1 Reborn, my first act was rejecting my parents’ $50K allowance—and taking a predatory loan instead. In my past life, my roommate Jessica bound me to a "system" that swapped our finances. No matter what, my account never held over $30. With my money, she became the campus queen—dating heartthrob Ethan Virtue while painting me as her pitiful charity case. When I showed bank statements, every transfer magically shrank to $30. Jessica would flash her phone, crocodile tears gleaming: "See? My parents send $50K monthly. Why can’t Freda face reality?" The backlash was vicious. Relatives who defended me died in "accidents." My body withered mysteriously. Finally, Ethan’s friends dragged me into the woods—I died after hours of torture. Then I woke up, back in time. This time, I’d see how long the campus princess lasted without my money—and with crushing debt. … "Seriously, Freda, you're pathetic. All your designer clothes were bought with handouts, and you have the nerve to be flashier than Jessica?" "She's so generous to you, and you just waste her money. If Jessica wasn't such a saint, she would've kicked you to the curb ages ago!" "Say something! Stop playing dead! Get on your knees and apologize to her right now, or we'll make you." The jeers echoed in my ears, and for a dizzying moment, I struggled to place myself. Then it hit me. I was truly reborn, thrown back to the very day my roommate, Jessica Price, used her system to frame me as a poor student living off her charity. Seeing my silence, Jessica stepped forward, her voice dripping with fake empathy. "Freda, don't tell me you're going to claim that money came from your parents. That you're the rich one? If that's the case, why don't you show everyone your bank balance?" She smiled sweetly. "Or better yet, have your parents wire you a few hundred thousand right now. That would shut us all up." Last time, I fell for it. I stared at my thirty-dollar balance in disbelief and frantically called my parents, begging them to send more money. My desperation to prove the truth only played into her hands, funneling immense wealth directly into her account and solidifying her status as the campus queen. When I held up my phone to show the incoming transfers, the numbers had magically changed to pocket change. In an instant, I became a public enemy, accused of being a vain, selfish leech who was bleeding her poor, hardworking parents dry. As I was plotting my next move, the campus heartthrob, Ethan Virtue, finally spoke up, his voice laced with contempt. "Freda, it's over. Stop being so stubborn. A vain, selfish person like you doesn't deserve Jessica's kindness. The thought of you chasing after me makes my skin crawl!" His brow furrowed in disgust as he strode forward and shoved me hard. I stumbled and fell to the ground. It was ironic. During freshman orientation, he had approached me, commenting on the beautiful necklace I wore and asking if he could borrow it to buy a similar one for his mother. Now, a sharp pain shot through my shoulder where I'd hit the floor. The crowd around us erupted in cheers, shouting that Ethan had done the right thing. This only fueled Jessica's performance. She bit her lip, looking down at me with tear-filled eyes, making no move to help me up. "Freda, I can't believe it's come to this. We're roommates. All you had to do was admit you were wrong. I would have forgiven you. Why do you have to be so stubborn and twist the truth...?" "Who said I was going to be stubborn?" I gritted my teeth and pushed myself up from the ground, forcing a smile. "I'm so sorry, your highness. I was being vain. I took the money you gave me and bought all this stuff. As punishment, I'll donate every last piece to charity for them to sell." I looked at her with wide, pleading eyes. "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me and... continue supporting me." The crowd, which had been ready to tear me apart, fell silent. They exchanged confused glances, unsure of what to say. Jessica was stunned. A flicker of panic crossed her eyes. "Freda, you don't have to do that. If you're really sorry, maybe you should sell the items first and then donate the cash. What if the charity damages them...?" "Oh, I'm sure the professionals can handle it." If I sold them first, would there be any money left for me to donate? It would go straight to her account. I turned away, my expression turning to ice. I pulled out my phone, opened a predatory loan app, and applied for a small, one-hundred-dollar loan. As expected, the moment the loan was approved, the money never hit my account. I refreshed the app. The name on the loan agreement was now Jessica Price. So, the system was thorough. It didn't just swap money; it swapped the source, too. I almost laughed out loud. Jessica, your nightmare is just beginning. 