Chapter 1

My roommate, Madison Walker, clutches her stomach and leans over to whisper that she has her period. She asks if I have a pad.

I don't give her one.

Instead, I stand up and call out to the entire lecture hall. "Madison got her period! Does anyone have a pad she can use?"

In my past life, I'd discreetly pulled a pad from my bag and kindly handed it to her.

Three days later, she tested positive for HIV and faced expulsion.

Madison choked back tears as she cried, "The only person who gave me a pad was Calista. The wrapper was already open, but I didn't think anything of it.

"I don't know if she did it on purpose, but now I'm HIV-positive! My life is ruined!"

The student advisor, Percy Cobb, refused to listen to my explanation. He forced me to take an immediate leave of absence and called the police, accusing me of deliberately spreading an infectious disease.

Not only did I lose my diploma and my opportunity to study abroad, but I was also relentlessly cyberbullied and harassed until a normal life became impossible.

Ultimately, I jumped from an overpass and ended my life.

It was only after my death that I discovered Madison had already contracted HIV before she ever asked me for a pad.

She had been seeing multiple guys at once. When everything fell apart, she panicked at the thought of the consequences and used me as a scapegoat.

She also had me expelled so she could steal the single remaining spot for the student exchange program.

This time, I turn Madison down in front of the entire class. Let's see how she plans to pin her illness on me now.

Chapter 1

"Calista, what is wrong with you?" Madison Walker shot to her feet.

The entire class of over 40 students turned to look at us.

Madison clutched her lower abdomen, her eyes welling up with tears. "It's fine if you don't want to give me one. Did you really have to broadcast it to the whole room?"

I snapped the cap back onto my pen, my expression completely impassive. "Periods are natural. There's nothing to be ashamed of. You were too embarrassed to ask loudly, so I helped you out."

My response left her speechless.

A few students nearby lowered their heads to hide their laughter, while others whispered that I was too blunt.

Madison glared at me. "Forget it."

Hunched over in pain, she grabbed her bag and walked out.

After class, the class group chat quickly blew up with messages.

Someone joked, "Calista yelling like that today scared the hell out of me!"

"Madison looked mortified."

"Still, it's pretty rude to shout about something like that across a crowded room."

Madison stayed silent in the group chat, choosing to post on her social media instead.

There was no caption—just a photo of a sterile hospital hallway showing an IV stand, white walls, and a portion of her wrist.

Within ten minutes, the comments poured in.

"What happened, Madison?"

"Bad cramps?"

She replied to every single person with the exact same message. "I'm fine. It was my own fault."

Madison didn't show up for class the next day.

And the day after that, she still hadn't returned to the dorm.

Our other two roommates, Nancy Smith and Judy Towne, whispered back and forth in hushed tones.

"What happened to Maddie?"

"She said she couldn't talk about it."

That afternoon, I had just left the library when the student advisor, Percy Cobb, called me.

"Calista, report to the administrative office immediately."

When I arrived, Madison was sitting on the couch, looking pale and clutching a medical report.

Dr. Barry Keller from the campus health center was there too.

Percy sat behind his desk, his brow furrowed. "Calista, Madison has reported something serious."

Madison looked up at me. Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot, as if she had been crying all night.

"Calista, I didn't want to blow this out of proportion." Her voice trembled. "But I'm really scared."

Percy placed a medical report on his desk. "Madison was tested at the hospital and was diagnosed with an infection."

He paused, then continued, "She said she borrowed a sanitary pad from you a few days ago."

I met his gaze. "And did she actually get one from me?"

Madison instantly burst into tears. "You didn't give me one in class that day, but I asked you for one the night before in our dorm.

"You gave me one from your drawer. I noticed the wrapper looked like one corner had already been peeled open, but I didn't think anything of it at the time."

Percy said sternly, "Calista, you can't just deny something like this. You need to cooperate with the school and get tested at a hospital."

"I never gave her a pad," I insisted.

"Your word alone isn't enough." Percy's tone hardened. "You live together, share a bathroom, and are close. For everyone's safety, you need to get tested right away."

