I have a chronic condition that requires daily injections. The medication is incredibly volatile and needs to be kept strictly between 36°F and 46°F. Because of this, my parents bought me a medical-grade mini-fridge for my dorm room. The moment the fridge arrived, my roommate, Sarah, threw a fit. "You bought something that sucks up so much power? Do you think we're here to subsidize your lifestyle?" I explained that the fridge was energy-efficient, but just to keep the peace, I offered to pay half the dorm's electric bill for the month. The other two roommates, Jessica and Mia, still grumbled. Since I was planning to move out the following month anyway, I promised to cover the entire electric bill for the month. That was a mistake. After that, they kept the AC blasted at 60°F, 24 hours a day. They forbid me from touching the thermostat. Finally, moving day arrived. I had my bags packed. But my roommates blocked the door, physically dragging my suitcase back. "You want to leave? Sure. Pay the electric bill for the next four years first." "Last month was $60. A semester is roughly $250. For four years... let's just round it up. You owe us $2,000. Pay up." 1 I stared at Sarah, who was blocking the doorway, wondering if I was hallucinating. She had her arms crossed, chin tilted up like a rooster ready for a cockfight. "$2,000? Are you robbing me?" "How is it robbery, Lexi?" Jessica chimed in immediately, her voice shrill. "We calculated it. You're so rich; don't tell me you can't afford a little pocket change?" Sarah wore a look of triumphant greed. "Last month, because of your stupid fridge, the bill was $60. Before you came, it was barely $10! That extra $50 is all on you." "A semester is four months, so that's $200. Plus damages for the emotional distress of you suddenly moving out... let's call it $250 a semester. Fair, right?" "Four years of college..." She pretended to count on her fingers, then waved her hand impatiently. "Anyway, it’s $2,000! Not a penny less. If you don't pay, you aren't taking a single thing out of this room today!" I laughed out of sheer disbelief. The "power-sucking" fridge they hated was my lifeline. My medication costs a fortune and spoils if the temperature fluctuates even slightly. My parents bought a specialized medical fridge. It uses less energy than a desk lamp. I had shown them the manual. I had shown them the specs. I even agreed to pay the whole bill. But my compromise only fueled their greed. Ever since I agreed to pay the bill, the dorm had turned into an icebox. If I touched the thermostat, Sarah would leap from her bed, crank it back down to 60°F, and make passive-aggressive comments. "Ugh, it's so hot. Some princesses don't have sweat glands, but us mortals need to cool down." Jessica would echo her: "Exactly. Just because you pay the bill doesn't mean you own the room. We have the right to use the AC!" I watched them shivering in heavy hoodies, wrapped in blankets in the middle of September, just to spite me. It was absurd. I didn't want to fight. I just wanted to leave. But now? I took a deep breath, pulled out my phone, and dialed the Hall Director. "This is extortion. I'm calling the RA and the Director." Sarah moved fast. She snatched my phone and smashed it onto the tile floor. "Call someone? Let's see who you call now!" The screen shattered into a spiderweb of glass. Rage exploded in my chest. I stepped forward to grab my phone, but Jessica shoved me hard from the side. I stumbled back, tripping over my suitcase and landing awkwardly on the floor. Sarah stood over me, sneering. "Trying to fight me? You're too soft." "Pay the money, or crawl back into your bed. You aren't leaving." They kicked my suitcase over. My belongings spilled out. Several bottles of expensive skincare my mom had bought me rolled across the floor. Sarah stomped on them. The glass crunched, and the expensive serum pooled on the dirty floor. "Oops. My foot slipped." Her mouth said sorry, but her eyes were laughing. 