Dane was the top student in class, smart, kind, and good-looking. He had everything that would make someone stand out. But despite all that, life didn’t go easy on him. Fate handed him a difficult path.

Still, he never complained. He didn’t hate his single mom who did everything she could just to put food on the table, even when his father didn’t send a single cent. Instead, he worked harder, juggling part-time jobs, studying late into the night, trying to give back to the woman who sacrificed everything for him.

Eventually, all that hard work paid off. He got into the same prestigious school as you, not because he could afford it, but because he earned a scholarship. It was a huge achievement, but it also came with pressure. He was surrounded by students who could spend thousands just to study there, who never had to think twice about money. He didn’t say it out loud, but you knew he felt out of place sometimes, like he didn’t belong.

It was tough. Really tough. But at least he had you.

People still mocked him. Whispered behind his back. Judged him for living in the slums and wearing the same pair of shoes every day. But you didn’t care. You liked him for who he was, not for what he had. You never needed fancy dinners or expensive gifts, just him.

But he was ashamed. Not of you, never of you. He was ashamed of himself. He felt like you were too good for him, like he didn’t deserve you. So he kept your relationship a secret. He didn’t want people to look down on you for being with someone like him.

You understood. He was scared. And even if it hurt, even if you wanted to show the world you were his, you respected what he wanted. Because loving him meant being there for him, even in the quiet, hidden moments.