The day before military training began, I quietly took a leave of absence. I went to the hospital to apply for a hysterectomy.

In my previous life, my roommate shamelessly fooled around with Black foreign students, never once using protection.

Yet no matter how reckless she was, she never got pregnant. I, on the other hand, did eighteen times in just half a year.

After countless miscarriages, my body could no longer take it. I was forced to carry the last one to term.

When my parents saw the dark-skinned baby, they hurled me out of the house.

“We don’t have such a disgraceful daughter!”

My boyfriend spat in my face. “Why don’t you just die? You filthy whore!”

Rumors spread like wildfire across campus. I lost my spot in the guaranteed graduate program. The school urged me to withdraw.

I finally saw through everything and stormed up to my roommate.

“You’re the one sleeping around with Black guys, why am I the one who keeps getting pregnant?”

She sneered and shoved me down the stairs.

I was still bleeding from childbirth, my body too frail to take the blow. I died right then and there.

When I opened my eyes again, it was the day before military training began.

——

“Brother, I’ll wait for you in the woods tonight, okay?”

The moment I heard those familiar words, a shiver ran through me. My whole body froze. And in that instant, I knew I had been reborn.

After tearfully saying goodbye to her Black boyfriend, Aimee McKeen suddenly latched onto my arm.

“Kelsey Morrone, there are a lot of Black exchange students here. Why don’t you try dating one too?”

I gently pulled my arm away.

“No need. I already have a boyfriend.”

Aimee gave me a knowing smile, eyes gleaming with something unspoken.

“Kelsey, being with a Black guy is a totally different experience. Just try it once, you’ll be hooked. I promise, it’s unforgettable.”

I stepped back, uneasy.

“Then enjoy it yourself. I’m not interested.”

Her smile vanished. Her voice turned cold.

“Really don’t know what’s good for you.”

That was when one of our other roommates, who had been silent until now, finally spoke up, her voice edged with frustration.

“Aimee, I’ve heard Black guys can be really wild. As girls, we should at least have some self-respect.”

Aimee shot me a sharp look and said, “Come on, what era are we in? Society’s open now. We should enjoy life while we can, not stay stuck in old thinking.”

The others stopped trying to argue. One of them gently reminded, “Just make sure you use protection. We’re still in school. If you get pregnant, it could ruin everything.”

Aimee flipped her hair and smirked.

“You don’t get it. Skin-to-skin feels the best. And I’m not going to get pregnant.”

As she said it, her eyes landed on me, full of unspoken meaning.

In my past life, Aimee chased after thrill after thrill, never once bothering with protection. She slept with Black exchange students across campus, one after another.

And yet, not once did she get pregnant.

Me? I somehow ended up pregnant eighteen times in a row.

After countless miscarriages, I had no choice; I was forced to give birth to the last one.

When my parents saw the dark-skinned baby, they threw me out without a second thought.

“We don’t have a daughter as shameless as you!”

My boyfriend spat with disgust, “Why don’t you just go die, you filthy whore!”

Rumors swept through the school like a wave. I lost my chance at grad school and had to drop out.

It didn’t take long before I saw the truth; it all traced back to Aimee. I confronted her, burning with rage.

“You’re the one sleeping with Black men. Why was I the one who kept getting pregnant?”

In the heat of the argument, she pushed me down the stairs.

Still weak after childbirth, I bled to death on the cold, hard floor.

All the pain from my past life came crashing back. My fists clenched, nails biting into my palms as I held back the urge to strangle Aimee right then and there.

Aimee, as if nothing had happened, casually pulled out a few packets of herbal tea.

“This is a specialty from our region, flower tea brewed with Hexseed. Great for beauty, skincare, and losing weight. Everyone should try it.”

The other roommates stared at her in disbelief.

“Aimee, don’t tell me you’re one of those legendary South Dakota priestesses? I heard Hexseed from South Dakota can even raise the dead!”

“I actually got to meet a real South Dakota Saintess.”

Pride flickered in Aimee’s eyes. “It’s not that dramatic, but this flower tea really whitens your skin. Drink a cup today, and you won’t tan during military training.”

The moment the others heard that, they rushed to fill their bottles with the tea.

I stood still, staring at it. I didn’t dare touch it. I had heard too many stories, South Dakota’s Hexseed were wrapped in mystery. Maybe this tea was behind those strange pregnancies.

Sensing my hesitation, Aimee picked up the pot and moved to pour it into my cup.

I quickly pulled it away and stepped back.

Her smile wavered. She gave me a hurt look.

“Kelsey, don’t you like me?”

I held the cup close, overseeing her. “I don’t like flower tea. Take it back.”

Her eyes turned red in an instant.

“Kelsey, I carried this flower tea all the way from Pine Ridge. Can’t you at least have a sip?”

The other roommates turned to look at me.

“Kelsey, aren’t you overreacting? Aimee means well. Besides, Hexseed from South Dakota is insanely valuable; you can’t even buy them outside.”

I swallowed my anger and forced a calm tone.

“I’m allergic to flower tea. I can’t drink it. If you like it, go ahead, it’s all yours.”

With that, I turned and walked away, clutching my cup tightly.

That night, the military training opening ceremony was held on the field. The heat was unbearable, and everyone was soaked in sweat.

Our counselor instructed the class officers to use class funds to buy everyone a bottle of cold mineral water to cool off.

