14 Favoritism

That night, Calvin worked tirelessly. His fingers danced across the keyboard of his laptop, developing his business proposal concept. Every idea that came to mind, he carefully wrote down, ensuring everything looked professional and detailed. Fatigue weighed on his eyes, but his determination to prove himself was far stronger.

“A game that detects mood and suggests food... this isn’t just cool, it could actually be a breakthrough,” he muttered with a small smile.

By morning, Calvin finally finished his proposal. He stretched his body and looked at the screen of his laptop with satisfaction. “I’m sure this could win me the competition.”

The next day, Calvin walked to campus with slightly sleepy eyes, but a heart full of enthusiasm. He carried his business proposal, ready to submit it to the competition committee.

That morning, there was a lecture on Macro Economics. The professor assigned a paper on inflation, and, as fate would have it, Calvin was in a group with Timothy. But as usual, the arrogant man refused to be his team member and insisted they work on the paper individually.

In the corner of the classroom, some students immediately glanced at Calvin as he entered. They whispered among themselves, and from what Calvin could gather, it was all because of Timothy. The man had spread a rumor that Calvin didn’t want to help him with the assignment and that he had to do the paper alone. Timothy even claimed Calvin was incompetent and told other classmates not to team up with him for group assignments.

“Hey, Calvin,” Timothy called out mockingly. “You finally showed up. I thought you forgot about our group assignment.”

Calvin ignored him and sat down in his seat. He opened his book, preparing to follow the lecture.

“Don’t pretend to be busy, Calvin,” Timothy continued. “You’re really useless. I have to do this assignment all by myself.”

Jonas laughed loudly. “If you can’t help Timothy, at least don’t be a burden.”

Julia added, “Seems like he’s more focused on figuring out what to have for dinner than actually working on the assignment.”

Imelda shook her head. “What a pity.”

Calvin remained calm, but inside, he was furious. He knew Timothy was lying. In fact, Calvin had offered to help with the task, but Timothy arrogantly refused his assistance.

When the professor entered, the classroom fell silent. Professor Simon asked the students to submit their group assignments, and Timothy swaggered over to Calvin, showing that only his name appeared on the paper.

“You better be ready for a D this time,” Timothy sneered, grinning maliciously.

Calvin remained silent. He waited for all his classmates to submit their assignments before he finally stood up and pulled out the paper he had finished last week.

Professor Simon looked confused, but whatever Calvin said made him nod and accept the paper. Timothy’s friends watched him carefully.

“He did the assignment himself too. Wow, Timothy, your team is submitting two papers,” Julia said, trying to hold back her laughter.

“I knew it, Calvin must have done it. There’s no way a bookworm wouldn’t do the assignment,” Imelda chimed in.

“So you really didn’t want to involve Calvin in your task, Timothy. Now you’ve created the same topic, which turned into your own rival paper. Hope yours is better,” Jonas said, clearly understanding his friend’s behavior.

“Damn it!” Timothy muttered, looking frustrated.

The rest of Professor Simon’s class went smoothly without any issues. But after class, the bully gang started approaching Calvin.

“Are you still working part-time, Calvin?” Jonas asked.

“Of course he is. What else would he eat if he didn’t have money?” Timothy added.

“Yeah, you’re right. He has to work! Calvin’s an orphan, a scholarship won’t be enough to cover his living expenses, right?” Jonas chuckled.

“Are you guys done? I’m curious why you like to bother an orphan like me so much? Do you think insulting me makes you feel better about yourselves?” Calvin replied with a smirk.

Jonas and Timothy looked furious upon hearing Calvin’s words, but it was a different story for Julia and Imelda. They burst into laughter.

“You’ve been checkmated by Calvin, Jonas! Stop arguing with him, unless you want him to start bringing up all the insults and unpleasant actions!” Julia chimed in.

“This is the first time I’ve seen Jonas go pale,” Imelda added, laughing.

“You two! Who are you defending? Huh!” Timothy protested to the two rich girls.

