Adeline's POV
The workday was finally over. I sat on the bench outside the office, waiting for Maya. She had asked me to wait so we could walk to the bus stop together. The air felt cool against my skin. It was nice to just sit and breathe after a long day.
Then I heard the sound of heels clicking on the pavement. I didn't have to look up to know who it was. Chloe.
"Hey, Addie!" she called in her sugary voice. "Waiting for me? Let's go home together. Maybe I'll even sleep over at your place, just like the old days."
I didn't even turn my head. "No, thanks," I said quietly. "I'm staying at Maya's tonight."
For a second, she didn't speak. I could almost feel her anger. But when she did talk again, her voice was still sweet. "Oh. Okay. But you didn't forget about our little dinner tomorrow, right? Just us girls?"
"I remember," I said, flat and calm.
She laughed, but it sounded fake. "Great! It'll be fun!" Then she waved down a taxi, gave me one last smile that didn't reach her eyes, and left.
As her car pulled away, a memory hit me hard. That dinner wasn't just dinner, not in my last life.
In that other life, Chloe had done the same thing. She told me it was a small dinner between friends. I believed her. But when I showed up, it wasn't dinner. It was a fancy auction. I was wearing a simple dress that cost next to nothing. I looked like a poor girl who had walked into the wrong place.
Our old classmates were there, the same ones who used to tease me in school. They laughed at my dress, at my shoes, even my hair. I remember standing there, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me.
But that wasn't the worst part.
Later that night, a diamond bracelet went missing. The security guards searched everyone. When they checked my bag, they found it inside. My whole body went cold. I kept saying I didn't take it, but no one believed me. They called the police. I was arrested.
That night in the police cell felt endless. The room smelled of dust and fear. I cried until my throat hurt. I begged them to check again, but they wouldn't listen.
The next morning, Chloe came to bail me out. She hugged me like a loving friend. She said she believed me. I was so grateful. I thought she had saved me. But later, I learned the truth. She was the one who stole the bracelet. She was the one who hid it in my bag.
When I finally confronted her, she cried. She said she didn't mean to. That she only wanted to borrow it because it was so beautiful. She said she didn't know it was my bag she'd slipped it into. I believed her stupid lies back then.
But not anymore.
Now I know everything. It was all planned. She wanted to ruin me and then pretend to save me. She wanted to look like the good one.
I sighed and stared at my plain clothes. How was I supposed to fight someone like her? I didn't have the money for a new dress or hair or makeup. The panic started to rise inside me again, the same helpless feeling from before.
Just then, Maya came running over, her ponytail bouncing. "Sorry to keep you waiting! Ready to go?"
I must have looked worried because she frowned. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing," I said softly. "Just… that thing with Chloe tomorrow."
Maya's eyes lit up. "The dinner? Perfect! We're going shopping."
"Maya, I can't afford—" I started.
She shook her head and grabbed my arm. "No arguments. My brother gave me his credit card as a thank-you for helping him clean out his closet. He told me to buy myself something nice. So, I'll buy you something instead. You're my best friend. And maybe this is my way of paying you back for always helping me."
I felt my eyes sting. I wanted to cry but from relief this time. "You don't have to—"
"I want to," she said firmly, looping her arm through mine. "Let's go before I change my mind."
And that was that.
Maya dragged me through one store after another. Every time I said something was too expensive, she ignored me. She found a deep green dress that hugged my body perfectly. It wasn't too flashy, but it looked rich. She picked shoes to match. Then she took me to a salon.
"Do your best," she told the stylist. "Make her look unstoppable."
I sat in the chair for hours. They washed my hair, trimmed it, and styled it into soft waves. They did my makeup. It was light, but elegant. When they were done, I turned toward the mirror.
For a moment, I didn't recognize myself. My skin glowed. My eyes looked brighter. The woman staring back looked confident, not scared.
Maya clapped her hands. "You look amazing! Chloe's not ready for this."
I smiled. It was a slow, quiet smile. "She won't know what hit her."
*****
The next night came faster than I expected. I put on the green dress and heels. I looked powerful. More than that, I actually felt powerful.
I took a taxi to the hotel. It was the same one from before, fancy, glittering, full of rich people who looked like they'd never had a bad day in their lives. I stood in the lobby and called Chloe.
"Hey, Chloe," I said, keeping my voice calm. "I'm here. Which room is the dinner in?"
I could hear her smile through the phone. She thought I was lost again. "Just come to the main ballroom, sweetie. You can't miss it."
I hung up and walked toward the grand doors. My heart was steady this time. I wasn't the same girl she could fool twice.
The moment I stepped inside, the noise in the ballroom softened. People turned to look. I could see their surprise. the girl who once wore a cheap dress is now someone else.
Chloe was standing in the middle of the room with some of our old classmates. She was laughing, her pink dress glittering under the lights. She turned, saw me and froze.
Her eyes went wide. Her fake smile fell off her face. For a second, she didn't even breathe.
I stopped a few steps away, met her eyes, and smiled, a slow and sharp one
She looked like she'd seen a ghost.
Inside, I felt calm, almost peaceful. All the pain, all the fear from before, melted away.
I didn't need to shout or fight. My presence al
one was enough.
As I stood there, looking at her, only one thought crossed my mind.
Bingo.