Villainized Sponsor: I Canceled Every Scholarship

In the sponsorship group chat, I notice someone has used their aid money to buy the latest LV handbag. I send a friendly reminder in the group chat, saying, "Please use the financial aid for your studies and avoid unnecessary spending just to keep up with others." Ella Lowe, the campus belle, immediately makes a post online to attack me. "He's sponsoring all these poor students because he wants to find a sugar baby! He's only doing it because he wants our bodies!" I am left stunned. For the past five years, I have never interfered with their personal lives and simply tried to help students who can't afford an education. Yet these indignant university students actually report me to the Charity Federation. I have helped dozens of students in the group chat, yet none of them steps up to defend me. The moment I receive the formal notice to investigate my motives, I instantly drop a statement in the group chat. "I'm withdrawing all sponsorships effective immediately in order to avoid any suspicion and prove my innocence." Less than ten minutes after sending the message, the group chat erupts into full-blown panic. Chapter 1 A sudden phone call from Richard Carter, my assistant, woke me up. When I checked the clock on the wall, it was 3:30 am. "You're blown up on the trending lists because of that female university student you're sponsoring, Mr. Goodwin," Richard said. I rubbed the bridge of my nose and sat up. "Which female student?" Richard sounded increasingly anxious. "Ella Lowe from Kingsford University. ”She uploaded screenshots of your WhatsApp messages on Facebook, which were also posted on Twitter. That post is already climbing toward the top of the trending list, Mr. Goodwin." I casually opened my Twitter on the tablet and found the topic trending on the "Today's News" section. "Tycoon's Scholarship Fund Unmasked as Elite Sugar Baby Recruitment Scheme." I tapped on it and saw Ella's post right at the top. She included a teary-eyed selfie along with a cropped screenshot of the group chat. She wrote, "You guys won't believe this. I thought I found a generous benefactor, but this Mr. Goodwin actually sponsored dozens of female university students just to satisfy his own selfish desires. He's always bossing us around and gaslighting us in the group chat. "He sent me a private message yesterday, hinting he'd buy me designer handbags if I went to a hotel with him. Because I refused his advances, he put me down in the group chat and falsely accused me of reckless spending. "I don't care if I lose my sponsorship. I just want to step forward and tear off his hypocritical mask. I just want to tell all the women out there to protect yourselves and don't fall for people like him." The comment section was filled with negativity, with tens of thousands of comments condemning me. "How disgusting! He's actually using charity as an excuse for sexual favors!" "Go after Mr. Goodwin, and shut down all the companies he owns!" "I support Ella for having the courage to speak up. We, the women at Kingsford University, won't bow to anyone abusing their power!" "I've already reported him to the Charity Federation. I've also emailed the Department of Education. That scumbag deserves to rot in prison!" I scrolled down the post, my face showing no emotion. I had sponsored students from Kingsford University for a full five years, putting up hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to cover tuition and living costs for 60 underprivileged students. I had never once set foot on campus to see them in the past five years, yet here I was, painted as the creep preying on them. Richard took a deep breath over the phone and continued, "It doesn't stop there, Mr. Goodwin. Two students who received major funding from you just released videos backing Ella up." I clicked the link Richard had forwarded and found two familiar faces in the video—Harry Wagner and Maisie Zeller. I remembered how I personally paid an extra 70,000 dollars for Harry's kidney transplant when he was diagnosed with kidney failure. I recalled that Maisie's patriarchal family tried to stop her from getting an education, so I dispatched my legal team to her hometown to handle things and got her straight into Kingsford University. Yet, at this moment, they were sitting side by side before the camera, their faces brimming with righteous indignation. Harry spoke with profound sorrow. "I'm coming forward to speak up as a representative of the students receiving aid. Mr. Goodwin did provide us with financial aid, but he stripped us of our dignity. "He regularly demanded long letters of thanks from us. He also required us to report our daily whereabouts. He's just being way too controlling!" Maisie wiped away her