Nadia's POV

After I got accepted into Charter Oak University, the school awarded me a forty-thousand-dollar scholarship.

Our campus queen, Ivy Green, suggested that I use the money to treat the whole class to a graduation trip to celebrate and relax.

In my previous life, I gently explained that I couldn’t spend the money as my mom was seriously ill, and the funds were meant for her surgery.

But Ivy didn’t take the rejection well. Upset, she went on a solo trip and ended up getting bitten by a venomous snake.

Before she died from the poison, she posted a message on her social media.

[I just wanted one last trip with everyone before we went our separate ways. Why does Nadia always have to go against me?

At the time, my boyfriend, Bentley Bates, didn’t blame me at all when he found out she had died. In fact, he even volunteered to go with me to the hospital to visit my mom.

But the day before the semester began, everything changed. He locked me up in a dark, humid snake pit.

“You think I didn’t find out? Your mom’s surgery didn’t cost forty grand at all! You just wanted to ruin Ivy’s plans! I heard that offering a virgin to the snake spirit can bring someone back to life. This is what you owe Ivy!”

Soon, I was bitten, and the venom spread through my body. As the snake coiled tighter around me, I felt my breath slip away. My whole body turned cold, and my mind went blank.

And when I opened my eyes again, Ivy was chatting in our class group chat, just like before.

——

[We finally made it through these three tough years. You’ve all worked so hard. How about we take an overseas trip this summer? My treat!]

She even mentioned all of us, her classmates.

The class instantly exploded with excitement.

[A whole-class trip? That’s gotta be thousands at least!]

[Come on, with airfare and hotels, it’d easily be tens of thousands!]

[Wait, are you serious? You’re not joking, right?]

Before Ivy could reply, Bentley, our class president and my boyfriend, chimed in.

[Ivy is from the Green family. That kind of money is nothing to her.]

[But even if she’s loaded, she shouldn’t be the only one paying. Didn’t someone just get a forty grand scholarship?]

Then he mentioned me in the group.

[Nadia, hand over that scholarship. Don’t play dead. I know you’re reading this.]

Quickly after sending that chat, my phone rang with his call. I heard the haunting sound of the ringtone and realized something terrifying.

I had really come back. I was reborn.

In my past life, this exact moment happened the same way. Ivy made the same proposal in the group chat, and Bentley pressured me to chip in my scholarship.

I had explained, once again, that my mother was seriously ill and the money was needed for her surgery.

But everyone was disappointed. One by one, they backed out of the trip.

Ivy was embarrassed and humiliated. In a fit of anger, she went on the trip alone and got bitten by a poisonous snake in the jungle.

The local hospital didn’t have the antivenom, and she lost consciousness quickly.

Before that, she made another emotional post.

[It’s all my fault. If Nadia hadn’t turned on me, we would’ve had a perfect trip.]

[It’s such a shame I can’t say goodbye to everyone in person.]

When Bentley saw that post, he didn’t blame me. He even offered to visit my mom with me.

But the day before school started, he snapped. Eyes bloodshot, he tied me up and dragged me to that snake-infested pit.

“If you weren’t so selfish and stingy, Ivy wouldn’t be dead! I asked around. Your mom’s surgery didn’t cost forty grand! You killed Ivy and still think you can stroll into Charter Oak like a hero? Dream on!”

I tried to explain that the hospital had given us a discount because I was the top scorer on the college entrance exam. That was why it ended up costing less.

But before I could say a word, Bentley ordered someone to push me into the snake cage.

Inside, a thick, brightly-colored python slithered toward me.

Nadia's POV

I was shaking all over, terrified, and begged Bentley to let me go.

But his eyes were ice-cold. “I heard that offering a virgin to the snake spirit can bring someone back to life. This is what you owe Ivy.”

The memory of being strangled and suffocated by that python in my past life was still fresh. I shuddered, and this time, rage took over.

As such, I immediately typed into the class group chat.

[I earned that forty grand scholarship through my own hard work. Why should I hand it over?]

But Bentley quickly replied.

[Don’t be ungrateful, Nadia. Ivy using your scholarship is her doing you a favor.]

[You’re the only one in class who can’t fit in. I’m giving you a chance to be part of something, can’t you see that?]

I let out a cold laugh and shot back.

[Did I ever say I wanted to go on this graduation trip? If I’m not joining, why should I pay for it?]

[Whoever invites, pays. I’m not gonna be the sucker footing the bill. I’m here to study, not to win popularity points.]

[Ivy is all you ever talk about. If she's so amazing, why don’t you just date her already?]

The group went silent for a few seconds after that.

Then Bentley sneered.

[Nadia, are you seriously jealous right now?]

[Quit the attitude. Transfer the money to Ivy, or you’ll mess up the whole booking, flights, hotels, everything. And I swear, I won’t let it slide!]

Ivy chimed in, too, even tagging me.

[Nadia, I think you misunderstood me and Bentley. I just wanted everyone to relax and enjoy the summer, that’s all.]

[If you don’t want to chip in, that’s fine. I can cover the costs, just come along, okay?]

Right after that, Bentley followed up with another message.

[See? That’s how generous Ivy is. Unlike some people who pinch pennies like their life depends on it.]

[No one’s against the trip, right? I’ll go ahead and give everyone’s ID info to Ivy for the visa applications.]