“Honestly, I care about myself and this cute Imelda here! Let’s go shopping, Imelda, let’s spend our fathers' money!” Julia said, sashaying away.

“Pampered girls! They’re not my type,” Timothy muttered.

“Yeah, because Julia’s mine. Don’t ever get near her!” Jonas protested, clearly liking Julia for a long time.

“Oh my God, you’re blind! How could you like someone like her!” Timothy replied.

“You!” Jonas glared, but Timothy quickly ran off before the hot-headed guy could get emotional.

Calvin just sighed. He had gotten used to hearing the drama and insults from his classmates. In truth, there was a little sadness that lingered in his heart. Even though he didn’t want to admit it, the feeling was still there—missing a father he had never known. He often wondered what it would have been like if he had a father, if he could have experienced the love and support a father gives to his child. But the reality was, all he had was his mother, who fought so hard to raise him alone.

“No, don’t let these feelings hold me back,” Calvin muttered to himself, trying to shake off the sadness. He straightened his back and wiped away the sorrow from his face. “I’ll prove that I can succeed without my father’s help, without depending on anyone.”

With renewed determination, Calvin walked out of the classroom and headed to the staff office to submit his business proposal. He knew time was running out. The competition was a big opportunity for him to prove he was more than just the poor student who had been ridiculed and underestimated. If he wins this competition, it might open many new doors for him.

As he approached the staff office area, his eyes landed on a familiar figure—William. William was a senior in the economics department who was quite popular. Calvin also knew that William was Amity’s older brother, the friendly rich girl who had become his new friend. However, he rarely spoke much to William due to their stark social differences. William came from a very wealthy family—he was the son of the mayor, a highly respected figure in the city.

At that moment, William was talking to the dean of the faculty, who seemed very enthusiastic. The dean didn’t usually appear so involved with competitions or other student activities, but it seemed like William was truly the center of attention. Calvin could hear bits of their conversation, though he tried not to eavesdrop.

“William, I really hope your business proposal will take our faculty to the next level. Of course, we fully support your project,” the dean said with a tone full of praise.

William smiled confidently. “Thank you, Dean. I’ll do my best. I believe my idea could have a significant impact.”

“You know Mr. Lincoln Stuard, will be coming as a judge for this competition. If you can attract his attention, success will be in your hands,” the dean said to William.

Calvin, who had overheard, felt awkward about their conversation. William was indeed very talented and always the center of attention on campus. With his powerful family, especially his father, the mayor, almost no one doubted William’s success. For a moment, Calvin felt like a small shadow, unable to compete with the bright light that this man possessed.

However, he quickly dismissed that thought. “I can’t get trapped in negative thinking. I need to focus on my idea, not on who has more power,” Calvin thought to himself.

He took a step forward and approached the competition desk, trying not to dwell on the comparison between himself and William. Calvin greeted a committee member who was standing there.

“Good morning, I’d like to submit my proposal for this competition,” Calvin said, opening his folder and taking out his business proposal.

“Sorry, the competition is already closed. The slots are full!” the committee member replied.

“But isn’t today the last day?” Calvin asked, confused.

“Yes, but…” The staff glanced at the dean of the faculty, as if unsure.

Noticing that his staff was watching him, the dean of the faculty walked over. William, his senior, had already left, so there was no one else to talk to. With a dismissive expression, he walked closer.

“Finaly! William has already submitted his proposal. Our campus is definitely going to win,” he said to the staff.

“Sir, there’s still one more. This young man wants to submit his proposal as well,” the staff member said.

“Him?” The dean looked Calvin up and down before speaking. “Fine, just accept it, although I don’t expect much,” he said as he walked away.

Calvin’s face immediately turned bright red, it was very clear that the dean himself looked down on him. The man didn’t even look at his proposal but had already dismissed him.

“Don’t listen to him, young man! He’s the new dean, his actions and policies can sometimes be nonsensical! I’ve already accepted your proposal. I hope your work wins! I’m supporting you!” said the middle-aged, bespectacled woman with a smile.

"Thank you, Mam," 

"Yeah, have a nice day,"