Rise Of The Imprisoned Student

CH-2

CHAPTER 2

Alex stared at Lily for a long moment.

The laughter around him grew louder even louder.

Students whispered, pointed, and chuckled like they were watching some cheap street show.

Alex slowly looked around at the crowd.

Then he faced Lily again.

His voice was calm, but it had an edge to it.

“You should answer my question.” He tilted his head slightly. “How exactly did your cousin end up proposing to you?”

The crowd burst into laughter.

Someone shouted from the back. “Is this guy serious?”

Another voice mocked loudly. “Damn, he’s even more stupid than I thought!”

A tall boy folded his arms and sneered. “Buddy, everyone here knows Lily and Daniel have been dating for years.”

“Four years,” a girl added with a laugh. “Maybe even more.”

Alex froze.

“What?” His brows slowly furrowed, “Four years?”

The crowd nodded and laughed again.

“Yeah, four years!”

“So you really didn’t know?”

“Man, this guy might be the dumbest man alive!”

Alex stared at Lily.

His voice dropped.

“Four years?” He let out a hollow chuckle. “That means…” His gaze shifted to Daniel. “You two were already together while Lily was dating me.”

Another laugh escaped him. “And even before I went to prison.”

The crowd whistled mockingly.

“Congratulations, bro!”

“You got played!”

Alex looked back at Lily. “You told me he was your cousin.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “Yeah, I did.”

Daniel chuckled beside her. “You believed that?” He shook his head. “Man, you’re even more pathetic than the rumors say.”

Alex looked at him calmly.

Daniel continued with a sneer.

“Look at you.” He pointed at Alex’s faded hoodie. “You came out of prison dressed like a homeless dog.”

The crowd laughed again.

“And you still think you deserve Lily?” Daniel scoffed. “Even stray cats have more dignity.”

Another student shouted.

“He looks like someone who collects trash behind the cafeteria!”

“Hey murderer,” someone else yelled. “Did they serve good food in prison?”

The crowd roared with laughter.

Alex didn’t react.

He only looked at Lily. “You lied to me.”

Lily suddenly laughed.

Not a nervous laugh.

A mocking one.

“Of course I lied.” Her eyes were full of ridicule. “Do you think I would really date someone like you?”

Alex remained silent.

And Lily continued coldly. “You were just useful.”

Daniel wrapped an arm around her shoulders proudly.

“Lily was my girlfriend the entire time,” he said smugly. “Not my cousin.”

Lily nodded and looked straight at Alex. “We had a great thing going on.” She shrugged casually. “But then that accident happened.”

The crowd quieted slightly.

Lily smirked. “Daniel and I didn’t want to spend years in jail.”

Her gaze turned sharp.

“So I used you instead. But you made it very easy,” she added. “You were such a loyal little puppy.”

The crowd burst into laughter again.

Lily continued cruelly.

“You were poor, desperate, and stupid. Exactly the kind of idiot who would jump into a fire just to prove he loved someone.”

She tilted her head mockingly. “And look at you. Three years in prison. For something you didn’t even do.”

Daniel clapped slowly. “Honestly, that was impressive.” He grinned. “I’ve seen loyal dogs before, but you’re the first one that volunteered for prison.”

More laughter.

“Pathetic,” Lily said with a sneer. “You were nothing more than a scapegoat.”

Alex said nothing.

His expression remained calm as he clenched his jaw.

The noise around him sounded distant now.

Lily crossed her arms. “You should be thanking me.”

Alex finally spoke. “For what?”

“For giving your worthless life some purpose,” Lily said, flipping her hair.

The crowd cheered.

Daniel laughed loudly. “Come on Lily, stop bullying him.”

He looked at Alex with amusement. “Let the poor ex-con go back to wherever stray dogs sleep.”

Alex looked at them one last time before slowly turning around and began walking.

He needed to get away from here.

Students moved aside while laughing and whispering.

“Look at him run!”

“The murderer got dumped!”

“What a joke!”

Alex pushed through the crowd and left the square.

The noise faded behind him.

He walked out of the university gates and then down the street.

His steps were slow. His mind kept replaying Lily’s voice.

You were just useful.

You were a scapegoat.

Pathetic.

Alex chuckled softly.

“Yeah… that sounds about right.”

The sun felt harsh. Too bright. His head spun slightly.

Three years.

Three years in prison for a lie.

Too many thoughts kept going through his head. It felt like his head was about to explode.

He turned a street corner still busy with his thoughts when he suddenly stopped.

Up ahead, several men surrounded someone.

A black Rolls-Royce was parked beside the road. It was expensive, shiny and completely out of place in that dirty alley.

Alex frowned.

The men were beating someone on the ground.

Punch after punch.

Kick after kick.

The victim lay helplessly.

Nearby, two bodyguards were already unconscious.

One of the thugs spat on the man on the ground. “Sign the damn paper!”

Another kicked him. “Three trillion dollars! You think we’ll leave without it?”

The man groaned weakly. “I won’t sign.”

“Then keep beating him!” the thug leader shouted.

Alex sighed. “Great.”

He stepped forward and immediately one of the thugs noticed him.

“Hey!”

“Get lost!”

Alex kept walking.

Another thug sneered.

“You deaf or stupid?”

Alex cracked his neck slightly. “Neither.” He stopped in front of them. “I’m just annoyed.”

The thug laughed. “Annoyed?”

“Yeah,” Alex replied calmly. “You’re making too much noise.”

The thug sneered and swung a punch.

Alex tilted his head and missed the fist 

Then Alex punched once.

Bam.

The thug flew backward and crashed into the car door.

Silence.

The other thugs stared.

“What the hell?”

“Get him!”

Three rushed forward. Alex stepped aside. One punch. Another kick.

A third thug slammed face-first into the pavement.

Within seconds, bodies were lying everywhere.

The leader backed away nervously. “You crazy bastard!”

Alex grabbed his collar. “Leave.”

The man swallowed hard then ran away quickly scared for his life.

The alley went silent and Alex began dusting off his sleeves.

The man on the ground slowly sat up.

He looked at Alex in shock. “You… saved me.”

Alex shrugged. “They were annoying.”

The man stood with difficulty. “My name is Victor Hale.” He looked grateful. “Those men were trying to force me to sign away three trillion dollars.”

Alex blinked. “Three trillion?”

Victor nodded seriously. “You saved me from losing everything.”

He walked to the Rolls-Royce and opened the door.

Then he pulled out an envelope.

He handed it to Alex. “This is for you.”

Alex shook his head. “You don’t have to.”

Victor frowned. “You risked your life for me.”

Alex shrugged again. “They were just a bunch of street dogs.”

Victor laughed. “No one in your situation would step into danger like that.”

He pushed the envelope into Alex’s hands. “One good deed deserves another.”

Alex hesitated, then accepted it.

Victor nodded with satisfaction.

His bodyguards slowly regained consciousness and helped him into the car.

The Rolls-Royce drove away leaving Alex standing alone on the street.

He opened the envelope and Inside was a card and a small paper with a PIN.

The card was black.

Completely black.

Alex turned it over. “What kind of card is this?”

He frowned. It looked strange, but he didn’t know why.

He scratched his head and sighed. “At least maybe there’s enough for food.”

His stomach growled.

Alex chuckled dryly. “If I’m lucky… maybe a hundred dollars.”

He looked down the street.

“Guess I’ll find a bank and check.”