Chapter 1

On the first day of school, I gave each of my roommates a welcome gift worth thousands.

All three of them crowded around me, cooing "Baby Juliana" this, "Baby Juliana" that.

Rachel Fox, the scholarship girl, touched the Van Cleef pendant at her throat, her eyes going red. "Juliana, you're too good to me."

Virginia Whitney, the small-town overachiever, hugged the full Helena Rubinstein set and made a show of manners. "This is way too expensive. I feel bad taking it."

Angela Perry, the tomboy, zipped the top-spec laptop into her bag and thumped her chest. "From now on, I've got your back. Anybody messes with you, I'll be the first one to slap them silly!"

I thought I'd landed in the best dorm in a hundred years.

Then the lights went out, and I heard the necklace screaming.

"Master! Rachel's out on the balcony on the phone with your dad. She says she might be carrying his kid!"

The Helena Rubinstein set shrieked like it had lost its mind.

"Throw out your water cup, now! Virginia spat a big wad of phlegm in it and dumped in laxatives. She wants you doubled over with the runs during training!"

The laptop said it through tears.

"Mommy, run! Angela used a photo of your ID to take out a hundred grand in online loans!"

I clamped both hands over my mouth, too stunned to make a sound.

Early the next morning, red-eyed, I took out my bank card.

"You're all my dear sisters. How could I bear to give you just one gift?"

...

After that, I was like something possessed, showering the three of them with things every single day.

A bracelet Rachel glanced at twice? I swiped my card on the spot.

Virginia mentioned a phone in passing, and the newest iPhone showed up the next day.

Angela kept shrieking over her game, so I bought out every skin in it.

Their mouths said, "Oh, we couldn't possibly," but each time they took the gifts faster than the last.

Before long, they dropped even the pretense of politeness.

They just flung links at me and said, bold as anything:

"So what if roommates help each other out? Go buy this for me right now!"

Until the whole dorm was piled high with stuff, like a New Year clearance sale.

I watched them, all smiles.

Take your time.

The more you take, the faster you die.

That morning, as I got up, Virginia carried the water cup over and held it to my lips.

"Juliana, you should drink warm water first thing to flush out the toxins. You've been spoiled rotten your whole life. You know nothing about how real life works."

Her whole face was concern, and she made as if to feed it to me herself.

I looked at the cloudy water in the cup.

That line kept echoing in my head. Spat a big wad of phlegm in it and dumped in laxatives.

My stomach heaved, and I nearly threw up.

I pretended my hand slipped and let the cup smash to the floor with a sharp crack.

Glass shards flew everywhere, and the splash soaked her pants.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry, Virginia, I was so careless..."

Red-eyed, I twisted the hem of my shirt, my voice shaking.

The concern on Virginia's face vanished in an instant, leaving only fury.

She raised her voice and lit into me.

"Juliana Gilbert, what is wrong with you? That cup was, what, a few hundred bucks? You don't care about money at all!"

The more she went, the more worked up she got, spit flying into my face.

"Standing next to people like us who work for everything, you're honestly just trash! You've got everything handed to you and don't even treasure it. Aren't you ashamed?"

"I'm a blunt person, so don't take it the wrong way, but if you keep this up, one day out in the real world, you'll be crying your eyes out!"

I quickly bowed my head, my shoulders hitching as I cried.

"Virginia, you're right, I shouldn't have broken the cup..."

"To make it up to you, how about I give you my newest Coach bag?"

Virginia's eyes lit up. She couldn't wait to snatch my bag and sling it over her shoulder.

"You're the one forcing this on me, it's not like I'm the one after a freebie."

"Good thing too. You throw money around way too much. Let me take some of the burden off you."

Right then, the bag's tattling voice rushed into my head.

"Mommy! She's jealous you're prettier than her. She just rubbed pollen all over me! She wants your face to break out and rot!"

I looked at Virginia's fingers. Sure enough, a faint yellow powder was still stuck under her nails.

The next second, she pushed the bag up toward my face.

"Juliana, take a sniff. This leather really reeks. Sure it's not a fake?"

I jerked back a step, clutched my stomach, and doubled over.

"Ow, my stomach is killing me! I can't, I can't, I need to get to the bathroom!"

I hurried out of the dorm, a cold smile curling at my lips.

Rot my face, huh?

Fine.

Let's see who ends up too ashamed to show her face in the end.