Whenever I mentioned having a boyfriend, Ella would pounce on the opportunity, her fingers quick to find his WhatsApp contact.

She bombarded him with glamorous selfies, claiming she was doing it to "test his loyalty" to me.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. She had the audacity to bring my boyfriend to our dorm, her laughter ringing out as she flirted shamelessly with him right before my eyes.

After he left, she’d toss her hair back and flash me a smug smile, her tone oozing with false sweetness.

"Everly, you’re amazing, really. But tell me, why is it that every guy you date can’t seem to take their eyes off me?"

Her arrogance was infuriating, but I bit my tongue, refusing to give her the satisfaction of a reaction. Instead, I let her wallow in her twisted little games, biding my time.

That’s when a spark of inspiration hit me. I decided to give her a taste of her own medicine. I started pretending to date a notorious playboy, someone with a reputation so wild it practically came with a warning label.

As I’d predicted, she couldn’t resist. She set out to "test his loyalty," just as I knew she would.

Only this time, her schemes backfired spectacularly, and she became the campus laughingstock.

Her confidence shattered; she found herself on the rooftop of the school building, staring out at the world with hollow eyes.

"Ahh!"

—

When my roommates and I returned from a late-night study session at the library, the quiet dorm seemed to promise nothing but rest—until one of them pushed open the bathroom door and let out a piercing shriek.

Inside, standing as though he owned the place, was Samuel, my newly declared boyfriend, caught shirtless and halfway through pulling on his shirt.

"Samuel! What on earth are you doing here?"

I froze in my tracks, my breath hitching as my wide eyes locked on him. A storm of disbelief and embarrassment swirled within me.

Samuel’s face turned crimson as he fumbled to pull his T-shirt over his head. His gaze flickered nervously, settling on Ella, who had supposedly stayed behind while we were out.

"How dare you ask? Isn’t Samuel your boyfriend? How could you not know why he’s here?" Ella snapped, pointing at me before Samuel could even explain.

"Everly, how could you? This is the girls’ dorm. How dare you bring your boyfriend here?"

"Yeah, good thing I walked in before undressing, or I would’ve been completely exposed.”

Frustrated, I turned to Samuel. "Samuel, who told you to come here? What are you doing in my dorm?" My voice was sharp, and I couldn’t help but notice how his gaze lingered on Ella.

Ella quickly jumped in again, her tone defensive. "Samuel came to help you fetch hot water, but he accidentally got his clothes wet. I just let him use the bathroom to clean up."

She didn’t stop there. "Everly, can’t you even handle something as simple as getting hot water yourself? You’re an adult; why do you always need others to do everything for you?"

With that, she tugged Samuel toward the door. "Alright, hurry up and leave before the dorm manager catches you."

But as Samuel walked out, I caught a faint whisper from Ella to him. "Isn’t this exciting? Let’s do it again sometime."

It was clear to me then that Samuel hadn’t come here for me. Once again, he’d been "won over" by Ella.

This was the ninth boyfriend Ella had stolen from me.

Every time, she used the excuse of "testing their loyalty," only to wrap them around her finger in the end.

Her methods were painfully predictable: adding them on WhatsApp, sending alluring photos late at night, and flirting shamelessly.

How many men could resist her tricks?

After Samuel left, I slumped onto my bed, exhausted and frustrated, but a sudden sharp pain shot through my thigh. Startled, I reached down and felt something foreign.

It was an opened and used wrapper.

"Gross! Everly, you’re disgusting!"

"You didn’t seriously call Samuel over and do that kind of thing in the dorm, did you?" one of them accused, their tone dripping with disdain.

"How shameless can you be?"

I froze, stunned by their accusations, but Ella didn’t give me a chance to explain.

"This isn’t mine! And besides, I was at the library with all of you!"

"The only ones in the dorm were Ella and Samuel. Couldn’t it have been—"

Before I could finish, Ella erupted, cutting me off. "Everly, this is your bed!"

"And Samuel is your boyfriend! How dare you accuse me of such a thing?"

Millie Myers, our roommate, nodded vigorously, her face contorted with judgment. "Exactly! How could you do something so shameless in the dorm and then pin it on Ella? That’s downright disgusting!"

Her words sliced through the air, sharp and unforgiving. "You’re vile. You must have snuck back during our study session just to fool around with Samuel!"

Their words piled on, leaving me speechless. I was trapped under the weight of their accusations, unable to fight back.

My gaze fell on my bed, the wrinkles in the sheets telling a story I didn’t want to believe.

Ella hadn’t just used the dorm for her antics with Samuel; she had used my bed!

