Chapter 2

The TikTok Live went viral. By morning, it was trending on the local campus feed.

I went to the dining hall for breakfast. Looking at the menu, I said, "An oatmeal bowl, please..."

"Out," the server said, staring at me blankly.

"How about scrambled eggs?"

"Out."

I took a deep breath. "A slice of toast and a cup of orange juice."

"Sold out."

I watched the student in the next line walk away with oatmeal, eggs, toast, and juice. I lost my patience.

"If this station is closed, put up a sign. Otherwise, you're targeting me on purpose."

"I can easily write a formal complaint to the dining services manager. Which option do you prefer?"

She glared at me, aggressively sliding a plate of toast and a cup of juice over. "Heartless btch," she muttered under her breath.

I ate my breakfast slowly, ignoring the whispers and dirty looks from every corner of the dining hall.

When I walked into my lecture hall, the noisy room fell dead silent. As soon as I sat down, the students in the rows ahead of and behind me scrambled to grab their bags and laptops, leaving a massive empty radius around me.

"That's her. The baby-abandoner from the live stream!"

"How does she have the nerve to show her face here?"

"I heard some guy pumped and dumped her, and now she's denying her own parents and her kid because she's embarrassed."

A guy in the back row suddenly let out a loud whistle.

"Look who it is! Acting all innocent and nerdy, but she's actually wild enough to pop out a kid."

"Hey Chloe, want to hang out tonight? We promise we'll use protection."

"Come on, don't be shy."

The guys around him burst into laughter.

I felt nothing. I had heard far worse in my past life.

A few of them walked over, one reaching out to drape an arm over my shoulder.

Just as I was about to grab his wrist, the professor walked in.

"Alright class, take your seats!"

They smirked, slowly walking back to their desks with lingering grins.

At noon, I went to the lounge to refill my water bottle. The dispenser hummed for a second, then stopped.

A group of girls was leaning against the counter. One of them had her hand on the main valve. "Oops. Sorry, but this water is for humans. Monsters should drink from the toilet."

I stepped forward to turn the valve back on, but she slapped my hand away.

"I can't believe our school lets trash like you walk the halls. Just go die of thirst already."

They laughed loudly, completely unbothered.

I unlocked my phone, aiming the camera right at them. "Say that again. Go ahead."

Their expressions froze. They lunged forward to grab my phone.

My roommates rushed in, pulling us apart. "Don't waste your time on them, Chloe. Go grab your laundry. We'll fill your bottle for you."

I walked down to the dorm laundry room, only to find my bedding dumped in the mud outside.

There were dirty footprints stamped all over it, soaked in sticky brown coffee and boba tea.

I took a deep breath, snapped a few photos, bundled the ruined sheets, and headed back.

Before I could lie down, my phone buzzed. The Director of Student Affairs wanted to see me in his office immediately.

"Chloe," he said, sighing as I sat down. "That live stream went viral. Even if they didn't name you directly, everyone knows it's you. The university board is facing heavy backlash. They're talking about suspending your Study Abroad scholarship."

"I want to believe you, but the optics are terrible. Can you resolve this with your family? If this keeps escalating, you might face suspension, or worse..."

Watching the old director stress out over this made me feel guilty. He was one of the few who had supported me in my previous life.

Back then, he was the only one who believed I was innocent.

"I understand, Director. I'll handle it today. I promise it won't affect the school's reputation."

The moment I stepped out of his office, a text from my mom popped up: Heard you're having a rough day. Ready to behave yet?