A Joke That Went Too Far

My phone buzzed in my hand so hard my fingers went numb. I looked down. The DMs were stacking up faster than I could read them.

[Sophia Shaw, come on, we're classmates, give me a discount. Fifty for one round, deal?]

[With a body like yours, who could stop at just twice a night?]

[I've sent the money. I'll meet you at the hotel you pinned tonight]

My mind went blank. I threw the phone away.

That suffocating feeling–like a plastic bag being pulled over my head–came rushing back, choking me.

Had I… been given another chance?

Before I could think it through, the door opened slightly, and Tara Mansfield's perfectly familiar face leaned in.

She looked exactly the same as she had in my previous life. Between her fingers, she waved a card printed with my explicit photos, grinning.

"Sophia. I made you famous on this campus. How are you going to thank me?"

"You have no idea–I was just joking around, but those disgusting guys went crazy asking me for your contact."

The old me would have already been crying, asking her how she could do this to me, voice breaking.

Not this me. My teeth clenched so hard they hurt. My whole body trembled with anger.

I snatched the flyer out of her hand and slapped her across the face.

Tara screamed, clutching her cheek in disbelief. "You hit me? I treat you like my best friend, and you can't even take a joke anymore?"

Best friend?

I let out a cold laugh.

In my last life, she spread rumors about me–dirty lies that ruined my reputation. She made my boyfriend, Connor Pierce, point at me outside the dorm and call me a sl*t in front of everyone.

Back then, I thought he just did not love me enough.

A few days later, I caught her kissing him outside the dorm.

I heard her tell him, "I've always known Sophia isn't as innocent as she pretends. I just didn't say anything because she's my best friend."

Calling me her best friend in public, while going after my boyfriend behind my back.

I pointed at the phone on the floor. My voice came out flat.

"A joke? Did you ask me whether I thought it was funny?

"You'd better start thinking about how you're going to explain this to the dean–spreading lies about me."

Just then, footsteps came from the hallway. My roommates, Holly Lane and Cassidy Mars, walked in one after the other.

Holly went straight to Tara's side, concern written all over her face. "The dean? Tara, what's wrong with your dad?"

That was when I remembered. From the day Tara enrolled here, Tara had been using the fact that she shared the dean's last name to hint that she was his daughter–never confirming it, but never denying it either.

My family was the school's biggest investor. I had already confirmed with my dad–the dean did not have a daughter.

In my previous life, I treated her like a friend. I thought she had her reasons, so I never exposed her.

But this time?

I was not going to let her keep up this act in front of me.

Tara quickly composed herself, eyes filling with tears, voice trembling. "I made one little joke, and she hit me."

"What? She hit you?" Holly came charging across the room, jabbing a finger at me. "How could you hit Tara? Who do you think you are?"

Tara put on a pitiful expression. "Connor Pierce is the campus heartthrob. Why would a guy like that fall for someone like you, ordinary as you are? I was helping you. Testing whether he really loves you."

Cassidy caught on and let out a mocking laugh. "I knew it. Tara was helping you, and you throw a tantrum? You really think highly of yourself."

Holly piled on. "It's just a couple of dumb flyers in a group chat. You are so fragile. We're in college–people joke around."

It hit me, listening to them, how easily I'd let this happen the first time around.

That had ended with me locked in a basement by some pervert who saw the flyer.

Three days. Three nights. I died there.

Not this time.