The Forgotten Heir

Chapter 1

Micheal walked out of the phone shop around 9:30. He had a new iPhone 17 Pro in his hand. It cost almost $2500.. The thing cost him almost $2,500. Almost. That was everything he had. For him that was everything. Six months of extra shifts at the bar after class, and three days ago he’d sold the motorcycle—the only thing he’d ever owned that was worth anything. He didn’t regret it.

Mia had mentioned once, almost offhand, that she’d love an iPhone 17 Pro for her twentieth birthday. She never asked him to get it. He decided anyway.

Thinking about her still made him smile, even now.

Micheal had never had an easy life. He didn’t know his real parents. An old woman raised him like he was hers, and when she died the year he turned eighteen he was alone. He got into Quinton University on pure stubborn work and kept himself there with whatever part-time jobs he could find. He was poor. He knew that. He knew he was poor. He just never made a fuss about it. Figured if he kept grinding, things would eventually turn around. That was the plan, at least.

Then he met Mia Ginn. For the first time he actually let himself think someone might love him back.

She was one of those girls everyone noticed. Beautiful, popular. The type who seemed like she belonged somewhere better than this campus. Micheal used to tell himself he wouldn’t date anyone until he was successful. That rule lasted about five seconds after he saw her.

For six months he just stayed close. Helped when he could. Waited outside her classes. Did the small things that felt huge to him. Eventually she said yes. One condition, though: nobody at Quinton could know. Keep it secret. Completely.

He never asked why. Being with her was enough. For the next six months he told himself the secrecy didn’t matter as long as she loved him.

Tonight her silence was starting to get under his skin. He’d texted that morning. No reply. Called five times. Nothing. Tomorrow was her birthday. Maybe she was just busy at the party. Or her phone was on silent. He told himself not to spiral over it. After a minute he figured he’d just head over to her dorm himself.

He was about to pocket his phone when it started going crazy—buzz after buzz. The uni W******p group was normally nothing but memes and petty drama, but right now it was exploding.

Someone had posted a photo. Micheal almost scrolled past it. Then he recognized the guy.

David Hwarthorne. Only son of one of the richest families in the country. Drove expensive cars, wore clothes most students couldn’t afford even after a whole year of working. Had the whole rich-kid package. Girls circled him constantly. Micheal didn’t hate the money. He hated the way David looked at people who didn’t have any. There were rumors about private groups and videos of girls he’d slept with. Micheal never checked if they were true. He just stayed away.

He was about to close the chat when something in the photo stopped him. The girl next to David looked familiar. He zoomed in.

For a second he just stared.

“No…”

He zoomed further, hoping the pixels would turn into someone else.

It was Mia. Clear as day. Standing right beside David Hwarthorne in a dress Micheal had never seen.

His mind scrambled for explanations. Maybe they’d just run into each other. Maybe the photo was old. Anything.

The messages kept coming.

“Is that really David?”

“Who’s the girl?”

“Wait—that’s Mia Ginn.”

“Definitely Mia.”

Then:

“Guys, David Hwarthorne is proposing to Mia Ginn right now.”

Micheal’s stomach dropped. More messages piled in about some secret group streaming it live. He opened the link.

The feed loaded on a restaurant so expensive it looked unreal. Bell Crest Hotel—seven-star, the only one in Westvale District. Comments were already flying: people saying a night there could run fifteen thousand dollars, jokes about how lucky Mia must be, predictions that she’d never say no to someone like David.

Micheal watched them sitting across from each other. Mia looked completely at ease. Smiling. Laughing at something David said. Ordering things Micheal couldn’t even name. She didn’t look trapped or uncomfortable. She looked like she belonged there.

That was the part that hurt.

He’d worked for years and still never seen money like that in one place. The phone in his hand—six months of extra shifts and the motorcycle—felt suddenly small.

Still, he didn’t close the stream. There had to be some explanation. Maybe someone had forced her into it. Or maybe the whole thing was just a massive mix-up. He held onto that idea tight—because anything else hurt way too much to even think about.

Then the energy in the room changed. Conversations died down. The camera zoomed in. David got to his feet.He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box.

The comments went wild.

David opened it. A diamond ring caught the light.

“Mia,” he said, voice clear over the stream, “we’re graduating soon. We’ve known each other a long time, and I’ve always wanted you by my side. Will you be my wife?”

The restaurant went still.

Micheal waited. He hoped she’d say no. Hoped she’d stand up and tell everyone she already had a boyfriend. Hoped she’d say his name.

Instead she looked at the ring and smiled.

“I will.”

Cheers. David slid the ring on. Then he pulled her in and kissed her—right there, in front of everyone.

Something in Micheal’s chest just gave way.

For six months she’d kept distance. Pulled her hand away if he held it too long. Reminded him about the secret whenever he tried to get close in public. Even alone she always left a little space. He’d told himself she was shy. Careful.

Less than a minute after saying yes to David she was kissing him for a room full of people and a live stream.

Micheal kept watching until his eyes burned. One tear, then another. He wiped them both away like they were nothing.

Finally he turned the stream off.

He stood there a few seconds longer than he needed to. He could’ve walked home. Pretended he never saw it. Waited until tomorrow and asked her face to face like a reasonable person.

He couldn’t.

He fixed his backpack strap and started walking to the Bell Crest Hotel.

He had no idea what he’d say when he got there. All he knew was that he needed to look her in the eye and ask why she agreed to be with someone else while she was still dating him.