Chapter 5: The Friction of Pride
The campus design studio was bustling as mid-term presentations approached. Julian watched from across the room as Clara spent hours collaborating at Leo’s workbench. The sight gnawed at him. For two years, Julian had pursued Clara, believing his wealth, charm, and social standing made him the obvious choice. Watching her laugh naturally with Leo—a guy who didn't even care about status—felt like an indictment of his entire identity.
Unable to contain himself, Julian walked over to their station, flanked by two of his usual fraternity followers.
"Nice orthopedic shoes, Leo," Julian sneered, picking up a 3D-printed sole from the bench. "What's the marketing slogan? 'Vance Heritage: Now serving retirement homes'?"
Clara stood up immediately, her jaw set. "Put that down, Julian. At least Leo is actually building his prototype instead of outsourcing the code to his father's engineers."
Julian’s face tightened. He looked at Leo, hoping for a fight, hoping to provoke the kind of loud, violent confrontation he knew how to win. "You think you're better than everyone because your dad made you play humble. You’re just hiding behind a martyr complex."
Leo stood up slowly, looking Julian straight in the eye without a flicker of hostility. "I don't think I'm better than anyone, Julian. But I know what it feels like to have dirty hands, and I know what it means to build something from scratch. Have you ever made anything with your own two hands that didn't come with a receipt?"
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Julian opened his mouth to retort, but no words came. The silence in the studio was absolute. With a cold glare, Julian slammed the prototype sole back onto the bench and stormed out.
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