The Return of the Campus Trillionaire

Chapter 1

In the golden heart of California, where dreams were meant to be born and greatness molded, stood Los Angeles University—LAU, the supposed pride of the state. Once a sanctuary for merit, vision, and opportunity, it had long fallen into the polished claws of the rich. The school that once uplifted the hardworking had now become a private playground for entitled heirs whose parents purchased prestige the way they purchased yachts.

At LAU, your worth wasn’t measured by brilliance or effort. It was measured by the thickness of your family’s wallet. And for someone like Jared Stevens, a poor student with a backpack full of hope and pockets full of nothingness, it was a battlefield he stepped into daily with nothing but grit as a shield.

That chilling afternoon, Jared was on his usual grind—working one of his many menial campus jobs just to stay enrolled. What the state once subsidized had now become a full-blown business empire where fees rose for no logical reason except that the elites demanded more barriers to keep people like Jared out.

He was bent over a rake, clearing dead leaves from one of the campus parks, when the sharp, nasal voice of Professor Bernard stabbed into the air.

“Jared!” the man called, as though shouting to a disobedient dog rather than a student.

Jared dropped his tools immediately. The slightest delay would only fuel Bernard's irritation, and Jared couldn't afford a tongue-lashing or unnecessary trouble today. He jogged over and bowed slightly in greetings.

Bernard didn’t bother responding. His eyes were full of disgust, his lips curved into that condescending half-smile Jared had come to know like a recurring nightmare.

“Still doing janitor work during school hours. Pathetic,” Bernard scoffed. “Maybe if you spent more time being from a proper family, you wouldn’t need to dirty yourself like this.”

Insults from Bernard were a routine meal, served daily, sometimes twice. Jared endured them the way a prisoner endures chains—because he must. Because resisting would only ruin the little life he had left at LAU.

Bernard shoved a small package into Jared’s hands.

“Deliver this to Sammy Jo. Now. He’s over there.”

Jared followed the man’s gesture to a crowd of rich kids lounging around like kings on vacation. Girls giggled and swung their hair, while guys laughed loudly over unfunny jokes. And in the middle stood Sammy Jo, LAU’s self-proclaimed golden boy—handsome, wealthy, arrogant, and thoroughly obsessed with himself.

Jared swallowed hard. If there was one person who matched Bernard in despising him, it was Sammy Jo. But he had no choice. Work was work.

As he approached, his heart nearly stumbled—because among the ladies standing around Sammy was Lisa Nicom, his girlfriend. Her smile always had the power to disarm him, to calm the storms in his miserable world. And even now, just seeing her lifted something in him.

The problem was… she wasn’t smiling at him.

She was smiling and giggling at Sammy Jo’s brags like the rest of them.

Sammy Jo was in the middle of a boast-filled monologue.

“Skyrun Inc. practically begged me,” he announced, loudly enough for an entire classroom to hear. “Ten million dollars for a starting offer? That’s pocket change. I told them I don’t roll for cheap deals.”

The girls gasped, their eyes glowing like festival lights.

“Ten million is cheap?” one swooned.

Sammy smirked. “If they don’t bump it to fifty million, I’ll go to Crystal Inc. They’ve been trying to get me for months.”

The way he spoke—like companies worth billions were stray dogs scrambling for his attention—made Jared’s insides twist. Not out of jealousy but out of irritation at how gullible these girls were.

Skyrun was one of the biggest companies in LA. And yes, they hired LAU students—but not because of people like Sammy Jo. The truth everyone avoided was that his family’s hundreds of millions brought him opportunities his mediocre mind could never earn.

Jared’s best friend, Brad Trodman, was ten times smarter than Sammy. But Bernard, whose career depended on Sammy’s family’s donations, would rather swallow nails than recommend Brad for anything.

Ridiculous.

Jared’s eyes drifted back to Lisa.

She wasn’t laughing like the others—she stood slightly apart, looking like the only sane one among a herd of starstruck sheep.

He smiled softly. That was his Lisa.

A strong woman. A loyal one.

Or so he believed.

He finally made it to Sammy, held out the package, and said quietly, “Professor Bernard asked me to deliver this.”

Sammy grabbed it and burst into mocking laughter.

“Delivery boy! Right on schedule!”

More laughter exploded around him—mostly from the shallow ladies who thought mocking Jared was part of their daily workout routine.

Jared swallowed the embarrassment and turned to leave.

“Hey, don’t go,” Sammy called out lazily. “I’ve got a job for you.”