2 I took out one hundred thousand dollars in high-interest loans in a single sitting. Then I called my parents, told them I didn't need an allowance anymore, and applied for off-campus housing. I would live off what I already had. Even so, a heavy pressure lingered in my chest. The system's parasitic effect on my body hadn't vanished completely. That afternoon, as I was leaving campus with a small bag, I saw Jessica and Ethan waiting for a car by the road, surrounded by a gaggle of their followers. They spotted me, their faces twisting into identical sneers. "Freda!" Jessica called out, jogging over to me with a bright, cheerful expression. "What a coincidence! We were just talking about you. I've been thinking, 'give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.' I've decided to stop giving you money and help you find a part-time job instead." It's amazing what money can do. Dressed head-to-toe in luxury brands, the old, insecure girl who used to subsist on the cheapest cafeteria food was gone. It was hard to believe this was the same person. I couldn't help but wonder what dark magic she'd used to bind me. She shoved a stack of flyers into my hand, her expression earnest. "I picked out all the best-paying jobs for you. Once you donate money you've earned with your own two hands, everyone will forgive you." She sighed dramatically. "My eyes are killing me from searching for these. Anyway, I'm about to treat everyone to a five-star hotel buffet. How about you pick up the tab this time?" I had never met anyone so shameless. She was spending my parents' money while trying to force me into working to fund her lifestyle. I glanced at the flyers. They were filled with shady gigs, including an ad for selling my own eggs. Just then, Ethan and the others sauntered over. "What are you waiting for, Freda?" one of them scoffed. "Some of those jobs have application deadlines today. You'd better hurry. They won't wait for you." "Jessica's parents just sent her another hundred grand," another chimed in. "That's more than your parents probably make in a lifetime. How can a poor girl like you just stand around doing nothing?" A glittering Rolex had appeared on Ethan's wrist, a model that screamed "chosen by a girlfriend" and was easily worth tens of thousands. He was burning through my money fast. No wonder he was so eager for me to earn more. I couldn't help but smirk. "As a student, I think my priority should be my studies," I said with a pleasant smile. "From now on, I plan to live on thirty dollars a month. Not a penny more. I'd appreciate it if you all held me to that." I turned to leave, but a hand clamped down on my arm. "Is that how a charity case speaks to her benefactor?" Ethan snarled, flinging my arm away as if he'd touched something filthy. "Jessica went to all this trouble to help you, and you're just going to walk away? Do you enjoy being a parasite?!" His cold, menacing gaze merged with the memory of his eyes as he watched me die in my past life. My breath caught in my throat. He shoved me to the ground again before turning to leave with Jessica. But this time, a thought struck me. It wasn't just about sucking up to Jessica. It felt like... he genuinely hated me. 3 It felt like an eternity before my family's Rolls-Royce finally pulled up to the curb. By then, I was drenched in sweat, on the verge of heatstroke. My driver, Mr. Virtue, took his sweet time parking before giving a cursory double-tap on the horn. "Mr. Virtue, what took you so long?" I asked, collapsing into the back seat, my shirt already soaked through. He, on the other hand, was in a noticeably cheerful mood. He shot me a stern look in the rearview mirror. "You know, miss, you really need to work on that princess attitude. I'm your family's driver, not your personal slave. I'm an elder, you should show some respect." He sniffed. "It was just a few minutes of waiting. Most girls aren't nearly as fragile as you. I'd never let my son date someone with your attitude!" Just then, my phone buzzed with notifications. It was my classmates' social media feeds. [OMG, Ethan's family is seriously loaded! He let us ride in his Rolls-Royce! Look at that starlight headliner!] [It was so epic! Next time, we need a second car, though. I'm calling dibs on the Maybach!] [If we hadn't wasted so much time dealing with that shameless pauper, we would've been cooling off in this luxury car ages ago!] I froze. That wasn't his car. That was my family's car. I immediately made a call. The results of a quick background check confirmed it. Mr. Virtue's son was none other than Ethan Virtue. It all clicked into place. No wonder my every attempt to prove my identity in my past life was thwarted. There was always a mole leaking information. And no wonder Ethan was so determined to destroy me. He and Jessica were working together from the inside. My hand instinctively went to the necklace Ethan had "borrowed" during orientation. That's when it all started. Right after that, Jessica, the girl who could barely afford food, suddenly became incredibly wealthy. Back then, I used my meal card for everything and never checked my bank balance. I had handed them the perfect opportunity. "Miss Freda, what are you doing?" The car screeched to a halt. Mr. Virtue was staring at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes wide with panic, fixed on my hand as it was about to unclasp the necklace. "That was a coming-of-age gift from your mother," he stammered. "You're not taking it off, are you?" His panicked expression was all the confirmation I needed. "Of course not," I said with a small laugh. "Just admiring it." I closed my eyes, and from the driver's seat, I heard a quiet sigh of relief. The moment I got back to the villa, I ripped the necklace off. I called my father and told him Mr. Virtue had been disrespectful and needed to be fired. Then, I enjoyed a gourmet meal prepared by our French chef, and after eating my fill, I collapsed into bed. As I suspected, without the necklace, the crushing weight on my chest lifted. It was as if a massive boulder had been rolled off me. To avoid tipping my hand, I found an identical-looking necklace in my jewelry box and put it on. And now, Jessica, all you have left... is that hundred-thousand-dollar debt.
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