Chapter 1

"Chloe, can I use your Amazon account?"

I looked up from my laptop. My roommate, Maya, stood in the doorway, a hopeful look on her face. Her friend Jessica hovered behind her, a shadow as always.

It was Black Friday. The words hit me with the force of a physical blow, a cold dread seeping into my bones. I remembered this exact moment. This question was the first domino. It led to a viral TikTok, to my boyfriend Liam dumping me, to my internship being rescinded. It led to my mother' s heart attack. It led to my death.

"Why?" I asked, my voice flat, devoid of the warmth I had shown her in my first life.

"There's this amazing new customer deal," Maya said, her voice dripping with practiced sweetness. "It's for these workout clothes, super cheap. But my account is old. Please? It won't cost you anything."

In my past life, I said yes. I felt bad for her, the scholarship student who always talked about how little she had. I wanted to be nice. That niceness got me destroyed.

This time, I would not be nice. I would be smart.

"No," I said.

Maya' s smile faltered. "What? Why not? It's just a small thing."

"Yeah, Chloe," Jessica chimed in, stepping forward. "Don't be so selfish. You have everything. It' s not a big deal for you."

They were already starting their guilt trip, the same one that worked so perfectly before. But the woman they were talking to was not the same naive girl. The old Chloe was dead. I was something else now, something harder.

I didn't argue. I didn't explain.

I simply turned back to my laptop, my fingers moving with cold precision. I navigated to the Amazon website, logged in, and went straight to my account settings. Maya and Jessica watched, confused, as I clicked through the menus.

"What are you doing?" Maya asked, a note of irritation in her voice.

I found the button I was looking for: 'Close Your Amazon Account.' A confirmation box popped up, warning me that the action was permanent.

I clicked 'Confirm.'

Then I turned my laptop screen towards them. The message was clear and final: 'Your Amazon account has been permanently closed.'

I shut the laptop. "I'm simplifying my digital footprint," I said, my voice calm and steady. "So, no. You can't use my account. It doesn't exist anymore."

Maya stared at me, her mouth slightly open. The shock on her face was real. She had expected compliance, not a scorched-earth refusal. Her plan, so simple and cruel, had hit a wall.

For a moment, there was only silence. Then, a flicker of something dark and angry crossed her face before she masked it with a forced laugh.

"Wow, Chloe. A little dramatic, don't you think?" she said, turning to leave. "Whatever. It's fine."

Jessica shot me a dirty look before following her out of the room.

It wasn't fine. I knew it, and she knew it. This was just the beginning. She wouldn't give up so easily. But this time, I was ready for her. This time, I would be the one setting the trap.