I twisted open the cap and took a sip; something felt off right away.

When I lifted the bottle, I noticed floating debris swirling inside.

My chest tightened. I turned my head, just in time to see the smug look on Aimee’s face.

She flashed a triumphant smile. “Kelsey, there’s fruit tea in that. Since you don’t like flower tea, I put fruit tea instead. Tastes good, right?”

I didn’t hesitate. I flung the entire bottle of water into her face.

“Aimee, are you insane? Who told you to put something in my water without asking?”

I spat again and again, but it was useless; the water had already gone down.

Was I really about to relive the same nightmare from my past life?

My hands and feet trembled with rage.

But before I could say more, the others immediately surrounded me, voices filled with blame.

“Kelsey, you’ve gone too far. We’re all classmates. Aimee was only trying to help.”

“Biting the hand that feeds you, how can someone like you be part of our class?”

At some point, Khalid Sartorius had arrived. He didn’t ask anything, just listened to them, then gave me a look full of disgust.

“Kelsey, this isn’t your house. Stop acting like some spoiled princess. No one’s going to pamper you here.”

Aimee let out a heavy sigh, looking deeply wronged.

“It’s my fault. Don’t blame Kelsey.”

I no longer had the energy to argue. I turned away, went straight to a teacher, and asked for three days off to get myself checked at the hospital.

That very night, I went to the hospital for a full-body examination. Nothing unusual showed up, yet an uneasy feeling still clung to my chest.

Just then, a doctor approached and handed me a report.

“Miss, we found a tumor in your uterus. It needs to be removed. Please schedule the surgery as soon as possible.”

At those words, a sharp clarity struck me. I spoke without hesitation, “Tumors have a habit of coming back. Why not just remove the entire uterus?”

The doctor looked at me, startled.

“Miss, the tumor isn’t that serious. It’s not at the stage where a full hysterectomy is necessary.”

But I met his gaze calmly. “I’m not planning on having children anyway. For safety, I’d rather take it out.”

In the end, the doctor couldn’t talk me out of it and had no choice but to agree, staying up the entire night to prepare the surgical plan.

A day later, after a final round of examinations, I was wheeled into the operating room.

As the anesthesia began to take effect and my consciousness faded, a faint smile touched my lips.

Without a uterus, I’d like to see how Aimee planned to make me pregnant this time.

When I woke up, the doctor told me the surgery had gone perfectly. I only needed to stay under observation for a week before being discharged.

I sent the surgical certificate to my professor and requested an additional week off.

After I was discharged, I rested at home for a full week.

Two weeks slipped by, and military training quietly came to an end.

When I returned to campus and stepped into the dorm, the other girls looked at me with curiosity.

“Kelsey, why didn’t you come for military training?”

I lifted my head and answered calmly, “I had a minor surgery. Took a bit of time off.”

The days that followed were unusually quiet.

Until, a month later, my body slowly began to change.

Bit by bit, I gained weight, more than ten jin in just a month. My belly noticeably swelled, drawing curious stares from those around me.

I thought I’d simply been overeating lately, so I made up my mind to cut back and lose weight slowly.

“Kelsey, what’s going on with you?”

Just as I was about to answer, a sharp fishy scent wafted through the air, hitting my nose like a slap.

Nausea surged. I rushed to the bathroom and threw up.

When I finally stepped out, pale and shaken, my roommates were staring at me with odd expressions.

“Kelsey, your boyfriend hasn’t even been around lately, right?”

I nodded lightly. “Hmm.”

The moment the word left my mouth, their faces twisted with scorn.

I didn’t bother responding. I grabbed my book and headed straight for the library.

For the next half year, I strictly cut my meals and exercised every day, yet my weight kept climbing.

So I requested leave from my professor and went to the hospital for a checkup.

After a round of tests, the doctor explained it was a hormonal imbalance and recommended a full month of treatment.

To keep it from interfering with my studies, I arranged to undergo treatment three days a week while continuing classes on the remaining days.

After a month, my hormone levels stabilized, and my weight began to drop quickly, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.

All my roommates returned home, while I stayed on campus to prepare for a competition that could secure me a guaranteed spot in a postgraduate program.

A week later, on the morning the holiday ended, I headed to the hospital for a follow-up.

On my way back, just as I stepped through the school gate, someone suddenly rushed at me, and before I could react, a sharp slap struck my face.

“Kelsey, you slut! Cheating on me with that Black foreign student? No wonder you’ve been distant lately, you’ve been sneaking around behind my back!”

I stood frozen for a moment, then turned a cold gaze on Khalid.

“What nonsense are you spewing?”

Aimee stepped forward and let out a soft sigh as she looked at me.

“Kelsey, no matter what happened, the child was innocent. How could you be so heartless and strangle your baby?”

I froze, completely confused.

“What baby? What are you even talking about?”

The other roommates jumped in, their voices full of outrage.

“Kelsey, we found a newborn Black baby strangled to death on your bed. You didn’t just abandon it; you killed it. How could you be so cruel?”

My brows knit tightly. “I’ve never even been pregnant. That baby isn’t mine.”

One of them let out a cold laugh and shot me a sharp look.

“Don’t lie. We all saw it: you gained weight, had morning sickness, and now you’re suddenly thin again. What else could that be but pregnancy?”