Despite the familiar dread, Jared turned back.

Sammy tossed him a thick wad of cash.

“$2,500,” he said smugly. “Two thousand for flowers. Five hundred for you. Go get them. And run.”

Not bad for a quick errand.

Jared nodded and sprinted off. Anything to make a few dollars. Anything to survive another week.

He bought the flowers quickly and hurried back, handing them to Sammy with the efficiency of a trained servant. Sammy smirked.

“Stand there,” he ordered. “Watch.”

“If you do, I’ll give you another five hundred.”

Jared agreed without thinking. Five hundred bucks was food for a week.

He stood aside, expecting Sammy to pull one of his usual shallow stunts—giving flowers to one of the girls who had been giggling at his nonsense.

But instead…

Instead, Sammy walked right past them all.

Right past the blushing girls.

Right past the expecting ones.

And stopped…

Right in front of Lisa.

Jared’s heart froze.

No—

No, no, no—

Sammy dropped to one knee.

Held out the flowers.

Then opened the shiny package Jared had delivered.

A crystal necklace, sparkling like a thousand suns.

“Lisa Nicom,” Sammy said, voice dripping with charm. “Be my girlfriend.”

Gasps erupted—piercing, ecstatic, envious.

Girls covered their mouths in disbelief.

Guys whistled.

More students rushed in, drawn by the commotion.

Jared’s world collapsed inward.

His vision shook.

His breath faltered.

His soul screamed.

“W-what…?” he whispered to himself, blinking rapidly as if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

But Lisa…

Lisa was smiling.

Like a girl receiving her first rose.

Like she had been waiting for this moment all her life.

Jared looked at her—begging silently for her to look back.

To stand up.

To say no.

Finally, her eyes met his.

For a brief second, guilt clouded her expression.

Her lips moved soundlessly:

“I’m sorry, Jared…”

Then she turned away—

and screamed, “YES!”

Students erupted into cheers.

Sammy stood and embraced her.

Then kissed her.

Right there.

Right in front of Jared.

He staggered backward, the world blurring around him.

No.

This couldn’t be happening.

His Lisa?

His love?

His everything?

Jared erupted forward in a burst of hopeless desperation, tearing Sammy and Lisa apart. Gasps filled the air.

He grabbed her wrists.

“Lisa, why? Why are you accepting his proposal? We’re dating. You know how much I love you!”

Lisa looked at him like he was something stuck under her shoe.

“Jared… I’m done. I’ve suffered enough with you,” she said coldly. “I can’t build a future with someone who has nothing. Sammy can give me everything.”

Her best friend, Kirby Hart, couldn’t hold back.

“What do you want Lisa to do, Jared? Stay poor and die with you? If she were your sister, would you advise her to choose a pauper?”

Another stab.

But Jared was too heartbroken to respond.

He fell to his knees.

“What about our plans, Lisa? Our dreams? I swear, I’ll give you the brightest future. Just don’t do this.”

Kirby rolled her eyes and laughed.

“That right there—that is why she needs to dump you.”

Jared snapped.

“Kirby, shut up!”

Kirby stepped forward angrily, but Lisa held her back.

“Stop, Kirby. Jared… just let me go. I loved you once, but now… I don’t. I love Sammy.”

Each word felt like a blade carving his chest open.

Lisa… loved Sammy?

Sammy finally stepped in, furious.

“You dare push me?” he snarled. “You’re lucky I gave you five hundred bucks today. That’s more money than you’re worth.”

Jared ignored him, still trying to reach Lisa.

That only made Sammy angrier—he grabbed Jared by the collar.

“Let me go,” Jared said quietly, rage clouding his vision.

“Or what, pauper?” Sammy jeered.

Jared snapped.

He shoved Sammy back—

then punched him square in the jaw.

The crowd screamed.

Sammy fell, stunned.

They crashed into a messy brawl.

Sammy’s friends pounced immediately, yanking Jared back and restraining him as Sammy delivered punch after punch.

Lisa ran in—

not to help Jared—

but to pull Sammy away before he got in trouble.

Security arrived moments later.

“What is going on here?”

Lisa pointed directly at Jared.

“He attacked my boyfriend,” she said coldly.

Boyfriend.

She really said it.

Security grabbed Jared roughly and dragged him toward the director’s building.

Lisa watched with guilt flickering in her eyes—

but she said nothing.

Chose nothing.

Chose Sammy.

Jared’s heart shattered in a thousand unfixable pieces as the security pulled him away.