I was guaranteed a spot in Arkenville University because I had won a competition, and I chose the computer science program.

Once I got in, it felt as if everything lined up. I loved what I studied, dominated every class, and racked up win after win at competitions.

By senior year, I wanted nothing more than to study under Professor Briggs, someone I'd admired forever, as a grad student. He agreed, but on one condition: I had to win first place at this international competition.

So, I picked the hardest project topic I could and practically lived in the computer lab, chasing every detail, every line of code.

But in the end, Nicole snatched the reward of my work as if it was nothing.

As I walked across campus, the memory made the silence feel heavier, as if the whole place was pressing down on me. I knew I must've missed something

But then an idea hit me.

If my original design was useless now, why not rebuild it from scratch? I'd use a different programming language and structure. I'd create a whole new design.

Back at the dorm, I pulled out my laptop and started typing as if my life depended on it. My brain was on fire, the logic falling into place in ways I hadn't even considered before.

This new design couldn't be accused of plagiarism, since it was too different. And on top of that, it ran faster and smoother than the first one.

The more I coded, the more excited I got, my fingers flying over the keyboard.

That was when I heard my roommate's voice behind me.

"Kelsey, you're pushing yourself too hard. You've been up all night. You need to rest."

I blinked at my phone screen and froze. It was already 4:30 AM.

She rubbed her forehead and sighed.

"You've still got a whole week before the competition. Why kill yourself over it now? What if you get sick right before? You'd lose everything."

Her words hit me like a wake-up call.

She was right. There was still a week left, so I didn't need to rush a submission. I could hold back and watch what Nicole posted. If anything weird popped up again, I'd have time to adjust.

That way, I could avoid the nightmare from last time. This time, I'd go in with a project that I had built myself.

Breathing out, I finally felt the weight lift a little. I thanked her, then turned back to my screen and kept going. I only stopped when I had my second version coded and running.

When I tested it, the program worked perfectly.

I stared at the screen, my heart thudding.

Finally. Something that was fully mine.

But then my chest tightened as another memory surfaced.

Last time, Nicole didn't just accuse me of plagiarism. She went online and did a livestream, claiming I bullied her on campus.

She sat in front of the camera crying. With tears rolling down her cheeks, her innocent face pulled everyone in. Overnight, she had the internet on her side.

The comments were brutal.

[Wow. Didn't know bullies like that still existed in college. We can't let her keep hurting people.]

[Poor Nicole. She got bullied and cheated out of her work! Kelsey's pure evil.]

[Nicole's just too kind. We'll fight for her. Who's got Kelsey's number?]

I never understood why she lied. All I could do was run around and try to clear my name, but the harder I tried, the worse it got.

Someone leaked my family's private info online. Trolls harassed them nonstop until my parents decided to move. Then, on the way out of town, some crazed fan chased them off the road. The crash killed them instantly.

The memory burned hot in my chest. My nails dug into my palm as I clenched my fists.

I had to get to the bottom of this. If I didn't figure out where it all started, I couldn't keep my family safe this time.

While I was stuck in my own storm of thoughts, a group of classmates gasped nearby.

"Did you guys see Nicole's Instagram? Someone copied her project!"

"For real? The competition's just days away. How's she supposed to redo everything now?"

"Whoever did that is trash. The audacity!"

The words hit me like lightning. My stomach dropped.

I yanked out my phone, my hands shaking, and opened Nicole's Instagram.

Nicole's new post popped up on my screen.

[So I guess people can steal someone else's code and still compete with it, huh?]

My stomach dropped. A thought hit me that maybe this was the exact post that had started everything last time. It was the reason I got torn apart online.

Nicole was always the one people adored. She had professor parents, that sweet-girl image, and a smile everyone noticed. Meanwhile, I was just an average face with no family connections. And in this world, looks and status would win every time.

The comments came in fast.

[What's going on, Nicole? Did someone copy your code?]

[Tell your parents right now. Let the dean handle it and kick that cheater out of school!]

[Plagiarizers like that are the shame of Arkenville University. Right before the competition, too? That's just disgusting.]

As I read their words, I felt as if I was being dragged back into my past life—the bullying, the hate, and the endless comments that ripped me apart.

Back then, I'd get hundreds of texts every day. Some guys even posted my info on sketchy hookup sites, and creepy strangers started calling.

They'd say things like, "Stop acting so innocent. You'll end up sleeping with your professors for good grades anyway. Might as well have some fun with me first."

"I know where you live. If you don't sleep with me, I'll just show up at your door."

That was when my parents decided to move and were killed in the crash.

The memory stung so hard that I wanted to throw my phone away. My thumb hovered over the screen, ready to shut it down, when something stopped me.

A comment with my name.

[Is Nicole talking about Kelsey? I saw her program in my professor's office a few days ago. It looked exactly like Nicole's.]

The thread exploded.

[Kelsey? The special enrolled student? You actually saw her stuff?]

[No way. She's been top of the department for years. Why would she need to plagiarize? You'd better have proof.]

[Ha. How do you know she didn't cheat her way to those grades, too? And Nicole never even said it was Kelsey. Stop acting like a neutral judge!]

The whole post turned into a battlefield, with people arguing back and forth.

Some students even started making their own posts to show support for Nicole, calling her strong and brave.

And of course, the loudest voice belonged to my boyfriend, Mark.

He went all out with three back-to-back posts, each one with a selfie of Nicole.

[Everyone knows how hard Nicole works. She's always staying up late for the team. Whoever copied her needs to admit it now, or I'll call the cops myself and make sure Nicole gets justice!]

Almost every guy in the department liked his post. And Nicole commented right under it.

[Thanks, Mark. I'm so glad you're here for me!]

The words stung like needles under my skin. My chest twisted with jealousy, but also relief.

Thank God I hadn't turned in my code yesterday. If I had, I'd already be drowning in another wave of hate.

I steadied my breathing, trying to calm down. I was about to leave the classroom and tell my team about my new program when Nicole's next post popped up.

"Thanks for your support, everyone. Even if someone steals my work, I can still rebuild. That's something no one can take away. Here's my new program. Check it out!"

My hand shook as I clicked the link.

And my blood went cold.

The code for her "new" program was exactly the same as my second version, line for line!