Chapter 2

I was guaranteed a spot in Arkenville University because I had won a competition, and I chose the computer science program.

Once I got in, it felt as if everything lined up. I loved what I studied, dominated every class, and racked up win after win at competitions.

By senior year, I wanted nothing more than to study under Professor Briggs, someone I'd admired forever, as a grad student. He agreed, but on one condition: I had to win first place at this international competition.

So, I picked the hardest project topic I could and practically lived in the computer lab, chasing every detail, every line of code.

But in the end, Nicole snatched the reward of my work as if it was nothing.

As I walked across campus, the memory made the silence feel heavier, as if the whole place was pressing down on me. I knew I must've missed something

But then an idea hit me.

If my original design was useless now, why not rebuild it from scratch? I'd use a different programming language and structure. I'd create a whole new design.

Back at the dorm, I pulled out my laptop and started typing as if my life depended on it. My brain was on fire, the logic falling into place in ways I hadn't even considered before.

This new design couldn't be accused of plagiarism, since it was too different. And on top of that, it ran faster and smoother than the first one.

The more I coded, the more excited I got, my fingers flying over the keyboard.

That was when I heard my roommate's voice behind me.

"Kelsey, you're pushing yourself too hard. You've been up all night. You need to rest."

I blinked at my phone screen and froze. It was already 4:30 AM.

She rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"You've still got a whole week before the competition. Why kill yourself over it now? What if you get sick right before? You'd lose everything."

Her words hit me like a wake-up call.

She was right. There was still a week left, so I didn't need to rush a submission. I could hold back and watch what Nicole posted. If anything weird popped up again, I'd have time to adjust.

That way, I could avoid the nightmare from last time. This time, I'd go in with a project that I had built myself.

Breathing out, I finally felt the weight lift a little. I thanked her, then turned back to my screen and kept going. I only stopped when I had my second version coded and running.

When I tested it, the program worked perfectly.

I stared at the screen, my heart thudding.

Finally. Something that was fully mine.

But then my chest tightened as another memory surfaced.

Last time, Nicole didn't just accuse me of plagiarism. She went online and did a livestream, claiming I bullied her on campus.

She sat in front of the camera crying. With tears rolling down her cheeks, her innocent face pulled everyone in. Overnight, she had the internet on her side.

The comments were brutal.

[Wow. Didn't know bullies like that still existed in college. We can't let her keep hurting people.]

[Poor Nicole. She got bullied and cheated out of her work! Kelsey's pure evil.]

[Nicole's just too kind. We'll fight for her. Who's got Kelsey's number?]

I never understood why she lied. All I could do was run around and try to clear my name, but the harder I tried, the worse it got.

Someone leaked my family's private info online. Trolls harassed them nonstop until my parents decided to move. Then, on the way out of town, some crazed fan chased them off the road. The crash killed them instantly.

The memory burned hot in my chest. My nails dug into my palm as I clenched my fists.

I had to get to the bottom of this. If I didn't figure out where it all started, I couldn't keep my family safe this time.

While I was stuck in my own storm of thoughts, a group of classmates gasped nearby.

"Did you guys see Nicole's Instagram? Someone copied her project!"

"For real? The competition's just days away. How's she supposed to redo everything now?"

"Whoever did that is trash. The audacity!"

The words hit me like lightning. My stomach dropped.

I yanked out my phone, my hands shaking, and opened Nicole's Instagram.