Chapter 3

Lily, bless her heart, couldn't resist the temptation to step in and speak up for Scarlett. She opened her mouth, trying to brush things off. "Come on now, how much can those game materials really be worth? You heard it yourself—Joyce said she had to grind for them in-game, she didn't buy them."

"Well, I'm sorry to say, but here's the valuation report. These game materials are worth 5,000 dollars."

I shoved an electronic document in front of them, my voice as cold as a winter morning.

This report, prepared by my fellow gamer on the official trading platform, came from a reputable national agency, and it was legally binding.

The officer took the report and studied it for a moment before turning his gaze on Scarlett. "Scarlett, based on this amount, you could face a lawsuit. Theft of property over 5,000 dollars carries a sentence of three to ten years, plus a fine. However, you're all students, so I'd suggest you try to settle this outside of court. A private resolution would be best."

Scarlett's face turned pale as the officer spoke, and then—just like that—she sprang up from her seat, rushing over to me, grabbing my hand, and falling to her knees in front of me. She was crying, desperate to be forgiven.

"Joyce, I know I was wrong! Please, don't let me go to jail!"

I noticed Jasmine looking at Scarlett with pity in her eyes. As I turned to watch Scarlett, all helpless and tearful, I thought about her humble beginnings, and my heart felt a twinge of pity.

With the officer as a witness, I reluctantly signed a letter of understanding. Scarlett agreed to pay back the 5,000 dollars I had lost, and the matter was closed.

As we walked out of the police station, Scarlett clutched my hand, sobbing and promising she would repay me. She thanked me again and again for being so merciful.

Though I still felt a bit uneasy, giving her a chance to reflect on her actions felt like the right thing to do.

With a sigh of relief, I took Jasmine's hand, and we headed back to university—unaware that a storm was brewing just around the corner.

The next morning, Jasmine woke me up with a start. "Joyce, wake up! You've got to see this! Scarlett called you out on the university forum!"

I rubbed my eyes and checked my phone. There, on the university forum, was a post that had taken the top spot: [A poor girl from the countryside asks if it's really fair to owe 5,000 dollars after accidentally playing her roommate's game.]

Scarlett had painted quite the picture, adding her own spin to the events and posting the stamped letter of understanding. The words "5,000 dollars" were circled in bright red, highlighting the sum as if it were some kind of weapon.

[I'm just a poor girl from the countryside. Out of curiosity, I played my roommate's game for a bit, spent her diamonds and materials, and she called the cops, demanding I pay back 5,000 dollars. It's not that I don't want to pay, but that amount is more than our family's living expenses for three years! I'm just wondering—does this game really cost that much?]

Within moments, gamers who understood the situation came to my defense, explaining that a well-maintained account could easily be worth at least a couple thousand dollars. Nothing surprising there.

But then came the comments that pushed me into the firestorm of public opinion.

[It's not right. Some people can barely make it through university, struggling with every penny, while others casually spend thousands on a game.]

[Yeah, it's disgusting. They know she's poor and still want to make her pay so much. The rich never know how to be grateful.]

Eagle-eyed netizens, ever so meticulous, managed to dig out my name and ID number from the blurred-out mosaic. Before I knew it, the negative opinions shifted from the incident itself to me, personally.

I jumped out of bed, my heart pounding as I shoved my phone in Scarlett's face.

"Did you post this? I signed the letter of understanding, and now you're doing this behind my back?"

Scarlett pushed my hand away, meeting my glare with surprising calmness, not a shred of panic in her expression.

"What's the big deal? I'm from the countryside and I don't understand all this, so I asked around. I mean, 5,000 dollars is a lot. I had to find out if that's really the worth of this game, right?"

She paused for a beat, then turned away, refusing to look at me, her voice laced with something more than a hint of mockery. "Why are you so upset? What's the problem? They're not wrong, right? You spent thousands on this game, didn't you?"

Her complete lack of remorse left me dumbfounded. I laughed bitterly.

"Yeah, I did spend that much, but you wasted it all! Now you owe me, and you go behind my back stirring up trouble. I'm really looking forward to seeing how the university handles this."

I gathered my materials with trembling hands and stormed out of the room, heading straight for the faculty office.