Hearing this, I couldn''t help but feel a sense of relief.


    I nced at them and asked, "Why do you guys believe in me so much? Even Felicia doesn''t trust me."


    Liam chuckled. "It''s just a feeling. What kind of friends would we be if we didn''t have at least this much trust in each other? Besides, if you were the kind of guy who would stoop to stealing, you wouldn''t have treated us so well all this time, right, Matthew?"


    Matthew frowned as he drank some water. "Of course, I believe you''re not the one who did it. But Will, where did you get the money to donate? You donated 70 thousand dors, yet you''re still living in a dump like this."


    I knew I owed them an exnation. It didn''t feel right to let their trust in me go unanswered. However, I couldn''t bring myself to admit I was a trust fund kid. I had lied to them from the beginning, and if I told them the truth now, it would make their trust in me seem ridiculous.


    On top of that, I had finally found a few true friends who would stick by me through thick and thin. Thest thing I wanted was for my identity to create a rift between us.


    I wanted to keep building our bond, so I came up with a quick excuse. "Actually, I recently won the lottery. I got a 200-thousand-dor prize. After taxes, it came to 175 thousand dors."


    "Are you serious?" Matthew asked.


    "Totally," I said confidently.


    I immediately sent a message to n, asking him to help me fake the lottery announcement. Then, I showed them the fabricated lottery results.


    They couldn''t believe their eyes.


    "It''s real!"


    "175 thousand dors? You hit it big!"


    Benjamin lunged at me, wrapping me in a bear hug. "Let me absorb some of your good luck!"


    I shivered,ughing awkwardly. "Benjamin, what are you doing? I''m not into guys."


    "Neither am I! I just want to soak up your good fortune!" he said.


    I couldn''t help butugh, but I could also see the relieved expression on Matthew''s face.


    He hadn''t fully trusted me. Yet, he still stood by me although he had doubts. That loyalty alone made him a friend worth having.


    "Tomorrow, lunch is on me," I announced with a grin.


    Matthew quickly shook his head. "Hold on. The entire school is already suspicious of you, and Ryan is busy spreading rumors. If we go out for a big meal tomorrow, it''ll just make things worse."


    "Exactly," Benjamin agreed. "Will, why didn''t you mention winning the lottery earlier? If you had said so, Mr. Parker wouldn''t have doubted you."


    "Why should I exin myself?" I retorted. "What right do they have to use me? Let them investigate and find out it wasn''t me. I''ll let them embarrass themselves."


    ording to n, it would take at most half a month. I just needed to hold on for that long.


    "If you don''t say anything, there will definitely be all kinds of rumors about you during this time," Liam pointed out with a frown.


    "Let them talk," I said with a shrug. "It''s not like it''s the first time I''ve dealt with gossip. Honestly, I''ll use this chance to see people''s true colors."


    Since they didn''t want me to treat them to a meal, I decided to show my gratitude another way. In our group chat, I sent each of them a 200-dor voucher for food and drinks. It wasn''t a huge amount-just enough to express my thanks without making things awkward.


    After getting ready for ss the next morning, Matthew patted my shoulder with a smirk. "Will, are you ready to face the storm?"