RISE OF THE STUDENT BILLIONAIRE.

Bitter consequences.

The words; “I don't love you”

It was like a thunderous smack on Elijah's face that got all his teeth evicted from the gum.

He couldn't speak for some moment. The weight of her words hung in the air like a lead weight tied to a slim thread, dangling over his head and waiting to shattered him completely.

“What..what are you talking about, Elena?" Elijah finally found his voice, stuttering the words. His gaze was locked on Elena, looking into her eyes searchingly. Disbelief.

Elena sighed, tiredly already. She waved her hand. “C'mon Elijah. Stop acting like you don't know what I'm talking about. Me and you, we can't work. In fact, we never existed. I'm done.” Elena fired, not blinking.

Elijah blinked, his eyes filled with horror as if he had just heard a death sentence.

“You..never loved me.” His voice cracked under the weight of her confession but it was slowly steadied as he continued. “Was it all because of that old man?! Was it?!” He said, pointing his finger blindly.

Elena scoffed, tucking his hair behind his ear as if to allow the light to catch her Beauty better.

“Old man? Huh?” She started. “That old man bought me the latest Ford fiesta just yesterday. On my birthday, look at this–” She pointed to a sparkling diamond necklace on her neck. “...he bought me this for my birthday and do you know how much it cost?" She danced the necklace slightly. “it cost more than your miserable life Elijah!! You're not a man. You're a liability. A fucking liability!" Elena blows hot.

Elijah laughed bitterly and his expression suddenly dropped, eyes filled with pain.

“You're calling me a liability huh? I work my ass off just to satisfy you–

“Oh.. please Elijah.” Elena cut him off sharply, rolling her eyes indignantly and waving her hands.

“You're sitting down there right now, talking about satisfaction? Huh? You're the pest here Elijah!” She spat but didn't stop. “Just last week, I gave you $500 so you won't die of hunger and you're here, acting like you count? Oh please." She rolled her eyes again.

Elijah would always juggle shitty jobs together just to satisfy Elena. He is just an orphan who is struggling to make ends meet.

Even when he's hungry and Elena asks for anything, he prefers to push through the day with hunger burning in his belly. On Elena's birthday, he took her out to a restaurant he could afford and gave her a banquet of rose flowers.

He wished he could do more for her.

He arranged everything with the last money remaining with him just to satisfy her.

Elijah gulped hard. “I did everything to satisfy you Elena. Is this how you pay me back?" He said with a low voice filled with raw pain.

Silence fell over.

But Elena wasn't remorseful.

“Don't try to act like you made heaven fall just to please me Elijah. You did nothing! You're poor. Don't you get it? And someone like you–” Her eyes rolled condescendingly. “You're way out of my league.”

Every word Elena was saying hurts like venom.

Elijah blinked. This wasn't the girl she once knew. This Elena is cold and distant. Not her lovely Elena.

Elena made promises, never to let their love fall apart.

She always tells him she believes in him and he's going to become someone better.

All the late night calls and sweet talks. Con?

Oh no! It was too hurtful to bear. She's going to break the relationship because he was poor.

Elijah's voice came next, cracking. “Why..why do you accept my proposal when you never loved me. Why?” His voice dropped lowly.

“Listen Elijah. I was naive and I accepted you because I thought you had something in you but I see you're empty. I'm done."

With that, Elena stood up and walked out of the room, leaving Elijah broken and shattered.

Tears blurred his vision, threatening to spill but didn't. His heart felt empty as if a chunk had been pulled out from his chest.

She left, without looking back at him. Not even slightly.

She walked out of the door after Elijah forgave her for cheating on him.

His chest tightened with pain and a tremor passed through his heart– bitter and hurtful.

Elijah's shoulder slumped, his head tilted down like a slave caught sleeping with the wife of his master.

The door of the room squeaked open again and Elijah raised his head, thinking it was Elena, coming back to tell him it was a joke. A play or one of those movie script she had memorized and she's only putting them into practice.

Elena is aspiring to be a celebrity actress after all.

His expectations were shattered when he saw the man in suit who was talking with Elena earlier entered.

He sat across the table with a brown file in his hand.

He stared at Elijah, expression cold and uninviting like he's the worst human in the world.

“Elijah Everest.” He began with a cold voice.

Elijah raised his head slightly and idly and met his cold gaze.

The man leaned forward. “You have been accused of Robbery, Physical assault, Mischievous act–”

As the man was mentioning the crimes Elijah didn't commit, his jaw dropped and shock flashed in his eyes.

“... Meddling With school confidential properties. Is that true?”

Elijah couldn't talk. He was utterly stunned. He didn't commit all the crimes.

“I..I didn't do all of these things. These are false accusations!" He blurted out, eyes wide in horror.

The man simply scoffs and without looking at Elijah again. He pulled out a paper from the envelope on that desk.

“Here.” He pushed it across. “Read and digest.” He leaned back.

Elijah stared at the man hesitantly as he picked the paper and his jaw dropped when his eyes fell on the content. The headline: “RESTRICTION LETTER.”

His wide eyes scanned the paper frantically. His heart was racing with fear.

He looked up with wide eyes. “Restriction letter?!” His voice caught in his throat.

“Yes.” The man leaned in, his elbow resting on the desk. He's not willing to hear Elijah's side of the story. “You must comply till the school decides your fate otherwise you're going to face bigger consequences.”

The school vicinity is now forbidden for you. Not just the school. Every property outside the school that belongs to Alvin University.”

Elijah gasped.