And now, she was turning the tables, ensuring I had no way to defend myself.

"Ugh, Everly! What kind of boyfriends do you even date? It’s revolting!" Millie’s shriek pierced through the air just as I shoved my crumpled bed sheets into the washing machine.

Startled, Ella and Alina Foster darted out from their rooms, their faces confused and alarmed.

"My clothes! They’ve been moved! I didn’t leave them like this!"

Millie spun toward me, fury blazing in her eyes. "Everly! Are you doing vile things and dragging our clothes into it? You’re disgusting!" With exaggerated disgust, she yanked her shirt from the balcony rail and tossed it into the trash. "Gross! I don’t even want this anymore. You owe me a new one!"

Ella and Alina exchanged knowing looks before their piercing glares landed on me.

"Everly, aren’t you just the shameless one!" Ella spat, her tone dripping with venom.

My fists clenched at my sides, and my body trembled with barely contained anger. Words fought to escape my throat, but I knew nothing I said would change their minds.

Finally, I snapped, my voice cutting through the tension like a blade. "Ella, karma exists! Liars never get away unscathed!"

Ella’s eyes instantly glistened, and her bottom lip quivered as she donned her well-practiced mask of innocence.

"Everly," she said softly, her voice trembling just enough to sound genuine, "I’m your roommate! How could you blame me for the mess your boyfriend caused? Don’t you feel even a little guilty?"

"Yeah, stop being so shameless, Everly. Quit dragging Ella into your problems!"

"You’re disgusting! If you keep this up, I’ll make sure everyone knows exactly who you are!"

Ella came from wealth, and her father was a prominent figure in the school’s administration. It was no wonder Millie and Alina clung to her like moths to a flame, always rushing to her defense no matter the situation.

I drew a deep breath, forcing my trembling hands to still as I tried to keep my composure. "Ella," I said, my voice strained but steady, "the next time I date someone, could you not add them on WhatsApp?"

To my surprise, Ella didn’t falter. Instead, she smiled—a sly, confident curl of her lips.

"I’m just testing them for you," she replied, her voice dripping with self-assurance. "And now you’re blaming me? Really?"

"Over the past two years, I’ve helped you weed out so many bad guys. You should be thanking me!"

Then, with a casual shrug and a biting grin, she added, "But now, it looks like the bad guys were right after all. Everly, you’re just shameless!"

Her words cut deep, but she wasn’t done. "Doing such disgusting things in the dorm? If you can do it, at least have the decency to own up to it!"

"Exactly!"

Alina wasn’t far behind, her expression painted with mock horror. "She’s right! You’re unbelievable, Everly!"

Their words struck like daggers, the venom laced in every syllable suffocating me. The air around me seemed heavy, pressing against my chest as I struggled to breathe.

"Did you hear?" Millie whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Everly snuck her boyfriend into the dorm last night!"

"That’s not all," Alina added gleefully. "I heard they were messing around! Right there in the dorm!"

"Disgusting," someone murmured. "I’d never want a roommate like that."

The whispers followed me to class the next morning, each one a nail in my coffin. I clutched my books tightly, keeping my head low as the judgmental stares burned into my back. The weight of their gossip pressed down on me, turning every step into a trial.

Just as I reached the classroom door, a sharp voice rang out behind me. "Everly! Stop right there!"

I turned slowly, dread pooling in my stomach. Samuel was storming toward me, his expression thunderous, his finger pointed like an accusation.

"Who told you to spread rumors about me?" he barked, his voice echoing in the hallway.

Before I could respond, he snarled, "You’re the one with no shame! Don’t you dare drag me into your mess!"

I stood there, speechless, my mind spinning. He and Ella had made the mess in the dorm, and now he was blaming me as the rumors spread.

Before I could finish, he interrupted with a cruel sneer.

"A woman like you doesn’t deserve to be my girlfriend!"

"Stop spreading lies about being with me!"

"And by the way, the guy you messed around with in the dorm wasn’t me!"

"If you keep running your mouth and ruining my reputation, you’ll regret it!"

Samuel stormed off with one final shove on my shoulder, not even waiting for me to respond.

The force of his shove sent me tumbling to the ground, my body stumbling awkwardly as I fell. Laughter erupted from the crowd of classmates, mocking and cruel.

Ella, in particular, stood out. Her eyes gleamed with a challenge as if daring me to retaliate.

I bit my lip hard, my anger rising so fast that I could almost feel my nails digging into my skin.

But deep down, I knew that if I stood up and confronted her now, I’d only make myself look pathetic.

No, I had to bide my time and come up with a plan to show everyone what kind of person Ella really was.