With that, the whole class blew up in excitement.

[Of course! Where else would we get such a great offer?]

[Some people just act all high and mighty because they’re top students, always worried someone else might steal their spotlight.]

[Totally! She’s just jealous of Ivy. Let’s ignore her.]

Watching them cheer and flatter Ivy like mindless sheep, I couldn’t help but scoff.

In my past life, I only learned after I died that this whole “graduation trip” was just a cover.

Ivy had another plan. She wanted to collect everyone’s ID cards for the visa process so she could take out massive loans in their names.

It was because her father’s company was on the verge of bankruptcy, and she needed a huge sum to cover the losses.

If I hadn’t spoken up then, they all would’ve ended up saddled with millions in high-interest debt.

But now, these same people were attacking me with the most vicious words.

Good thing, I still had my ID. If they were dead set on jumping into the fire, I wasn’t about to stop them.

Knowing all that, I quickly sent a voice message to the group.

“You want to go on a graduation trip? That’s your business. Leave me out of it. But just a friendly reminder. Keep a close eye on your personal documents. Otherwise, you might not even know you’ve been sold off.”

As soon as I hit send, Bentley exploded with anger.

[Nadia, just because you’ve got a filthy heart doesn’t mean everyone else does. Ivy is beautiful and kind. How could you say something like that about her?!]

Ivy also chimed in.

[I just wanted to do something nice for everyone. I never thought Nadia would accuse me like this. Maybe we should just cancel everything.]

A few classmates jumped in, annoyed.

[Can’t believe one rotten apple is spoiling the whole thing! Don’t listen to her, Ivy.]

Ivy responded with a pitiful emoji.

[But it’s a graduation trip. It won’t feel right if we’re not all together. And if Nadia doesn’t come, she’ll probably go online and say we excluded her.]

Nadia's POV

[I don’t want my good intentions to end up hurting everyone.]

The second I read Ivy’s message, I felt my blood boil.

[Ivy, say that again. When did I ever accuse you of anything?]

[You all want to go on this graduation trip, fine. Go! But why are you dragging me into it?]

Bentley let out a cold laugh.

[Ivy’s not making anything up. Everyone still remembers the whole entrance exam blessing fiasco.]

I froze for a second, then scoffed at the irony.

Before the college entrance exams, Ivy suddenly suggested taking everyone’s admission tickets to a temple to get them “blessed,” writing down good wishes for each of us, to supposedly help us get into top universities.

But I knew the rules. If there were any writing on an exam ticket, it would be considered cheating.

So I refused.

Worried others might get dragged into it, I even told our homeroom teacher.

He was furious and immediately put a stop to the plan before it caused real trouble.

I thought I’d helped the entire class avoid a disaster, but when the exam results came out, the same people I tried to protect started throwing shade at me.

They muttered that if I hadn’t snitched, maybe the blessings would’ve worked, and they’d all be heading to a top university.

Thinking about it now, I typed out a public message in the class group chat.

[I swear to the heavens. I have never said a single bad word about Ivy offering to pay for the graduation trip. If I have, may lightning strike me on the spot!]

In this life, I had no plans to play the hero. That message was just to cover my own back, so if anything went wrong again, they couldn’t pin it on me.

But of course, someone still had to stir the pot.

[Swearing doesn’t prove anything. What, is she gonna lose a chunk of flesh now?]

Bentley jumped in again.

[Don’t worry. I’ve got ways to shut her up for good.]

That made me pause. A strange sense of unease crept in. Just as I was about to ask what he meant, I was kicked out of the group chat by the admin.

But honestly? I didn’t care.

The entrance exams were over. I had no reason to keep in touch with any of them anyway. Even if they hadn’t kicked me, I would’ve left on my own.

Just in case something else happened, I went straight to the hospital that night and paid off all my mom’s surgery fees.

But things still didn’t go smoothly.

When I got home, I realized my ID card was missing.

My heart dropped.

Then I remembered Bentley’s last message in the chat, and the fact that he was the only one who knew the code to my front door.

Could he have snuck in while I was at the hospital and stolen it?

Furious, I stormed straight to his house and grabbed him by the collar.

“Bentley, did you take my ID? Give it back. Now!”

He frowned and looked at me with obvious disgust.

“What the hell’s wrong with you, Nadia? Why would I steal your ID? Ivy just didn’t want you to miss out on the trip and feel left out. So she figured she’d surprise you by secretly applying for your visa. She even got you sunscreen and a sun shirt. You should be grateful.”

Ivy, standing beside him, gave a fake sweet smile.

“We’re all in the same class. No need to be so formal.”

As she spoke, she tried to shove things into my hands.

If I hadn’t lived through this once already, I might’ve fallen for her little act.

I jerked back hard, and the sunscreen dropped, spilling everywhere. The sun shirt also got dirty at the edge.

“I already said I’m not going on that damn trip! Do you not understand plain language?!” I snapped.

Ivy’s eyes welled up instantly, and she started crying.

“I was just trying to do something nice. I thought it’d be meaningful for the whole class to have one last memory together.”

Then she swayed and collapsed into Bentley’s arms.

Witnessing that, his face changed in an instant.

“What’s wrong with you, Nadia?! Ivy’s trying to do something thoughtful and you treat her like this? You’re seriously out of line.”