I was reborn the day before my best friend burned down my apartment. She had a fight with her boyfriend and wanted to crash at my place for a couple of days. Little did I know, the very next day, while I was out grocery shopping, she set my apartment on fire. She walked away without a scratch, leaving me buried in millions of dollars of debt. On the exact day I finally paid off the last cent of that debt, I was hit by a car and killed instantly. 1 I opened my eyes and immediately saw my apartment, perfectly intact and not yet reduced to charcoal. I pinched my arm hard. It hurt. This wasn't a dream. I checked the calendar on my phone. It was exactly the day before the fire. Since God gave me a second chance at life, I was going to make sure I lived it well this time. The custom ringtone for my best friend, Chloe, had been ringing for ten straight minutes before I finally answered. If I didn't pick up, she was fully capable of just showing up at my door, and I absolutely could not let her in. "Maya, Liam wants to break up with me. He told me to move out of his place," my "best friend" Chloe whined and cried through the phone. Hearing her voice brought back memories of my past life. Back then, afraid she’d be left on the street, I let her stay at my place temporarily. The first day, she seemed perfectly fine. The second day, she went completely psychotic, locked herself in my apartment, and burned the whole place down with her inside. From then on, my life consisted only of endless suffering and insurmountable debt. "Chloe, do you have any money on you?" I asked, feigning anxiety. In reality, I knew she had given her debit card to her boyfriend; she barely had a dime. "I don't. And I don't have my ID either. Can I crash at your place for a bit?" She cried, sounding wronged and a little resentful. "What? He took your ID too? No way, we have to call the police. He’s getting worse and worse," I gasped. Letting her stay with me was absolutely out of the question. "Don't! He'll hit me," Chloe said, her voice trembling with fear. "Don't worry, the police will protect you. Besides, without an ID, you can't even check into a hotel," I said, pretending to be distressed. "Can I just stay at your place? Just for two days. I'll make up with Liam, I promise." She asked again. Absolutely not. I wasn't about to spend decades of this life paying off debt again. Thank goodness Chloe still thought I was just renting this apartment. "Chloe, my landlord explicitly said I can't have guests over. Let me think of something else," I politely declined. "Can't you just ask him to make an exception? I really have nowhere else to go." She was still whimpering. I hung up on her immediately, dialed 911, and tearfully told the dispatcher that my best friend was being held against her will by her boyfriend and that he had confiscated her ID. After giving them her address, I put my phone on airplane mode, ready to start my new life. I quickly texted my manager to request ten days of PTO, packed my bags, and prepared for an impromptu vacation. I asked my friendly neighbor, Sarah, to keep an eye out for me. If anyone came looking, she was to say I was away on a business trip. It pays to be on good terms with your neighbors; Sarah smiled and readily agreed. As for where I was going, I hadn't decided yet. I figured I'd just head to the airport and buy a ticket to wherever. But one thing was certain: I was absolutely not turning off airplane mode today. 2 It was a beautiful spring day, the ocean breeze was gentle, and life was good. I was wearing a swimsuit and sunglasses, lounging on a beach chair in Miami, soaking up the sun and enjoying life. I had been scrolling through the news all day, but unfortunately, there was no sign of Chloe. Ring, ring. My custom ringtone went off. Given the time, shouldn't she be engulfed in flames by now? The persistent ringing caught the attention of the guy in sunglasses lounging on the chair next to me. Being slightly introverted, I quickly hit answer. "Maya Thorne, didn't I tell you not to call the cops?!" Chloe's voice was borderline hysterical. "Chloe, I did it for your own good. Why don't you understand?" I took a sip of coconut water, letting my voice sound hurt. "Do you know you ruined Liam?! He said he wanted to break up. Because of you, Liam broke up with me! Just wait, I'm coming to find you right now." I could hear wind in the background on Chloe's end; she was probably on the road. "As your absolute best friend, what's the big deal if I stay at your place for two days? Did you have to make such a huge scene..." She was still screaming into the wind, but I didn't care. I hung up the phone and blocked her number. It would be a miracle if she could find me today. The guy in sunglasses next to me was still looking