Half a month later, the opportunity arrived.

In the meantime, I had met an "ocean king" outside of school, and one morning, I casually mentioned our class was going on a hike, inviting him to join.

The hike was grueling, and by noon, when we reached the halfway point, we were all drained.

"I'm starving!" Millie whined, leaning on her knee as she spotted a buffet restaurant ahead.

"Everly, you’re treating us to lunch today!"

"Yeah, lunch is on you!"

They didn’t care to ask; they just marched ahead toward the restaurant.

"Why should I treat you?" I asked, taken aback.

Ella turned sharply, her gaze fierce.

"Letting you treat us is a privilege," she said coldly. "Unless, of course, you want to keep being the outcast."

"Yeah, Ella’s offering you such a great chance; why not take it?"

"Or is it that you can’t even afford to buy us a simple meal?"

Just as they finished their taunts, a handsome figure approached us.

His shirt clung to his body, soaked with sweat, highlighting the contours of his muscular frame.

I noticed the instant Ella laid eyes on him; her gaze flickered with obvious interest.

"Who’s this?"

Ella’s eyes roamed over him, her voice laced with curiosity.

I let a small smile slip onto my face and introduced him smoothly.

"This is Isaiah Gray, my new boyfriend."

Isaiah offered to treat us to a meal, and the moment he did, Ella and the others lit up with excitement, showering him with praise for his generosity.

As I made my way to the restroom, Ella followed closely behind.

"Everly, when did you start dating your new boyfriend? How come I didn’t know about this?"

"Isaiah’s so handsome; could he be a playboy? Maybe I should give you a little help…"

"No need!" I cut her off before she could say more, my voice firm.

But I knew deep down that Ella wouldn’t back off so easily.

As expected, during the meal, Ella couldn’t keep her eyes off Isaiah, throwing flirtatious glances in his direction and finding every excuse to talk to him.

Later, when Isaiah got up to refill the drinks, Ella wasted no time; she stood up and followed him with a determined look.

The moment Isaiah finished getting the drinks, Ella pretended to stumble and accidentally bumped into him, causing the drinks to spill all over them both.

"Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to get your clothes dirty. Let me clean it up for you."

Ella quickly grabbed a tissue and motioned for Isaiah to sit down in a chair.

Her dress, already loose at the neckline, gave her an excuse to bend forward in front of Isaiah.

"It seems like I can’t quite clean this up properly... Isaiah, how about you add me on WhatsApp? I’ll buy you a new one tomorrow to make it up to you."

Isaiah, ever the charmer, saw right through Ella’s act. But instead of rejecting her outright, he cleverly shifted his attention to me.

"It’s fine, no worries. As for whether I can add you on WhatsApp, that depends on whether Everly agrees or not."

"Everly, you’re not going to be stingy, are you?"

I shrugged, a smirk playing on my lips. "Go ahead, you’re not going to steal my boyfriend, right?"

"Of course not! What are you saying? I’ve never stolen your boyfriend!"

"I respect boundaries," Ella said, eager to play the part.

She quickly opened her QR code for Isaiah to scan, and I noticed that familiar look of challenge in her eyes.

But this time, I wasn’t even slightly angry. I simply wanted them to get it over with.

Later that night, back at the dorm, Ella was the first to shower.

When she came out, she was dressed in a sexy nightgown, posing in front of the mirror as she snapped selfies.

I was almost certain she’d be sending those pictures to Isaiah.

Let her.

She was free to try and seduce him; I wasn’t bothered in the slightest.

On Saturday, as usual, I headed to the library to study. But as I descended the stairs, I spotted Isaiah standing in front of the dormitory supervisor’s office.

"Isaiah, what are you doing here?"

He smiled and pulled out a box of small cakes, handing it to me. "I bought you your favorite strawberry cake. Specially brought it over for you."

"Thank you," I said, my lips curving into a smile as I accepted the treat. "I’m about to head to the library. Want to join me?"

"I’ll pass on the library. I get a headache whenever I try to read," he replied with a chuckle.

I didn’t press him and, after a quick goodbye, made my way toward the tree just outside.

True to my suspicion, not long after, I saw him sneak into the girls' dormitory through a side entrance near the supervisor’s office.

I’d known it. He was here for Ella!

It didn’t take much to guess. When Ella wore lace stockings that morning, I knew she had a plan.

So, after waiting for a while, I turned and headed back to the dormitory supervisor’s office.

"Auntie, there’s been a strange smell in our dorm lately. Could you come check it out?" I asked sweetly, flashing a smile.

With that, I led her toward the dorm.

Now, everyone would see who the real flirt was!