Rich Roommate's Deceptive Invitation

On the eve of Christmas, Bethany Stevens, the wealthy roommate, announced that her parents had just secured a three-billion-dollar contract and invited the entire dorm for a seven-day trip to Nevoria.

"My family landed a huge deal. This expense is nothing! It's just a treat for my friends!"

Bethany always carried herself as a rich heiress, flaunting only the finest things.

But later, I discovered she was no heiress at all.

In my previous life, a shady driver took us to a remote mountain village, where a group of locals tied us up and locked us in pigsties.

They declared that if we agreed to be their wives and bear their children, they'd spare us.

I was dragged to the bed of a towering man. I fought back, injured him, and escaped.

On the way, I spotted Bethany and felt a surge of relief.

I thought she had escaped too, so I grabbed her hand to flee.

But she pulled out a butcher's knife and stabbed it straight into my chest.

As I lay dying, her eyes burned with venom.

"You were sent to my brother's bed, and you still want to run? Just die!"

So that man was her brother.

After my death, I watched them chop my body into pieces to feed dogs and pigs. It was unbearable.

My two other roommates suffered torment until they took their own lives by slamming into walls.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day Bethany invited us to Nevoria for seven days.

1

"For the Christmas break, my parents are inviting our whole dorm to Nevoria for seven days. What do you think? You don't need to worry about money or lodging. My parents said they'd cover all food, drinks, and travel for the entire dorm!"

A few days before the Christmas holiday, Bethany dropped this bombshell in the dorm, stunning everyone.

Known as the dorm's rich girl, her words sent the other two roommates into a frenzy, rushing to hug her.

"Seriously? A seven-day trip to Nevoria, that insanely wealthy country?"

"That's got to cost a fortune for our whole dorm, right?"

Bethany waved it off casually. "It's not much. You'll fly first class, stay at the best seven-star hotel, and eat whatever you want. My parents' latest contract was worth three billion. This is pocket change."

Clara's eyes nearly popped out with envy. "No way! I'm packing right now!"

Noticing my silence, Bethany turned to me. "Jayde, why aren't you saying anything? Don't you like Nevoria?"

Staring at Bethany, memories of my past life's horror flooded back, and resentment boiled inside me.

I wanted to tear her apart.

"I'm not going. I'm not interested in foreign countries," I replied coldly.

Clara rolled her eyes at me. "Have you ever been abroad? And you're 'not interested'? There's so much out there you've never even seen."

Nicole chimed in, mocking me. "Why pretend? Weren't you from some small town? Have you ever even been on a plane? If I were you, I'd be on my knees thanking Bethany right now."

I'd never been on a plane?

What they didn't know was that I was the real hidden heiress at this school.

My parents urged me to stay low-key to avoid creating a rift with classmates, so I always played poor.

I had no need to tell them that, but I still tried to warn them.

"I'm not going, and you'd better not either. Why would someone's parents spend so much money on people they barely know? Also..."

I fixed a scrutinizing gaze on Bethany. "When something seems too good to be true, you should question if it's real."

"Jayde, what's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm faking being rich?"

Bethany's face flushed with anger. "I'm kindly inviting you to have fun, and you talk about me like this? You're pathetic."

The other two roommates rushed to comfort her.

"Forget it, Bethany. If she doesn't want to go, we will. Why's she acting so high and mighty? She'd just ruin the vibe."

"Exactly. Let's go."

I didn't bother arguing further and walked out of the dorm.

Looking at the familiar yet strange surroundings, I finally confirmed it. I had been reborn.

2

In my previous life, I was just as excited as Clara and Nicole about the Nevoria trip.

But the car veered further and further off course, nowhere near the airport.

We grew terrified and tried to call for help.

In the deep mountains, there wasn't a single bar of signal. We couldn't make a call.

We were tied up and sent to separate rooms.

Bethany's brother revealed a twisted side, leering at me as soon as he entered.

"What a college girl. That figure, that boobs and ass. You're something else."

No matter how much I begged, he wouldn't let me go. He tore at my clothes.

I screamed and fought, but it didn't stop him. Eventually, I found a pair of scissors in a drawer, stabbed him, and escaped that hellish room.

Then I ran into Bethany.

I thought she had escaped too, so I grabbed her to flee.

But her eyes darkened. "Go back. Tonight's your wedding night with my brother."

Shock hit me like a tidal wave. I understood everything and turned to run.

But she pulled out a butcher's knife from the pigsty and drove it through my body.

"You were sent to my brother's bed, and you still want to run? Just die!"

Pain seared through me. Shock filled my eyes as I stared at Bethany.

She yanked the knife out and stabbed me again and again.

Over and over.

Until I saw death itself coming for me.

Given another chance, I swore I'd never set foot in that nightmare again.

In my past life, I was sent to Bethany's brother, while my other two roommates were given to two brothers from another family. I didn't know their fates.

Sitting by the staircase, I saw Nicole and Clara heading out to buy things.

Bethany had a habit of acting like a princess, often sending us to fetch things for her.

With the lure of a seven-day Nevoria trip, they ran her errands even more eagerly.

I blocked their path. "I'm telling you, don't go. There's no reason for someone to spend that much money on you. There are countless stories online of people being tricked and sold by so-called friends."

This was my second attempt to warn them.

But once again, my kindness was thrown back in my face.

"You believe everything you read online? Why don't you just live in your phone? We've known Bethany for three years. Are we blind?"

"Exactly. If you're so worried, stay behind. Don't ruin our chance to enjoy life."

I started to respond, but Bethany, who rarely left the dorm, appeared.

