Chapter 3My Scholarship Became Their Graduation Meal Fund

The words I was about to spit back died in my throat.

Mr. Spencer's implication was crystal clear. If I didn't drop this matter and jeopardize his evaluation for Outstanding Advisor, my background check might suddenly run into unexpected problems.

I had no idea how I walked out of the office. I only felt as though the wind had been knocked out of me.

I hadn't gone far before I ran into Cosmo and Ethan. Both of them were leaning against the wall of the hallway.

When I emerged, Cosmo flashed me a knowing smile. "Well, well, look who's back from telling on us. What did Mr. Spencer tell you? I bet he told you to be the bigger person, didn't he?"

"Give me back my money, Cosmo," I demanded, extending my hand. "That's my scholarship fund. I saved it to buy my grandma a hearing aid. You pocketed the class funds and set me up to foot the bill. That's not how things are supposed to work!"

"Have you studied yourself stupid, Kieran?" Cosmo shot back.

He snatched the receipt right out of my hand before I even had the time to react. He ripped the paper to shreds right before my eyes and casually tossed them into the trash can.

"Don't push your luck, Kieran! If you don't give it a rest, I'll spread the word around campus that you only received the scholarship by being someone's sugar baby!

Ethan burst into laughter beside him and checked me with his shoulder. "Exactly, broke losers need to know their place. That trash-collecting grandmother of yours must be senile to have raised someone as clueless as you!"

Just then, a couple of classmates who were usually on fairly good terms with me happened to walk down the hall. Catching sight of this scene, they hastily lowered their heads and hurried past, pretending as if they hadn't seen a thing.

I had covered their classes for them and even done their assignments for them before, yet not a single one of them had the backbone to speak up for me.

…

When I returned to my dorm room, my phone suddenly vibrated. I'd received a call from the hearing aid specialty store.

"Hello, Mr. Bentinck," greeted the staff. "The imported hearing aid you reserved has arrived. You've paid a two-thousand-dollar deposit. The remaining eighteen-thousand-dollar balance needs to be settled within three days.

"If it isn't settled by then, we'll have to sell it to another buyer, and the deposit is non-refundable per our agreement."

I clutched my phone, my throat so parched I could barely make a sound. "C-Could you give me a few more days? Something came up, and I'm a little short on cash right now, but I promise I'll pay!"

"Give you a few more days? You've got to be kidding me, Mr. Bentinck." The contempt in the staff's voice was unmistakable. "I only reserved it for you because you're a college student. Now, you're telling me you don't have the money?

"Are you trying to pull a fast one on us? If you can't pay the remaining balance, we'll just forfeit your deposit. It's as simple as that."

I instantly panicked. Not only would my two thousand-dollar deposit be flushed down the drain, but if I lost this reservation, there was no telling how many months or years I'd have to wait for another imported hearing aid.

I immediately pleaded, "I'll pay! I'm begging you, it's for my grandma, and she's been waiting for so many years—"

"Yeah, yeah, save the sob story." The staff hung up on me.