tears and said, "Ella is telling the truth. Mr. Goodwin targeted Ella because she's attractive. We may be poor, but we still have our dignity. We can't let Ella face this kind of harassment alone." That video alone surpassed five million views, and the comment section was packed with praise for them, alongside nasty insults aimed at me. Chapter 2 I placed the tablet face down on the nightstand, finding the situation ridiculous. "Did you look into Ella's handbag, Richard?" Richard sounded furious. "I looked into it and found out that the handbag was authentic, bought from an official store yesterday afternoon for 5,000 dollars. "I also ran a background check on her. It turned out that she's been faking her financial situation. Her parents own a chain of supermarkets back in her hometown and have three properties under their names. "She only got approved for that financial aid because she's dating the student council vice president running the screening process. She's been using your financial aid to hit up high-end bars and buy designer goods to act like some rich socialite. "When you caught her showing off her handbag in the group chat, she panicked about being investigated. So she preemptively posted that stuff online to frame you, Mr. Goodwin." I listened to him in silence. I wasn't even angry—just a faint sense of bitterness from finally seeing the truth for what it was. Just then, my phone buzzed with a notification. Jeff Zimmerman, a core member of the company's board, had sent me a message. "Your personal matter has seriously affected the company's reputation, Hugo. The company's stock price is expected to come under significant pressure when the market opens this morning. "The board is ordering you to step down immediately, cooperate with the Charity Federation's investigation, and reflect on what happened. If you fail to handle this properly, your succession rights will be denied." It turned out that the matter went beyond mere public backlash. Ella's actions had directly threatened my core interests. Richard said nervously, "There are over a dozen media crews gathered downstairs. There are also independent streamers going live outside the company building. Do you think I should upload Ella's transaction records online to set the record straight, Mr. Goodwin?" I stared at the flashing lights outside before replying, "If we release the evidence right now, the internet will just say we forged the transaction records. It's clear that they believe the wealthy can manipulate anything, and they'd rather see a female university student as the victim in the situation." "What should we do, then?" Richard asked. "Do we really have to take this slander lying down?" I opened my WhatsApp and located the sponsorship group chat, "Kingsford University Sponsorship Group". I noticed that more than 60 people in the group chat were completely silent. No one had spoken up for me. I scoffed and typed out a message. "I'm withdrawing all sponsorships effective immediately in order to avoid any suspicion and prove my innocence." In less than ten minutes after pressing send, the silent group chat erupted. They were panicking and asking questions all at once, and a lot of them messaged me pleading for another chance. Richard went quiet on the other end of the phone. "What are you trying to do, Mr. Goodwin?" I looked at the heated messages filling the group chat. "You should give it some time to play out, Richard. I need you to notify the legal department and tell them that I want every document for withdrawing the funding on my desk tomorrow morning." … Richard walked into my office at 9:00 am the following day. "Mr. Goodwin, the investigator from the Charity Federation has arrived. And Mr. Sullivan, the vice president of Kingsford University, is here as well." I noticed a middle-aged man walking in behind him, accompanied by a smiling, heavyset man. Fred Sullivan, the vice president of Kingsford University, extended a hand as soon as he stepped through the door. "I'm sorry for the trouble, Mr. Goodwin. Those students are truly young and reckless for putting you through this whole ordeal." I didn't reach out to shake his hand, just pointing toward the couch on the other side. Mr. Sullivan withdrew his hand with an embarrassed look and took a seat. Joseph Lang, the investigator from the Charity Federation, opened his notebook with a stern expression. "We need your cooperation regarding the online reports accusing you of using your sponsorship program to engage in misconduct, Mr. Goodwin." Mr. Lang spoke in a formal, businesslike tone, scrutinizing me as he did. "Ella Lowe has provided screenshots that show you putting her down in the group chat. She also claimed you conducted verbal harassment toward her in private." Chapter 