The campus of Westbridge University buzzed with excitement as students hurried between historic brick buildings carrying laptops, coffee cups, and expensive backpacks. Luxury cars lined the parking area, and groups of wealthy students gathered outside the library discussing internships, vacations, and weekend parties.
Among them walked nineteen-year-old Ethan Brooks.
He wore a faded gray hoodie with small tears along the sleeves, ripped blue jeans, and worn-out sneakers that had clearly seen better days. Balanced carefully in his arms was a stack of textbooks borrowed from the university library because buying new ones simply wasn't an option.
As Ethan crossed the courtyard, a group of fashionable students blocked his path.
Their leader, Olivia Grant, glanced at his clothes before laughing loudly enough for everyone nearby to hear.
"Did you lose a bet?"
"People come here to study, not beg for coins."
The group burst into laughter.
Students walking past slowed down to watch.
Ethan didn't respond.
He simply adjusted the books in his arms and continued walking.
That only encouraged the teasing.
One student pretended to search his pockets for spare change.
Another joked that Ethan probably lived behind the library.
Still, Ethan remained silent.
He had grown used to people judging him by his appearance.
Unknown to everyone on campus, Ethan purposely dressed in old clothes. After growing up in one of the wealthiest families in the state, he wanted to earn his degree without the attention that came with his family's name and fortune.
Only his parents knew the truth.
To everyone else...
He was just another struggling student.
Then a powerful engine echoed across the courtyard.