THE REJECTED GENIUS

2

Chapter 2 : The Breaking Point

I didn’t sleep that night.

How could I?

Not after what happened to me. I was miserable, that feeling of being ridiculed. I felt lesser than I had already felt for myself.

Every time I closed my eyes, I heard laughter. I saw Sophia’s face, twisted with amusement, as if my feelings—my existence—were nothing but a joke to her.

I had spent years believing she was different. That she saw me, understood me. But she had just been like the rest of them.

I stared at the cracked ceiling of my dorm room, the cheap fan humming above me. Unlike most students at Northvale University, I didn’t have a luxury penthouse or a private suite.

My scholarship covered tuition, but everything else? That was on me. A single bed, a wobbly desk, and a closet that barely fit my thrift-store clothes.

I let out a slow breath, forcing myself to sit up. My stomach made a funny sound telling me I needed to feed. But I had skipped dinner last night. And breakfast? That wasn’t an option either. My next paycheck wouldn’t come until Friday.

I grabbed my worn-out backpack and left the room, keeping my head down as I walked through the halls of the academy. Every inch of this place reeked of wealth—the marble floors, the expensive artwork, the crystal chandeliers. It was designed to remind people like me that I didn’t belong.

And after last night, I finally believed it.

By lunchtime, the whispers had spread.

I had hoped—stupidly—that maybe people would forget. Maybe Sophia’s rejection wouldn’t be that big of a deal. At least, that was what I thought. A mere belief to calm my nerves.

But I was wrong

But of course, this was Northvale. And humiliating a scholarship student? That was their favorite sport.

I walked into the cafeteria, tray in hand, hoping to find a quiet corner where I could eat in peace. The moment I stepped inside, a hush fell over the room. Then, the murmurs started.

“Did you hear?”

“He actually thought Sophia would choose him.”

“I heard he spent months saving up for that necklace.”

“How pathetic.”

“ It would have been better if he had spent the money on feeding himself.”

“He should’ve known his place.”

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to ignore them. Keep your head down. Don’t react.

But then, I heard her voice. Maybe she didn't see me or maybe she did it on purpose. I don't know.

“I felt so bad, honestly,” Sophia said, loud enough for everyone to hear. “But what was I supposed to do? Date a charity case?”

Laughter erupted.

I froze.

I turned my head slightly, catching sight of her sitting at the center of the cafeteria, surrounded by her friends.

Nathan Sterling had his arm lazily around her shoulders, smirking as he whispered something in her ear. She giggled, leaning into him.

Like I had never existed.

Like I had never mattered.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms. Breathe, Adrian. Just breathe.

I forced myself to move, heading toward an empty table in the corner. But before I could sit, a foot suddenly jutted out in front of me.

I didn’t even have time to react.

My foot caught, and the next thing I knew, I was falling forward—my tray flying out of my hands, food spilling everywhere. I crashed onto the cold, marble floor, my knees hitting hard against it.

Gasps filled the air, followed by loud, uncontrollable laughter.

My palms stung. My uniform was drenched in orange juice and pasta sauce.

I swallowed hard, feeling like an idiot.

“Oops,” Nathan said lazily, stretching his legs out further. “Didn’t see you there, Hayes.”

More laughter.

I pushed myself up, my face burning with shame. I grabbed my tray, my fingers trembling. Just walk away. Just—

“Wait.”

Sophia’s voice.

I stopped, my heart beating fast against my rib cage.

I turned back, hoping—stupidly—that maybe she’d say something to make this better.

She didn’t.

Instead, she held up her phone, smirking. “Smile, Adrian.”

A flash.Then, another round of laughter.

My blood ran cold.

She was taking pictures. Posting them.

I could already imagine the captions. The comments. The endless mockery that would follow.

I felt something inside me snap.

I turned on my heel and stormed out of the cafeteria, ignoring the laughter, the whispers, the pitying stares.

I just needed to get out.

I didn’t stop walking until I reached the back of the school grounds. The old library—abandoned, forgotten, just like me.

I sank onto one of the worn-out benches, dropping my head into my hands.

What was I doing here?

What was the point of all of this?

I had worked so hard. I had studied day and night, and taken on multiple part-time jobs just to afford this life, just to survive. And for what?

To be humiliated?

To be reminded—again and again—that I would never belong? A lump formed in my throat.

I wanted to leave. I wanted to run. But where?

I had nothing. No money. No future. Nothing.

I dug my hands into my hair, trying to steady my breathing. But the more I thought about it—the more I replayed Sophia’s words, Nathan’s smirk, the laughter—the tighter my chest became.

I couldn’t do this anymore.

I just couldn’t.

I don’t know how long I sat there. Talking to myself, Minutes? Hours?

At some point, the sky darkened. The once-busy campus grew quiet, most students leaving for their luxury penthouses and chauffeured rides home.

I forced myself to stand, my body aching.

I should go back to my dorm. Try to sleep. Pretend this day never happened.

I turned, ready to leave—

And then, I saw him.

A man.Standing at the edge of the old library.

Watching me.

I froze.

He was tall, dressed in an expensive-looking black suit, his posture unnervingly still. His face was shadowed under the dim campus lights, but even from a distance, I could feel it—

He was staring right at me.

My heart pounded. “Who… Who are you?”

No response. I took a step back, my palms sweaty. And then—

My phone buzzed. I swallowed hard, slowly reaching into my pocket.

One new email. I hesitated, my pulse thudding against my ears.

Then, with shaky fingers, I unlocked my phone. A single line of text stared back at me.

“Congratulations, Adrian Hayes. You are the rightful heir to the Hayes Conglomerate. Access your inheritance now?” I blinked.

My stomach twisted. What…?I looked up, my breath caught in my throat.

The man was gone.

But the email remained. My fingers hovered over the screen, my heart racing. This had to be a joke.

A mistake.

Right?