1 My roommate, Sera, Venmoed me a hundred bucks to grab her some food from the dining hall. I was hesitating when a series of comments suddenly floated across my vision, visible only to me. 「You idiot. That's Seraphina Sinclair, daughter of the richest man in New York. A true princess. Start sucking up to her now, and you'll have everything you've ever wanted.」 「If you don't, your best friend will. And trust me, she'll make sure you never get the chance.」 「Exactly. Your 'bestie' already knows who Sera is. She's just waiting for you to say no so she can swoop in and cut you out completely.」 My phone buzzed with a text. It was from Mila, my supposed best friend, who was sitting right across from me. 【Jenny, don't you dare take her money. We may not be rich, but we have our pride. Let her deal with her own princess problems.】 She even gave me a knowing little blink. In that instant, a bone-deep chill washed over me. The next second, I switched apps, accepted the hundred dollars, and beamed at Seraphina with a fawning smile. "At your service, my lady. Your humble servant will return in a flash." Sera gave me a surprised but amused look, nodded with a slight smile, and went back to watching The Crown on her laptop. Ignoring Mila's dumbfounded expression, I bolted out of the dorm. I hadn't gotten far when someone called my name. I turned to see Mila jogging to catch up. "Jenny, how could you take that money?" she panted, catching up to me. "I just told you, we have to have some self-respect! Seraphina's entitled attitude is disgusting." Knowing what she was really thinking, her hypocrisy was almost impressive. I put on a pitiful expression. "You know my family's situation is way worse than yours, Mila. My mom's sick and can't work, and my dad barely makes five grand a month. This hundred bucks? That’s like three days' work for him." "It’s not that I don't have pride," I said, my voice cracking slightly. "It's just... the princess pays really, really well." With that, I turned and ran, leaving Mila fuming and stomping her foot on the pavement behind me. New comments flickered into view. 「Hahaha, Jenny Smelton finally gets it! She's on the fast track to the good life now.」 「Totally. Sera's parents made her promise to keep a low profile at college, not to just throw money at people. But look at her, day two and the princess is already acting like a princess.」 「She's got that princess syndrome, for sure, but she's still listening to her parents. She'll probably just keep one person around to run errands, nothing too flashy.」 「Ugh, I'm so jealous of Jenny. If I were her, and the food got cold by the time I brought it back, I'd probably slap myself...」 That last comment really resonated with me. Right then and there, I decided these floating comments were my new career guide. And they said the princess would only hire one person for the whole of college. I couldn't screw this up. Not with Mila circling like a vulture. I had to latch onto this golden opportunity and never let go. After buying the food, I sprinted back to the dorm faster than I’d ever run in my life. Bursting through the door, I saw Mila hovering around Seraphina, her face plastered with a sycophantic grin. Sera was still engrossed in her show, offering only distracted, one-word replies. "My... my lady! Your order has arrived!" I gasped, bent over and dripping with sweat. Sera looked up, genuinely surprised by my speed. She glanced at the clock and then back at me, a look of satisfaction spreading across her face. She picked up her phone and sent another hundred-dollar Venmo. "Not bad," she said. "From now on, you work for me." "Absolutely, my lady! Just think of me as your personal assistant, on call 24/7," I said, unable to contain my joy. Sera took the food containers, covering a laugh with her hand. "What happened to being my 'humble servant'?" I just grinned sheepishly. "Whatever makes you happy, my lady." The look on Mila's face was a toxic cocktail of envy, jealousy, and pure hatred. "Heh heh..." A soft chuckle came from the other side of the room. It was our fourth roommate, Chloe. Dressed head-to-toe in designer labels, she was clearly from a wealthy family too. I could tell she wasn't laughing at me, but at the absurdity of the whole situation. I didn't sense any malice, so I let it slide. Of the four of us, my family was by far the poorest, with Mila's being a close second. "Jenny Smelton, that food looks like it's from Dining Hall Two, doesn't it? Everyone knows that place is famously terrible," Mila said, pretending to wrinkle her nose. But the smirk in her eyes gave her away. In an instant, my face fell. When we'd all introduced ourselves yesterday, I’d just said my name was "Jenny." I never offered my last name. Because with a name like mine, you don't make friends. Let alone best friends. Mila was the exception. We'd been neighbors in elementary school, classmates through middle and high school, and now, by some twist of fate, college roommates. My name had been the butt of jokes my entire life. It was a miracle I'd survived it. Only Mila had never seemed to mind, though she did borrow money from me constantly. A few bucks in elementary school, then ten or twenty in middle school, and by high school, it was fifty, a