at me. I offered him a slight smile and gave him a quick once-over. He wasn't bad looking—a handsome guy with shoulders as broad as a refrigerator. Looking down a bit... ahem, getting a little carried away. In my past life, I hadn't even touched a man. Talk about a raw deal. Maybe in this life, I could test the waters. But before I could test any waters, my neighbor Sarah texted me some juicy gossip. Today, Chloe first went to my office looking for me. The receptionist told her I wasn't there. She threw a massive fit, and the security guards literally had to throw her out. Then she went to my apartment. After knocking for ages with no answer, she called a locksmith. Just as the locksmith was about to pick the lock, Sarah, who had just returned from shopping, saw them and demanded to know why they were breaking into someone else's apartment. Chloe said she couldn't reach me and was afraid something had happened to me inside. Sarah told her I was on a business trip and told her to leave. Chloe refused to believe it and insisted on picking the lock. Sarah lost her temper and called the cops, reporting a break-in. The locksmith realized it wasn't Chloe's apartment, cursed his bad luck, and bailed with his tools. And Chloe got treated to another free ride in a police cruiser. What happened next is anyone's guess. I thanked Sarah profusely. She said it was no problem, just to keep an eye out for a good guy to set her up with. I was grinding my teeth in anger. Chloe was truly psychotic; she never considered the consequences of her actions. I didn't even want to think about what would have happened if she had successfully gotten into my apartment today. Would she have burned it down just like in my past life? Our family backgrounds were worlds apart. She grew up wealthy, the apple of her family's eye, never knowing hardship. I was raised by my grandmother, who picked up recycling to make ends meet. After my younger brother was born, my parents left to find work out of state and never even came back for the holidays. My grandma was uneducated, but she wanted me to study hard, leave our poor, rural town, and see the world. As a top student, I got a full ride to a prestigious private high school, complete with a scholarship. Meeting Chloe was an accident. During our sophomore year, she was being bullied by some mean girls. Seeing her crying her eyes out, I couldn't just walk by. I stepped in and helped her. From then on, I gained a nickname: Chloe's shadow. Chloe always told me I was her best friend and that I shouldn't listen to what others said about us. Aside from studying, all I did was try to make money. Whenever I felt miserable and helpless, Chloe would keep me company and carefully talk me through it. At that time, I truly saw her as my one and only best friend in life. In college, Chloe started dating Liam. When her parents objected, she went on a hunger strike. Eventually, for some unknown reason, her parents begrudgingly accepted him and even bought her a condo. Liam was a punk. He never took college seriously, constantly got into fights, and skipped class to party. I tried to warn her multiple times that Liam was bad news. She turned right around and told Liam that I said he was a bad person. I had wanted to give up on our friendship for a long time, but Chloe was incredibly clingy. She'd call and text me every day, saying it wasn't safe for me to be alone and that she worried about me. I didn't have many friends; she was the person I interacted with the most. Except for her absolute blindness when it came to Liam, she wasn't terrible to me, so our friendship maintained this lukewarm status quo. As for her new condo, to give Liam "face," she secretly stole her birth certificate, eloped with him, and gifted the condo to him. Now, only Liam's name was on the deed. Regarding Chloe's toxic codependency, I knew I couldn't talk her out of it, and I didn't want to try anymore. Laying on the plush hotel bed, I tossed and turned, unable to sleep. I needed to figure out how to stay far, far away from Chloe, that ticking time bomb, once I got back. 3 Because my PTO was last-minute, my tasks couldn't easily be reassigned. By the fifth day, my manager called me back to work. The struggle of corporate life—who else gets it? Before boarding my flight, I texted Chloe's parents about everything that had happened with her recently, asking them to talk some sense into her. I absolutely could not let that psycho come to my office and harass me. In my past life, the fire didn't just claim my apartment and Chloe's life; it also damaged the neighboring units. Millions of dollars in damages all fell on my shoulders. Chloe's parents didn't help me pay a single cent. They insisted it was impossible for Chloe to have committed suicide. They