When college started, my parents bought me a $3,000 mattress. But the moment it entered the dorm, my roommate completely lost her mind. "Three thousand dollars? Is this mattress going to guarantee you a spot in grad school or turn you into a literal angel?" She looked at my new mattress like it was covered in filth, her lips curling in disgust. "This kind of extravagant, corrupt behavior is exactly what we college students need to eradicate!" "Our dorm is trying to win the 'Model Room' award, and you're going to ruin our reputation!" I picked at my ear and looked at her like she was an idiot. "I spent my own money. What the hell does it have to do with you?" I couldn't be bothered to argue with her, so I went home for the weekend. When I came back, my bed was gone. In its place was a bare, wooden board. And my roommate was standing there, lost in her grand delusion of being a "student leader ridding the people of evil." "I took care of the mattress for you. I cut out the memory foam and gave it to some low-income students to use as seat cushions, and I gave the springs to the art department for an installation project. Upcycling!" "I've also applied with the Resident Advisor to manage your scholarship and allowance from now on, to help you develop the good habit of being frugal." I laughed out of sheer anger. Right in front of her, I dialed 911. You want to be a leader that badly? Let me send you to the police station to experience what real communal living is like. 1. On the first day of college, my parents insisted on helping me move into the dorm, bringing along the mattress they had ordered well in advance. When the movers hauled the beautifully packaged mattress into the four-person dorm room, the space instantly felt a bit cramped. My other two roommates, Lily and Mia, just looked on with curiosity. Only Chloe, who had the bed by the window, eyed my parents' clothes critically from the moment we walked in. Finally, her gaze landed on the brand logo of the mattress. My dad directed the movers to unwrap it and place it securely on my bed frame, then laid out the bedding he had personally picked out. "Evelyn, take good care of yourself at school. If you need more money, just let me know," my mom said, anxiously organizing my desk. "The dorm is a bit basic, so just make do for now. I've already asked your dad to look at apartments near the campus." I smiled and pushed them toward the door. "I know, I know. You guys head back now. I can handle myself." After seeing my parents off, I turned around and met Chloe's eyes. Her gaze was like a loaded gun, ready to fire and draw blood. She held a student handbook and slowly sauntered over to my bed, pressing down hard on the brand-new mattress. "Evelyn, right? I'm the Room Captain, and I'm also on the Disciplinary Committee of the Student Government. My name is Chloe." With every title she listed, her chin lifted an inch higher. I nodded, considering that a greeting. But she wouldn't let it go, pointing at my mattress, her voice suddenly rising. "This mattress must have cost a fortune, right?" I didn't like her interrogative tone, so I replied flatly. "It's okay. My parents got it for me." "Okay?" Chloe scoffed as if she'd heard the funniest joke in the world. "I know this brand. The cheapest one is four figures. Looking at the thickness and style of this one, it's gotta be at least three thousand dollars, right?" Her voice was so loud that Lily and Mia stopped what they were doing and stared at me. I frowned, feeling annoyed. "And so?" "And so?" Chloe slammed her hand on the desk, her face turning red. "Evelyn, do you even know what college is for? College is a place for you to learn and develop a humble character, not a place to show off your wealth!" "A three thousand dollar mattress? Is sleeping on that going to get you into a top grad program or turn you into a god?" She spoke with righteous indignation, as if I had committed some heinous crime. "If word gets out about this extravagant, corrupt behavior, think of the impact it will have on our school's reputation!" "As a student leader, I absolutely cannot tolerate this kind of thing happening!" I was genuinely amused by her impassioned speech. "I spent my own money to buy something to sleep on. How does that affect you?" "If you don't like it, don't look at it. If you think it's hindering your ascension to godhood, you can always request a room transfer." Chloe's face instantly turned a sickly shade of green. "What kind of attitude is that? Do you think having money makes you better than everyone else?" "Let me tell you, our dorm is competing for the 'Model Room' award this semester. Your behavior will lower our score and affect everyone's honor!" She slapped a copy of the grading rubric onto my desk, pointing to a line that read "Frugality and Waste Prevention." "See this? This is a strict requirement! Because of you, the three of us are going to be dragged down!" Lily and Mia exchanged a glance but didn't dare to speak. I picked up the rubric and tossed it straight into the trash can. "If you're sick, go see a doctor. Don't throw a fit here." "You!" Chloe was shaking with anger, her finger pointing at me trembling. I put on my headphones, too lazy to deal with her anymore. The world was finally quiet. 