I Heard My Roommate's Scheme

The day my scholarship money was deposited, I was about to transfer it to cover my grandmother’s hospital bills. Then, I suddenly heard a voice. [The Transfer System says that as long as someone eats or drinks something I give them, I can secretly transfer their money to myself without them ever knowing.] [Perfect. Claire just received her scholarship money, so I’ll use her to test it.] [If the transfer works, I can use the money to buy that dress I’ve been wanting.] The voice clearly belonged to my roommate, Mia Parker. Confused, I was about to turn around to confirm it when a bottle of water was suddenly placed on my desk. Mia smiled warmly and said, “Claire, thanks for picking up my package yesterday. Have some water.” The next second, her excited thoughts rang out again. [Drink it. Go on, drink it. Once you finish this bottle, your money will be mine!] I stared at the anticipation and greed she could barely hide in her eyes, and anger surged through me. She knew perfectly well that this scholarship money was my grandmother’s lifeline. I calmly picked up the bottle. "So, you want to transfer my money? "Fine. "I’ll let you transfer as much as you want." Chapter 1 The smile on Mia Parker’s face grew wider when she saw me take the bottle. I could practically feel the intensity of her gaze fixed on my hand. Her thoughts continued chattering excitedly in my head. [Come on, open it and drink! I’m dying here. Just one sip, and that five-thousand-dollar scholarship will be mine. I can finally buy that dress I’ve wanted for so long!] I looked up at Mia. She wore a perfectly warm smile, but the anticipation in her eyes was impossible to hide. I sneered inwardly but kept my expression calm, giving her a faint smile. “Thanks. How much was it? I’ll transfer the money to you.” My voice was flat, revealing nothing. Mia waved her hand, her smile growing even brighter. Her tone was warm and affectionate. “Oh, come on. We’re roommates. We live together every day. It’s just a bottle of water. Don’t make things so formal by offering to pay me. Go ahead and drink it. I just took it out of the fridge, so it’ll help cool you down.” [Transfer what? Seriously? Once you drink it, that five-thousand-dollar scholarship will all be mine! A two-dollar bottle of water for five thousand dollars? What a steal!] I quietly glanced at her, taking in every detail. She was wearing a brand-new pleated school-style skirt. I had seen it online before. It originally cost over two hundred dollars, but resellers had pushed the price close to six hundred. On her wrist was the latest smart watch. Another roommate had looked it up before, and the official price was over six hundred dollars. Her family was far better off than mine, yet she still wanted to steal the money I desperately needed for my grandmother’s medical treatment. I moved the bottle toward the edge of my desk and said calmly, “I’m not thirsty right now. I’ll drink it later if I get thirsty.” The smile on Mia’s face froze for a split second, but she quickly concealed her reaction and nodded. “Sure. Just leave it there and drink it whenever you want.” Just then, her thoughts rang clearly in my ears again, revealing the rules of her bizarre system. [This is so annoying. Why couldn’t the stupid rule be that I can transfer someone’s money when they accept something from me?] [And after they drink it, I have to wait two whole hours before their money transfers into my account. So slow.] [At least the system can automatically alter the bank transaction records. There won’t be a trace for anyone to find.] I lowered my eyes to the bottle of water in my hand, a cold glint flashing in my eyes. She wanted to swallow the money that could save my grandmother? Then I’d make sure she learned exactly what greed would cost her. Right in front of Mia, I slipped the bottle into the side pocket of my backpack. “I’m heading to my part-time job. Bye.” I slung my backpack over my shoulder and spoke casually. Mia smiled warmly and reminded me, “Don’t work too hard. Make sure you get enough rest.” [Perfect. She took the water with her. As long as she drinks even one sip later, that five thousand dollars will be mine.] [As soon as the money comes through, I’m ordering that dress. Finally, I won’t have to stand there watching other people wear it anymore!] I didn’t look back. I simply gave a quiet acknowledgment before walking out of the dorm. When I arrived at the cafeteria kitchen, one of the kitchen ladies struck up a conversation with me. “This soup was specially requested by one of the big-name business alumni attending today’s alumni reunion. He said he’s missed the taste ever since he graduated. We used some really good ingredients to make it today. I’ll set aside a bowl for you to try later.” Chapter 2 The kitchen lady stirred the pot of soup as she chatted with me. “Thanks, ma’am,” I said with a smile. I glanced at the steaming pot of soup, its rich aroma filling the kitchen, and the corners of my lips curled upward. When no one was looking, I poured the bottle of water into the pot. Afterward, I immediately got back to work at the cafeteria. The cafeteria was packed at lunchtime. Students and faculty came and went nonstop, keeping me busy until noon. When I pushed open the dorm room door, I immediately spotted Mia sitting at her desk. Her eyes locked onto me, filled with anticipation, as if she had been waiting for me for a long time. Before I could even sit down, Mia sprang to her feet and hurried over to me. She was holding a neatly packaged loaf of toast, wearing a warm and earnest smile. “Claire, you must be exhausted after working all morning. You’re probably hungry too, right? I just bought this bread. Have some to hold you over.” The next second, I heard her thoughts again. [I wonder if she drank the water. If she didn’t, I need to get her to eat something else, just to be safe!] [And maybe I can transfer not only her scholarship money, but also what she earned from her part-time job today. Even a little extra is better than nothing!] Hearing her greedy calculations, anger surged through my chest. Stealing my scholarship money was bad enough, but she was even eyeing the money I had worked so hard to earn. I suppressed my anger, though my voice came out colder than before. “No, thanks. I already ate the staff meal at the cafeteria. I’m not hungry at all.” Mia’s hand froze in midair. The smile on her face immediately faltered, and she reluctantly pulled the bread back. She silently returned to her desk, and