3 I pointed to the folder on the table. "This folder contains the records of every payment I made over the past five years. “It also has the full screenshot of Ella's conversation from yesterday, when she showed off her 5,000-dollar Louis Vuitton handbag in the group chat." I leaned back in my seat, my eyes sweeping across Mr. Lang and Mr. Sullivan. "You will also find five years of my WhatsApp backend records inside. There was no private harassment through WhatsApp since I never talked to Ella privately. ”You can have your technical department conduct whatever verification is necessary." Mr. Lang opened the folder and examined the evidence carefully, noting that the complete screenshots showed that Ella had not only been flaunting her handbag but had also mocked the other female students for using canvas bags, calling them low-class. He closed the folder and took a deep breath. "You're obviously in the clear based on this evidence, Mr. Goodwin. Ella, on the other hand, has fabricated the allegations and deliberately defamed you." Upon seeing how things turned out, Mr. Sullivan quickly jumped in to play peacemaker. "Just as I thought! You're one of the most generous donors on our board of trustees, so there's no way you would ever do a thing like that, Mr. Goodwin! It was all just a huge misunderstanding!" I looked at him coldly. "Since this was all a misunderstanding, how is the university going to deal with Ella?" Mr. Sullivan wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking troubled. "Ella just made a foolish mistake because she let her vanity get the better of her, Mr. Goodwin. She's about to graduate soon, so a disciplinary record could seriously affect her future." He then leaned forward and suggested softly. "How about this, Mr. Goodwin? Kingsford University will have Ella apologize to you privately in writing. "You, on the other hand, will put out a statement online, admitting that your poor word choice in the group chat had caused all these misunderstandings. How does that sound?" I almost laughed from sheer frustration. I couldn't believe that he was asking me, the one providing the funding, to compromise with the person who had falsely accused me just to make the problem disappear. "Are you seriously asking me to let this go and continue funding them, Mr. Sullivan?" Mr. Sullivan chuckled awkwardly. "You're a successful businessman, so there's surely no need to take this so seriously with a few underprivileged students, Mr. Goodwin. They're still considered the disadvantaged ones here, after all." I nodded, my fingers tapping against the desk. "I'll do you this favor since you're the one asking for it, Mr. Sullivan." Mr. Sullivan's expression brightened. "You're truly magnanimous, Mr. Goodwin! That financial aid—" I cut him off, "I'm willing to restore the funding, but given the issues this incident has exposed regarding the use of the funds, I've decided to enforce the additional clause in the sponsorship agreement we signed." Mr. Sullivan was stunned. "What additional clause?" Richard handed over a copy of the agreement before reading aloud. "Article 7 of the Kingsford University Sponsorship Agreement clearly states that if a recipient uses the funds for anything other than education or basic living expenses, the sponsor may terminate the funding immediately. "The recipient will then be required to repay twice the total amount previously received. The sponsor also reserves the right to file a civil lawsuit." Mr. Sullivan’s face drained of color in an instant. "That could mean tens of thousands of dollars in repayment, Mr. Goodwin! How could they possibly pay it back?" "They'll just have to figure that out themselves," I replied as I stood up and looked down at him. Then I turned to Richard. "Go issue the legal department's collection notices and begin recovery procedures right away for all students guilty of misappropriating the funds, starting with Ella, Harry, and Maisie. “If we don't see the money in three days, go to court for asset preservation and have all their accounts frozen." Kingsford University plunged into chaos the day after the double-repayment clause took effect. The legal department's demand letters had been sent to every student who had violated the agreement. It was found that out of the 60 recipients, 42 of them had misused the funds—some used them on travel, some tipped suggestive livestreamers, and others even loaned out the funds to charge high interest. Chapter 4 Meanwhile, the sponsorship group chat was flooded with complaints, with some people occasionally asking others to lend them money. "You're a monster, Hugo Goodwin! You're clearly pushing us to the brink of death!" "I'm still 14,000 dollars short after selling my used laptop. Is anyone willing to lend