claimed it must have been an accidental fire in my apartment and that Chloe couldn't escape in time. Their daughter was perfectly fine; why would she want to die? It had to be my fault. I took her in out of the goodness of my heart, and in the end, it was my fault? In this life, I decided that family could stay the hell away from me. I needed to live a good life. Half a month after returning to work, I saw Chloe and Liam at the main entrance right after I clocked out. "Maya, long time no see! It was my fault last time," Chloe said with a bright smile, stepping forward to link arms with me, acting like we were the best of friends. "Liam and I are here to apologize today. Let's get dinner?" I glanced at Liam, who was forcing a smile. This guy was a master manipulator; I couldn't afford to mess with him. "Chloe, I was impulsive last time, but you were at fault too. You said Liam took your ID, and I panicked..." As I said this with a wronged expression, Liam's face instantly darkened, looking incredibly dangerous. Dinner tonight? Dinner my foot. It was 90% likely a trap. I wasn't going. "Ah, I didn't explain clearly last time. But how did you just happen to be on a business trip?" Chloe gripped my arm tightly, her nails digging in. "It was a company assignment," I said, feigning regret. "Chloe, it's really bad timing. Our company has a team-building dinner tonight. I'll treat you guys next time." I quickly pulled my arm out of her grip and grabbed the nearest person standing idly by the entrance. "Maya, is this a guy... Are you seeing someone?" Chloe looked shocked, glaring viciously at the arm I was holding. "How can you be seeing someone?" I looked up. Yep, it was a guy. I was so focused on grabbing a sleeve that I didn't even check the gender. Does this guy not have a job? Why is he wearing a pink dress shirt? But this arm... nice muscle tone. More importantly, who the hell had I grabbed? I didn't even know him. Whatever. Escaping these two plagues was the priority. "A good friend from work. We're heading out now. I'll treat you next time," I said, dragging the guy away like a pack of rabid dogs was chasing me. Chloe stomped her foot in frustration and got into her car with a stony-faced Liam. Only when I saw them drive away did I let out a sigh of relief and quickly pull my hand back. "What, use me and lose me?" the man's gentle voice carried a hint of amusement. "Uh, sorry about that. If it's meant to be, I'll buy you dinner sometime. I gotta run," I said, not waiting for him to reply before slipping away. "It's fine. I'll make sure you get that chance," the man murmured. I ran too fast and didn't catch his last sentence. Not that it mattered anyway. I was pretty shaken up today. I didn't dare risk Chloe, that psycho, waiting for me at my apartment complex. I checked into a hotel near my office to rest. 4 Chloe and Liam were a match made in hell. Liam manipulated her, and she loved every second of it. In the middle of the night, I was woken up by my phone ringing. It was an unknown number. I declined it, but they called right back. Calling repeatedly in the middle of the night? They must be crazy. I just turned my phone off to avoid any risks. The next day, as soon as I turned my phone on, Chloe's mom called. "Mrs. Vance, what's wrong?" I answered. "Maya, what is going on with you and Chloe? She said she went to find you, but you wouldn't open the door. Then, some wicked person called the cops and got her thrown in jail." The woman on the other end sounded full of resentment. Who else could have called the cops but my beautiful, kind-hearted neighbor, Sarah? Chloe really never learned her lesson. Did she not know there were security cameras in the hallway? "Mrs. Vance, I was working on a proposal last night. A last-minute deadline. I didn't go home," I explained in a low, wronged voice, while secretly gloating. "Then why didn't you answer when she called you? Your phone was off! Liam had to go bail her out himself!" Mrs. Vance was imposing. So the middle-of-the-night calls were from Chloe. Thank god I turned my phone off; who wants their sleep disturbed? And if her daughter gets in trouble, who else is supposed to bail her out but her husband? "Mrs. Vance, please talk some sense into Chloe and Liam. Tell them not to fight so much. It's not good for a marriage," I said earnestly. Then I hung up. So annoying. Chloe's mom was still a bit prideful; she didn't call back. The little butterfly effect I created was causing a storm. Unable to handle my distance, Chloe started ambushing me at my office. Thankfully, I had given the security guard a heads-up. If he saw her at the entrance, he'd call me. I didn't know how she had so much free time. After graduating, we rarely saw each other, mostly just texting. Now, she was