Chapter 4 On Monday morning , the classroom buzzed with chatter . I'd barely set down my bag when Emmett came barreling in , grabbing my wrist . " Clara ! Emergency! " She pulled out her phone , and the screen showed a trending post on the school forum . " The Truth Behind Our ' Campus Belle ' : From Ugly Duckling to Swan Magic . " 55 vouchers The anonymous poster " TruthSeeker " viciously implied I'd gotten plastic surgery, seduced teachers , and even attached badly photoshopped " evidence " of me with a male instructor . " This is obviously Sarah's work ! " Emmett's hands shook with fury . " The comments are a cesspool . All those idiots eating it up ! " I skimmed through the comment section . It was flooded with vicious speculations , slut - shaming , and wild rumors . The old me would've fled crying . Now ? I calmly screenshotted everything , even smirking . " Aren't you angry ? " Emmett gaped . " Angry ? " I straightened my textbooks . " Why waste energy on a buffoon ? " She blinked , then leaned in . " You've got a plan , don't you ? " I didn't answer , only smiled . " Do me a favor . Track ' TruthSeeker's ' IP address ." In my previous life , I'd learned basic hacking to stalk Carson online . I wasn't exactly an expert , but tracking down a sockpuppet account on the campus forum was a piece of cake . During the first break , a sudden commotion erupted at the classroom doorway . Carson swaggered in with his crew , a smug grin plastered on his face that made me sick . " I heard about the forum drama . " Carson Collins leaned against the doorframe , deliberately raising his voice . " Don't be upset , Clara . know you're not that kind of girl . " The classroom instantly fell silent . Everyone was all ears , waiting for my reaction : I shut my book . " You're right . I'm not . " I paused . " But Sarah is . " Carson's smile froze on his face . He clearly hadn't expected me to be so blunt . " What ... do you mean ? " Carson stammered . " Exactly what it sounds like Tstood , stepping closer . " Fun fact . When you're nervous , your right eyelid twitches three times . Like now " : Snickers rippled through the class . Carson's face burned scarlet as he fled , his lackeys scrambling after him . Emmett gave me a thumbs - up . " That was brilliant ! Did you see his face ? He looked like he'd just swallowed a lemon ! " After school , rain poured relentlessly . I stood at the school building entrance without ..an umbrella , waiting for the rain to let up . کمر 1/4 P. Chapter 4 " Need an umbrella ? " A warm male voice spoke from behind me . It was Jeremiah . 55 vouchers Jeremiah stood behind me , black umbrella in hand , his glasses glinting with the same practiced charm that had once fooled me . Just like last time . Same rainstorm , same " coincidental " extra umbrella . His opening move in the long con that destroyed me . " No , thanks . " I said flatly , " I'm waiting for someone ." Jeremiah kept his gentle smile . " Waiting for someone ? Carson ? He just left with Sarah . " Trying to plant doubts ? I let my shoulders slump just enough . " Oh ... " " Let me walk you home ." Jeremiah said , stepping closer and tilting the umbrella toward me , " This rain isn't letting up anytime soon . " In my past life , this chivalrous act would've melted me . But now , I noticed his white - knuckled grip on the umbrella . He was barely containing his impatience . " Alright . " I put on a reluctant face , just to see what he was really up to . At the corner by the school gate , Jeremiah suddenly said , " Wait here a sec . I forgot something . " He shoved the umbrella at me and jogged back toward campus . I narrowed my eyes and followed silently . He turned into a deserted hallway and , in a sudden rage , kicked over a nearby trash can , sending garbage splattering across the floor . " Fucking bitch ! " . Jeremiah muttered under his breath , " Who does she think she is ? " I hid in the corner and quickly pulled out my phone to snap a photo . The Jeremiah who was always so gentle and refined in my previous life now looked like a wild animal . By the time he returned , I was waiting innocently under the umbrella . " Let's go . " His mask was back in place . On the way . Jeremiah asked casually , " About that forum incident , want me to delete it ? Student council privileges . " " No need ." I smiled . " I quite enjoy watching the clown show . " Jeremiah seemed taken aback by my words . After a long pause , he finally managed , " Clara , you really are different from other girls . " Because I'm stunning ? Thanks . " I deliberately twisted his point . Jeremiah was lost for words . As soon as the rain stopped , I stepped away from Jeremiah . " This is far enough . Thanks ." Without waiting for his reply , I turned and walked off . After a dozen yards , I glanced back . Jeremiah was still standing there , glowering at my retreating figure , a far cry from the gentle senior he'd seemed just moments before . 