The Rise Of The Orphan Billionare

Chapter 2: The Laboratory

“Hey! Can’t you knock or something?!” Kyler’s voice rang out sharply, full of annoyance. “What the heck are you doing here?! You can’t just walk in like that! What’s wrong with you?!”

Nelson froze at the doorway. His chest tightened, and his vision blurred. His eyes bounced between Rachael —half-dressed, shame written all over her— and Kyler, standing beside her with that smug, poisonous grin.

He blinked, as though he might have been imagining things. But no, this was real.

Rachel turned her face away, unable to meet Nelson’s eyes. Nelson’s voice was low and shaky. “Rachel… what’s going on?!”

She didn’t respond. She couldn’t. Guilt was all over her face, but it was clear she had made her choice. She was guilty, but not remorseful.

Kyler gave a mocking laugh. “Ooooh, so you actually thought she was still yours? Bro, you’ve been dreaming. Big time. Now get out of here before I change my mind!”

Nelson’s heart split down the middle. He stepped inside, his voice rising as if volume alone could drown out the betrayal. “So this is the science project you said you were too busy for?! This is why you didn’t pick my calls?!”

His voice began to rise with pain. “I trusted you, Rachel! After everything we’ve been through together… after everything I did for you… this is what I get?!”

Rachel finally opened her mouth, and her words hit like a truck. “Look, Nelson… you’re a good kid. I really liked you, I did… but I just can’t do this anymore. Whatever we had, it’s over now. We should just move on.”

His eyes stung. “Move on? Move on? Just like that? After all the nights I starved so you could eat? After breaking myself in half to make sure you never lacked?” His chest heaved. “When did I become… disposable?”

Rachael’s face hardened. “Nelson, just stay away from me. Did you really think someone like me would actually be with someone like you? I only stuck around to make you feel better, but the truth is you’re useless to me. Your presence disgusts me. Get out of my face.”

It was like the final nail in the coffin.

Nelson staggered back, as though the floor itself had crumbled beneath him. His whole chest ached like something had been ripped out.

Kyler didn’t miss the opportunity to strike again. “You heard her, orphan boy,” he sneered, grinning wickedly. “Whatever you guys had, it was just for fun. Nothing serious. Now it’s over. Go and cry to your grandma or find your long-lost mommy!”

That was it.

Nelson stood there, his fists shaking, his eyes glassy with tears. Memories of the money he had spent, the time he gave, and the loyalty he had poured into Rachel began flooding his head.

But above all, Robby and Miguel’s voices echoed— “She’s not worth it, bro. Let her go.”

But he didn’t listen.

And now, here he was —standing in a burning room of betrayal and humiliation.

“Are you deaf?! I said leave!” Kyler barked again, now stepping forward aggressively. “You’re not good enough for her anymore, man. She needs someone who can actually take care of her—someone who can pay her bills, buy her what she needs. Let’s be real. Can you even afford a toothbrush for her?”

Then, without warning, Kyler shoved Nelson hard and delivered a punch to his chest. “Hey, get out of here, orphan! You are becoming a peasant here —go cry to your old grandma who is sick and stop creating drama here!”

Nelson stumbled back but caught himself. His whole body was burning, not from the hit —but from the humiliation, the rage, and the heartbreak. And then something inside him snapped.

Enough was enough. Kyler had gone too far, especially involving his grandmother several times. This was someone Nelson never joked with.

He lunged forward and landed a strong punch on Kyler’s jaw. A few students who had been nearby pulled out their phones, already recording what was turning into a serious fight. And soon, the hallway was filled with a crowd.

Kyler wasn’t just talk he had taken some martial arts classes in the past and wasn’t about to let Nelson get away with that. He swung back and hit Nelson in the face, hard.

What started as a push turned into an all-out fight.

The two boys went at each other, throwing punches, dragging tables, knocking things down. The lab quickly turned into chaos. Beakers crashed. Bottles flew. Screams filled the air.

Then it happened.

Nelson, using everything he had left, threw a strong punch that sent Kyler crashing backward. Nelson was way stronger than Kyler and that was Nelson's  fear. He was scared of killing someone. Years of hard labour had forged him into a naturally strong kid.

Kyler fell straight into a glass shelf holding a large container of fluorine, one of the lab’s most dangerous and expensive chemicals.

The container of fluorine toppled and shattered.

“Ahhhh!” Kyler shouted as his back was badly burnt from the blast!

Students screamed as the highly reactive chemical hit the air.

Within seconds, the chemical reacted violently. Flames burst out of the corner of the room. The fire spread fast, licking up shelves, melting plastic, and setting papers ablaze. Everyone ran, yelling. Some tried to help, others just fled with their phones still recording.

The fire alarm went off. The emergency water system finally kicked in, spraying down from the ceiling. The fire was quickly controlled, but not before leaving behind massive damage to the lab.

Kyler was on the floor, soaked, bruised, burnt and furious.

“What have you done?!” he shouted, pointing at Nelson. The pain from the burn felt like Kyler’s world had come to an end!

Nelson didn’t even have the energy to argue. He looked around, dazed, breathing heavily, his fists still clenched. His eyes were wide with fear and regret. He finally understood why his grandmother always warned him:

“Stay out of fights, Nelson. Don’t let your emotions lead you to destruction.”

But it was too late now.

Two security guards stormed into the lab, their boots slapping against the wet floor. Seeing Kyler on the floor badly wounded, they just concluded that Nelson was the cause of everything there. And so, they grabbed Nelson tightly by his arms.

Students were relentlessly watching the scene. Cameras kept rolling.

As he dragged himself out of the lab and down the hall, Nelson felt everything crashing down inside him.

“How did it all happen?!” one of the security men demanded.

Nelson kept defending himself, but the policemen did not listen to him. “He… he started it! He pushed me first!” Nelson tried.

But to no avail. See, his father, if he even had one, was not as rich as Kyler’s dad was. So nothing he said would make any sense to them as he had no one to step in for him. And besides, his father was a long-gone mystery.

One of the security men rushed towards Kyler, picking him up carefully. “Hey, kid, what happened? What did he do?!”

Nelson was furious. “‘What did he do’?! Why would the officers even ask that?!” But of course, he knew just why. When the richest kid in school is in this state, you don’t just ask ‘what happened?’—your job is on the line.

“You are under arrest for attempted murder and vandalism in school!”

Nelson could not tell what was going on.

Prison?! A place he hated his whole life—and now he was going there?!