Chapter 3

After coming back to life, Dylan probably still thought I was the same pushover he could twist around his finger, planning to use the same old tricks to shove me in harm's way for his beloved Mabel, so she wouldn't have to deal with any of the nastier messes.

Too bad for him, he miscalculated one thing. I was not the person I used to be anymore.

My phone buzzed with a message from Raymond Archer, my senior from law school.

I met Raymond on the debate team. He was two years ahead of me. He was insanely talented and drop-dead gorgeous. He was the law school's resident heartthrob. Whenever he was deep in thought, he'd tap his knuckles on the table. And honestly, it was just so cool.

I sent him the video I recorded today and asked him to handle the legal stuff for me.

Raymond texted: [Nicely done. These guys are regular troublemakers. I've dealt with cases like this before. Trust me, I'll make them pay for what they've done.]

Me: [I'm counting on you, Raymond. We can sort out your fee later.]

Raymond: [Hey, we're family. No need to talk about payment. But once this is over, you owe me dinner.]

I smiled and replied: [Deal.]

It was such a breeze dealing with smart people.

[Whoa! A new guy just dropped! Is he the second lead? He seems super reliable!]

[Senior from the debate team and the law school's heartthrob? I'm obsessed with this character already!]

[Dylan is such a loser. Next to Raymond, he's nothing!]

Seeing all the fan gushes in the comments, my mood instantly lifted.

I put my phone down, ready to call it a night, when a text popped up from an unknown number. [Chloe, it's Mabel. Is it possible for us to meet?]

I glanced at the message and smirked coldly.

She already reached out to me. That was quick.

I replied: [Wait.]

Then I powered off my phone and went to bed.

She wanted to see me? Sure. But I would decide when and where. The game was now in my hands.

The next day, I deliberately slept in.

By the time I finally sauntered into school, the second period was already underway.

Just as expected, Mabel was waiting outside the school building. Her eyes were red and teary, looking all fragile and pitiful. She looked like she'd been seriously wronged.

As soon as she spotted me, she rushed over like I was her lifeline. "Chloe, you're finally here! Did Dylan... did he get something wrong?"

[Here we go. It's her pretentious and annoying opening!]

[Her acting is so over the top. The Oscars totally owe her a trophy!]

[Roast her, Chloe! Don't let her fake it!]

I didn't move, letting her grab onto my arm while I looked at her with an innocent face. "Misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? That he wanted to use me as a scapegoat, or that you played some noble part in all of this?"

Mabel's face instantly went pale, and she let go of my arm. "Chloe, what are you saying? I really don't understand..."

"No worries if you don't get it. Let me break it down for you," I said, pulling out my phone and playing a recording of Dylan yelling at me outside the police station yesterday.

"Mabel is innocent! Don't take it out on her!" His voice was loud and clear. Everyone within 30 feet could hear it.

Mabel's face went even paler, her lips trembling like she was about to cry any second.

By now, students passing by were already pointing and gossiping about us.

"Isn't that Mabel, the computer science department's campus belle?"

"Isn't the girl next to her Chloe from the law school?"

"From that recording, it sounds like Chloe's childhood friend is trying to do something to her because of Mabel..."

Mabel heard the whispers around us, her eyes brimming with tears. She was desperate to defend herself. "No, that's not true! Chloe, listen to me!"

"Alright, I'm listening," I said, arms crossed, coolly watching her. "So, tell me. Was Dylan pushing you into this, or were you just loving every second of it?"

[Chloe's question is absolutely brutal! She's not holding back at all!]

[What is Mabel supposed to say? No matter what she picks, she's damned either way!]

[I'm calling it now. She'll go with the first option and blame everything on Dylan.]

Sure enough, Mabel choked out between sobs. "It was Dylan... He came to me yesterday and said he wanted to surprise me. I had no clue what he was up to... Chloe, please, you have to trust me. We're supposed to be best friends!"

"Best friends?" I laughed. "So being best friends means snatching my date and waiting for me to crash and burn? Mabel, you really take friendship to a whole new level."

I stepped in close, whispering so only she could hear. "Drop the act. In the previous life, you stepped all over me to get ahead and enjoyed every minute of it, didn't you? Now you want to try the same old stunt again? Did you ever think I'd let you get away with it this time?"

Mabel stiffened, looking at me like she'd seen a ghost, panic flooding her eyes.

She had no clue how I could possibly know about her past life.

I watched her reaction with satisfaction, straightened up, and patted her shoulder firmly. "Mabel, trust me. It's better to be kind. Because when karma hits, it hurts like hell."

With that, I left her behind and headed straight into the school building.