Ethan came back.

"Here, have a drink."

He handed me a glass of red wine, his eyes glinting with impatience.

I took the glass and sipped it slowly, swirling the dark red liquid.

I started playing his game, feeding his ego, and pouring him glass after glass.

Ethan couldn't hold his liquor as well as I could.

He was soon drunk and swaying, his eyes glazed over.

I knew the time was right. I started guiding the conversation.

"Honey," I began, "what do you think Bella would do if she found out about us?"

Ethan slurred his words. "What can she do? She's a psycho, always trying to control me. I'm sick of her."

"Then why don't you break up with her?"

"Why?" he laughed a low, ugly laugh. "Because her family has money, that's why. Why would I ever let that go?"

"Aren't you afraid she'll find out?"

He let out a loud burp and laughed freely.

"Bella's a total lovesick fool. All I have to do is say a few sweet things, and she'll be wrapped right around my finger again."

...

After Ethan passed out drunk, I left the hotel and went back to campus.

The next morning, I was woken up by a bucket of ice-cold water being thrown on my face.

I opened my eyes to see Bella's face, twisted with venomous rage.

When she saw I was awake, she slapped me hard across the face.

"You fucking bitch! You dare steal my man?"

She dragged me out of bed.

By now, a crowd of other students had gathered in our room to watch the show.

The slap made my head ring, but mostly, I felt a rush of satisfaction.

Everything was going according to plan.

I pretended to be shocked and terrified, crying out, "Bella, why are you hitting me? It was Ethan! He wouldn't leave me alone! I'm the victim here!"

Bella reacted as if I'd told the funniest joke in the world.

She kicked me hard in the stomach.

"You're still lying? Where were you two yesterday for Christmas? You told him to ignore my calls, didn't you? I swear to god, I'll kill you!"

Her eyes were wild.

She grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked, sending a sharp pain through my scalp.

"You already know, don't you?" I said through the pain. "You already know I was with him."

As I spoke, I took out my phone and pressed play on the recording.

Ethan's voice filled the room, slick and mocking from the night before.

"Bella? I'm so over her. She's the one who's obsessed with me. You're the one I like."

Hearing his voice, the color drained from Bella's face.

She swayed on her feet.

The other students in the room heard the recording and started whispering, pointing at me.

"So she really is a homewrecker."

"That's so disgusting."

"Wow, and she acts so shameless about it. I can't believe I go to the same school as her."

"They should kick her out for this."

Hearing the whispers, Bella finally snapped out of it.

She scrambled frantically to snatch my phone.

"You bitch! You faked this recording to drive us apart! You just want to seduce Ethan!"

But her panic and desperation gave her away.

I used the opportunity to break free from her grip.

I stood up, my back straight.

"Seduce him?" I laughed coldly, looking down at her. "I don't have to. He follows me around like a lost puppy."

I pulled up the chat history between me and Ethan.

"Look. The other night, while you were on a video call with him, he was texting me, telling me he liked me."

The room fell silent.

Everyone's eyes darted between me and Bella.

The air felt frozen, and every second stretched on forever.

Bella went quiet too.

Her eyes were a storm of anger, panic, and a tiny, almost hidden flicker of despair.

"No," she whispered. "That's not possible!"

Suddenly, Bella shrieked and lunged at me, her hands clawing through the air like a cornered animal.

I sidestepped, and she stumbled past me from her own momentum, collapsing in a heap on the floor.

"You're a liar!" she screamed. "Ethan loves me!"

She sat on the floor, her hair a mess, and started sobbing uncontrollably.

It was obvious she was remembering how he'd been smiling down at his phone during their call.

Just then, our RA arrived, with Liam right behind him.

"What's going on here?" the RA demanded.

"Tell me," Liam said, his voice choked with pain as he walked slowly toward me. "Tell me you didn't cheat on me. Tell me this isn't true."

I looked at his red-rimmed eyes.

"It's true," I said flatly. "I cheated on you."

At my answer, Liam's body jolted as if he'd been shocked.

A tear rolled down his cheek. He looked utterly devastated.

The crowd of students gasped. Some started comforting him, others shot me dirty looks.

"Why?" he finally managed to force out, his voice raw and broken.

I had to admit, his acting was incredible.

No wonder he had me so completely fooled in my past life.

"I loved you so much, Mia," he choked out. "How could you do this to me?"

His eyes were filled with tears, staring at me, searching for an answer he could accept.

"Love me?" I sneered. "You?"

I slapped him.

Hard.

It was as if I was releasing all the pent-up rage from my past life in that one motion.

Liam wasn't expecting it.

The force of the blow sent him stumbling backward.

His head hit the sharp metal frame of the bunk bed.

Instantly, blood began to well up and trickle down his forehead.