Chapter 1454


    "Look who it is, if it isn''t our boy Quentin. You are finally sprucing up the old homestead? Hold on, if you


    had any real cash, you''d fix that leaky roof of yours first. Your clothes always reek of mildew, and no


    one wants to share a desk with you."


    That rich kid swung his car door open, his gaze arrogantly sweeping over the pickup truck loaded with


    supplies.


    "Tell me, Quentin, how do you n to pay off all this stuff on credit? Even if you sold those little


    beggars you hang out with, I bet you couldn''t afford half this load."


    The rich kid crossed his arms, a smirk curling up his lips.


    His eyes finallynded on Maja, brightening momentarily before his sneer returned.


    "So, what''s this? Another girl taken in by that face of yours? Seems you never learn, do you? The prom


    queen was nice to you, and you shamelessly asked her out. And what happened? She was just toying


    with you. What good are grades, anyway?"


    While he ranted, he cast an envious nce at Quentin''s neck, as if trying to burn a hole through him.


    Quentin was the first student in years to break into the ind''s top ten rankings.


    The school had been hoisting big red congrattory banners for days, and rumors were they even


    gave the Ger family five hundred as a reward.


    The rich kid rolled his eyes and reached out towards Maja, "But I gotta admit, the one who''se


    sniffing around you this time is pretty cute. Which school does she go to?"


    Maja''s lips twitched, torn between delight and outrage.


    She swatted the rich kid’s hand away.


    His face twisted in anger, "Damn! When I throw you a bone, you should be grateful! Do you have any


    idea how many girls would kill to be in your shoes? The crumbs from my table could lift you nobodies


    out of obscurity!"


    Another voice chimed in from inside the car, "Wade Brennan, do you fancy her or something?"


    The rich kid spat out in disgust, tossing a few twenty-dor bills on the ground.


    "Take a good look at this, sweetheart. You really think sticking with poor boy Quentin is your best bet? I


    tell you, the moment I leave, you''ll be crying to get with me."


    Maja''s brows furrowed at his words. Quentin moved to step forward, but she grabbed him.


    The rich kid grew bolder at the sight, "Pfft! What a wimp. What do you think you''re doing? Don''t you


    know that the dump you call home is property of my family? With a snap of my fingers, I could have


    your whole n kicked out! And you dare re at me, you mongrel!"


    N?velD(ram)a.?rg owns this content.


    He pped Quentin across the face.


    Quentin''s head jerked to the side, his mouth bloody, but he remained silent.


    The rich kid seemed to dete a bit with his anger vented, and he stepped back into his car. As he


    rolled up the window, he spat one more time for good measure.


    The roar of the car engine faded into the distance, and Maja turned to look at Quentin''s face.


    Boys at his age are usually proud. Yet here he was, quietly wiping the blood from his corner of his


    mouth, clearly not his first time being bullied. The rich kid’s p had been expertly delivered.


    Maja offered Quentin a tissue.


    He looked up, his eyes a quiet storm of emotions, and she felt a pang of sympathy.


    Quentin''s sole belief in life was to study hard, top his ss, and someday make it to Middle Ind or


    Inner Ind, to provide for his family.


    But after fighting for years, he was hit with the harsh truth.


    His academic achievements wouldn''t just fail to lift his family out of poverty—they might not even save


    his own life. Anyone would struggle to cope with that, and it was clear he wasn''t just bullied here, but at


    school too.


    The more backwater the ce, the more arrogant the rich, and there were definitely more like the rich


    kid out there.


    Maja watched Quentin''s tear-filled eyes and clenched fist, hanging at his side, and sensed his effort to


    contain something deep.


    He was, after all, only seventeen.


    Taking a deep breath, she pulled out another tissue to dab at his bleeding lip.


    "How much is that Wade guy actually worth?"


    "Maybe fifty million, I guess."


    It was a number Quentin could scarcely dream of, as people like him make a few hundred a month.


    Even after graduating from college, they''d be lucky to make two thousands a month, and that was the


    ceiling.


    Outer Ind had but one high school and one college.


    And while the money the rich kid carelessly threw, even if meant to humiliate, amounted to two months


    of Quentin''s wages, he had no choice but to pick it up, bill by bill, bowing his head.