From Campus Pauper to Billionaire Campus King

Chapter 8

Jenny's threat hung in the air. “Do I make myself clear, Jules?” Jenny’s voice cut through the stunned silence and was as sharp as broken glass. “Because if you and your boyfriend cannot conduct yourselves with an ounce of dignity, then your name will be removed from the final list I submit to FrontView Talent Agency. And trust me, I have that power.”

Jules, for once, looked genuinely rattled. She glanced at Walter, a silent plea in her eyes. Walter, still fuming from Isaiah’s earlier defiance, hesitated. He wanted to lash out, to make Isaiah pay, but he knew how much this beauty ambassador deal meant to Jules. 

The FrontView Talent Agency deal wasn’t just about fame; it was about the staggering sum of five million dollars annually, a luxury car, and endless travel opportunities for both business and vacations. To top it off, the winners get to work with one of the Brad Zay Group companies as their beauty ambassador. It was the golden ticket every aspiring campus queen dreamed of. Jenny had won it last year, and with it, the faculty presidency.

  

“Walter,” Jules whispered, her voice tight, urgent. “We can continue this later. Please, this contest is too important.”

Walter’s jaw clenched. He shot a final, venomous glare at Isaiah, then turned to Jules. “Fine,” he grumbled, pulling her off the desk. “You got lucky, Fetch-Boy. But my insurance company will be knocking on your door soon. And trust me, they don’t play nice.”

He turned to leave but paused by Jenny, a sneer twisting his lips. “You think you’re so high and mighty, Jenny? Don’t forget, that my sister, Monica, is renewing her contract with FrontView Talent tomorrow. And when she does, your little reign of terror will be over.” 

He snapped his fingers, “You’ll be out, just like that.” He let out a cruel and triumphant laugh as he strode out of the classroom and into his car.

Jenny stood there, frozen in the echoes of Walter’s words, which hung in the air. Her shoulders slumped down as she clenched her fist. 

Walter was right. Last year, the FrontView Talent Agency had been so impressed with both her and Monica Sterns that they had done the unexpected and they’d declared both of us as co-winners of the beauty ambassador contest. But there was a catch. The company policy dictated only one ambassador per faculty per year. 

They decided to try out both of them for a year, with the understanding that only one would have their contract renewed. Monica’s family is a formidable force in their own right and has been relentless in lobbying and bribing their way through every channel to secure Monica’s spot. 

Jenny’s family, however, has held firm to their principles and they are refusing to engage in such underhanded tactics. It also meant she was definitely going to lose the deal today, as Monica was signing the new contract the next day.

She clenched her fists and then slowly unclenched them. What was the point in getting worked up now? She’d known this was coming and the fight had been lost before it even began. She took a deep breath, pushing the bitter disappointment down and forcing a professional mask back onto her face.

She turned to Isaiah, her expression softening. “You okay?”

Isaiah nodded slightly; he was still reeling from the sudden shift in dynamics. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

Jenny gave him a small and sympathetic smile before heading to her seat; the weight of her own impending loss was heavy on her. Jules glared at Jenny as she took her seat. She knew that with Monica renewing the contract tomorrow, Walter would double down on getting her, Jules, to win this year’s contest. 

He’d want both his sister and his girlfriend as FrontView Talent’s faces. That meant Jules had to be on her best behavior with Jenny, as she was still the ambassador for today and she could still remove her name from the contest list. That meant avoiding Isaiah at all costs. The boy was a magnet for trouble, and she couldn’t afford to be associated with him if she wanted that contract.

Just as Walter drove off in his Porsche, the classroom door opened again, and Professor Lance strode in with his face filled with rage. A hush fell over the room as everyone knew what was coming. 

One of the students who was uninformed whispered, “Whoa, why is the professor fuming?”

Another student gently replied, “What! You haven’t heard the rumors? People are saying Lucy, the professor’s only and beloved child, and Dean, her boyfriend, had gone to Isaiah’s lodge this morning, and Isaiah, fueled by a grudge against Professor Lance for almost costing him his education, had allegedly instigated an unprovoked attack by having his friends beat up the defenseless couple.” 

Of course, this was not true. There hadn’t been a single punch thrown. Dean had wanted a fight, but Isaiah had stepped in, stopping it before it could escalate. But Lucy and Dean, the campus’s notorious “Drama Couple,” had twisted the narrative and painted themselves as innocent victims.

