Reborn to Crush My Scheming Roommate

The library's quiet hum grounded me, its familiar stacks confirming my rebirth.

Amber, Jessica, and Ruby's snarky jabs rolled off me like water off a duck's back. Talk was cheap; results were what counted.

I dove into my studies, losing track of time until my stomach growled. My watch read 7:00 p.m., so I packed up, had dinner, and trudged back to the dorm, where the trio was still yammering about Amber's offer.

Ignoring them, I slid into my bunk, closed the curtain, and focused on my notes.

Amber yanked it open, grinning like she was doing me a favor. "Hey, the HR guy said I could bring a friend. Hand over your resume, and I'll hook you up."

Her smugness was met with my flat refusal. "No, thanks. You can go solo."

Her grin twisted into a scowl. "I'm trying to help you, Sabine, and this is your attitude? You think graduate school makes you hot stuff? Even with a PhD, you'll be scraping by in this economy."

I held out my hand, cool as ice. "If you're so high and mighty, pay me back the $10,000 you owe me."

Her bravado evaporated. Her mouth opened, then shut, like a fish out of water.

Jessica and Ruby came up, and Amber, playing the victim, recounted a twisted version of our exchange.

Ruby jumped in, all righteous. "Sabine, that's too much. Amber is offering you a shot at big money, and you're not just ungrateful. You're bullying her?"

Jessica piled on. "Yeah, you're like the snake in that farmer story."

I gave them a frosty stare. "If you're so ride-or-die for her, why don't you cover her debt?"

These two had gotten hooked on playing the part of the good guys. They immediately pounded their chests and said, "It's just a few hundred bucks. We'll pay it back."

"Not pocket change," I said, smirking. "It's $10,000. Cash or PayPal."

Jessica's and Ruby's jaws dropped. They hadn't realized Amber had mooched that much off me.

Amber shot them puppy-dog eyes, hoping they'd bail her out, but they stayed silent.

Jessica broke the tension with a nervous laugh. "Wow, Sabine, you're loaded, huh?"

I'd kept my family's wealth on the down-low. Only Amber knew my dad was a businessman. For years, she'd leeched off me, swiping my meal card for cafeteria lunches, borrowing my high-end skincare products, and hitting me up for small loans that added up to $10,000.

I'd never cared, thinking we were tight. But my kindness had only fed a viper.

When neither Jessica nor Ruby stepped up, Amber tugged their arms. "Spot me, guys. I'll pay you back once I start this job."

They squirmed, speechless. Jessica pivoted, turning her frustration on me. "Why do you have to hound her for the money now? Once she's working, she'll pay you back in a heartbeat."

I laughed, sharp and cold. "A heartbeat? Who says she's even coming back from that place? She can't pay me now, so what makes you think she'll send me a dime from halfway across the globe?"

Our argument drew a crowd from the hallway. Amber, sensing the spotlight, turned on the waterworks. "Sabine, how can you do this? We've been roommates for four years."

Ruby comforted her. "Don't cry, Amber. Rich girls are like that, throwing cash around when it suits them and clawing it back when they're pissed."

The crowd started whispering, judging me.

But I was ready. Over dinner, I'd printed a detailed list of every loan—dates, amounts, and even what Amber spent it on.

The murmurs shifted. People who'd been side-eyeing me now shook their heads, calling me a doormat for lending her so much.

Amber broke down, slamming the door shut.

Jessica and Ruby spent hours consoling her while I popped in my noise-canceling earbuds and buried myself in my books.