Billionaire In Disguise

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!"Chase's words instantly piqued everyone's curiosity. No one could reconcile the guy who just casually pulled out a hundred thousand dollars in cash with someone whose parents supposedly had to sell their home just for tuition. Just as I wondered how Chase even found out about that, Chloe stepped out from behind him. She wrapped her arms intimately around Chase's biceps. Her neck was covered in fresh marks. Noticing my glare, Chloe deliberately tugged down her collar to flaunt them: "What are you staring at, Sean? Did you really think giving me a few cheap knockoffs would make me date you?!" "Take your trash and get the hell away from me!" Chloe dumped a velvet jewelry box onto the floor, scattering necklaces, rings, and gems everywhere. Chloe was the girl I had crushed on for three years. To win her over, I had gifted her countless high-end pieces, and I had even confided in her about where my tuition came from. I never imagined she would turn my honesty into a weapon for Chase to humiliate me. Glancing down at the jewelry tangled on the floor, Chloe flaunted the diamond Cartier bracelet on her wrist. "Look at this. This is what a real gift looks like!" "You're just a broke loser trying to pass off junk metal as fine jewelry. Did you think I was stupid?!" "I'm warning you, stay away from me. I don't want your broke-ass stench rubbing off on me!" The classmates who had praised me seconds ago instantly shifted their looks to pure mockery. "So the hundred grand is fake after all! I knew nobody drops a hundred grand in cash just to help a roommate. It really was all for clout. How shameless!" "Sean must be bitter that he can't compete with Chase and that Chloe chose Chase over him. If his parents knew they sold their house just to raise a fake clout-chaser, they'd die of shame!" Amid their ridicule, I didn't feel a shred of embarrassment. Chloe wasn't lying. I really did tell her that my parents sold a house to cover my college fees. What I never mentioned was that my family owned thousands of houses. I preferred staying low-key, so I never flaunted my real background. As the nation's top real estate empire, my family owned prime developments across the globe. Jonathan Vance, the wealthiest real estate tycoon in New York, is my father. Looking at Chase and Chloe basking in their smugness, I pointed at the scattered jewelry. "Since you claim they're cheap junk, do you dare call an expert appraiser right now?" "If these pieces are authentic, you're paying me back full price!" Hearing me dare to talk back, Chase laughed out loud to Chloe: "Take the bet! Let's see how a broke peasant could ever afford real high jewelry!" Chloe, however, hesitated. Sensing her hesitation, Chase pulled her closer by the shoulders. "What are you scared of? If anything happens, I've got your back! Do you really think I can't afford pocket change like that?" "Today, I'm going to ruin Sean once and for all!" With Chase's backing, Chloe regained her nerve. "Fine! Let's bet! But let's raise the stakes!" "If this junk is fake, you have to get on your knees in front of everyone and beg Chase and me for forgiveness!" "If it's real, Chase and I will not only pay you back in full, but we'll also kneel and apologize to you! How about that?" Watching the two of them jump straight into the pit they dug for themselves, a cold smirk curved my lips. "Then everyone here can be our witnesses!"When Chase's appraiser arrived, he immediately picked through the scattered gems on the floor. Unlike the tense, expectant looks on the other students' faces, Chase wore a triumphant grin. Leo bit his lip and whispered to me: "Sean, this started because of me. If someone has to kneel, let me do it for you!" Looking at my worried roommate, I patted his shoulder reassuringly: "Don't worry. Just wait and watch Chase crawl on his knees." As the final piece was inspected, Chase loudly demanded: "Appraiser, announce the results! I can't wait to see Sean on his knees!" Urged on by Chase, the appraiser declared loudly: "After my thorough inspection, none of these are real jewels. They're just cheap costume jewelry from flea markets!" The moment those words dropped, a chorus of boos and cheers erupted from the crowd. "Kneel! Kneel! Kneel!" Amid the chanting, Chase strutted over, spread his legs, and looked down at me smugly: "The verdict is in, Sean. What are you waiting for? Crawl through my legs!" Chloe stomped her heel right onto a large sapphire closest to her, shattering it into pieces. "Fakes like this? I could crush thousands of them and still pay without blinking!" Seeing them pressuring me, Leo stepped forward to drop to his knees for me. Before his knees could hit the ground, I grabbed his arm and yanked him back: "Who said the bet was over? Since when does a