I looked straight at him and said flatly, "I refuse."

The door wasn't fully closed. Two students walking by stopped in the hallway outside.

"What kind of infection?"

"Could it be… that disease?"

"And she won't get tested? Doesn't that mean she's guilty?"

Whispers broke out in the hallway.

Percy's expression darkened. "Calista, think carefully. If you refuse to cooperate, the school will treat it as a serious disciplinary violation."

Madison lowered her head, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed.

I stood by the door as more and more footsteps came to a stop outside.

Everyone was waiting for me to back down.

Chapter 2

The news spread like wildfire.

By 7:00 pm, someone had already posted anonymously in our year's group chat.

"Something major happened in the Building 3 women's dorm. Someone transmitted an infection to her roommate."

"I heard it happened over a borrowed sanitary pad."

"Seriously? That's disgusting!"

When I got back to the dorm, the door was ajar.

The room fell instantly silent the moment I stepped inside.

Nancy sat on her bed, while Judy stood by the closet.

When the two of them saw me, they looked at me as if I were carrying a biohazard.

I dropped my books onto the desk, and Judy immediately jerked back a step.

"Calista, don't touch the shared table," she blurted out.

I stared at her. "Why not?"

Judy looked slightly sheepish. "That's not what I meant. It's just that nothing has been cleared up yet, so we should all exercise some caution."

Nancy chimed in softly, "Maddie is already going through enough as it is. She cried all afternoon, saying her life was completely over."

She hesitated, then added, "She's only 20 years old."

I pulled out a chair and sat down. "So?"

Nancy froze.

I continued, "Does that mean she gets to pin a malicious lie on me just because she's suffering?"

Judy frowned. "Can you quit being so heartless? She tested positive for HIV. You can't seriously treat something like this as a joke."

"So until I test negative, you're all just going to assume I'm guilty?" I asked.

Nobody answered. The only sound in the room was the low hum of the ceiling fan.

A little while later, Madison came back.

As soon as she walked in, Nancy rushed over to support her. "Maddie, why did you come back? Didn't the doctor tell you to rest?"

Madison shook her head weakly.

She looked over at me, and tears spilled instantly from her eyes. "Calista, I really don't want to blame you. If you didn't mean to do it, I can find it in my heart to forgive you."

The moment those words left her mouth, Judy shot me a look of pure hostility.

I smiled. "If you don't want to blame me, then keep my name out of your mouth entirely."

Madison choked back a sob. She clenched her fingers tightly around the hem of her shirt.

"I'm just telling the truth," she muttered.

"Then provide some evidence to back it up," I retorted.

The room fell dead silent.

Ten minutes later, Percy posted a formal notice in the class group chat. He wrote, "To protect the health and safety of our student body, Calista Lambert will be temporarily relocated from her current dorm room until further arrangements can be made."

Several students quickly replied to acknowledge receipt.

Nancy saw the notification and let out an obvious sigh of relief.

Judy said quietly, "It's better for everyone."

That was what they kept saying.

I had heard those words far too many times in my past life. They said it was better for everyone when they forced me out of the dorm.

When they stripped away my research position, they claimed they were doing it for the collective safety.

They used that exact same justification when they pressured me into taking a leave of absence.

Calmly, I packed two changes of clothes and my laptop into a bag. I didn't bother taking anything else, knowing full well this was only the opening act.

Even the downstairs dorm supervisor, Marika Lance, looked at me differently.

She handed me the key to a temporary dorm room, her voice dropping to a nervous whisper. "Calista, don't hold a grudge against the school. Parents are panicking right now."

I took the key from her hand. "Okay."

"If something really is wrong, get treatment right away. Don't wait," she said.

I looked up at her, and she hurriedly looked away.

I lugged my bag toward the far end of the hallway. The temporary quarters were tucked around a corner on the first floor, right next to the janitorial storage room.

The air inside smelled thick and damp.

I set my bag on the bed.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Percy.

"Your scholarship application has been suspended pending investigation."

I turned off my phone and sat beside the damp bed.

I remained completely unfazed.

Madison thought she had won the first half of the battle by getting me banished here.