2. Over the next few days, Chloe didn't confront me directly, but the atmosphere in the dorm became incredibly weird. She would constantly gather the other two roommates for "mini-meetings" to discuss how to "build a model dorm," shooting pointed glances my way every so often. Every morning, she would walk around the dorm with a small notebook, acting like a health inspector. "Lily, your towel isn't folded perfectly square. Minus one point." "Mia, there's a hair on your desk. Minus one point." Finally, she would stop by my bed, look at my three-thousand-dollar mattress, sigh heavily, and draw a giant 'X' in her notebook. "Sigh, one bad apple spoils the whole bunch." Lily and Mia were driven crazy by her, living in constant fear of losing points, and the way they looked at me started to carry a hint of resentment. I couldn't be bothered to participate in her childish games. Having no classes on Friday afternoon, I packed my things and went straight home. Sunday evening, I returned to the dorm carrying a bunch of snacks my mom had packed for me. The moment I pushed the door open, I froze. My bed frame... was still there. But my mattress was gone. In its place was a bare, hard wooden board that smelled faintly of mildew. Only Chloe was in the dorm. She was sitting at her desk, leisurely reading a book, a smug smile playing on her lips. Seeing me return, she pushed up her glasses and stood up slowly. "You're back?" I set the bags in my hands down heavily on the desk, making a loud bang. "Where is my mattress?" Chloe acted as if she didn't see the fury in my eyes, instead putting on an expression that said "I did this for your own good." "Oh, you mean that source of extravagance and corruption? I took care of it for you." She pointed to a woven bag in the corner. "I took the memory foam out. I'll distribute it to some low-income students in our department later. It's getting cold, so they can use it as seat cushions. Consider it putting things to good use." She then pointed to a few burlap sacks on the balcony. "I didn't waste the springs either. I contacted the art department. They happen to need materials for an installation project, so it's perfect upcycling." I was trembling with rage, my nails digging deep into my palms. "Who gave you the right to touch my things?" "Right?" Chloe's smile grew even wider. "Evelyn, I'm doing this to help you, and to save our dorm's reputation!" "Don't worry, I've handled everything thoroughly." She pulled a printed application form from her drawer and waved it in front of me. "I've already submitted an application to the Resident Advisor, under the authority of the Student Government and as Room Captain. Given your reckless spending and lack of awareness, I recommended that your scholarship and living expenses be managed by me from now on." "I'll create a detailed budget for you to help you develop the good habit of frugality. Once your attitude improves, I'll give your money back." She was so immersed in her grand fantasy of being a "student leader ridding the people of evil" that she completely failed to notice my face had turned black with rage. "No need to thank me. It's what I should do as a student leader." I looked at her face, twisted with excitement, and laughed out of sheer fury. I pulled out my phone and, right in front of her, clearly dialed 911. "Hello, 911? I want to report a burglary at my university dorm. The stolen property is worth three thousand dollars." You want to be a leader that badly? I'll send you straight to the police station to experience what real communal living is like. 3. The moment the call connected, the smug smile on Chloe's face instantly froze. "What... what are you doing? Are you crazy?!" She lunged at me to grab my phone, but I kicked her away. "Officer, the address is A University, Dorm Building 12, Room 401. Yes, theft, amount is three thousand dollars. The suspect is my roommate, and she's at the scene." I calmly stated the address, every word hitting Chloe's heart like a sledgehammer. She turned pale, her lips trembling, unable to form a complete sentence. "Evelyn! You can't do this! This is an internal dorm conflict! How could you call the cops!" I hung up the phone and looked at her coldly. "Internal conflict? You broke into my locker, stole my things, and