Chapter 2
Yennifer and Moana were still glaring at me, demanding that I apologize.
Sia pretended to play peacemaker, but I could see that she was amused. It was obvious she was enjoying the show.
I glanced at my bedsheet, which was dirtied by her delivery boxes, and I laughed. I asked, "Sia, do you know how much my bedsheet set costs?"
Yennifer let out a scornful laugh. "It's only a bedsheet. Who can't afford one? Sia is a rich girl!"
Moana chimed in. "Exactly. Paying you back is nothing to Sia, but can you afford to pay for all her deliveries? Why don't you compensate each other then?"
Sia's face fell when Moana said that. I could not help but laugh.
My bedsheet was from a luxury brand. My mom had bought them as an extra item to qualify for a designer bag she wanted to buy, and passed them on to my dad and me.
Others might not recognize the brand, but Sia certainly would. She had studied plenty about high-end goods to maintain her rich girl persona while trying to snag a wealthy boyfriend.
I knew she could not afford it.
I could see sweat on her forehead. She was about to speak, but I cut her off.
"Fine. This set cost nine thousand three hundred dollars. How are you going to pay? You can cover it with those deliveries on the floor instead," I said.
"What? Nine thousand and three hundred dollars? Who are you kidding?" Yennifer stammered. She looked shocked at first, but then quickly sneered.
It was no surprise. Back in high school, my parents had warned me not to flaunt my wealth after being relentlessly harassed by a boy; They reminded me to stay as discreet as possible.
Aside from Sia, no one knew I came from money, that I was a true heiress.
Yennifer assumed I was bluffing, and so did Moana.
Moana was hot-tempered, so she immediately said, "That's nothing. I bet one of Sia's packages is worth more than your bedsheet!" She reached for a box as she spoke, ready to tear it open.
Sia turned pale and stopped her. She clenched her jaw and looked at me. "I'll give you the money tomorrow."
I sneered inside.
She did not dare to let Moana open the box. Otherwise, everyone would find out that most of the packages were empty parcels ordered to fake her image as a rich girl.
That vanity was exactly what I planned to use against her.
I took my phone out and opened the payment code before I held it in front of her.
"There's no need for that. Let's settle the score. Since you're so rich, surely you can pay right away?" I asked.
I knew that she could not.
Sia was only an ordinary college student. Her rich girl persona had landed her a wealthy boyfriend, but her allowance was limited. She lived on credit cards and online loans, and she finished splurging on the online promotion day; there was no way she could cough up nearly ten thousand dollars on the spot.
She stumbled over excuses and refused to make payment. Yennifer and Moana exchanged uneasy glances. "Don't tell us you can't afford it, Sia," they said.
Their suspicious looks made her panic. She turned to me for help.
My face darkened.
No one else knew that I had known Sia long before college. Her father used to be my driver and often brought her along during the holidays to deliver gifts. I recognized them the first day I saw them in the dorm, even after he quit.
I had been softhearted in my previous life. I always lent Sia money or luxury items whenever she gave me that pitiful look. It was all out of gratitude for her father.
However, when she stole my identity, those very favors became evidence of my supposed vanity and jealousy.
I was thrown into a psych ward in her body, where I suffered three months of pure despair. Only by overhearing a nurse did I learn that Sia had played a hand in it all.
I could not believe she wanted to act pitiful in front of me. There was no way I would fall for it again after dying.
My gaze fell on the delivery boxes on the floor. I noticed a familiar image on one of the boxes. There was an image of a censer printed on the surface. I smiled casually at Sia.
"Let's settle with your belongings instead, since you don't want to pay. For example, that one. Looks like a censer, right? I've recently taken an interest in incense," I said.
Her expression shifted rapidly. In the end, she agreed because she feared her secret would be exposed.
"Just for one day. I'll buy the exact bedsheet by tomorrow. You have to return the censer to me by then," said Sia.
She gave a long, wary look before obediently stashing her boxes under her bed. She almost looked pitiful.
Yennifer and Moana sat back down, muttering in a mocking tone.
"Some people just love competing with other girls, but the truth is they're just jealous of someone being richer and having a boyfriend who spoils her!" Yennifer mocked.
