Scars before his crown

Chapter Two

Seeing Lewis kick Larry, a group of Larry's loyal friends quickly rushed over and pulled Lewis away.

Lewis struggled to break free, shouting, “Let me go! Let me go!” But his cries were ignored as they tightened their grip, refusing to release him.

A few students from Lewis’s department watched the scene unfold, shaking their heads in disappointment. One of them muttered, “So this troublemaker is back again?”

Another asked, "Do you know him?"

"Yeah, everyone does. He’s a broke guy—poor as a church rat," someone replied.

The group burst into laughter. "People get famous for being rich, not for being broke," one of them joked.

"Haha, Lewis isn’t just broke—he’s the definition of poor. Completely useless and honestly, disgusting," another added with clear disgust in his voice.

"He’s gone too far this time. Hitting Larry? There’s no way he’ll get away with that," someone said.

"Exactly. I bet he’ll end up in a sorry state. The real question is, will he have enough money for a wheelchair?" one remarked, and the group burst into laughter again. The air was thick with mockery, everyone joining in to ridicule Lewis.

Larry got up, anger burning inside him, though he winced from the pain. His voice became icy.

"You poor guy, how dare you touch my expensive clothes with those filthy hands? How dare you hit me?" His eyes darted around until they locked onto a metal pipe in the corner. Without thinking, he grabbed it and rushed toward Lewis.

"Go to hell," he snapped, raising the pipe to strike Lewis — but Sasha quickly stepped in and blocked his path

Larry’s face twisted in anger.

“Why are you standing in my way, Sasha? I need to deal with this idiot.”

Sasha shook her head, her voice calm but steady. “I don’t want any part of this mess. Please, let him be. He doesn’t know better. Don’t waste your energy on someone like that,” she said, gently taking the pipe from Larry.

After taking the pipe, she stepped closer and whispered to Larry,

"You're wealthy—don’t get your hands dirty. Just send someone to deal with him tonight or some other time. I know the route he usually takes after work.”

Larry hearing this smiled lightly and nodded, it was a clever idea.

Lewis, still being held back, looked furious. He shouted, “So now I’m ignorant, Sasha? You liar and cheat. You’ll pay for this, just wait.”

Larry's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to Sasha. "Sasha, do you know him?"

Sasha nodded. "Of course, he's so poor that 90% of the students on campus know him.”

Larry shook his head and asked, "He said you cheated on him. Were you two in a relationship?"

Sasha paused, her face momentarily clouded with uncertainty. She wasn’t sure how to respond.

Lewis couldn’t hold back his frustration. “Why aren’t you saying anything? Why won’t you tell him we’re dating? And now you’re shamelessly going to accept him just because he’s rich?”

Wow!"

The crowd gasped, the words quickly spreading and causing a stir.

The so-called popular broke guy says he's dating Sasha Lynch, the campus beauty."

The crowd burst into laughter, mixing jokes and mocking comments.

"So this worthless guy thinks he's dating Sasha?"

Another student added with a sneer, "He probably believes he's man enough to win someone like her.”

"Just look at him, thinking he stands a chance with Sasha. What a deluded fool!"

"Has he even seen himself in a mirror? Those clothes alone should tell him he's nowhere near Sasha's league.”

“Lewis, you must be dreaming if you think Sasha would ever pick you.”

“Someone should remind him that he's a ghost on Sasha’s radar. She deserves much better—and that’s Larry.”

The mocking continued, getting harsher each time.

Sasha turned to Lewis, clearly angry. She looked at the guys holding him and said, “Let him go.”

They listened and let him go right away.

With a mocking laugh, she spoke to him, "Lewis Reynolds, why would I ever be interested in you? Do you really think a normal girl would want to be with someone like you? Look at yourself. Do your clothes even add up to $10? You've been wearing the same shoes since you got to this campus. Aren't you embarrassed?"

Her words sparked loud laughter from the crowd. Lewis, hurt by the cruel remarks, stood there stunned and silent.

Sasha's tone grew sharper. "What gives you the nerve? Can you even afford my skincare products? Are you crazy, trying to embarrass me like this?”

Lewis nodded, a cold smile playing on his lips as he fixed Sasha with a hard stare. Gathering his composure, he replied,

"Didn't you say yes to my proposal? Weren't we in a relationship?”

"Proposal? Relationship?" Sasha scoffed. "Have you ever kissed me? Have you ever touched me like a man does with his woman?" She snapped, her anger evident. Then, turning to the crowd, she raised her voice.

"Listen, everyone," Sasha began, her voice sharp. "A month ago, this guy somehow got my number and started flooding me with messages, asking to be 'friends.' Despite his lack of charm and resources, I decided to give him a chance."

"But a week later, he started confessing his feelings for me. Since he wouldn’t stop bothering me, I reluctantly agreed to ‘give him a chance,’ just to get him off my back. Now, it seems this fool thinks we're actually dating."

"Oh, so that's what happened."

Laughter spread through the crowd, and mocking remarks followed:

"Wow, Lewis sure has a wild imagination, doesn't he?”

"I guess he took Sasha's kindness the wrong way. What a joke!"

"He’s clearly living in a dream if he thinks Sasha would ever date him."

The mocking continued, each comment adding to his embarrassment. Lewis stood frozen, humiliated.

Lewis struggled to keep his emotions in check. He nodded and spoke, frustration clear in his voice.

"Sasha, you lied to me. Every time I made money, you asked for something, and I bought it—thinking I was doing it for someone who truly cared about me."

Sasha let out a dry laugh, her tone full of scorn. "You really thought I liked you? I told you to keep it a secret because I was never into you. And spending? Please. The most expensive thing you ever bought me was a pizza."

Laughter spread through the crowd, making Lewis even more upset. His hands shook, and his eyes turned red. Sasha had told him to keep their relationship quiet to avoid attention on campus—but now, it seemed she had other reasons.

"Fine, you cheat. I’ll walk away. It’s my fault for being fooled," Lewis said, his voice shaking. "I never forced a relationship on you. I asked you out a month after we started talking, not a week. The first time, you said we’d talk about it later. Then, when I asked again, you told me to give you a week. And after that week, you said yes. Was that my fault? You could’ve just told me you weren’t interested," he finished, eyes red with hurt.

A voice from the crowd mocked, “That’s exactly how fools should be treated.”

Lewis slowly turned to face them, his tone icy. “Whoever said that—if you’ve got the guts, say it again. If you’re a man with balls or a bold woman, repeat yourself.”

His voice was so serious that no one had the courage to speak again.

Sasha cut in. "Hey, don’t lash out at others. Face me directly, you broke, pitiful guy."

Lewis gave a bitter laugh. "Forget it, there’s no point arguing. Just remember—two weeks ago, you begged me for five hundred dollars to pay for a course. I worked hard and skipped meals to get that money. Just pay me back, and I’ll walk away."