even tried to control my finances, and now you're telling me it's an internal conflict?" "I didn't steal! I was... I was helping you get rid of it!" She was still trying to act tough, but her voice was already laced with tears. Just then, Lily and Mia returned. Seeing the tense atmosphere in the room, they were both startled. "What's going on?" Chloe saw them as her saviors and grabbed Lily's arm. "Lily, talk some sense into her! She called the cops! Over a mattress, she actually called the cops to arrest me!" Lily and Mia were shocked, looking at me in disbelief. "Evelyn, you... you really called the cops? Isn't that taking it too far..." Mia whispered, trying to persuade me. "Chloe was just trying to help the dorm, maybe her methods were... a bit extreme, but don't sink to her level." Before I could even open my mouth, Chloe's tears started falling. She plopped down on the floor and began to wail loudly. "What did I do wrong! I put my heart and soul into the honor of this dorm, into helping my classmates improve, what did I do wrong!" "She's so rich, what is one mattress to her? But to those low-income students, one seat cushion could keep them warm all winter!" "I turned her trash into treasure. Not only is she ungrateful, but she also called the cops on me! Where is the justice in this world!" She cried so pitifully, making it seem as if she was the one who had suffered a massive injustice. The police arrived quickly, accompanied by the Resident Advisor. The RA, Ms. Davis, was a young teacher who had just graduated a couple of years ago. Seeing the scene upon entering, she was also stunned. "What... what is going on here?" Upon seeing the RA, Chloe cried even harder, scrambling over to hug Ms. Davis's leg. "Ms. Davis! You have to help me! I was just answering the school's call to help a student who was falling behind, and she... she actually called the police to arrest me!" The police quickly assessed the situation and turned to me. "Miss, did you make the call?" I nodded, explained exactly what had happened, and pointed to the woven bags in the corner and on the balcony. "That's my mattress in there." The police went over to inspect, their expressions turning serious. Chloe continued to sob. "I really didn't do it on purpose! I just thought she was being too wasteful and wanted to teach her a lesson! We're all sisters in the same dorm, how can this be considered stealing?" "And... and she's so rich, she doesn't even care about this little amount of money! She's just targeting me! Because I'm a student leader, she hates my guts!" She successfully shifted the topic from theft to class conflict and personal vendetta. 4. Ms. Davis was clearly moved by Chloe's crying. She frowned at me, her tone carrying a hint of reprimand. "Evelyn, I know you come from a good family, but aren't you blowing this out of proportion?" "Chloe's intentions were good. Although her methods were indeed inappropriate, she was doing it for your own good, for the collective honor of our dorm." "Classmates have little conflicts all the time, how can you just call the police at the drop of a hat? If word gets out, it'll reflect badly on you, on Chloe, and on our entire department." I looked at this RA who was trying to smooth things over, letting out a cold laugh in my heart. "Ms. Davis, does 'having good intentions' give someone the right to arbitrarily dispose of someone else's personal property worth three thousand dollars?" "Does 'having good intentions' give someone the right to apply for control over my personal finances under the guise of 'doing it for my own good'?" "If what I lost today wasn't a mattress, but three thousand dollars in cash, and she also claimed it was to help me be frugal, would that also not be considered stealing?" My series of rhetorical questions made Ms. Davis look a bit embarrassed. She opened her mouth but couldn't find anything to say. An older police officer cleared his throat and spoke up. "Regardless of the intention, taking and disposing of someone else's property without permission, and reaching the monetary threshold for filing a case, constitutes theft." Hearing the word "theft," Chloe's crying choked off, and she began to tremble even more violently. "Officer, I... I really know I was wrong! I'll never do it again!" She turned to me, crawling towards me on her knees. "Evelyn, I'm sorry, I was wrong! Please forgive me this one time! I'll put the mattress back exactly as it was! Please, drop the charges!" "I can't have a criminal record, a criminal record will ruin my life! My parents will kill me!" She clung to my calf, snot and tears smearing all over my pants. Ms. Davis also quickly tried to mediate. "Yes, yes, Evelyn, look, Chloe knows she made a mistake. Be the bigger person and forgive her this time." "We