Chapter 258 - 257: So What If There’s One More Socially Dead Person in the World?

These few words were enough to incite public outrage.

While not everyone present was born with a silver spoon in their mouth, few who graduated from Kingsland University were unsuccessful.

Not to mention, this anniversary celebration had invited alumni from many previous years; there were plenty of people in the crowd who were now parents, and even grandparents.

The whole reason they had worked so hard in their youth was to build a legacy for their children and grandchildren and provide them with a better life, wasn’t it?

But with that one sentence, Ethan Bishop had essentially insulted every single person in the audience.

’What’s his problem? He’s got no talent himself, so he blames people for being better than him? And on top of that, he has to be passive-aggressive and wish them ill?’

Besides, anyone who’d been online knew that Yvonne Lowell had only been found and reunited with her family last year.

She had built her career all on her own, founding the Pluto Consortium at fourteen, taking it public at fifteen, and making Pluto number one in the world by sixteen.

’So how did he twist that into her being supported by the Lowell Family? Does his household seriously not have internet access or something?!’

And even if she had relied on the Lowell Family’s influence, did that just erase all her personal hard work?

’Is it really so hard to admit that someone else is more outstanding than you? What a complete moron!’

If their own useless kids could achieve even half of that by leaning on the family name, they’d retire on the spot to go fishing, drink tea, and play chess, alright?!

They wouldn’t still be in their fifties, slaving away to run their companies!

"Enough!"

Charles Lowell’s face was an icy mask. Anyone with a brain knew that the hardships his daughter had endured over the years were his biggest sore spot. What was the difference between this nonsense from Bishop and ripping his old wounds wide open?

"You always loved picking fights with me and Grant. At first, we thought you just had a grudge against the rich. Later, we realized you were just an idiot who saw us as your imaginary rivals, so we ignored you."

"You didn’t bother to improve yourself, you failed classes and had to delay your graduation, and you couldn’t even get the girl you liked. Was all of that our fault, too?"

"Since you believe I only have what I have today because of my ’good dad,’ then I’ll be sure to use my family’s influence to ’play’ with you. I’ll make every false accusation you’ve thrown at me come true. I hope you’re ready for it."

The crowd erupted.

It wasn’t because Charles Lowell had challenged him on the spot—after all, he had the power to back it up, and by all accounts, Ethan Bishop had it coming.

They just never imagined that the source of Ethan Bishop’s bizarre hostility was this: he was such a failure himself that he couldn’t stand to see anyone else succeed?!

’Oh my god, this is so dramatic!’

’No wonder he’s not rich! He deserves it!’

Ethan Bishop was stunned for a moment. "What do you mean?! So you’re admitting it, right?"

"Well then, you can count me in. After all, I have a ’good dad’ too, don’t I?" Mr. Grant said with a casual smile.

"If you’d insulted my son, I wouldn’t have even gotten angry. But you went after my future daughter-in-law, and that’s something I can’t let slide."

Leo Grant: ’...So? Did they just steal my job and all my lines?’

"My dad’s claimed the right to use the company, so can I use my personal overseas assets to play with him? It wouldn’t technically be ’relying on family background,’ right?"

Leo Grant asked, wrapping his arm around Yvonne Lowell’s waist as if no one else was there.

"Then you might as well add Pluto to the mix. It’s not like my Pluto relied on any ’dad’ either," Yvonne Lowell said, unable to stifle a laugh.

"Mr. White, since you love blaming your own failures on other people’s success, then we’ll grant your wish. Let’s make your imaginary rivals into real enemies. You’d better hurry now."

With that, the group turned and left without a backward glance.

The gazes of the other onlookers that fell upon him were filled with contempt, disdain, or ridicule.

’When they didn’t even consider you a threat, it was one thing for you to act out.’

’But to show up and pull this disgusting stunt more than twenty years later?’

’You just had to force them to take you seriously. And now that they are, you’re unhappy. Serves you right!’

"What was that? Aren’t they just using their power to crush people!? Are they threatening me?"

Ethan Bishop pointed in the direction they had gone, his face a mask of indignation as he spoke to Lynn White.

He genuinely didn’t think there was anything wrong with what he’d said. Was he wrong?

’If it weren’t for their ’good dads,’ how could they possibly have such glamorous lives today?!’

’Why did they get to have degrees and powerful backgrounds, while he almost failed to graduate? Why did he have to fight for everything on his own!?’

After graduation, he had immediately returned to his hometown and had been living in Keldor ever since, where he started his own business.

He never contacted anyone from his past or followed any business news outside his own niche, focusing solely on his own little world.

Before starting his business, he had even deliberately researched the commercial territories of the Grant and Lowell Families and avoided those sectors, all in an attempt to escape the shadow those two men cast over him.

He had imagined that when they met again, he would be the one who was high-spirited and successful.

But as it turned out, time hadn’t left a single mark on their faces; they didn’t even have the beer bellies so common in middle-aged men.

It made him feel as if all his years of effort had turned to nothing. Even after so much time, the dark, insecure part of him was magnified infinitely just by seeing them.

It was a constant reminder that he was nothing!

’Even after scheming his way into Kingsland University, he still couldn’t compare to those with real ability.’

"Alright, let’s go inside,"

Lynn White said, comforting him absently before taking his arm and leading him through the doors.

’She couldn’t shake the feeling that Yvonne Lowell’s "hurry now" had been directed at her. Had she figured something out? Was it a warning?’

’If so, she would have to pick up the pace.’

The moment Yvonne Lowell’s group stepped inside, they saw a large nameplate that read "Professor Yvonne Lowell" right next to the principal’s, in the center-stage seat.

Yvonne Lowell’s lips twitched. ’It really is a front-row seat. What’s one more person dying of public embarrassment in this world?!’

After a quick greeting to her family, Yvonne Lowell sat down in her designated seat with a pained, dead-inside smile.

Her family and friends, meanwhile, took their seats in the third row, just behind and to the side of her.

Mr. Grant muttered quietly to Mrs. Grant, "All five of us are in the third row, but I’m the only one not giving a speech. How embarrassing for me."

"Oh, stop it. Weren’t you the one who spoke last year? If they actually asked you to give a speech, you’d just complain about having to memorize the script."

Mrs. Grant rolled her eyes, speechless, and turned to chat with Wendy Sutton.

More and more alumni took their seats, and finally, Principal Hawthorne arrived, fashionably late and leaning on a cane.

Yvonne Lowell quickly stood up and went to help him to his seat.

"Good. You didn’t stand me up this time," Principal Hawthorne said, giving her a sideways glance.

Yvonne Lowell forced a smile. "You sent a teacher to practically ambush me at the door. How could I possibly not show up?"

"What teacher? I have no idea what you’re talking about. I was just thinking I should check if you’d arrived yet. If you hadn’t, I was going to give you a call," Principal Hawthorne said, playing dumb.

"Don’t play dumb. You always scratch your pant leg when you lie."

’In this school, was there anything the old man didn’t know?’

’He wouldn’t just know whether she had arrived; the whole fiasco that had just occurred in the auditorium had probably already reached his ears.’