Theater: NovelMaster | Language: English | NEW
Synopsis
In my past life, I took in my jobless best friend out of pity. In return, she secretly filmed private photos of me and sold them online for cash.
When I found out, she denied everything.
The moment I picked up my phone to call 911, she panicked, caught me off guard, and shoved me straight off the balcony.
When I opened my eyes again, she was standing right in front of me, her eyes red from crying.
"Chloe, I have nowhere else to go... Can you please let me stay with you?"
Looking at her pathetic face, I smiled.
"No."
Zoe froze, tears still clinging to her lashes.
She clearly didn't expect me to say no.
After all, in my past life, the second I heard she was homeless, I felt so bad for her that I cleared out my guest room that very night, even changing the sheets to her favorite baby blue.
"Chloe, what did you just say?" Her voice trembled, acting like she was the most wronged person on earth.
I leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms, and took a good look at this fake face.
The old me would have fallen for it. Now, it just made me sick.
"I said no," I said, enunciating every syllable. "Are you deaf, or just stupid?"
Panic flashed across Zoe's face.
She recovered quickly, biting her lower lip and putting on an even more pitiful tone: "Chloe, I know it's rude to show up out of nowhere. But I'm truly out of options... The company went bankrupt, they owe me three months of back pay, and I can't even afford rent..."
"My landlord kicked me out this morning. All my luggage is out in the hallway..."
As she spoke, she pointed toward the stairs.
I glanced over. Sure enough, there were two beat-up suitcases and a few plastic bags stuffed messily with clothes.
Looks pitiful, doesn't it?
Tragic, right?
In my last life, I fell for this exact show.
I even cursed her heartless landlord on her behalf and wired her eight hundred dollars to get by.
Looking back now, that landlord was probably just an excuse she made up.
"Zoe Hayes." I called her by her full name. My voice wasn't loud, but it made her shudder. "Where's your boyfriend?"
Her expression shifted instantly.
It was a subtle flinch—like someone had stepped on her tail. She panicked for a split second, then quickly tried to cover it up.
"What boyfriend? Chloe, what are you talking about? I've been single for almost a year..."
She forced a smile, her eyes darting away.
I sneered.
Keep acting. Keep lying.
In my last life, she teamed up with her boyfriend to sell my private pictures online.
I was kept in the dark the entire time until those pictures circulated all over the internet. That was when I realized what an idiot I had been.
"Oh, single, huh?" I raised an eyebrow. "Then who's the contact saved as 'Hubby' on your phone?"
Zoe's face went completely pale.
She instinctively gripped her phone tighter, her lips quivering: "Did... did you look through my phone?"
"Like I'd bother touching your trash," I scoffed. "Last time you had dinner at my place, a text popped up. I happened to see it."
That was a lie, of course.
Not that it mattered. She had a guilty conscience anyway.
Zoe fell silent for a few seconds before the tears started streaming down again.
"Chloe, I know you're mad that I kept it from you. But my boyfriend lost his job, too. We really have hit rock bottom..."
"And?" I tilted my head. "You're planning to move your boyfriend in with me, too?"
She bit her lip and stayed silent, but the look on her face gave everything away.
"Zoe, do you take me for a fool?"
I burst out laughing. "Neither of you has a job, and you want to freeload at my apartment, eating my food and using my stuff? What's next—should I put you both on a payroll?"
"No, Chloe, that's not it! I can clean the apartment, I can cook for you!"
"I don't need it," I cut her off. "I can afford a professional cleaner for twenty bucks an hour. They do a far better job than you ever could."
Zoe finally lost it, bursting into uncontrollable tears.
She covered her face, sobbing, "Chloe, we've been friends for three years! How can you be so cold-blooded?"
Three years of friendship?
I sneered internally.
That's exactly what I thought in my past life. I treated you like my own sister, and what did you do?
You treated me like an idiot.
"Zoe, out of respect for those three years, I'll give you two choices."
I held up two fingers. "First, take your junk and get lost right now."
"Second..."
I paused on purpose, watching the tiny spark of hope light up in her eyes.
"I'll call the cops and let them handle your trespassing."Her face completely cracked.
"The cops?"
She stared at me in disbelief. "I didn't break the law! What right do you have to call the police on me?"
"Does trespassing on private property count as breaking the law?"
I leaned casually against the doorframe. "You're standing right outside my door. I told you to leave and you refused. That counts as harassment in my book."
Zoe looked at me as if I were a total stranger.
In her mind, Chloe Miller was always an easy pushover—someone you could squeeze dry and never get any pushback.
Too bad for her. The Chloe standing here today was a vengeful ghost clawing her way back from the grave.
"Fine. You're ruthless." She wiped her tears, her real colors finally showing.
It was the petty rage of someone whose con had just been exposed.
She turned around, dragging her suitcases toward the elevator.
Halfway there, she glared back at me: "Chloe, you will regret this."
I smiled brightly.
"The only thing I regret is ever meeting you."
The elevator doors slid shut, and the hallway fell into silence.
I shut my door, leaned back against it, and took a deep, shaky breath.
My hands were trembling.
Not out of fear, but pure, burning rage.