2/4 P Chapter 4 On Saturday , I met up with Emmett to go shopping downtown . " Got it ! " 55 vouchers Emmett excitedly handed me a sheet of paper . " That " TruthSeeker ' account's IP address traces back to the school computer lab . The login ID was ... " She lowered her voice . " Sarah's student ID number ! " I skimmed the info , unsurprised . In my past life , Sarah had always been sneaky like this , stabbing people in the back . " But wait , there's more . " Emmett's eyes sparkled with excitement . " I hacked into her alt accounts and found she'd created five sockpuppet accounts , Gossip Queen , Justice Warrior , and others , all used to trash you online ! " Just then , Emmett nudged me . " Look , speak of the devil . " Sarah and her clique walked out of the mall across the street , all dressed to the nines . I immediately put on a sweet smile and raised my voice on purpose . " Emmett , do you know what kind of outfits Carson likes on girls ? " Emmett caught on and played along , " Oh ? What kind " White dresses . " I pretended not to notice Sarah approaching . " He says girls in white look as pure as angels . " Out of the corner of my eye , I saw Sarah hesitate mid - step , a calculating glint flashing in her eyes . " Really ? " Emmett continued . " What's his ideal type ? " " Someone gentle and caring . Bonus if she plays piano ." I sighed dramatically . " Too bad I'm not gentle enough , or ... " Sarah walked right up to us , feigning surprise . " Oh , Clara ? What a coincidence ! " I acted shocked . " Sarah ? You're shopping too ? " She wore a light pink dress , clearly not the white I'd just mentioned . I watched as she bit her lip in frustration . " Clara ... " Sarah linked arms with me like the forum drama never happened . " Are you joining the campus singing competition next week ? " " Not sure . " I pretended to hesitate . " All those rumors online have been stressing me out ... " Sarah's expression froze for a split second before she quickly regained her composure. " Those people talk to Carson for you ? He's got connections in the student council ... " are truly despicable ! Want me to " That'd be great ! " I faked gratitude . " Oh , and your guitar performance last time was amazing . Carson must've loved it , right ? " A smug look flashed across her face . " He said I looked like a fairy playing it . " Then she added , " We had dinner together last night . " " Really ? " I widened my eyes . " But last night was the student event . As president , he had to be there . " Sarah's smile froze . There had indeed been at council event last night , and I was backstage helping out . I saw that Carson Collins was busy until 9 p.m. 3/4 P Chapter 4 " L ... I got the day wrong ..." She stammered , " It was the night before ... " 。 " The night before , he was at the math competition. " I blinked innocently . " Right , Emmett ? " Emmett nodded eagerly . " Yep ! I even saw him coming back with Rose from the honors class . They looked pretty close ... Sarah's face went pale . Rose was a famously brilliant beauty , someone Carson had openly admired . " I ... I just remembered something ..." She hastily released my arm . " I have to go ! " Watching Sarah flee in disarray , Emmett and I exchanged a triumphant , knowing smile . " Brilliant , absolutely brilliant ! " Emmett gave me a thumbs - up . " Did you see her face ? She looked like she'd just swallowed a bug ! " I smiled without answering . This was just the beginning , Sarah . Every drop of dirt you threw at me ? I'll return it tenfold . 55 vouchers Back home , I fired up my computer and compiled all the posting records and IP evidence from Sarah's alt accounts into a PDF . Then I pulled up the photos I'd secretly taken of her shopping earlier . She'd bought a white dress . I created a new folder labeled " Endgame " and dragged everything inside . My phone suddenly buzzed with a text from Carson . [ Hey Clara , free tomorrow ? Want to grab coffee and talk about that forum stuff ? ] I didn't reply . Instead , I screenshotted it and sent it to Sarah's number . Five minutes later , my phone blew up . Sarah sent over a dozen furious texts , the last one reading : [ Bitch ! Stay the hell away from Carson Collins ! ] I leisurely typed back : [ Are you sure you want to talk to me like that ? Wonder what Carson would think if he knew about ' TruthSeeker ... ] The messages stopped instantly . I could practically picture Sarah panicking . Ten minutes later , a new message popped up : [ What do you want ? ] I smiled , tapping my reply : [ At the Campus Singing Competition , I want you to admit publicly that you posted the forum post . ] Three agonizing minutes passed before the reply came : [ In your dreams ! ] Just as I expected . I calmly sent a screenshot , the login records of all her alt accounts . The reply came almost instantly . [ Fine . I'll do it . ] I turned off my phone and gazed out at the night sky . In my previous life , you made me suffer . In this one ? I would make sure you regret it . 14 . 4/4