all live in the same dorm, we see each other every day, let's not make things so tense." "The school will also give her a severe reprimand to ensure she never does it again." I looked down at Chloe, who was crying uncontrollably at my feet, then at the conflicted RA and the expressionless police officers. I knew perfectly well that even if she were taken away today, she would at most be detained for a few days and made to pay compensation. But for someone like her, that punishment was far from enough. What I wanted was to completely destroy her reputation, to turn everything she was so proud of into dust. I took a deep breath and slowly spoke. "Fine, I can choose not to press charges." Chloe and Ms. Davis both breathed a sigh of relief. "But," I pivoted sharply, "she must reimburse me for the mattress, three thousand dollars, not a penny less." All the blood instantly drained from Chloe's face. "Three... three thousand?" "What, is that too much?" I raised an eyebrow. "I still have the receipt, do you want to see it?" Chloe collapsed completely onto the floor. For someone who constantly labeled herself as a low-income student, three thousand dollars was an astronomical figure. Finally, with the police mediating, Chloe wrote an IOU for three thousand dollars, promising to pay it off within a month. In front of everyone, I stated that I accepted the mediation and would not pursue criminal charges against her. The police packed up and left, and Ms. Davis dragged the devastated Chloe to her office for a "talk." Only Lily, Mia, and I were left in the dorm. They looked at me with complex expressions. "Evelyn, are you... really just going to let it go?" I smiled but didn't say anything. Let it go, yeah right... The day after things settled down, the university forum exploded. A post titled "Exposing the Extravagant, Police-Calling Rich Bitch" was pushed to the top trending spot. 5. The poster was anonymous, but between the lines, every detail pointed to me. In the post, I was portrayed as an arrogant, condescending, evil rich girl who used her family's dirty money to casually bully ordinary students. Chloe, on the other hand, became a tragic hero—upright, kind, brave enough to fight against "evil forces," only to face suppression and revenge. "On the first day of school, she slapped us all in the face with a three-thousand-dollar mattress. The RA kindly advised her to keep a low profile, and she clapped back." "The Room Captain, who is also a very upright member of the Student Government's Disciplinary Committee, couldn't stand her extravagant lifestyle and offered some well-meaning advice, only to have a finger pointed in her face while being cursed out." "Later, for the honor of our whole dorm, the Captain came up with a way to 'deal' with that mattress, intending to teach her a lesson, and she turned around and called the cops!" "The police actually came! Guys! Over a mattress! She wanted to send her own roommate to prison!" "In the end, the Captain was forced to write an IOU for three thousand dollars. Do you know what three thousand dollars means to a low-income student? That could be her living expenses for years!" The post was highly emotive and inflammatory. A massive thread quickly built up underneath it. "WTF! This rich kid is too arrogant! Since when did A University become a place for these people to show off their wealth?" "Feel sorry for the Captain. Honest people are always the ones persecuted." "A three-thousand-dollar mattress? Poverty limits my imagination. The straw mat I sleep on wasn't even twenty bucks." "Doxx her! Someone like this doesn't deserve to be at A University! Get out!" Soon, my name, major, class, and even my dorm room number were dug up and publicly posted in the comments. Chloe played this hand beautifully. She painted herself as the victim, nailed me to the pillar of shame, and conveniently fanned everyone's anti-rich sentiments. Lily and Mia clutched their phones, looking at me nervously. "Evelyn, what... what do we do now?" What could I do? I looked at the vile insults in the post, watched Chloe using alt accounts in the comments to steer the narrative, and just felt nauseous. She really thought she could do whatever she wanted hiding behind a screen and an anonymous handle. She was too naive. I didn't reply to the post, nor did I confront her. I just quietly screenshotted everything, including the comments that personally attacked me and leaked my personal information. Then, I called my dad. "Dad, find me the best cybersecurity team, and get me in touch with the A University Board of Trustees." Chloe, don't you love playing public opinion warfare? I'll play with you. I just don't know if your amateur skills are enough to keep up.
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