Never Again in This Life Chapter 15

Never Again in This Life Chapter 15

One day, my classmate Leo asked me to walk with him to the library.

We were discussing a group project as we walked.

Suddenly, Maddox rushed out from the side and blocked our path.

He glared at Leo, his tone aggressive.

“Who is he?”

I didn’t even bother to answer.

Leo instinctively stepped in front of me and said to Maddox in perfect English, “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to stay away from my friend.”

Maddox looked from Leo’s protective stance to my indifferent expression, and the light in his eyes slowly died.

I think that was the moment he finally understood.

I wasn’t just angry.

I had built a new life.

And in that new life, there was no place for him.

Sterling chose a different approach.

He didn’t come to me directly.

Instead, the successful businessman donated a large sum of money to my university, established a scholarship in my name, and requested that I be its first recipient.

The “Tessa Hawthorne Scholarship.”

The news spread through the school like wildfire.

Everyone was talking about the wealthy American who was trying to court a student with a grand, public gesture.

Sterling probably thought this would indebt me to him. He likely assumed that I had run off to study abroad simply for better opportunities and that I wouldn’t be able to refuse the golden path he was offering.

He was wrong.

I went through the university administration and formally rejected the scholarship.

My reason was simple.

“I am grateful for Mr. Sinclair’s generosity, but I wish to complete my studies through my own efforts. Please use this money for students who are truly in need.”

My refusal was public and direct, leaving him no room to maneuver.

The incident was a profound humiliation for Sterling.

The elaborate overture he had so carefully orchestrated had backfired completely.

For the first time, he discovered that his money held no power over me.