staking out my office two or three times a week. To avoid her, I had to work late every day, sometimes even sleeping in the little breakroom attached to my boss's office. I remembered that Chloe's family company had business ties with mine. In my past life, it was because of pressure from her parents that I was forced to resign. In this life, Chloe was too busy trying to catch me to think about setting fires, but I couldn't guarantee she wouldn't do something else extreme. If I didn't want to get burned, I had to solve the problem at the source and completely cut ties with her. And I definitely didn't want to go through being forced to resign again. After a lot of mental debate, I knocked on my manager's door. "Come in," a mature female voice said, carrying a hint of coldness. "Ms. Yang, I... I'd like to submit my resignation." I finally mustered the courage to say it. "Maya, you're a very reliable employee. Why the sudden..." My manager, Ms. Yang, twirled a fancy pen in her hand, her sharp gaze fixed on me. "My parents both fell ill at the same time. I need to go home and take care of them." I'm sorry, Mom and Dad. You never took care of me; let me just use you as an excuse this one time. "I just submitted a request to upper management for you to be my deputy. It's a shame you're leaving now." Sigh. In my past life, that deputy position didn't go to me anyway. The Vance family just pulled some strings and put their own person in. I never had a chance. "Ms. Yang, I want to spend more time with my parents," I declined politely. The position wouldn't be mine in the end, regardless. "That's true. Older folks need company," Ms. Yang said slowly. "Approved. Go write your resignation letter, and I'll sign it." I didn't expect my boss to be so accommodating. Employees who resigned under her had often been yelled at until they cried. I was pretty lucky. After spending a week handing over my projects, I submitted my formal resignation to Ms. Yang. "Alright. Tonight, the team is taking you out for a farewell dinner. My treat," Ms. Yang said after signing the paper and handing it back. "I'll handle HR for you. Go home and focus on taking care of your parents." "I couldn't possibly ask you to pay," I said. To sign it so easily and then offer to pay for dinner out of her own pocket? I didn't realize the usually strict Ms. Yang was such a softie. "It's fine. I had security kick your 'friend' out today, so you can just walk right out the front door this afternoon," Ms. Yang smiled slyly. She had everything under control. 5 Things don't always go as planned. While we were at karaoke after dinner, Chloe yanked open the door to our private room, her expression somewhat contorted. "Maya, long time no see. Why haven't you been answering my texts lately? I was so worried about you." She reigned in her emotions, stepped forward, and linked her arm with mine, sounding overly affectionate. "Your company is so nice, always doing team-building events." "Let's talk outside." I signaled my colleague, who had paused singing, to continue, and pulled Chloe out of the room. I led her to the busy main lobby and sat down on a sofa. Chloe immediately started in. "What's wrong with you? You've been hiding from me lately. Did I do something wrong? You never go home either, and that tigress next door keeps calling the cops on me," Chloe complained, her voice full of grievance. Didn't you deserve to have the cops called on you? I was just trying to avoid inheriting millions in debt. I had already prepared my excuse for when she eventually tracked me down. "Chloe, my parents are sick. We need a lot of money. I've been working overtime on proposals. I'm exhausted." I rubbed my temples, looking incredibly drained. When money is brought up, even the closest friendships lose their appeal. "Didn't you say they never cared about you?" Chloe deflected, making sure not to touch the topic of money. "Why don't you just ignore them?" "They're my biological parents. I can't just ignore them. Chloe, could you maybe lend me thirty thousand dollars for an emergency?" I pleaded, using a placating tone. "All my money is with Liam. Can you stop being so blindly loyal to them?" Chloe rubbed her nose naturally—her telltale sign that she was lying. "Chloe, do you just not want to help me?" I lowered my eyes. "No, it's not that. How about this: a friend of mine is hiring waitstaff at a nightclub. Do you want to apply?" Chloe actually offered me this "great" idea. "I'm not working at a place like that. Didn't you say we were best friends? Chloe, you won't help me?" I raised an eyebrow, letting a bit of anger show. If she could manipulate me, I could do it right back. "Well... Liam is getting off work soon. I have to go home. Maya, I'll try to think of something else regarding