She had no idea.

I was waiting for her to take this as far as she could.

Chapter 3

The next morning, I went back to my old dorm room to retrieve my textbooks.

Two clear storage bins were sitting right outside the door. My towel, water bottle, face wash, and slippers had all been haphazardly crammed inside.

A sticky note had been placed on top.

"Do not bring these items into the shared dorm space."

Students passing through the hallway slowed their pace, casting sideways glances and whispering.

"Is that her?"

"I heard she's been isolated."

"She still has the nerve to come back for her things?"

Ignoring them, I crouched down and repacked my belongings into my bag.

When Nancy pushed the door open and saw me, her face went pale. "Calista, why didn't you tell us you were coming?"

"Do I need permission to get my own books?" I asked coldly.

She opened her mouth, hesitated, and then stammered, "It's not that. Everyone's scared right now."

"What's there to be afraid of?" I stood up. "Are you scared I'll breathe on you?"

Her face reddened at the question.

Judy poked her head out of the room. "Don't be snide. Maddie's already having a hard time. Can you stop trying to provoke her?"

I glanced past them into the room.

Madison was lying on her bed, cocooned beneath her blankets.

She kept her face hidden, offering a soft, pathetic cough every now and then as if to remind anyone listening that she was the helpless victim.

I walked over to my desk and immediately noticed that someone had rummaged through my drawer. My notebooks were piled in a messy heap, and the reference notes tucked between the pages were scattered everywhere.

I turned around, my eyes sweeping over them. "Who went through my things?"

Judy faltered for a fraction of a second before recovering her defensive posture. "We were just helping pack your stuff up so nobody would accidentally touch your things!"

"You were helping me?" I picked up a notebook with its cover bent out of shape. "Did anyone bother to ask me first?"

Nancy muttered defensively, "This is an extraordinary situation."

Judy scoffed. "You're worried about that right now? If the administration finishes its review, you might not even be allowed to stay enrolled here."

…

At 10:00 am, Percy summoned me to his office again. A printed document lay waiting on his desk.

He got straight to the point. "Calista, this situation has escalated. Madison's parents contacted the school last night, and they're extremely upset.

"The school hopes you'll voluntarily withdraw."

He pushed the document toward me. "This way, your transcript won't be permanently ruined. You'll still have options later."

I looked down at the heading printed in bold letters at the top—Voluntary Withdrawal Form.

I pushed it back. "I won't sign it."

Percy's expression darkened. "Calista, don't make this harder than it has to be."

"That's not what I'm doing," I said. "You're trying to force me to admit to something I didn't do."

Percy frowned. "Your attitude is unacceptable. Madison has suffered irreversible harm. As her roommate, the least you can do is cooperate."

"Cooperating doesn't mean admitting to a crime I didn't commit," I shot back.

Dr. Keller, who had remained quiet up to that point, finally cleared his throat. "Calista, from a purely medical perspective, we need you to undergo screening immediately so we can rule out any transmission pathways."

I looked right at him. "I am more than willing to get tested—just not under coercion by people who have already pre-judged my guilt."

Percy slammed his hand onto the desk. "You're in no position to negotiate!"

Footsteps echoed softly outside the door again.

The walls in this building were thin. If someone raised their voice, half the hallway could hear every word.

Percy lowered his voice. "The school will announce its formal disciplinary decision at the class meeting this afternoon. I strongly suggest you reconsider your options before then."

I picked up my bag. "I already have."

As I stepped out of Percy's office, Madison was waiting at the far end of the corridor.

She was wearing a white jacket, and her face was pale.

When she saw me emerge, she slowly lowered her face mask.

She met my eyes and offered a faint smile—the look of a predator convinced she had already crushed me beneath her heel.

Chapter 4

That afternoon, the class meeting was held in a small lecture hall on campus.

It was nominally scheduled as a standard safety education seminar, but everyone in the room knew the real agenda.

The moment I walked in, the noisy chatter in the hall instantly evaporated.

Right in the center of the front row sat a single empty chair with a piece of white paper taped to the backrest. Boldly written across it was my full name—Calista Lambert.

