Instead, I pulled out the receipt from my modest food delivery and said calmly, “I’ll say it one last time—I only spent 29.9 dollars on two meals. If you think you’re going to extort me for more, keep dreaming.”
“As for this crappy job, I never cared about it.”
“Phoebe, you’re fired. My half-month’s salary? Consider it a gift—might help you buy a few budget meals after your company goes belly-up.”
I took a screenshot of my meal order and threw it into the company group chat before leaving it entirely. Then, I picked up my bag and walked out without a second glance.
Phoebe, furious at being ignored, grabbed my wrist.
“Gabriel! Don’t think you can just walk away from this! Pay up, or this won’t be the end of it!”
I calmly pulled my hand back and said flatly, “Miss Wright, I’ve already sent you the receipts. Check the facts before you come barking at me again.”
With that, I turned and walked away.
I thought that would be the end of it.
But I was wrong.
Phoebe went online and made a public post about the entire incident—dragging not just me, but my university into it too.
Before long, my name was trending for all the wrong reasons.
#Top Graduate Exposed As Gold Digging Scumbag.
#Gold-Digging Scumbag Who Blew Five Hundred Thousand in Three Days—Who Would Dare Marry Him?
#Tragic CEO Beauty Turns Out to Be an ATM for Her Childhood Fiancé!
The comment section exploded with hate.
As soon as my personal information was exposed, my phone was flooded with insults and threats.
[How could your parents raise someone like you? Disgraceful! Do us all a favor and die—don’t tarnish the school’s reputation!]
[So it’s true—education doesn’t equal character. No woman would marry a guy like you, even if you paid her!]
Some even dug up my student ID and advisor’s name, demanding the university to “clean up.”
The next day, I got a call from my academic advisor.
“Gabriel, the school leadership is taking this incident seriously. I’m afraid your ‘Outstanding Graduate’ title might be revoked.”
I gripped my phone tightly, throat dry. “But, Sir, I didn’t spend that money.”
He sighed heavily. “I believe you, but the public doesn’t. The school’s image has already taken a hit, and there’s pressure from above.”
At that moment, I understood.