Chapter 5

Maddy’s sarcastic wish came true—Jessica’s demands only escalated.

Early in the morning, she would snap at us to be quiet because "a pregnant woman needs her rest."

Lacking sleep, the three of us had bags under our eyes as we stuffed our heavy textbooks into our backpacks.

"Hurry up! We're going to be late!" I urged, and the three of us practically ran out the door.

"This is literal torture," Hailey grumbled.

Even though we had survived her antics in our past life, dealing with it again was still incredibly frustrating.

What normal pregnant woman had this much energy to play-act a wealthy housewife all day?

Jessica sat in the room, popping imported snacks into her mouth one by one.

I’ve always been clumsy. In both lives, I was the one who struggled to pack my things quickly.

Seeing me scramble, Jessica burst into a mocking laugh. I clenched my jaw and ignored her. It was infuriating.

Living with Jessica felt like every second was a year. We had to tiptoe around her "delicate emotions" every single day.

Ever since she announced her pregnancy, we completely stopped trying to give her advice. We just avoided her.

Though she complained about our coldness, she secretly loved seeing us "envious" of her, so she mostly stuck to bragging and throwing passive-aggressive shade.

"Weren't you guys looking down on my choices? Why are you studying yourselves to death now?"

"If you had just listened to me and looked at the bigger picture, you wouldn't have to suffer through these exams."

"Ugh, Chloe, what is that textbook? It smells so weird. Keep it away from me!"

"You three, make sure you air out your stuff before bringing it into the room. I'm in a sensitive state right now. I can't handle weird smells."

We swallowed our anger day after day, and finally, final exams arrived.

Before finals week, the three of us booked a cheap hotel room near campus to study in peace. We got a full night of quiet sleep. Our bodies still ached from studying, but our minds were finally clear.

Jessica’s morning sickness got worse. She would constantly bolt to the bathroom, followed by loud retching sounds.

Naturally, she started ordering us around with even more authority.

"Hailey, my husband sent me some high-grade bird's nest soup. Go heat it up for me with some hot water."

"Maddy, go grab my silk robe from the balcony and hand-wash it."

"Chloe, when you go to the dining hall, grab me a nutritious meal. Salmon and shrimp. Make sure it's fresh, I'm not picky."

But when we actually did what she asked, she would find reasons to complain.

"Hailey! Why is this water so hot? You're ruining the nutrients!"

"Maddy, why is my robe so wrinkled? Did you even bother to iron it properly?"

"Chloe, look at this fish! There are so many bones! How am I supposed to eat this?"

Finally, the three of us snapped. "Are you out of your mind? We do you a favor and all we get is attitude? Do it yourself from now on! You're pregnant, not paralyzed!"

Jessica burst into tears. "I'm a pregnant woman! I'm going to be the wife of a billionaire! How can you talk to me like that?"

"Besides, am I wrong? Pregnant women need proper nutrition! The fish does have bones, and the robe is wrinkled!"

Jessica sobbed louder and louder, playing the ultimate victim as if the three of us were ganging up to bully her.

Her crying attracted the girls from the neighboring dorms. They gathered at our door, whispering and taking Jessica’s side.

"How can you guys be so heartless? She's pregnant. They're just simple requests. Can't you roommates show some basic empathy?"

"Seriously. She’s going to be a wealthy lady soon. Why not treat her better now?"

Maddy was about to argue back, but I held her arm. I smiled at the crowd. "Since you guys have so much empathy and want to get close to future wealth so badly, why doesn't Jessica move into your dorm?"

"The three of us have terrible tempers, zero patience, and we don't know how to take care of anyone. Jessica is just suffering here with us, which is bad for both her and the baby. Who wants to be a good Samaritan and take her in?"

Suddenly, the hallway went dead silent.

Everyone loves to play the hero when it doesn't cost them anything.