chapter 2

Break was coming up fast, so I packed my things and headed home.

Last time around, after I died, my parents were so devastated that their hair turned gray overnight. Not long after, their health and spirits both collapsed.

This time, I promised myself I'd stay close to them.

No one in this world would ever love me more than they did.

I had barely been home a week when Lydia called.

Her voice was rushed and desperate. She asked, "Grace, can you loan me some money? The doctor said I've got a good foundation. If I just get double eyelid surgery and a chin filler, I'll definitely be gorgeous. But I'm short on cash. Just spot me for now. I'll pay you back later."

Lydia had always treated me like her personal ATM. Back in school, she constantly asked me to bring her food, never once paying me back.

I used to tell myself it was just small stuff between friends, not worth making a fuss.

But looking back, I treated her like a friend, while she treated me like a fool.

On the phone, I pretended to be in a tough spot. "Lydia, I really don't have money. My mom's already telling me to get a summer job to pay my tuition. How about you return the money you still owe me instead?"

The moment I brought up repayment, she freaked out.

She snapped, "What? It was just a few meals I asked you to grab for me, and you're gonna nickel-and-dime me over that? Wow, you're stingy. I thought we were friends."

I kept my voice calm and replied, "I only bought you food because I considered you a friend. But I'm broke now. Why can't you pay me back?"

Lydia muttered a few annoyed words and hung up.

What a joke. If she couldn't even return money for takeout, how could she expect me to loan her more?

Not long after, Lydia posted on her social feed.

"Some people really showed their true colors. When I needed help, they turned their backs on me. Don't come running to me later."

Our roommate, Aimee Martin, jumped right in to back her up. She replied, [Guess all that friendship was just wasted. From now on, it's just the three of us—real friends.]

Another roommate chimed in, [Exactly, we're the real friends.]

Reading that, I almost laughed out loud. They might as well have tagged me by name.

So I posted too. I wrote, "Before you judge others, clear your own debts first."

Three minutes later, Lydia deleted hers.

I stayed home for a while longer, but I couldn't sit idle.

I'd always dreamed of grad school. In my past life, I never got the chance. Lydia ended that dream for me. This time, I was determined to make it real.

When my parents learned what I wanted, they backed me all the way. They even signed me up for a prep course so I could focus fully on studying.

While I buried myself in books, Lydia went quiet online. No cryptic posts, no selfies. Just silence.

Then, right before school started, her feed exploded.

One moment she was showing off dinners at five-star restaurants, the next it was vacation shots from the beach.

Every post came with a neatly arranged three-by-three photo grid, like she was curating her own magazine spread.

Even with the heavy filters, anyone who knew her could tell right away she'd had work done.

Her eyes were bigger from double-eyelid and corner-cut surgery, and her chin looked sharper from fillers.

Most likely, she went quiet for so long because she was recovering.

Her comment section was full of flattery.

One classmate gushed, [Lydia, you look amazing! Such a glow-up. You're basically our class beauty now.]

Another chimed in, [Where are you vacationing this time? Living that rich-girl life.]

Even her crush dropped her a rare like.

Lydia was over the moon, playing coy in her reply. She sent, [Oh, stop. I've always had good genes. Guess I just got paler from staying home for a month.]

I sneered to myself. From those photos alone, I could tell she'd been spending a fortune.

I knew her family background—her parents were factory workers, plus a younger brother to support. They couldn't possibly fund that lifestyle.

I didn't know where the money came from, and I didn't care.

But one thing was certain. Sooner or later, Lydia would pay the price.