The memories of my past life were so vivid that I could recall every single detail.
Those photos had been taken while I was in the shower.
Zoe told me her phone was broken and asked to borrow my laptop to look up some information.
I trusted her and gave her my password.
Only later did I find out she never needed my laptop. She used the chance to plant a hidden camera in my bathroom.
Once those photos were leaked online, my entire life came crashing down.
She sold my private photos for quick cash, and they eventually spread all across the web.
The comments were disgusting.
"Who is this chick? Body's not bad."
"Heard she's a corporate manager. Looks classy on the outside, but acts cheap behind closed doors."
"With leaks like this, you know she's dirty."
I tried to explain, but no one listened.
HR called me in, saying my personal scandal ruined the company's reputation, and pushed me to resign quietly.
My supervisor, Brenda, a woman in her forties, looked at me with open disgust: "Chloe, I never thought you were that kind of person."
My parents rushed over from my hometown. The moment my mom saw the online comments, she broke down in tears.
My dad slapped me across the face, shouting that I had disgraced the entire family.
They didn't even want to hear my side of the story.
To them, whatever was posted on the internet was the absolute truth.
I tried desperately to reach Zoe, begging her to clear my name.
Her phone was turned off.
I only found out later that it was planned all along. She made thousands of dollars off my misery.
I went to the police. They told me the photos were secretly recorded, but there wasn't enough proof to track the perpetrator immediately.
Before I could take any legal action, Zoe pushed me off the balcony, killing me on impact.
The next morning, when I woke up, my phone had over twenty unread messages.
All from Zoe.
Sent between two in the morning and six, one every few minutes.
"Chloe, I'm sorry. I was just overly emotional last night."
"I talked it over with my boyfriend. He's looking for a job. I'll only stay with you temporarily and move out as soon as he gets hired."
"I'll pay rent, two hundred dollars a week, okay?"
"Chloe, please, I'm begging you."
Each message was more humble and pathetic than the last.
In my past life, my heart would have melted instantly.
Now, it just made me want to throw up.
I took screenshots of everything, saved them, and blocked her number.
But I knew it wouldn't end here.
Zoe was the kind of leech that never let go until she sucked you dry.At ten that morning, right after I arrived at the office, the receptionist told me someone was waiting for me.
I walked out to the lobby and saw Zoe standing there. Next to her stood a man.
He looked modest and harmless, wearing black-rimmed glasses and a faded plaid shirt—the spitting image of a gentle, honest guy.
But I knew exactly who he was.
Liam Cole. Zoe's boyfriend.
In my last life, he was the one who worked with Zoe, handling the hidden camera footage and managing the sales.
Beneath that meek exterior, he was rotten to the core.
Right now, this "honest guy" stood in my office lobby, looking at me with an apologetic expression.
"Chloe, I'm so sorry for causing you trouble." His voice was soft, sounding genuinely remorseful.
Looking at him, I found it almost laughable.
"What did you just call me?" I arched an eyebrow.
Liam paused, glancing instinctively at Zoe.
Zoe hurried forward, putting on a sweet smile: "Chloe, this is my boyfriend, Liam. I told him what happened, and he thought I was completely out of line last night. He insisted on coming here to apologize to you in person."
"Apologize?" I leaned against the lobby wall, crossing my arms.
"Yes, absolutely. We're so sorry," Liam said, bowing respectfully. His attitude seemed flawless.
"Zoe was way too impulsive last night and said terrible things. She cried the entire night after we left, and I scolded her for it. Chloe, you're a bigger person than this. Please don't hold it against her."
Cried the whole night, huh?
More like you two laid in bed laughing the entire night.
Laughing at how naive and easy to manipulate I was.
"Great. Apology accepted. Now you can leave." I straightened up and turned to walk back inside.
"Chloe!" Zoe panicked, grabbing my arm.
Her grip was tight, her nails digging into my skin so hard it hurt.
"Chloe, I really have nowhere else to turn."
Her eyes welled with tears again, her voice cracking.
"Please, just help me out. You're my only friend in this city. I just need a couch to sleep on for a few days until I find a place..."
Her tears fell right on cue, streaming down her cheeks.
Passersby slowed down, staring at me as if I were a cold-hearted villain.
The young receptionist peeked over the desk, then quietly shrank back.
Colleagues around us began to whisper.
"Chloe is being way too harsh. The girl is literally crying."
"Seriously, they're supposed to be friends. Can't she lend a hand?"
"I heard her boyfriend already found a job. They just need a place for a couple of days."
Hearing their chatter, I smirked.
These colleagues, who barely exchanged two words with me on a normal day, were suddenly parading around as moral saints. They acted like they had a loudspeaker strapped to their chests, eager to call me ruthless.
People are always generous when it's not their own blood being spilled.
"Chloe."
My supervisor, Brenda, walked over from the elevators, frowning at me. "Your friend is clearly in a bad spot. Can't you just help her out? It's not that big of a deal."
Not that big of a deal?
I almost laughed out loud.
"Brenda," I turned to her with a polite smile, "don't you have two spare bedrooms in your house? Why don't you take her in?"
Chapters (3)
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Watch & Promotions
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