I was the broke scholarship kid, stuck sharing a room with Sherry, the spoiled heiress. From day one, she was all fake smiles and "let's be besties."

She'd take me out for fancy meals. She even introduced me to Kenneth—her rich childhood buddy.

It was fine—until Kenneth and I started dating. That's when the claws came out.

One day, she "accidentally" dumped hot soup all over herself and claimed I'd done it on purpose. Then she demanded I pay her back. I gave her every cent I had, but it wasn't enough. Next, she accused me of stealing her wallet.

The school bought it. I got written up, everyone turned on me, and Kenneth? He dumped me with, "You're just an ugly duckling trying to be a swan."

I couldn't fight back. Humiliated, alone, and dragged through online hate, I dropped out. Then I let the river take me.

And then—I woke up. Back to the moment Sherry introduced me to Kenneth.

"Kenneth, this is my best friend from school, Alyssa Arden. What do you think? Pretty, right?"

Sherry Campbell's voice cut through the pounding music, dragging me straight back to the night I first met Kenneth Wadzinski.

He didn't care about me then—same as now. Barely looked my way, too busy nursing his drink.

Sherry draped a hand on my shoulder, flashing that fake smile. "Alyssa, what do you think of Kenneth? His family's in real estate. They're the richest in the city."

I ducked my head, plastering on a shy smile. "He's great. Be right back—I need to hit the restroom."

Classic Sherry. Crushing on Kenneth but shoving him at me anyway. And Kenneth? Total jerk. He didn't even like me—just kept me around to feed his ego. Their whole game was rigged, and I was the easy pawn.

In the bathroom, I splashed cold water on my face, then slid off my thick black-framed glasses.

Not this time. They weren't going to play me anymore. Who says the ugly duckling has to stay ugly?

Grabbing my bag, I headed out without a word. Right on cue, Kenneth was by the door, sitting alone on a bench tucked out of sight.

His head was down like he was studying something.

In my last life, I'd learned a lot about him—mostly thanks to Sherry.

Today was his birthday. Also the anniversary of his mom's death.

Back then, they'd all pushed me to toast him. I caved, and he humiliated me in front of everyone, mocking me about how I couldn't tell brandy from whiskey. Then he walked off, leaving me there, humiliated and empty-handed.

This time? Not happening.

I dug a carton of strawberry milk out of my bag. It was supposed to be my breakfast, but it felt way more useful as a prop.

"Here," I said, holding it out. "Drinking too much isn't great for your stomach."

Kenneth glanced up, icy as ever. "I don't need your pity."

"Cool," I said, unfazed. I set the milk next to him. "But if you trash your stomach, your mom wouldn't like it."

I didn't wait for him to respond. Just turned and walked off, ignoring the weight of his stare.

To Kenneth—and Sherry—I was invisible.

But not for long. This time, I'd make sure Kenneth couldn't look away. And I'd turn him and Sherry against each other.

When Sherry came back to the dorm, she whined about me leaving without saying anything. Like always, I played my part—smiling, apologizing, smoothing it all over.

She skipped class? I marked her attendance. Didn't feel like getting food? I brought it to her. Thought the dorm washing machines were gross? I hand-washed her clothes one by one.

Our roommates loved to whisper behind my back. "What's the point? Sherry's not giving her a dime," they'd say.

I ignored them, sticking to my role as Sherry's personal doormat.

And when I wasn't running errands, I was her audience.

"The cafeteria food is disgusting," she'd say. "Maybe I'll just ask my dad to open a food factory on campus."

Then there was Kenneth, dropping by with flowers, gifts, snacks—always something shiny for her. Sometimes, he'd even bring me a little trinket, like I was a pity project.

And like the idiot I was, I'd deliver their meals together.

Sherry smirked. "Kenneth is pretty great, isn't he? A lot of girls like him. Do you?"

I shook my head quickly, playing the shy card. "How could I even compare? Besides, I think Kenneth only has eyes for you."

Bullseye. Her smirk turned smug.

Of course, she knew Kenneth liked her. She just wasn't ready to settle down.

At the upcoming sports meet, she was supposed to carry the banner but "twisted" her ankle on her skirt. Some star sports guy carried her to the infirmary, and Kenneth, jealous out of his mind, ended up confessing to me that same day.

Not this time.

The morning of the event, I got ahead of her by spraining my own ankle first.

Even with the pain, I limped over to deliver her makeup bag like a dutiful lackey.

She didn't even blink at my foot, just snapped, "You're so slow! If your foot's hurt, suck it up. What if we're late for the procession?"

I lowered my head, mumbling apologies like the perfect pushover.

Then, right on cue, the same sports guy from before stepped up. "Hey, are you okay? I can take you to the infirmary."

I blushed, waving him off. "I'm fine, really," I said, but my foot had other plans, and I stumbled.

He didn't hesitate—just scooped me up like it was nothing.

That's when I felt it. A sharp gaze burning into me. I looked up saw Kenneth.

Sherry beamed upon seeing him. "Kenneth! Don't I look gorgeous today?"

He didn't even glance at her. "Get down," he said to me. "I'll carry you."

Sherry's smile dropped so fast it was almost funny. "Kenneth! I'm about to lead the procession soon. What are you doing?"

I jumped in quickly. "Kenneth, it's fine. This guy can help me. I don't want to mess up Sherry's big moment."

At the infirmary, the school nurse checked out my foot. "Serious sprain. Stay off it for a while."

I thanked the sports guy and finally caught his name: Riley Lowe.