She looked at me, visibly hurt. "Jayde, I always saw you as my best friend, and now you're talking about me like this? You think I'm lying to you? Would I go through all this expense and effort if I was? I'm trying to show you the world, and I'm the one who's wrong? If you're so great, why don't you take us on a trip? Stop whining."

Her loud voice drew a crowd of classmates.

Bethany had plenty of admirers, crushes, and fans.

Soon, they turned on me.

"She gets invited on a trip and acts all high and mighty. Who does she think she is?"

"Bethany, if Jayde's not going, give me her spot. I'll go!"

"Me too! I want in!"

I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Bethany asked me again, "Jayde, I'm inviting you one more time. Are you coming or not? I'm asking you because I see you as a good friend. Don't be ungrateful. This Nevoria trip is a once-in-a-lifetime chance."

I let out a cold laugh.

A good friend?

Some friend, stabbing me to death in my past life.

"No way. And you don't need to bother treating me like a friend."

I turned to Clara and Nicole. "I'm telling you again, don't go. You'll regret it if you do."

I thought my repeated warnings might sink in.

But Clara scoffed at me. "I'd regret not going. If you don't want to come, fine, but don't twist people's kindness into something it's not. Poor and bitter, huh? Jealous and trying to stir up trouble between us. That's low."

Kind words couldn't save those hell-bent on their own doom.

If they were so eager to rush to their deaths, even the grim reaper couldn't stop them.

Over the next few days, the dorm shut me out.

I didn't care and threw myself into studying.

But I didn't expect that on the night before the Christmas break, Bethany would hand me a plane ticket.

3

Bethany held out the ticket. "Jayde, this is for you. I know how you are. You say you won't go, but deep down, you want to."

I stared at the ticket without a word.

Thinking I'd agreed, Bethany motioned for the other two to start packing my things.

I slapped their hands away from my wardrobe.

Bethany looked at me in disbelief. "Jayde, I've already met you halfway. You're still going to spit on my kindness?"

"I'll say it again. Put my stuff back, or I won't be polite."

My stance stayed firm, but they showed no sign of stopping. I grabbed my things back.

"Hasn't anyone taught you it's rude to touch other people's stuff?"

Bethany's voice cracked with a sob. "Jayde, what are you doing? We're friends. I just want to take you to Nevoria, all expenses paid. You don't have to spend a cent. Is that so hard?"

I glanced at the ticket on the table, tore it to shreds, and tossed it in the trash.

Then I snatched Bethany's phone, deleted my booking information, and sent her the ticket money.

"Don't use 'friends' to guilt-trip me. You want to go to Nevoria? That's your business. I said I'm not going, and I mean it. And you're not my friend anymore. You don't need to keep my personal info either."

I looked at Clara and Nicole one last time.

"I'm warning you again. Nothing in this world comes free. Watch out, or you'll get scammed."

My words set off Bethany's spoiled heiress temper.

"Enough, Jayde. If I didn't see you as a friend, would I keep begging you to come and even buy your ticket? When have I ever groveled like this?"

Clara pulled her back. "Bethany, forget her kind. She's just pretending to be above it all, jealous of your family's money. Otherwise, why isn't she inviting us on a Nevoria trip?"

Nicole shot me a disdainful look.

"Exactly. If Nevoria's too much, even a domestic trip would do. Broke and acting like a big shot."

The three of them went back and forth, grating on my nerves. I stopped engaging, climbed into bed, and pulled the covers over me.

Under the blanket, I looked up tickets for a solo trip south for Christmas.

...

The next morning, they got up in a flurry, washing up and chattering about what they'd do and eat during the seven-day trip.

Nicole had even made a travel plan.

Bethany noticed me lying still in bed and came over, tugging at me with a smile as if nothing had happened.

"Jayde, I was harsh last night. I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. If you don't want to go to Nevoria, fine, but can you at least walk me to the school gate?"

I hesitated but got up.

I figured I'd use the chance to warn Nicole and Clara one last time.

I quickly got ready and followed them out of the dorm.

Bethany walked ahead while Clara and Nicole dragged their suitcases behind.

I hurried over and cut straight to it. "Don't go. There's something off about Bethany. She's not what you think. Her family traffics women and children. If you go, you're done for."

My seriousness made Clara pause. "How do you know? Where's the proof?"

I told them my secret about being reborn.

They laughed it off. "Reborn? Too many novels, huh? I'm going to Nevoria, no question."

I tried to speak again, but a luxury car pulled up at the gate, drawing classmates who rushed to take pictures.

A sharply dressed couple stepped out, clearly wealthy.

Bethany ran over, linking arms with them and beaming. "Mom, Dad..."

Seeing this, Clara and Nicole became even more convinced the Nevoria trip was legit.

"You call that a scam? Jayde, if you're going to make up lies, at least make them believable."

They hurried over, all smiles, greeting the couple. "Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Stevens. We're Bethany's classmates. We're really close."

I recognized them.

They were Bethany's parents.

In my past life, they had a hand in my gruesome fate.

I knew I couldn't stop Clara and Nicole now, so I turned to leave.

But Bethany's father called out to me. "Jayde, where are you going? Didn't we agree to take you all to Nevoria? Come on, get in the car. The private jet's waiting at the airport."

Bethany rushed over and grabbed my arm.

"Come on, Jayde, stop refusing. I told my parents last night you didn't want to go, and they said no way. They came to school overnight just to pick you up.

You can brush me off, but can you really say no to two elders who came all this way? You're not that heartless, are you?"

Her father looked at me, even leaning slightly with an inviting gesture. "Jayde, please, get in the car..."

In that moment, every pair of eyes turned to me.