"I would say that someone regrets it. Remember when Joel Zander used to pursue her? She didn't care back then. Now that Joel is with Sia, she comes after Sia every day," Moana added.
I ignored them. I quickly changed my bedsheet and carefully opened the package.
I did not touch the censer itself, nor did I dare to, but I quietly slipped the instruction manual into my pocket.
I always believed in the saying "knowing is half the battle". I was going to find out what exactly the cursed relic was.
Chapter 3
I finished showering that night and stepped out of the bathroom. I had only opened the door when Sia slipped inside. She wore a pitiful expression.
"Luna…" she said pitifully, trying to play the victim.
I glared at her and asked, "What is it?"
"N-Nothing," she stammered.
"If it's nothing, leave," I said. I moved as if to push her out.
Sia panicked and bit her lower lip. She sobbed and asked, "Are you upset with me, Luna? Why are you targeting me? You know my family isn't well-off, so why did you make me pay for your bedsheet?
"Your bedsheet costs me an entire year's living expenses. You don't even need the money, so why can't you just let it go? Are you doing it on purpose to humiliate me?"
I was stunned. I could not believe anyone could be so shameless, and yet, judging by her expression, she truly felt discriminated against.
I had no patience for her games, so I simply admitted it.
"Yes, I look down on you, and I am targeting you. So what?" I asked.
Her expression stiffened for a moment. I saw resentment and realization in her eyes.
A chill ran through me.
I had treated her decently in my previous life. She repeatedly used my name on campus forums to fish for rich boyfriends and ruined my reputation, but I had not confronted her or exposed her.
However, the truth was clear. Someone like Sia could only thrive by hurting others, unless you gave her everything she wanted without conditions, resentment would always grow. No matter how much you helped her, she would only see you as an enemy.
I could sense her hatred towards me at that moment.
I stared into her humiliated eyes and warned in an unfriendly tone, "I suggest you stop your little tricks and compensate me for my loss. Don't be surprised if the truth ends up plastered on the campus wall if you keep it up. Do you think your rich boyfriend would stay with you then?"
"No, please don't!" she begged.
She panicked when I mentioned Joel. She grabbed my arm and begged, "Please don't tell him. I'll pay you back for the bedsheet. It was my fault for leaving the packages on your bed by accident. I won't do it again!"
I coughed lightly, and I felt weird.
Clearly, she was terrified of losing him. Her reaction was so extreme that it almost made me look like the jealous villain trying to break them apart.
I scoffed and asked, "You say it was an accident? What about the times you secretly wore my clothes and carried my purse to meet Joel? What about when you threw my speech draft into the washing machine, copied my style while hinting to others that I was copying you? Were those all accidents, too?"
She turned pale, then she looked flushed. Her expression looked twisted for a second.
I shook her hand off me. The memory of my previous life came rushing back, and suddenly the spot where she had touched me felt filthy, as though insects were crawling across my skin. Disgust welled up inside me.
I pushed the door open. I caught sight of her distorted, resentful face in the bathroom mirror behind me.
"I won't let the past go so easily, Sia. You better watch it," I warned.
Then, I picked up my toiletries and walked out.
She probably tossed and turned that night, eaten up with worry, but that was none of my concern.
There was something I did not know. The moment I left, she lowered her gaze to the strand of hair she had plucked from my clothes. Her expression twisted into a vicious smile.
I flipped through the censer instruction manual that night while lying in bed. Following the shop name printed inside, I managed to track down the online store of the seller.
Unexpectedly, the store was empty, there was not a single item for sale.
I had no choice but to tap on the customer service icon at the bottom of the page. I cautiously sent a message.
[User2345: Hello, may I ask if the incense burners in your store are still available for purchase?]
It was half past eleven at night, but to my surprise, the customer service replied quickly.
[Satanic Shop: Hello dear, the products in our store can only be purchased with a strong desire. It seems we’ve detected that you don’t have a wish you truly long to fulfill.]
My hand trembled as I locked my screen.
'What did that mean? Could the customer service somehow detect my emotions through the phone? Was such technology possible? What exactly is Sia's relationship with this store?' I wondered.
My screen lit up just when I was hesitating. The customer service had sent another message first.
I was shocked when I saw the words on the screen.