He was about to leave but hesitated at the door, rubbing the back of his neck before stepping back. "Uh... can you add me as a friend? If you ever need help, just message me."

I blinked, thrown by the flush creeping up his ears, but nodded.

Not long after, word got out that Sherry had fallen, too. Kenneth brought her in himself.

She swept into the room, her long gown trailing behind her. Kenneth, of course, played the role of her perfect knight.

Riley came back with an ice pack for me, only to freeze when he saw them.

Sherry let out a dramatic wail. The nurse calmly said she needed a cold compress right away.

Without missing a beat, Sherry jabbed a finger at Riley. "Give me that ice pack."

I played the timid role. "It's fine. Let Sherry have it first. I'll grab another one later."

Riley's jaw tightened, but he handed it over. "I'll walk you back later and get you a new one."

Kenneth cut in, his expression cold. "Seriously, Alyssa? Can't you do anything on your own? Always making people run around for you."

Then, out of nowhere, he snatched the ice pack from Sherry and knelt, pressing it lightly against my swollen ankle.

Sherry's eyes practically popped out of her head. "I haven't even used that yet! How could you just give it to her?"

Kenneth didn't even blink at her. His gaze locked on me. "Alyssa, you like me, right? Let's date."

I kept my surprise just believable enough, masking the sharp glint in my eye. He didn't like me—this was all about Sherry.

I let my voice wobble, playing the part. "I-I never said that."

Then I was out of there.

...

The second I walked in the dorm, I knew one thing for sure—Sherry's vibe toward me had done a total 180.

"So, you've hooked Kenneth, huh?" she sneered. "You must be so proud. With him, you're all set to rise to the top."

I shook my head. "It's not like that."

Her tone sharpened. "Oh, cut the act. You can't not like him. Girls like you are all the same. Desperate to climb the ladder. But do you even deserve it? Even if Kenneth liked you, his family would never approve."

Sure, Sherry. Keep talking. This was only step one. I wasn't after just his affection.

Kenneth started acting like he was totally into me. He'd show up every morning to walk me to class, sit with me at lunch, and drag me out for evening strolls.

With my foot injured, running Sherry's errands was out. She couldn't stand the dorm turning into a ghost town around her, so she packed up and moved off campus.

People started buying the whole "Alyssa and Kenneth" act.

I'd blush every time he got close, hand him little DIY gifts, and share snacks I snagged from my part-time gigs.

I'd text him 'good morning' and 'good night', dropping updates about my day—even when he ghosted me.

I ditched the clunky glasses, let my hair grow out, and swapped my wardrobe for something simple but cute. By the time I caught my reflection, I didn't totally hate what I saw.

And Kenneth? Yeah, something shifted.

He'd lean in way too close just to see me turn red and steal kisses on rainy days, hiding under the umbrella.

We looked like a real couple—almost.

It all went down the night Sherry stumbled into my dorm, totally wasted, and knocked over the cream soup I'd been sipping.

I jumped back fast, but she still managed to scald her wrist. Even though she shook it off right away, a red mark was already forming.

Her teeth clenched as she glared at me. "I thought you were my friend, but you went and seduced Kenneth. Aren't you shameless?"

I blinked at her with my best 'who, me?' face. "Seduced? Were you two even a thing?"

That shut her up. Her mouth snapped closed.

Her hand shook as she pointed at me, practically spitting, "Just wait. Do you really think Kenneth likes you? He's just playing you."

Funny, since I was playing him, too. I'd already gotten what I needed. Breaking up wouldn't exactly ruin my life.

...

Kenneth cornered me, just like he had in my past life. Same old script, same smug audience. He dragged me into a private room at the nightclub, packed with their little clique, all ready for the show.

"Apologize," he demanded. "Have some sense. Sherry's never been hurt before. She got burned because of you."

Sherry crossed her arms, oozing smugness. "Hmph! Apologize? Please. I wouldn't dare. She's YOUR girlfriend, remember?"

Kenneth sighed, like he was humoring a child. "Why so jealous? You're the one who introduced us."

Sherry sneered. She gestured to a line of shot glasses on the table. "If she's really sorry, drink all of these. Maybe then I'll forgive her."

Kenneth didn't even hesitate. He grabbed one glass and handed it to me. "A whole row's overkill. Just one."

I took the glass, but instead of drinking, I tipped it over, watching the liquid hit the floor. "I'm not drinking a single drop."

In my last life, no matter how much I explained, all I got was ridicule. Truth didn't mean a thing. All they cared about was tearing me down, making sure I stayed the ugly duckling who dared to reach above her station.

Back then, I drank every shot, choked on the burn, and still ended up puking in front of everyone. Sherry pinched her nose like I was trash, and Kenneth? He had me tossed out like one.

Not this time.

I set the empty glass back down with a loud clatter, staring Sherry down. "You got burned because you spilled my soup. That's on you."

Sherry shot to her feet, pointing at me with fury. "What did you just say? That's on me? Finally showing your true colors, huh? I knew you were a manipulative little snake!

"If you don't drink and apologize right now, I'll have you kicked out of school by tomorrow!"

Kenneth frowned, shaking his head like I was the difficult one. "Alyssa, I told you—just apologize. Why make it worse for yourself?"

I smirked. "I didn't do anything wrong. I'm not apologizing."

Kenneth's eyes narrowed. He grabbed my wrist, his grip firm, his voice low and threatening. "And what if I insist?"

I gritted my teeth and yanked my hand free.

"Then let's break up."