Sarah meticulously kept her distance from Lily, frequently badmouthing her when she wasn’t around.
Lily complained to our instructor, accusing Claire and me of deliberately freezing her out. But I was a star student—always buried in library books, consistently ranking at the top of our grade. The teacher favored me.
Lily, perpetually struggling academically, got scolded instead. "Stop obsessing over nonsense. No wonder your grades are slipping!" Humiliated, Lily sobbed all night in the dorm.

The next day, I made a point of bringing back a luxurious seafood bento. I ate it slowly at my desk, engrossed in a drama.
The rich aroma drew Lily’s attention; she watched my meal, mesmerized. After finishing it, I deliberately crumpled a used tissue into the leftovers and kept watching my show.
Just as Lily looked ready to crack, my phone rang.
“Hey, Noah. You’re downstairs? Awesome! I’ll be right down.”
I dumped the takeout container into the dorm trash bin and dashed out. If Lily decided to fish that dinner out of the garbage, I’d be delighted to witness it.
Noah waited downstairs, waving, holding my favorite chocolate ice cream cake.

“For you, Sarah. Baker said it’s fresh—gotta eat it before it melts.” I beamed, took the cake, and interlaced my fingers with his.
Footsteps sounded behind us. I glanced back—Lily was trailing us, her eyes glinting with venom even under the bright sun. My smile widened as I walked off with Noah.
That night, I returned to the dorm with leftovers from our upscale dinner date.
“Fancy restaurant date,huh?” Claire teased.

I laughed, leaving the takeout box on the communal table “for later”.
Lying in bed later, I heard soft rustling -- like a rat scavenging. I stayed perfectly still, feigning sleep. Next morning, I acted clueless.
During class, when the professor called Lily’s name, her face contorted in sudden agony. A series of loud, violent farts erupted from her seat. A putrid stench instantly flooded the lecture hall.
“Jesus, Lily!” Claire shrieked, pinching her nose. “Did you have diarrhea?”
Students gasped. Windows were flung open as the gag-inducing smell spread.
Lily stood trembling, her body betraying her with unmistakable diarrhea sounds.
“Lily!” the professor barked. “Get to the restroom!”
She fled the room, face buried in her hands, sobbing.
After next period, the instructor summoned me. Lily stood beside his desk in the office, weeping.
“Sarah,” he said grimly. “Lily claims you poisoned her. How do you explain that?”
I widened my eyes in feigned shock. “That’s absurd!”
The instructor sighed. “She missed classes all day—severe diarrhea and vomiting. Says it was from a drink you gave her.”
Lily wailed, “You have to hold her accountable! Everyone knows she despises me, but poisoning me?! What if I’d died? How could my parents survive that?”
She jabbed a finger at me. “You owe me medical bills, emotional damages, and compensation for missed classes. $1,000 is nothing to you!”
What a false accusations. Blackmail.
I narrowed my eyes, my voice icy. “That drink contained laxatives, Lily. It is prescribed for my chronic constipation.”
Her eyes bulged. “Laxatives?! You’re not constipated! You did this on purpose!”
“And you told me those date leftovers were for sharing! I ate them!”
I shook my head and called Claire in as a witness. After hearing the accusation, Claire explained coolly, “Sarah’s leftovers always go straight in the trash. She’s generous—she shares new things with me, not garbage.”
She shot Lily a dismissive look. “Honestly, who touches someone else’s leftovers? Sarah wouldn’t even let me eat those.”
Lily exploded, “You’re covering for your rich-girl clique! You city snobs always look down on us mountain kids!” She turned to the teacher, voice trembling with desperation, “I swear on my life, Instructor! Sarah told me to eat it! If I’m lying, may I drop dead right here!”