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I’m terrified of pain.
As a kid, I’d cry for ages just getting a vaccine, so I never imagined I’d get a tattoo.
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But I went anyway.
The moment I sat in the shop, my palms were sweating.
When the tattoo artist came over with her tools, I wanted to run, but I gritted my teeth and stayed put.
Seeing me like that, the tattoo artist couldn’t help but ask,
“Girl, are you sure you want this?”
I gritted my teeth and nodded, “Yes.”
The design was small, a tiny rose.
After it was done, my arm burned and throbbed, feeling like it was on fire.
The tattoo artist warned me not to let it get wet.
I agreed, and when I got back to the dorm, I casually “accidentally” spilled water on Chloe’s right arm.
She complained, “Riley, what are you doing? My shirt’s all wet!”
I apologized profusely, secretly observing her.
She was perfectly fine, but my tattoo area was already red and blistering.
Not giving up, I deliberately went out and drank.
I pulled an all–nighter, and came back feeling absolutely sick.
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But then I saw Chloe, still getting up at six in the morning to study, looking like the picture of a healthy college student, not a hint of fatigue on her face.
I vaguely realized that this transfer was one–way.
T
She did bad things, and I suffered, but when I did bad things, it had no effect opt
her.
What if I started taking care of myself? Could I counteract her negative influence on me?
To test this, I started diligently practicing self–care every day, focusing on skincare.
I used the most expensive serums and took oral collagen supplements.
But the result was the same.
Chloe’s skin got better day by day, while everything I did seemed pointless on me.
During class, two guys in our class saw us come in and started whispering.
“Chloe’s gotten so hot lately, and her skin is amazing. Why didn’t I notice before?”
“Ugh, look at Riley, though. It’s hilarious. She looks like death warmed over.”
Chloe heard their comments and modestly covered her face.
Chloe heard their comments and modestly covered her face.
“Oh, stop it, you guys! I’m so low–maintenance, I just use bar soap to wash my face. Not like Riley, with all her expensive creams and serums, spending a fortune for nothing, right?”
“But then again, Riley’s parents are major donors to the university, so she’s got all the money in the world. She can buy whatever beauty treatments she wants later, so don’t be too hard on her.”
My hand, tucked into my pocket, clenched into a tight fist. I finally understood.
This system only transferred my good things to her and dumped her unwanted things on me.
Chloe must have figured this out too, because over the next few days, she completely let loose.
She started experimenting with her style, and every night, she was on FaceTime with different men.
“Babe, I’ll be over tonight, okay?”
“Ugh, you’re annoying, you kept me busy for so long last time, I really don’t want to tonight…”
I listened, breaking out in a cold sweat.
One day, she came back from outside, humming a song and drinking bubble tea.
My body, however, was wracked with sharp pains, like tiny, prickly brushes were stirring inside me.
I went to the hospital, and the doctor told me it was a gynecological infection.
I nearly collapsed. She went out hooking up with men, and *1* got an STD.
હર હર એ આ વાત કે જે
To this day, I still haven’t fully recovered, but she seemed to be heading out again.
I watched her sitting next to me, cheerfully texting some guy on SnapChat.
Finally, the fear of death and my hatred for her became too much. I roared out loud.
પ્રથમ ઈ ર જ ન
“Chloe, can you have some self–respect? Don’t you think it’s disgusting, sleeping around like this every day?”
The entire classroom instantly fell silent.
Chloe froze, then her eyes immediately welled up.
“I… I was just ordering food delivery… why are you yelling at me?”
My boyfriend, Leo, lunged from the back of the room, shoving me.
What did Chloe ever do to you? Why are you suddenly barking like a maniac?”
I tried to defend myself. “She, she…”
“She what?” He slapped me.
“Look at you now! You’re disheveled, you smell awful, did you catch some nasty disease?”
I shook my head frantically.
“I told you, because she’s been sleeping around, I…
“Shut up!” he roared.
“How can you be so malicious? You’re so crazy with jealousy over her that you’re spreading rumors about her in class?”
The classroom had already erupted.
“I thought Riley was one of those really well–behaved girls, but she’s actually…”
“Her face really does look terrible lately, like she’s on drugs or something.”
“She used to have such good grades, but now she’s failed several classes, and she keeps staring at people. It’s creepy.”
Chloe was crying, looking like she’d just stepped out of a sad movie, but I clearly saw a faint smile on her lips.
I knew. She was doing this on purpose. She knew about this system all along.