two-bit hack qualify to appraise my collection?!" "Sean, you're just a sore loser!" Chase barked, signaling his goons to force me down. Just then, a man in a bespoke tailored suit appeared at the classroom door: "Young Master Vance, I am Eric, Chief International Appraiser. I have arrived to appraise your jewelry." Hearing that Eric was hired by me, Chase's smug face suddenly twitched. Especially after Eric swiftly inspected the pieces, his face twisted in deep heartbreak: "Young Master Vance, every single one of these gems was crafted from top-tier, museum-grade rough stones. How on earth did they get ruined like this?!" "The total estimated damages... amount to at least fifty million dollars!" The classroom fell dead silent, followed by Chase's panicked roar: "Bullshit! My appraiser already proved these are fake! You're just an actor Sean hired!" "Sean, do you really think cheap parlor tricks can fool us?!" Hearing Chase question his credentials, Eric turned his icy gaze toward the other appraiser: "With fire and brilliance this unmistakable, you dared to call them fakes? If word gets out that you're this blind, do you think you'll ever work in the appraisal industry again?" Others might not know who Eric was, but as an appraiser, that hack knew Eric could crush his entire career with a single phone call. Terrified, the hack not only flipped his story, but blurted out the truth: "They're real! They're all real!" "Chase paid me to lie! I didn't misjudge them on purpose..." I raised an eyebrow at the stunned Chase: "Chase, you really would do anything to win, wouldn't you?" "Now that the truth is out, isn't it time for you to fulfill your side of the bet?" I spread my legs slightly and smirked: "You're not backing out, are you?"Chase's face turned livid, his fists clenching so hard his knuckles turned white. Just as I waited for him to kneel, he threw a sudden punch right at my face: "Screw you! You think I'll kneel to you? In your dreams!" Luckily, years of regular gym workouts gave me fast reflexes, and I dodged his fist by an inch. Seeing Chase break his word and pull a cheap shot, an onlooker muttered: "Makes a bet, loses, and then throws a tantrum. Typical spoiled trust-fund brat." Murmurs of agreement rippled through the room. Hearing the mockery, Chase's face contorted with rage. He snarled at his lackeys: "Are you blind?! Beat Sean into the ground!" Eager to suck up to Chase, his goons lunged forward with swinging fists. What they didn't expect was that while they only wanted a fistfight, I grabbed a wooden chair and swung it like a madman. Crack! One goon collapsed, screaming as blood gushed from his forehead. The rest instantly froze in terror. Holding the chair in one hand, I walked toward Chase step by step, my eyes freezing cold: "Come on! Keep coming!" "Let's see if your skulls are harder than this chair! I promise you, even if I put all of you in wheelchairs today, I won't face a single consequence!" Terrified by my ruthless aura, Chase took an involuntary step back, panic flickering in his eyes: "Sean, what are you doing?! I'm warning you, don't you dare touch me!" Chloe screamed and ducked behind Chase: "Sean, Chase is way out of your league! Stop right now, and maybe Chase will spare your pathetic life!" Seeing her still running her mouth, I grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her right in front of the shattered gems: "I remember you saying that if they were real, you'd pay me back every single dime." "You heard Eric. Fifty million dollars. How are you paying?" Hearing the staggering figure, Chloe trembled violently. She looked pleadingly at Chase: "Chase... you said you'd cover for me... it's fifty million..." "Don't listen to his bullshit!" Chase interrupted frantically. "Even if these gems are real, how could a broke loser like him afford them?!" "He must have stolen them! Call the police! Have the cops arrest this thief!" Realizing Chase wouldn't back down until he hit rock bottom, I walked over, locked the classroom door, and dialed a number: "Jenkins, withdraw fifty million dollars in cash and have it delivered to my school within thirty minutes." Hearing my call, Chase burst into exaggerated laughter: "Sean, you really can't stop acting, can you?! Do you honestly think you're the richest man in the country?!" Even Leo tugged at my sleeve nervously: "Sean, let it go... Chase probably won't dare cause trouble anymore. You don't have to keep pretending..." I ignored the mocking sneers and whispers. I stood by the locked door with the chair, barring anyone from leaving. The real show was just getting started. When the thirty-minute countdown hit zero, I swung the classroom door wide open. The students waiting to laugh at me froze, their eyes nearly popping out of their sockets. Right outside our building sat a massive, heavy-duty armored bank truck.