2 "What is going on here?!" A sharp voice boomed from the doorway. Mrs. Higgins, the Hall Director, stood there scowling, a few curious students peeking from behind her. Sarah’s face transformed instantly. Her eyes welled up with tears. "Mrs. Higgins! Please help us!" She pointed a shaking finger at me. "Lexi is using her money to bully us! She brought in this huge industrial fridge that jacked our electric bill up to hundreds of dollars!" "We just asked her to split the cost, and she refused! She even tried to hit us! Boohoo..." Jessica immediately joined the performance, clutching her arm. "It's true! Look at my arm, she shoved me! We just wanted her to pay her fair share, and she accused us of extortion!" Mrs. Higgins frowned, her gaze landing on me with undisguised annoyance. "Lexi! You again? I’ve heard rumors about you acting entitled because of your background. Now you're getting violent?" She convicted me without asking a single question. "They just asked you to split the bill. Your family is well-off; why are you being so stingy? You have zero community spirit!" I stood up, dusting off my pants, and looked at them coldly. "I told them I'd pay the entire bill for this month. They are the ones who keep the AC at 60 degrees while wearing winter coats. They are wasting electricity on purpose." "Now that I'm moving out, they are demanding I pay for the next four years of electricity. Two thousand dollars." "Mrs. Higgins, does that sound reasonable to you?" Mrs. Higgins didn't find it absurd. Instead, she turned on me. "Two thousand? You probably pushed them to the brink, and they're just trying to teach you a lesson!" She scoffed. "Besides, if you hadn't brought that appliance in, none of this would have happened. You need to reflect on your own actions!" She turned to Sarah and Jessica, her voice softening. "There, there, don't cry. I know you girls have been wronged." Seeing the Hall Director take her side, Sarah decided to go all in. She sat down on my suitcase. "I don't care! If she doesn't apologize and pay for our mental anguish, she isn't leaving!" Mrs. Higgins crossed her arms and gave me an ultimatum. "Lexi, did you hear that? Apologize to your roommates and settle this. Do you really want me to write you up and put a mark on your permanent record?" She and Sarah were practically a team now. 3 I looked at Sarah sitting on my luggage, looking like she owned the world, and suddenly, I felt calm. You can't reason with thugs. I smiled. "Okay. I'll pay." Sarah and Jessica’s eyes lit up. Even Mrs. Higgins looked surprised. I continued, "Two thousand, right? Fine." "But I need you to write me a receipt. It needs to state clearly: 'Received from Lexi: Pre-payment for four years of dormitory electricity, totaling $2,000.'" "Then, take that receipt to the University Bursar’s office and get it officially stamped. Or get it notarized." "Once I see the official stamp, I'll transfer the money immediately." Sarah’s smile froze. "What... what do you mean? Why do we need a stamp?" "Of course I need it," I said, deadpan. "It's a large sum of money. I need a paper trail." "What if the school accuses me of bribing students? An official stamp proves this is a legitimate university fee." "I pay with peace of mind; you receive with peace of mind. Right?" "I..." Sarah stammered, looking at Jessica for help. Jessica had no idea what to do. "We... we aren't the school! We can't get a stamp!" "Then I can't give you the money," I shrugged. "What if you take the money and deny it later? Or ask for more next month? Who would I complain to?" Sarah’s face turned black. She shot up from the suitcase. "You're playing me!" Before I could speak, she pivoted back to victim mode. "We don't even want the money! We want an attitude check! Shouldn't you compensate us for the stress? We can't sleep, we can't study because of you! Look how haggard I am!" She touched her face dramatically. I almost laughed. She slept until noon every day and ate more than anyone. Haggard? Please. I was done. I bent down, picked up my scattered clothes, and put them back in the suitcase. "Since I can't leave today, forget it." I stood the suitcase up and rolled it back to my bed. "I just cancelled the new lease. We're still roommates, guys." "Electricity bill? Old rules apply. I pay it all. Keep the AC as low as you want. Don't hold back." Now, it was their turn to be dumbfounded. They staged this whole scene because they knew I was desperate to leave. They wanted a quick payout. They didn't expect me to stay. "You... didn't you already rent a place?" Jessica asked, confused. "Cancelled it," I lied smoothly. "It was $2,500 a month. Too expensive. The dorm is cheap, and I have you guys to keep me company." I opened a bag of chips and offered one to Mia, the quiet roommate who hadn't said a word. "Mia, chip? We're going to be living together for a long time. Let's get along." Mia stared at me, terrified, and didn't move. Sarah and Jessica looked like they had swallowed a fly. I sat in my chair, pulled out my backup phone, and started watching Netflix. Let's see what you do now. 4 It was late. The AC hummed, pumping out freezing air. I was wrapped in a duvet, pretending to be asleep. Whispers came from the other side of the room. "Is she serious? She's not moving?" Jessica sounded panicked. "She's bluffing," Sarah hissed. "Rich girls can't handle discomfort. She's just trying to wait us out." "What if she doesn't pay? We wasted all this time." "Relax," Sarah sneered. "Look at her, she's already coughing. A few more days of freezing, and she'll be begging us to take her money." "But... what if she refuses?" "Then we ruin her," Sarah said, her voice dripping with malice. "Tomorrow, I'll post on the university forum. I'll say she's a rich bully abusing poor students. Let the whole school drag her." "Will that work?" "Of course. Rich people care about their reputation. She can't outlast us. When she pays the $2,000, I take 70%, you take 30%." "What about Mia?" "Her? She's a mute. Give her fifty bucks to shut up." I lay in the dark, cold to the bone. So they had it all planned out. Even the split. The next morning, I "fell ill." I coughed violently, gasping for air like I was dying. Sarah and Jessica exchanged gleeful looks before putting on their concerned masks. "Lexi, are you okay? Should you go to the hospital?" "Yeah, you look pale. Maybe you should move out..." I waved my hand weakly. "No... it's an old condition. Just... hard to breathe." Then, in front of them, I called my dad on speaker. "Dad... cough... I think... I'm sick. The dorm is too cold..." My dad’s voice was instantly panicked. "Lexi?! What's wrong? I'm coming right now!" "No, Dad... doctor said not to catch a cold... cough..." "This is ridiculous! I'm sending Mr. Chen to get you immediately! We are not staying in that dorm!" I hung up and gave my roommates a weak, apologetic smile. "Sorry guys. My dad overreacts." Less than an hour later, there was a knock at the door. A man in a sharp suit stood there, flanked by two burly movers. It was Mr. Chen, my dad's executive assistant. "Miss Lexi, are you alright? The boss sent me." He turned to Mrs. Higgins, who had followed him up, and handed her a document. Her face went white. Mr. Chen signaled the movers. "Pack Miss Lexi's things. Be careful." The movers worked fast. Sarah and Jessica realized their payday was leaving. They rushed forward to block the movers. "What are you doing?! You can't just take her stuff! Stop!" Mr. Chen’s eyes went cold. "We are acting on Miss Lexi's medical diagnosis and the legal notice our legal team just served to the university." "Any attempt to obstruct us," he paused, enunciating clearly, "will be treated as unlawful imprisonment and endangerment. We will pursue legal action." Sarah and Jessica froze, terrified into silence. My things were packed. Two large boxes stood by the door. "Miss, we can go," Mr. Chen said. "Leave the medication in the fridge for now. I have a refrigerated transport van arriving shortly to transfer it safely." I nodded, grabbed my backpack, and didn't even glance at my roommates. Just as I stepped one foot out of the door— Zzzzt. The lights flickered and died. The hum of the AC stopped. Total silence. Total darkness. "Power's out! What happened?" someone screamed down the hall. "The breaker tripped!" My heart dropped into my stomach. I spun around, staring into the dark room at the mini-fridge. The little green power light was gone. Inside that fridge was a month's supply of life-saving medication. Medication that cost nearly half a million dollars. If the temperature rose for more than ten minutes, it would all be useless. I couldn't see Sarah's face in the dark, but I heard her voice. It was dripping with venomous joy. "Oh no," she drawled. "Why did the power go out all of a sudden? Lexi... what's going to happen to your stuff in the fridge?"
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