your parents," Chloe said, grabbing her Chanel bag and leaving without a second glance. If I recall correctly, that bag alone cost more than thirty thousand dollars. So this is why she was being so stingy. Years ago, her parents had blamed me for her mistakes to avoid paying damages. Today, by asking for thirty grand, I ensured she wouldn't bother me again. Nice. But Chloe... what you owe me from our past life is worth far more than just money. Once Chloe was gone, I went to the front desk to settle the bill. I couldn't let Ms. Yang pay for this. The dinner earlier had already cost her over a thousand dollars. "Did you get rid of your friend?" a colleague asked, her face flushed from drinking. "Yeah, she's gone. Let's have a good time," I smiled faintly. Thirty thousand dollars to buy my way out of that friendship? What a steal. After making sure everyone got home safe, I bowed deeply to Ms. Yang, thanking her for her help. "Family is the most important thing. Don't leave any regrets," Ms. Yang said before getting into a cab. This chapter was finally closed. After quitting, the next problem was my apartment. I definitely couldn't live there anymore. I decided to find a big, muscular guy to rent it to. Chloe was terrified of guys like that. I posted the listing, and the very next day, a guy who called himself "Tough Guy" added me on WhatsApp. I tapped his profile picture. Hmm, nice biceps. Me: [Interested in renting?] Tough Guy: [I just wanted to ask, is your place haunted?] Me: [?] Tough Guy: [It's 30% cheaper than other places in the same building, and the hard requirement is that the tenant has to be a tall, muscular man. You can't blame a guy for overthinking.] Me: [So, are you renting? There's a bonus.] Me: [My neighbor is a beautiful, single woman.] Tough Guy: [Perfect, I'm single too. I'll rent it even if it's haunted. I'll come over later to sign the lease.] Wow. Was this guy really just thinking with his lower half? Tsk, tsk. He arrived quickly. He was wearing a t-shirt, had a full sleeve tattoo on his left arm, and was ripped. He didn't look like someone you'd want to mess with. He'd definitely be able to handle Chloe. While we were talking in the hallway, Sarah, my neighbor, opened her door, gripping a baseball bat. Seeing us chatting happily, she gave an awkward smile and closed the door. "That girl is cute. Mind if I take a look at the place?" Tough Guy was a man of few words and quick action. He looked around and immediately signed a one-year lease. He even gave me an extra eight hundred bucks to make up for the discounted rent. Such a straightforward guy, with muscles like that—he could definitely keep my apartment safe. After signing the lease, I took him to meet the property manager and explained the real reason for the cheap rent. He didn't care at all, waving it off as no big deal. He even carried my luggage down and walked me out of the complex. Chloe didn't change numbers to harass me for the next few days. However, I did get an unknown WhatsApp message transferring thirty thousand dollars to me. I asked who it was, but the message bounced back. The person had blocked me right after sending the money? I checked the transfer details. The last letter of the name was 'm'. I didn't know anyone whose name ended in 'm'. Was this a scam? I blocked the account immediately. As long as I didn't accept the transfer, the money would automatically be returned in 24 hours. No problem. 6 Now I had two choices: go back to the country and stay with my grandma, or move to a different city and find a new job. The allure of the city was too strong. Young people should hustle, not just settle down. Naturally, I chose to stay in a city. For the next few days, I was busy sending resumes to over a dozen companies in the neighboring city, completely forgetting about Chloe. A few days later, an unknown number kept trying to add me on WhatsApp. I thought it was an interview invite, so I accepted. [Maya, are you really hiding from me? [I went to your place but couldn't find you. Your company said you quit. [I got ten thousand from Liam. Do you still need it?] A barrage of questions hit me. I didn't even have to guess; it was Chloe. I don't know how she got so many different WhatsApp and phone numbers. [Unemployed. Sold a kidney to get the money. Don't need it, thanks.] One sentence to answer all her questions. Chloe's focus was always different from normal people's. [Where do you sell kidneys for that much?] [Chloe, is your family's company hiring? Can I come on as a planning supervisor? It's a small favor, you can help me with that, right?] Seriously. She barely stopped bothering me, and now she's starting again. [Maya, what are you talking about? I'm just a low-level clerk. How could I just hire a supervisor?] Her reply