me some money?" "Why isn't the university standing up for us? We should organize a protest!" I was sitting in the office while reading the messages in the group chat, feeling completely unmoved. Richard looked extremely pale, beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead. "We have a problem, Mr. Goodwin. Mr. Smith—our overseas partner—just sent an email. "He stated that since the scandal here has blown up and that the financial media overseas have started reporting on it, he believes our company carries a significant reputational risk. He has decided to terminate the 200-million-dollar project unilaterally." I slammed my pen onto the desk and shot up from my chair. That was a core project three years in the making, crucial to the company's future. Richard swallowed hard, his voice trembling. "I've also received a notice from the board, Mr. Goodwin. Mr. Zimmerman stated that unless you resolve this incident and recover losses within seven days, the board will initiate removal proceedings and strip you of your inheritance rights." In that instant, a prolonged silence settled over the office. I spoke up after a long while. "Get in touch with the Kingsford University administration, Richard. I'll be attending the centennial celebration in person as a board member. If Ella is dead set on causing a spectacle there, then let's make sure there are plenty of reporters to see it." … It was the media open day for Kingsford University's centennial celebration two days later. Richard pushed open the double doors to the auditorium for me, prompting the noisy crowd inside to fall silent as hundreds of people fixed their attention on me. Ella was in a prominent place below the stage with Harry, Maisie, and more than a dozen other students who had pretended to be financially disadvantaged. They were all holding picket signs with prominent red lettering on them. "Hugo Goodwin Ruined Me—Boycott Him Now!" Camera flashes went off everywhere, with every camera pointed straight at the commotion. Ella pointed at me and yelled, "You finally showed up, Hugo! You're clearly using the double repayment clause to force poor students like us into a corner! You'd better explain yourself in front of the press today!" Harry and Maisie backed her up, shouting, "That's right! We won't let money and power intimidate us!" I adjusted my suit cuffs and calmly walked up to the stage. "You want an explanation, huh?" I spoke in a voice loud enough to drown out the uproar in the auditorium. "Hand out the documents, Richard." With a wave of his hand, Richard ordered the legal team behind him to step right up. They threw thick stacks of documents down in front of Ella and her group. Ella took the document and frowned. "What's this?" I looked at her coldly and replied, "You're accused of falsifying documents to claim financial aid and defrauding my foundation of 300,000 dollars, Ella Lowe. You also fabricated allegations and spread defamatory claims online, causing my company to lose a major overseas project." Ella became visibly paler with every word I said. "My legal team has formally filed criminal charges with the financial crimes unit and the court. You are looking at real prison time and massive joint civil liability." Harry and Maisie were terrified, their legs nearly giving out as the picket signs fell to the floor. "We had nothing to do with this, Mr. Goodwin! Ella made us do it!" Harry fell to his knees and repeatedly slammed his forehead against the floor. "We'll pay everything back! We'll even pay double! Please don't file a lawsuit against us, Mr. Goodwin!" Ella panicked for a moment before suddenly bursting out laughing. She ripped up the legal notice in her hand, took out her phone, and started a live stream. "Did you guys see what just happened? That's how awful these capitalists really are!" She turned the camera toward me, sobbing as she yelled, "He's trying to use falsified accounts to send me to prison! He has already bought off the university! He's trying to ruin me in front of the whole internet! Please help other female students and me at Kingsford University!" Ella's live stream quickly surpassed five million viewers. There were a lot of online users condemning me in the comment section for using my influence to bully others. Thus, between the press on-site and the millions watching Ella's live stream, a wave of public backlash crashed down on me. Ella held up her phone with a smug smile. "What good does your money do you now, Hugo? You've got millions of people watching your every move right now! Go ahead and make a move against me!" I looked right into Ella's camera while facing the wave of online backlash. "If you want a public trial on the internet, then I'll make sure you get exactly what you asked for, Ella."