucas, on the other hand, seemed unfazed. He wasn’t ready to accept defeat and quickly pivoted, donning the familiar mask of martyrdom.
“This is all my fault,” he said mournfully. “I’m just a poor student. I never should’ve dreamed of things beyond my reach.”
He played his role well, eyes cast down, voice tinged with shame.
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“I got carried away,” he continued, his tone pitiful. “I just wanted to try on something new, for once. It wasn’t Victoria’s fault.”
Moved by his loyalty, Victoria chimed in, “It’s not your fault, Lucas.
He’s just being petty.”
Eleanor added with a huff, “If money’s all he cares about, I’ll transfer him the damn amount. Happy now?”
With a few choice words, the three spun the narrative, painting Kenneth as nothing more than a miser obsessed with money.
Marianne looked on in disbelief. She hadn’t expected such a brazen smear campaign.
Her gaze softened with something close to sorrow.
She couldn’t begin to imagine how Kenneth had endured all this, how thoroughly they must’vé bullied him back home.
The way they twisted the truth was nothing short of masterful.
But Kenneth had seen it all before. He was unmoved. His eyes dropped, narrowing as they locked onto Lucas‘ feet. “You’re right. You knew you didn’t deserve it. But that didn’t stop you from wearing the shoes like they were made for you.”
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Startled, Lucas instinctively tried to step back, but it was far too
late to hide.
Someone in the crowd finally recognized the outfit and blurted out, “That’s from a luxury brand’s latest line. It costs a fortune!”
Kenneth cast a sweeping glance over Lucas, his tone slow and deliberate. “That lining… it’s from Victoria too, isn’t it? And the
belt.”
The remark turned heads.
People had been watching for the drama, not the details, but now, eyes narrowed, taking in every inch of Lucas‘ expensive attire.
Caught off guard, Lucas didn’t even have time to come up with an excuse. All he could do was shoot Kenneth a vicious glare.
But Kenneth didn’t flinch. He met that look with a faint smile, as if he’d seen through everything. “You go on and on about how ashamed you are of your background, but it looks like you’ve got all the right labels in place.”
No struggling student dressed like that. That much was obvious.
The crowd suddenly understood.
Whatever sympathy they might have felt before evaporated in an
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The guy was dressed better than most of them.
“That’s enough, Kenneth!” Victoria finally snapped, her patience worn thin.
He’s just bitter. Bitter that I gave those things to Lucas instead of him.
“You’re not the only one who gets to wear nice clothes!”
Kenneth nodded, his expression calm. “Of course. Anyone can
wear whatever they want, as long as they can afford it. What’s rare is seeing someone live off other people’s money while acting
like the world owes them an apology.”
Victoria’s mouth opened, but no words came.
He didn’t give her the chance. “And I’ve never seen anyone so eager to play savior, with someone else’s wallet.”
Laughter broke out around them, sharp and unkind.
Victoria was stunned. She hadn’t expected Kenneth to throw her generosity back in her face like that.
Her eyes welled up, lips trembling.
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Eleanor stepped forward to comfort her, glaring at Kenneth as if she could cut him down with her stare. “That was too far.”
Kenneth only shrugged. “I’m just not interested in being guilt–tripped by so–called charity.
“I gave as much as any of you. Probably more.
“So do me a favor. Stay out of my sight. Try holding on to what little dignity you have left.”
And with that, he walked away, not once looking back.
Marianne followed him, still glancing over her shoulder, uneasy. She half–expected the three of them to follow.
Kenneth noticed and gave her a quiet reassurance. “They won’t.”
He knew those three well enough to see they’d run out of options.
The last thing they wanted was another public humiliation.
Marianne breathed out, visibly relieved.
She gave his shoulder a light pat, then pulled him closer, her voice low and simmering. “You really went through hell back there,
didn’t you?”
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“At first, things weren’t that bad. But then… people started to change.” The scent of her hair drifted into his senses, familiar, warm. It made the tightness in his chest begin to ease.
They walked the rest of the way home in silence.
Once inside, Kenneth wrapped his arms around her without a word.
He buried his face in her shoulder, as if hiding the sorrow in his eyes. “You might not believe me, but they were genuinely kind to
me in the beginning.”
At one point, he had considered Victoria and Eleanor as family. He’d made a silent vow to protect them no matter what.
But now, he never imagined things would spiral into something
this ugly.
“Maybe I was the fool,” he said quietly, regret flickering in his voice. “If I hadn’t let my sympathy get the better of me… If I hadn’t gotten involved with someone like Lucas… maybe none of this would’ve happened.”
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