was quick. I guess she forgot the time she threw a massive tantrum, threatening suicide, just to force her family to hire Liam as a supervisor? [Chloe, you won't even do this little favor for me?] I sent a crying emoji. [Wash your face and go to bed. You can have anything in your dreams.] After sending that, Chloe stopped replying. This was the "best friend" who promised she'd get me a job at her family's company if I couldn't find one? Good thing I never took her seriously. But using her own toxic magic against her? That felt really good. The companies I applied to replied quickly. I eventually decided to interview at a small-to-medium-sized company that offered room and board and had strict dorm security. I had checked beforehand; this new company had no business ties with Chloe's family, so I didn't have to worry about being forced out again. The interview went smoothly. HR asked me to start the next day and told me to spend the afternoon setting up my dorm room. The dorm was close to the office, and there were two security guards with batons stationed outside. The security was indeed good. HR informed me that, aside from internal employees, no guests were allowed in the dorms. That rule alone would stop Chloe from trying to crash at my place. My new life was officially beginning. 7 Similar roles in the same industry don't vary much. I quickly integrated into my new job. Amidst the busy schedule, my neighbor Sarah, whom I hadn't spoken to in a while, sent me a ten-minute video. The video had a lot going on, and Sarah even thoughtfully edited it and added text commentary for me. Chloe had brought Liam to my old apartment and knocked on the door. Tough Guy answered. Chloe looked Tough Guy up and down and said my tastes were extreme, that she didn't expect me to like guys like him. Hearing that, Liam's face turned black as thunder. Tough Guy told them to get lost, saying it was his apartment and to stop making a scene. Chloe didn't believe him and tried to force her way in. Tough Guy just grabbed her by her ponytail and dragged her out into the hallway, ignoring her as she banged on the door. The video then fast-forwarded. The police arrived. Chloe had called them. The police sure visited my place a lot these past few months. Chloe claimed Tough Guy had broken into my apartment and that she thought I was being held hostage, demanding the police rescue me. Tough Guy opened the door, handed the lease agreement to the police, and then Chloe and Liam got a stern lecture from the officers in the hallway before slinking away. Even through the video, I could feel the police officers' exhaustion. Every time, they were called out for some petty nonsense. Sarah also complimented the Tough Guy next door, saying he was very manly and that she wanted to ask him out. I replied: Go out more often, use your charms on him. Sarah replied with an "OK" emoji. At the new company, the colleagues were very friendly. I started from the bottom, soaking up new knowledge like a sponge, and my coworkers were happy to help. See, Chloe? I'm doing so much better without you. Unable to find me, Chloe somehow managed to get my parents' phone number. She called them, asking what illness they had and if they were cured. That phone call almost gave my heartless parents a heart attack. My mom called me and cursed me out for a solid hour, without stopping to take a breath. I turned the volume all the way down, focused on my planning documents, and offered a noncommittal "uh-huh" every now and then. Seeming to sense my indifference, she actually cursed me to die alone and childless. I replied, Don't curse yourselves, I'm your flesh and blood. The other end finally went quiet, and she hung up. Seriously. You ignored me my whole life, and the one time I use you as a tiny excuse, you can't wait to call and scream at me? All they care about is their precious son. If I hadn't moved my residency registration when I went to college, I'd be stuck as a modern-day Cinderella, sacrificing everything for my brother. In my past life, when they found out my house burned down, their first question wasn't if I was okay. They asked when I bought the house and why I didn't put it in my brother's name. They said if it was in his name, they would have hired a lawyer and sued Chloe's family for every penny they were worth. If the property was in my name, any compensation would just go to me and my future husband, and "a married daughter is like spilled water"—they'd never see a dime of it. They even told me not to commit suicide. They told me to pay off the debt first before doing anything rash, so I wouldn't drag them down. What a joke of a family. If I didn't look somewhat like them, I'd seriously think I was adopted.
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