Chapter 9: Donation

Words : 1805 Updated : Mar 27th, 2025

These people had achieved considerable success, and returning to their alma mater was an emotional experience. "Jennie, I heard you've been doing great these past few years. You bought a house in the city and even got a new car," one of the women remarked enviously to a flamboyantly dressed girl. "It's nothing big," Jennie said modestly, though she looked quite proud. She was a well-known streamer, and with the rise of the short video industry, she had amassed millions of followers, giving her ample reason to be proud. "Jennie, stop being so modest. I heard you recently donated a million dollars for the new school building," one of the men quickly chimed in. "That's no big deal!" Jennie responded with a slight smile. "It's definitely something—your name must be near the top of the donor list," others teased. "Compared to that genius from our school back then, it's nothing," someone remarked, causing the group to exchange knowing looks. That person had indeed been a genius and the pride of the school. By the time he graduated, he had already started a successful business and donated a whole building to his alma mater, making waves in Larkhaven. When he returned, Jennie recalled his grand reception—banners, red carpets, and a student honor guard—which was quite the spectacle and made him a role model for many students. The woman remembered being part of the welcoming team, catching a glimpse of him, and feeling her heart skip a beat. She sighed deeply, recalling how she later heard that he had been imprisoned for serious crimes with little hope of release. "They say that guy is in jail now," a male voice mocked. "Yes, I heard the crimes were severe, with almost no chanescapingng out." "Our school's bulletin used to show off his achievements proudly, but now they've erased all traces." "He's not the school's pride anymore; he's a disgrace," another added. Jimmy, standing ahead, listened to their conversation and knew they were talking about him. He couldn't help but listen more intently. "Don't talk like that." Jennie frowned. "Jennie, you might not believe it, but it was all over the news," a man sneered. Jennie knew, but her intuition told her the confident and composed senior she admired couldn't do such things. Despite the years, she couldn't accept that such an outstanding person could suddenly become a criminal. Perhaps her admiration blinded her to the harsh reality. "Alright, let's not talk about him. No matter what, he contributed a lot to our school," Jennie said softly. "Jennie, we know you admired him, but his crimes are undeniable," a young man insisted. Jennie pouted, choosing not to argue further. A girl beside her, sensing the awkwardness, quickly changed the subject, "Let's not talk about that. Jennie, I heard a senior is donating eight million. Do you know who it is?" Jennie shook her head. "I don't know. I only heard she runs a successful cosmetics company and was in the same class as that senior." Jimmy stopped in his tracks, intrigued by the conversation. As they continued talking, Jennie accidentally bumped into him. Turning around, Jimmy faced a man whose face was flushed with anger. He looked Jimmy up and down, noting his worn, faded clothes. Despite his tall and handsome appearance, he seemed poor. "Watch where you're going!" the man barked. Jimmy raised an eyebrow and replied calmly, "Seems like you're the one not watching." "You..." The man was about to retaliate when he noticed Jennie's frown. Suppressing his anger, he coldly said, "Aren't you ashamed, coming back to school in such a state?" Jimmy retorted, "How I am is none of your business. Besides, this isn't your private property." "You..." The man was at a loss for words, his face flushed with embarrassment. As he was about to lash out, Jennie stepped forward and apologized, "Sorry, we overstepped." She shot the man a stern look, causing him to fall silent. Jimmy appreciated Jennie's lack of prejudice in their earlier conversation. He didn't want to create a scene and risk being laughed at by familiar teachers, so he smiled slightly and said, "It's alright." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving Jennie stunned. "That guy looks familiar," Jennie murmured. "Hmph, he's just a washed-up loser," someone scoffed. "He... looks like Jimmy Yale, the one who donated the teaching building," Jennie added, shaking her head. She had only seen Jimmy once, and her memory was hazy. "Impossible, he's in prison for life. How could he show up here?" Jimmy was just a fleeting topic of conversation for them as they quickly moved on to other subjects. Jimmy strolled to the other end of the field, near the teacher's dormitory, leaving the group behind. He was about to leave when a tender voice shook him to his core. "Daddy!" Jimmy looked down to see a delicate, four or five-year-old girl tugging at his pant leg. Her large, round eyes gazed up at him. Surprised, Jimmy wondered why anyone would call him daddy. Squatting down with a gentle smile, he asked curiously, "Why do you call me daddy?" The little girl clung tightly to his pant leg, her innocent face earnest. "I've seen your photo. You're my daddy." This girl was the same one from the cemetery yesterday. Jimmy didn't know that five years ago, when he was imprisoned, Sophie was already pregnant with his child. She had given birth to the adorable girl before him. Jimmy chuckled bitterly. If only he actually had such a cute daughter.

Chapter 9: Donation

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