A Trillionaire Pauper

Chapter 1

The grand lecture hall of Prestige International University buzzed long before the professor arrived. It was not the loud kind of noise, but a refined, layered hum—soft laughter, low conversations, the occasional clink of expensive accessories. The air smelled of imported perfumes, luxury colognes, and confidence that had been inherited rather than earned. 

Students lounged in their seats like royalty waiting for a servant to announce the next event. Designer handbags rested on polished desks. Watches worth more than a family home glinted casually under the lights.

This was a world where money spoke before names did.

Except for one person.

Kendrick Hale sat at the far edge of the hall, close enough to the exit that he could disappear quickly if needed. His back was straight, his posture disciplined, but his fingers gripped his worn notebook too tightly. The notebook had frayed edges and dog-eared pages, held together by tape and habit. 

His clothes were clean—always clean—but undeniably old. His shirt had been washed so many times it had lost its original color. His shoes had been repaired one too many times, the soles whispering against the marble floor with every small movement.

He didn’t belong here. Everyone knew it. And they made sure he knew it too.

“Ohhh, the stench is back,” someone whispered loudly from the middle row.

A ripple of laughter followed.

“Why is a charity case still in our class?” another voice chimed in, amused and cruel.

“I swear they should have a separate building for people like him.”

The words weren’t hidden. They were aimed. Thrown directly at Kendrick like stones, sharp and deliberate, as though the speakers enjoyed watching him tense, watching his jaw tighten just enough to show he heard every word.

Kendrick kept his eyes on his notebook.

A girl in the front row shifted deliberately, her manicured hand loosening its grip on her iced latte. The cup tipped and spilled, cold liquid splashing beside Kendrick’s feet, droplets staining the edge of his shoe.

“Oops,” she said sweetly, lips curling into a smile that carried no apology. “Pick that up for me, errand boy.”

The laughter grew louder.

Kendrick slowly lifted his eyes. His gaze was calm, controlled, almost unnervingly steady.

“I’m not your servant,” he said evenly.

For half a second, silence.

Then the hall erupted.

“Look! The scholarship rat can talk!”

“He should be grateful we let him sit in the same room.”

“Someone give him a medal for courage.”

Kendrick opened his mouth to respond, but before another word could leave him, the massive doors at the front of the hall swung open.

The atmosphere changed instantly.

Students straightened. Voices rose—not in mockery now, but admiration.

“Clinton!”

“Ohhh, he’s so cute.”

“Did you see him? He’s glowing today.”

“He’s literally perfect.”

Clinton Voss walked in like the hall belonged to him. Tall, handsome, impeccably dressed, his presence alone seemed to bend the room’s attention toward him. He was the heir to a five-hundred-million-dollar tech corporation, the campus golden boy, the prince charming everyone adored. His confidence was effortless, his smile practiced but effective.

Clinton ignored most of the noise. His eyes scanned the room lazily, uninterested, until they settled somewhere near the edge.

Then he spoke casually, as if asking about the weather.

“Who’s the errand boy here again?”

A girl seated beside Kendrick reached out and struck him lightly from behind, more insulting than painful. She pointed eagerly.

“Him. That’s Kendrick. The errand boy.”

Kendrick pushed his chair back and stood slowly. The hall quieted, curiosity replacing laughter. His eyes were cold now.

“Don’t ever touch me again,” he said.

The silence deepened.

Clinton raised a brow, genuinely surprised. Then he smirked.

“Relax, scholarship dude,” Clinton said lightly. “I need you to deliver something. A package. Nothing hard.”

“I’m not interested,” Kendrick replied without hesitation.

That was when Clinton reached into his pocket.

He pulled out an envelope and dropped it on the floor between them.

“Five hundred dollars,” Clinton said. “For a ten-minute delivery.”

The hall exploded with noise.

Kendrick’s stomach tightened painfully.

Today was special. More than anyone here knew. It was his birthday. And Melissa’s too. Their secret—kept hidden because the world she wanted to rise into had no space for someone like him. He had already paid part of the cost for the handbag she wanted. Something modest by this school’s standards, but impossibly expensive for him.

All he needed was the balance.

He stared at the envelope. At the money. At the floor.

Slowly, painfully, he swallowed.

“I’ll do it.”

Clinton smiled, satisfied. He dropped the gift box beside the envelope, letting both hit the floor again just to savor the moment.

“Good,” he said. “Take it to Bryan’s dorm.”

Kendrick bent down, picked them up quietly, and walked out before the laughter could rise again. He didn’t want Melissa to see him like this. Not today. Not of all days.

Bryan’s dorm sat on the elite side of campus. Marble floors gleamed under soft lighting. Glass doors reflected luxury vehicles parked outside—cars Kendrick had only ever seen in magazines. He knocked.

The door opened to Bryan Johnson.

Clinton’s closest friend. A notorious rich playboy. A man who changed girlfriends like clothes.

A slow, mocking smirk spread across Bryan’s face.

“Well, well,” Bryan said. “The campus errand boy himself.”

Kendrick ignored the comment.

“Clinton asked me to deliver this. Where should I drop it?”

Bryan didn’t answer immediately. He stepped closer, lowering his voice.

“Do you know what’s inside?”

Kendrick shook his head.

“It’s a necklace,” Bryan said proudly. “Customized diamond. For my new girlfriend. It’s her birthday.”

Kendrick blinked.

Bryan leaned closer, voice dripping with wicked amusement.

“And condoms, of course. After the gift, I plan to have her all night.”

Kendrick turned his face away, disgust tightening his chest.

“Where should I drop it?” he asked again.

“One more thing,” Bryan added, clearly enjoying himself. “She used to belong to someone. A poor guy. A nobody. Bet he’ll cry when he finds out she’s leveling up.”

“I said where should I drop it?” Kendrick repeated.

“Anywhere.”

Kendrick walked inside and placed the package on the table.

Just then, the bathroom door opened.

“Bryan, I’m ready… let’s start.”

The voice.

Kendrick turned.

Melissa stepped out, wrapped in a towel, hair damp, eyes playful—until she saw him.

“K… Kendrick?”

His heart dropped.

Her eyes widened in shock. Bryan leaned back, arms crossed, smiling in pure satisfaction.

Kendrick felt the world collapse around him.