Chapter 1

When I traveled back in time to several years ago, my dorm rep, Juliet Parker, was sending messages in the group chat.

It read: [Freya, split the bill for the team-building event. It's 1500 dollars total. Transfer as soon as you see this.

[The breakdown shows meals 200 dollars, accommodation 400 dollars, attraction tickets 100 dollars, and team leader gear and allowance 4000 dollars.]

This time, I didn't ask why the class monitor, Randal Morales, had to be the team leader.

Nor why we needed to spend 4000 dollars on Patagonia gear for Randal.

Instead, I created a class-wide group and posted a video.

In the video, Juliet was doing her makeup and getting dressed.

As she applied foundation, she said, "Everyone who sees me should split the cost of my lotion, serum, and foundation with me. These are all designer brands."

Spritzing perfume, she remarked, "One bottle of my perfume can be used 100 times. That works out to three dollars per spritz. You all owe me 1 dollar each day. Don't think you can freeload."

After changing outfits, she declared, "I've raised this place's average appearance level. You all should compensate me for that."

Moments later, the group chat exploded with messages.

Juliet went into a frenzy, calling me repeatedly.

I didn't pick up a single one. Since she was so obsessed with leeching money, I would let her leech her fill.

*****

Rumors spread like wildfire. In less than ten minutes, Juliet had earned the nickname "Ms. Split-the-Bill."

And Randal got crowned as "Mr. Mooch."

Juliet kept demanding I retract the post in the group, threatening to kick me out of the dorm if I didn't.

I almost laughed out loud. Did she really think this dorm was some kind of luxury suite?

Not long after, Juliet kicked the dorm door open.

Her face was pale, her eyes rimmed red like she had been crying, but her tone was icy and commanding.

She ordered me to delete the video immediately, or she'd call the cops and sue me for defamation.

I smiled, cool as ever.

I said, "Funny, I was just about to come looking for you, but you showed up first.

"I was in the hospital getting my appendix out last week. I didn't even go on your weekend trip. So why should I cough up 1500 dollars?"

Juliet was still going off, acting all high and mighty.

She said, "Just because you had your own thing going on doesn't mean you get to wreck our group spirit.

"Sure, you didn't come, but the bills still had to be paid. If you don't chip in, who will?"

I felt my blood boil at Juliet's attitude.

Back in my previous life, I tried arguing with Juliet, but she turned around and jumped out the window.

I ended up paying that 1500 dollars, plus her hospital bills, and almost got punished by the school.

But even after all that, Juliet still held a grudge against me for not bowing down and making her look bad.

So she started spreading rumors that I took time off to get an abortion. The gossip exploded overnight, and suddenly everyone was looking at me like I was trash.

I got flooded with nasty, vulgar messages every day, and guys kept making sleazy jokes and trying to get handsy.

I was so desperate to get away from the creeps stalking me that I panicked, made a wrong move, and ended up dying in a freak accident on the stairs.

Thinking about all that, I forced myself to push down the bitterness in my heart.

Right in front of Juliet, I pretended to delete the video but "accidentally" forwarded it to the school group chat and the class group chat.

Then, acting all flustered, I hit delete, making sure there was no way to take it back.

The school group chat exploded. Some busybodies kept tagging the class advisor, the student life counselor, and even the professors.

Even a law professor couldn't hold back and spoke up in the chat, saying this kind of fee was completely inappropriate and unauthorized.

Juliet, who had just started to calm down, snapped all over again.

"Did you do this on purpose, Freya?" Juliet shouted.

She clutched her phone, furiously typing away.

Juliet texted: [My apologies, everyone. I failed to manage things properly, letting my roommate cause trouble for you all.

[Freya's story isn't accurate. There's nothing going on between me and Randal. We needed the Patagonia gear for the hiking trip, that's all.

[Freya, you need to apologize to everyone. Pay the 300-dollar fine yourself, and copy the dorm rules 100 times.]

The class group chat exploded again, even more intense than before.

In a matter of seconds, Juliet got slapped with two more nicknames.