hundred at a time. I always gave it to her, never asking for it back, even when it meant I had to skip lunch. I didn't care. With her, I felt... respected. But now I saw that the respect was conditional. The moment I became a threat to her interests, she turned on me. I knew she'd said my full name just to hurt me. "It's actually not bad," Sera said, breaking the awkward silence. She took a bite and nodded. "The taste is fine." Chloe bounced over. "Really? Maybe I'll go check it out then. Of course, I'm not rich like you, Sera. Can't afford a delivery fee, so I'll have to go myself." She gave my shoulder a friendly pat and strolled out of the room with a smile. Tears welled in my eyes as I watched her go. I turned back to Sera, who was happily digging into her meal. A sudden wave of warmth washed over me, soothing my frayed nerves. There was a reason rich people were rich. Their upbringing, their class... it was on a completely different level from anyone I'd known before. Mila, on the other hand, was left standing there, looking like a fool. This wasn't how her script was supposed to go. In the past, saying my full name was the quickest way to crush my spirit. But it wasn't working anymore. "Haha, well, maybe I'll go try it too," Mila mumbled, then scurried out of the room in disgrace. Half an hour later, Mila found me eating in the cafeteria. She sat down across from me, her face a mask of disappointment. "Jenny, I never thought you were this kind of person." I feigned innocence. "What kind of person?" "You're willing to throw away your dignity for money? Calling yourself a 'humble servant,' a 'personal assistant'... Honestly, as your best friend, I'm embarrassed for you." She looked at me with pity, as if trying to rescue me from my own greed. I laughed coldly to myself. What a fool I've been. "Mila, I know you think you're looking out for me, but let me ask you something. Would you really choose dignity over money?" "You..." My question shut her up completely. 「The competition is fierce! Look at these two, tearing their friendship apart just to be the main character's sidekick.」 The comment floated by, and I smiled. Thanks to these messages, I finally understood everything. I was living in a book, and Mila was supposed to be the designated sidekick. By becoming Sera's gofer in college, she was meant to win her trust and launch herself into a life of luxury. And me? I was just a stepping stone for Mila, a bit of comic relief for the story. The punchline, of course, was my name. Damn you, author. How could you come up with a name like Jenny Smelton? In the original story, I missed this opportunity. Mila abandoned me, then spent the rest of college isolating and bullying me, making my life a living hell. After graduation, I had the misfortune of marrying an abusive man and wasting my life away. Mila, with her high-powered executive husband, would even visit our hometown just to humiliate me. Finally, at forty, I gave up and jumped from a building. Seeing that ending scared me half to death. Now that I knew what was supposed to happen, I had to seize this chance. And I already had a head start. Mila stormed off, her jaw clenched in anger. Our friendship was officially over. After I finished my meal, I went back to the dorm. Sera was out. I looked at her bed—a chaotic landscape of rumpled sheets and misplaced belongings—and without a second thought, I started tidying up. When Sera returned, her eyes landed on her now neat and pristine bed, and a smile spread across her face. "You did this?" I smiled shyly. "You gave me so much money earlier, my lady. I felt bad not doing more, so..." Sera nodded. "Alright. Then let's make it a semester-long gig. How does ten thousand for the semester sound?" My heart hammered against my ribs. I nodded frantically. "Yes, yes, that sounds... that sounds amazing." Sera was decisive. To her, money was just a number. 【You have received $10,000 from Seraphina Sinclair.】 Just then, Mila walked in, her face instantly turning dark with envy when she saw the transaction notification on my phone. "Jenny Smelton, we're all roommates here. Why do you have to be so greedy? If you really considered Seraphina a friend, you'd help her out of kindness, not put a price tag on it. You're ruining the atmosphere in this dorm!" She quickly found an angle, trying to paint me as the villain. I was stunned she could twist it like that, turning it into a moral failing. My face flushed with embarrassment. Seeing my reaction, she pressed her advantage, turning to Sera. "Sera, we're all classmates. If you need anything in the future, just ask. I, Mila Jones, will help you, no questions asked. And I won't take a single penny." She delivered the lines with such self-righteous grandeur that, next to her, I looked like a petty, money-grubbing troll. I had no choice. I turned to Sera. "My lady, she's right. I... I should give you the money back. From now on, whatever you need, just tell me. I'll do it." The words tasted like ash in my mouth. My heart ached. This was ten thousand dollars. The first two hundred was one thing, enough to make my college life a little easier. But ten grand was different. My family was so poor; that money could change everything for them. To my surprise, Sera just waved a dismissive hand, a frown on her face. "I never take back money I've given away. And the last thing I want is to owe someone a favor. Don't bring this up again. It's settled." Without another word, she picked up her tablet, started up The Crown, and completely ignored us. Mila froze. For the second time, Sera's reaction had completely blindsided her. All she could do was shoot me a venomous look before storming out of the room. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. I couldn't let Mila ruin this for me. The months flew by. I became Sera's shadow. I sat in on her classes, ran her errands, cleaned her space, and eventually, she even entrusted me with her laundry. Luckily, I'd been doing chores at home my whole life, so I was efficient and thorough, which kept Sera very happy. In just a few months, my savings account had swelled to over fifteen thousand dollars. Chloe was a character. Used to a lavish lifestyle, she’d occasionally burn through her allowance and come to Sera, cheekily asking for "a job" to earn some cash. Sera would always oblige, making up some simple task and paying her generously, which always delighted Chloe. Mila watched, green with envy, and tried to do the same. But Sera wouldn't even give her the time of day, ignoring her completely, which infuriated Mila to no end. "Did you say something bad about me to Seraphina?" she demanded, cornering me one day. I just rolled my eyes. "Honestly, no. Believe what you want. Besides, I thought you were too proud to stoop for money?" Sera never said it out loud, but it was obvious she didn't like Mila. Mila was just too clueless to see it. "Hmph, you won't even admit it. Just you wait. After everything I did for you, the second you get a taste of money, you turn your back on me. You're nothing but an ungrateful snake," Mila spat, her words dripping with venom. I was done being her punching bag. I dropped the pretense. "We're adults, Mila. Let's stop with the drama. Our entire 'friendship' was something I paid for. Do you have any idea how many meals I skipped to lend you money?" Mila's face cycled through shades of red and white. She knew it was true. She'd never paid back a single cent she'd "borrowed" from me over the years. "Fine. Fine! We'll see about that," she seethed, then stormed away. Watching her go, I felt a surge of satisfaction. And then, a new comment appeared, and the blood in my veins turned to ice. 【Jenny's in deep trouble. Mila has a vicious plan to frame her. Sera will definitely kick her out. The power of the plot is too strong; things are snapping back to the original storyline.】 I read on, my heart pounding. When I saw the details of her plan, a cold sweat broke out across my body. Mila Jones, after this, it's war. A few hours later, I rushed off campus and bought a micro-camera. After getting permission from both Sera and Chloe, I installed it in our room. Only then could I finally breathe again. Three days later, a shriek echoed through the dorm. "Has anyone seen my Tiffany bracelet?" Sera, who was usually so composed, was in a state of panic. It was written all over her face. Chloe chuckled. "What's the big deal? It's just a few grand, right? Nothing for you, my lady." "It was the last gift my mother gave me before she passed away," Sera said, her voice trembling as she frantically searched. "I'll die if I lose it." "Oh, God. Okay, I'll help you look," Chloe said, her playful tone gone. Mila and I joined the search. We turned the entire dorm room upside down, but the bracelet was nowhere to be found. "Jenny," Mila finally said, her voice sharp as she turned the spotlight on me. "You're the one who usually tidies up Sera's things. You didn't happen to see it, did you?" I feigned panic. "No, I haven't seen it at all!" A sly smile played on Mila's lips. "Well, it looks like we have a little rat in our dorm." The implication was crystal clear. At that moment, the only places left to search were our three beds. As she spoke, both Sera and Chloe glanced at me, no doubt remembering the camera I'd installed three days ago. For some reason, the panic on Sera's face seemed to melt away. Chloe's mouth twitched into a smirk. "Well then, let's start with my bed." After a thorough search, they found nothing. Mila's eyes gleamed. "Let's do mine next! I have nothing to hide." Sera smiled languidly. "Alright." Of course, they didn't find it there either. Mila grabbed my arm. "Jenny Smelton, are you going to give it back yourself, or do we have to find it? Sera has been so kind and generous to you. I can't believe you're the one who stole from her." I cast a pitiful look at Sera, who, along with Chloe, gave me a subtle, encouraging smile. I took out my phone and opened the live camera feed. The sight of my phone seemed to trigger a wave of dread in Mila. But she was in too deep to back down now. "What are you doing, Jenny? Hand it over! If you don't, I'm calling the police. It's a disgrace to share a room with a thief like you!" I ignored her completely and held my phone out for Sera. "My lady, perhaps you should see this." An image appeared on the screen. Mila couldn't resist leaning in for a look. The next second, all the color drained from her face.
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