It was a deliberate, humiliating attempt to put me on display for the entire cohort.

I ignored the theatrical setup and took the seat anyway.

Murmurs rippled from the rows behind me.

"She actually had the nerve to show up."

"She really has no shame."

"If I were her, I would've taken leave of absence."

I didn't turn around to look at them.

Madison was seated midway back in the third row, flanked protectively by Nancy and Judy.

Madison wore a mask, and her eyes were bloodshot and swollen. She looked as if she might faint at any moment.

Percy walked to the podium and turned on the microphone.

"We're holding this meeting because a recent incident has severely compromised student welfare, personal health, and overall campus order."

He didn't mention my name explicitly, but his gaze locked onto me, and every head in the room turned in unison to follow his line of sight.

"Based on the preliminary findings, the individual involved acted with gross negligence and deliberately concealed high-risk health information. This reckless behavior has caused direct physical harm to another student and generated unwarranted public panic.

"Therefore, the school administration is proposing that Calista Lambert receive a formal disciplinary warning with academic probation. Her eligibility for scholarships, financial aid, research grants, and honors will be immediately revoked.

"Depending on the outcome of the investigation, the administration reserves the right to enforce a mandatory leave of absence or outright expulsion."

A collective murmur of shock rippled through the crowd.

Someone whispered, "That's still getting off easy, isn't it?"

"Madison's the real victim here."

"Calista should be expelled."

Madison stood up. Tears were streaming down her face. "Mr. Cobb, can I say a few words?"

Percy nodded.

Madison walked to the front, trembling slightly. "I know how anxious everyone has been on my behalf these past few days. Thank you all so much for your support."

She sniffled. "Honestly, I don't want to pursue this either. I know Calista has been under a lot of pressure, and we're all competing for the same top grades. Since we shared a dorm room, perhaps there was simply a terrible misunderstanding."

She looked at me. "If she didn't mean to do it maliciously, I am willing to find it in my heart to forgive her."

How magnanimous of her. I hadn't even been granted a fair hearing, yet she was already graciously dictating the terms of my clemency.

Several students in the audience looked visibly moved, their eyes glistening with sympathy.

Nancy burst into tears right away.

Judy held Madison up and said loudly, "Maddie, you're just too kind."

A smatter of applause broke out in the middle rows, quickly swelling into a wave of approving clapping across the room.

I sat motionless in the front row, watching them get swept up in Madison's supposed kindness.

When Madison finished her speech, she turned and walked slowly back down the aisle.

She stopped right in front of me.

When she spoke, her voice was as soft as a sigh. "Calista, I truly hope you won't hurt anyone else again."

I looked up at her, then laughed.

Madison's expression froze for a second. Confusion flickered across her face.

She couldn't fathom it. Why would someone facing public disgrace, forced administrative leave, and the total destruction of her academic sponsorship dare to laugh?

Percy frowned. "Calista, if you have any formal grievances regarding the school's decision, bring them to the administrative office after the meeting. Do not cause a disruption here."

I stood up. "There's no need to wait until afterward. Since the school chose to announce this publicly, I'll respond right here in front of everyone."

Percy's face darkened. "Sit down this instant!"

I didn't budge an inch. "Mr. Cobb, every single claim you just made constitutes a public defamation of my character and reputation.

"If the school insists on handling it this way, I'll call the police and submit all my evidence directly to the state department of education."

The hall fell silent.

Percy glared at me. "Are you threatening the school?"

"I'm only protecting my legal rights," I replied.

I looked at the large screen and said, "Give me three minutes. After that, you can decide whether you still want to take disciplinary action against me."

Percy's expression hardened. "Absolutely not!"

I pulled out my phone and turned on the screen. "Then I'll call the police right now. Let them decide who's spreading lies and who's covering for them."

One of the professors stood up and whispered something to Percy.

Percy was visibly furious.

After a tense pause, he ground out, "Three minutes."

I connected my phone to the projector.

Madison stared at me, fear finally showing in her eyes.

I opened the first file.

The moment the screen lit up, everyone in the lecture hall drew a sharp breath.