All it took was a single sip of my new roommate's welcome milkshake on the first day of college for everything to spiral out of control.

My mom suddenly decided to transfer the one million she'd originally set aside for my living expenses to her instead. My brother even planned to give her the luxury car that had been intended as my go-to college gift.

I was so blindsided by their irrational actions that I rushed to stop them, only to be scolded in return for not knowing how to treat a classmate with kindness.

When my roommate said she wanted to break into the entertainment industry, they poured every last resource into launching her career. It drove the company into bankruptcy. In the end, they all jumped to their deaths.

Meanwhile, I suddenly fell gravely ill for no apparent reason, left barely clinging to life.

It wasn't until my final moments that I learned the truth—the milkshake had been tied to a Usurpation System. After I drank it, everyone around me began treating her with unconditional devotion.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment my roommate handed me the milkshake. This time, I took it from her. However, I held the straw up to her lips instead of drinking it.

The Milkshake That Stole Everything

"Annie, look at you. You've been so busy handing out milkshakes that you haven't even had a sip yourself! Go on, have a sip." I took the milkshake from my roommate's hand and brought the straw up to her lips.

"No, Sienna, you should drink it. I bought this to welcome you, after all." Annie Redwood waved her hands quickly, pushing the milkshake back toward me. However, I saw how her eyes lingered on my lips, unable to hide the anticipation as she waited for me to take a sip.

That was exactly how it had happened in my previous life.

I had taken the milkshake Annie handed me without a second thought.

The very next second, my mom, who had been about to give me a one-million allowance, suddenly turned and handed the card to Annie instead. "You must be Sienna's roommate. This card has her living expenses on it. You take it. From now on, you and Sienna can use it together."

I had stared in shock as my mom even told Annie the password before I could stop her.

Then, my brother, Sylvan Gavell, pulled out the keys to a brand-new car and held them out toward Annie. It had been my reward for getting into college. He'd kept it hidden all summer, saving it for the first day of school so he could surprise me.

Yet, he was now handing it over to her.

"It's much easier if you two have a car when you go out. I just heard you say you got your driver's license, so this car is yours. I'll transfer the ownership of the car to you later."

Annie hadn't even said a word, but Sylvan had already decided the fate of my car.

"Mom, Sylvan, weren't these supposed to be for me?" I had rushed forward, completely bewildered. Alas, my attempts to stop them were received with harsh reprimands.

"Sienna, you need to learn how to share nice things. You insisted on staying in the dorm, didn't you? Wasn't that so you could build good relationships with your classmates? Annie already gave you a milkshake. So, shouldn't you give something in return? That's just basic courtesy."

I understood what they meant by returning a favor, but this was way beyond that.

I tried to stop them again, but this time they shoved me aside. They even asked Annie if there was anything else she wanted, so they could buy it along with the car transfer.

From that moment on, they blindly indulged her every demand. It got so bad that they eventually drained the family's savings and let the company fall to ruin just to satisfy Annie's whims.

It wasn't until my final moments that I learned the truth, that our misfortune had all started with that milkshake.

This time, there was no way I was going to let her succeed.

The Plan That Should Have Worked

"Sorry, Annie. My throat's been hurting these past couple of days, so I really can't drink a milkshake."

"C'mon, drink it. It's already open. People might actually think there's something wrong with it if we keep passing it back and forth." I handed the milkshake back as I carefully watched Annie's expression.

"What are you talking about, Sienna? We just met today. Why would I ever poison you?" Annie's eyes flickered with a trace of panic before she quickly forced herself to sound calm.

"I'm kidding. Go on, drink." I nudged the milkshake a little closer to her.

I hadn't just learned that the milkshake was bound to a system before I died. I had also learned that the one who initiated the binding would suffer a backlash if they drank it themselves.

'I'll find a way to make you drink it even if you try to wriggle out of this, Redwood. This time, you're going to pay for what you did.'

I was already considering slipping it into her food if she kept turning away from it when she did something I didn't expect. She picked up the milkshake and took a sip.

"You know, the milkshakes from that shop by the school gate are actually pretty good. It's too bad that your throat hurts, Sienna. I'll treat you to one next time."

She kept drinking as she spoke. Her expression remained completely normal even after finishing more than half the cup. There wasn't the slightest sign of the backlash she was supposed to suffer.

'How's that possible?'

It was Annie herself who had told me that drinking the milkshake would trigger the backlash.

In my previous life, I had cursed her when I was on the verge of death, saying she would get what she deserved. She had only smiled and told me that the system could indeed backfire, causing her to feel as if 100 needles were piercing through her body.

But then, she added that I had already drunk the one milkshake that could have triggered that backlash for her.

I had been on death's door at the time. So, there was no reason for her to lie to me. Yet, she wasn't showing any signs of pain even after drinking the milkshake. What was going on here?

No More Dorm, No More Risk

When my mother heard me, she looked at me with concern. "Sienna, your throat hurts? Have Sylvan take you to a doctor later. The weather's been so hot lately. It'll be awful if you fell ill now."

She immediately told Sylvan to bring over the first-aid kit they'd prepared, saying there were some basic medicines inside in case I couldn't get to a doctor at school right away.

I nearly burst into tears when I saw the worry on their faces. It had been so long since I'd felt such unconditional love.

In my previous life, they had devoted themselves entirely to Annie after I drank that milkshake, ignoring everything I said and looking at me as if I were their enemy. In the end, they had given up everything for her, even their lives.

I wasn't going to let that tragedy happen this time around.

"Mom, I don't want to stay in the dorm anymore. Didn't you buy me an apartment unit near campus? Can I move there instead?"

I had actually enrolled in a local university. Although home wasn't too far away, my mom had still bought an apartment nearby as soon as she found out I'd been accepted—just so I wouldn't have to stay in the dorm and could live more comfortably on my own.

"The dorms are crowded. I was worried you wouldn't get used to it. And with a roommate… what if your lifestyles don't match?"

Back then, my mom had listed a whole string of concerns, but I had insisted on staying in the dorm. I thought it would help me build better relationships with my classmates, so I didn't want to stand out by living off-campus right from the start.

My mom respected my decision and agreed without much fuss.

What I hadn't expected was to be assigned to a mixed dorm. The other two roommates were seniors who were out on internships most of the time and rarely came back. In the end, it was just me and Annie left in the room.

Even though I had no idea how Annie could drink the milkshake and come out completely fine, I decided to play it safe.

I thought I could at least avoid her if I couldn't fight her.

As long as I kept my distance, it didn't matter what tricks she had up her sleeve because she wouldn't be able to use them on me.