the atmosphere in the room instantly became awkward. Our other roommate, Rachel Sinclair, had always thought I was antisocial and seemed to dislike me no matter what I did. Now, she immediately seized the opportunity to defend Mia, her voice filled with accusation and displeasure. “Claire, don’t you think that was a little rude? “Mia was just being nice. She brought you water and bread because she was worried about how hard you’ve been working. How can you be so ungrateful?” I looked up at Rachel, my expression calm and straightforward. “I’m not being ungrateful. I already thanked her. “Besides, I’ve eaten and I’m not hungry. What’s wrong with turning down food I don’t need?” Mia sat nearby, and I could hear every frustrated thought running through her mind. [Claire is such a pain! She refuses everything. She won’t eat or drink anything!] [If I’d known she’d be this difficult, I never would have chosen her as my test subject. What a waste of my time!] Rachel still refused to let it go. She crossed her arms and scoffed. “You’re just pretending to be above everyone else! You never want to hang out with us, and you think you’re better than us just because your grades are good. “And now you’re even too good to accept someone’s kindness?” She paused, eyeing me suspiciously. “You didn’t secretly throw away the water Mia gave you, did you?” I met her gaze directly, my expression clear and composed. “Don’t make assumptions about other people, and don’t label them however you please. Besides, I already drank the water.” The moment I said that, the disappointment on Mia’s face vanished. Her eyes lit up instantly. The corners of her lips curled upward, and she could barely contain her smile. She quickly suppressed the wild excitement in her eyes and put on a friendly expression, stepping in to smooth things over. “Okay, okay. Rachel, don’t be so hard on Claire. I’m sure she didn’t mean anything by it. She probably really wasn’t hungry. We’re roommates. There’s no reason to let something this small ruin our relationship.” [Yes! It worked! She drank the water! That five thousand dollars will be mine soon!] [Once I get the money, I’ll buy the dress first. Then I’ll give the other two girls some snacks and drinks and transfer all their spending money too!] [A few more transfers, and I can pick up some new designer bags. Perfect!] I quietly watched her fake, friendly expression and listened to her increasingly greedy plans. There was nothing left in my heart but coldness. Chapter 3 After the brief lunch break, I gathered my things and headed back to the campus cafeteria to help out. The morning portion of the alumni event had already wrapped up, and the university administrators, prominent business leaders, and distinguished alumni who had been invited were all making their way to the cafeteria for lunch. The cafeteria was packed and buzzing with activity. High-profile guests, along with countless students and faculty members, had attended the event. The enormous dining hall was packed, with everyone carrying trays and lining up for food and soup. The atmosphere was lively and chaotic. During a brief lull in my work, I quietly opened my mobile banking app. My balance was empty. Just as I expected. It had worked. I suppressed every emotion rising inside me and continued serving food and soup to the university administrators, alumni, and students as calmly as ever. By two in the afternoon, the lunch rush had gradually died down. Everyone began making their way to the school’s main auditorium for a guest speech by a distinguished alumnus. I changed out of my cafeteria uniform and followed the crowd into the auditorium. Mia and Rachel were seated not far from me. Halfway through the speech, the alumnus onstage was speaking confidently while the audience listened attentively. Then, several hushed voices suddenly broke the silence. “That’s strange. Why can’t I make any payments? Something I ordered online last week arrived today, but my account says I don’t have enough money.” A girl in the row ahead lowered her voice as she stared at her phone in confusion. The person beside her immediately chimed in, her voice filled with panic. “Me too! My parents transferred two hundred dollars to me for living expenses yesterday. I just tried to order a drink, and there’s not a single cent left in my bank account! What happened?” More and more confused whispers began spreading throughout the auditorium. Then, a sharply dressed businessman seated in the VIP section suddenly shot to his feet. He gripped his phone tightly, his face turning deathly pale. His trembling voice rang clearly through the microphone, instantly silencing the entire auditorium. “How is this possible...? You’re telling me every cent in my account disappeared in an instant?” His words struck the room like a thunderclap. Everyone stared in shock. After a brief moment of stunned silence, the auditorium erupted into chaos. Shouts of panic and frantic questions echoed from every direction. “I just checked! My tuition money is gone too! I worked part-time all semester to save that money!” “My living expenses are gone too!” It wasn’t just the students. Several faculty members hurriedly checked their phones as well, their faces turning grim. “My salary was deposited this month, and it’s all gone!” One professor’s voice trembled as she stared at her screen in disbelief. Several university administrators immediately pulled out their phones and checked their accounts. Their expressions grew increasingly serious, their brows furrowing deeply. “What’s going on? There were hundreds of thousands of dollars in the university’s event fund. That’s gone too!” Panic swept through the entire auditorium. The orderly guest lecture descended into complete chaos. I sat quietly among the crowd and glanced sideways at Mia. When my scholarship money had first arrived, she had struggled to hide her smile. Her eyes had been filled with excitement at the thought of getting her hands on my money. But when she realized that the balance in her own account was skyrocketing, with money pouring into it from countless different accounts, the smile slowly disappeared from her face. Her complexion turned pale before my eyes. [What’s happening? Why is there so much money?] [Did all the money that disappeared from their accounts get transferred into mine?] Mia turned toward me in disbelief, panic written all over her face. I smiled at her. Just as the chaos in the auditorium reached its peak, the sharp sound of police sirens came from outside.