Professor Lance’s eyes were blazing with fury as he immediately locked onto Isaiah. “Isaiah!” he bellowed, his voice echoing through the silent room. “Get up here right now!”

Isaiah slowly rose from his seat, his heart sinking. He knew this was about Lucy.

Professor Lance stormed towards him, his face contorted with rage. He grabbed Isaiah by the collar of his shirt, pulling him forward until their faces were inches apart. “How dare you, you little thug? How dare you lay your filthy hands on my daughter? On Lucy?!” His grip tightened as he shook Isaiah slightly. 

Isaiah tried to speak and explain. “Professor, I didn’t… I didn’t touch her. Nobody did; it was just a misunderstanding.”

“A misunderstanding?!” Professor Lance roared, with his spit hitting Isaiah’s face. “My daughter came to me, weeping. And poor Dean was bruised and shaken. They told me everything: you and your friends ganged up on them unprovoked, and for what? Just because you were angry at me. Is that it? You take your anger out on an innocent girl.”

“No, that’s not what happened.” Isaiah insisted, trying to pull away from the professor’s iron grip. “Dean wanted to fight, but I stopped it. There was no attack.”

“Liar! ” Professor Lance grunted, raising his hand over his mouth. He slapped Isaiah across the face with a hard right hand that made the room deafening.

"You little bastard, I'm going to teach you a lesson you're never gonna forget!" Professor Lance said angrily.

The professor clenched his fist and was about to deliver a punch this time to Isaiah. But just then, the classroom door swung open again and this time it was Chancellor Baun.

The whole class gasped. The professor stopped mid-swing as his eyes widened slightly, some flicker of surprise, and then a smug satisfaction flickered across his face.

Perfect timing. If the Chancellor had spared Isaiah before, perhaps believing his earlier actions weren’t expulsion-worthy, he certainly wouldn't now. Not after hearing this.

The Chancellor surveyed the scene. “What,” the Chancellor asked, his voice calm and almost dangerously so, “is happening here?”

Professor Lance released Isaiah and straightened his tie, his demeanor shifting from enraged father to righteous accuser. He rushed forward and was eager to present his case. 

“Chancellor. Thank goodness you’re here. This… this student, Isaiah, has committed an unspeakable act this morning.” He gestured dramatically towards Isaiah. “He and his friends, in an unprovoked and cowardly act, assaulted my daughter Lucy and her boyfriend, Dean, at his lodge.”

Isaiah stared shockingly. It was all lies. Every single word.

“He dared to lay his filthy hands on my child, Chancellor…” Professor Lance continued, his voice rising in anger. “This is a terrible offense. Especially from a student who has already caused so much trouble in this institution. I demand, Chancellor, that you expel Isaiah and his… his accomplices immediately.”

The Chancellor turned his head, with his gaze falling on Isaiah. His eyes, though unreadable to the rest of the class, held a flicker of concern. “Isaiah,” he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. “Are you alright?”

Isaiah, still touching his throbbing cheek, nodded. “I will be, Chancellor.”

Professor Lance was stunned. The Chancellor wasn’t reacting as expected. Everyone else in the room was also bothered. Beating up a lady was a serious offense, especially for someone already known for causing trouble. Why was the Chancellor being so… calm?

“Chancellor, did you hear me?” Professor Lance interjected, his voice laced with impatience. “I said, expel him. He is a menace to this institution.”

The Chancellor ignored him, his eyes still on Isaiah. “Come with me, Isaiah. Let’s go outside.”

Professor Lance's patience was at its limit. He was caught up in his own self-importance and couldn’t let it go. He reached out and grabbed the Chancellor’s arm, his voice dripping with condescension. “Chancellor, with all due respect, what the hell are you doing? Are you going to be weak towards this… this delinquent? This is an insult to the faculty. To the very integrity of this university...”

Before Professor Lance could react or finish his rant, Mr. Braun turned, swiftly and…

“Smack!”

The loud crack of a hand went through the noisy room as he slapped Professor Lance across the face.

It sounded so terrible in that moment of sudden silence. The class became a dead zone with wide eyes and mouths hanging open. Professor Lance staggered back, putting his hand to his cheek and blinking with disbelief.

“What... what the hell was that for? ” Professor Lance blurted in a twisted whisper.

Before he could even think about the first slap, Chancellor's hand moved again as it had before.

‘Smack! Smack!’

Two more loud, smacking slaps, one after the other, landed on Professor Lance's face.

The professor staggered back, his eyes watering and his face swiftly turning red and the classroom was completely left speechless.