A Beautiful Collapse

My best friend was obsessed with playing the part of a socialite, always chasing after rich heirs. When she saw posts online about guys making money over the summer by 'renting themselves out,' she decided to copy them. Two thousand for a hike. Five thousand for a dinner date. Twenty thousand for a trip. The prices kept climbing. I was worried she would run into the wrong kind of people, so I tried everything to talk her out of it, to keep her from walking straight into trouble. Later, the wealthy guy she had her eye on went public with another influencer who had built the same 'socialite' persona. She took it out on me. Sold me to a nightclub. I was abused in every way imaginable until I died. There was not even enough left of me to bury. Then, I opened my eyes again. She was already scheming: "Guys like that can make 500 just tagging along on a hike. I'm way prettier. Charging 2,000 isn't too much, right?" Chapter 1 "If I show up to dinners and parties in full glam, I should charge at least five grand, right?" The moment I heard my best friend, Janet Rogers, muttering to herself, something slammed into me. I had been reborn. "I can even rent myself out as a travel companion. If they cover my flights and hotel, I can make at least 20 grand." Memories of how miserable my previous life had been flashed through my mind. This time, I refused to be the overly nice pushover I used to be. Instead, I played along with Janet. "That's not even all. You can expand your services. Go watch movies with people, go clubbing, and try escape rooms with them. "People these days are all about emotional value and companionship. And you're gorgeous. You're definitely worth that kind of money." Janet's eyes lit up as her imagination took off. "If someone booked me every day, by the end of summer, I can easily afford two designer bags." Janet loved luxury brands. However, since she did not really have the money, she could only buy high-quality knockoffs to keep up appearances. She tried everything to package herself as a socialite, all just to break into the rich kids' circle and land herself a wealthy boyfriend she actually liked. In my previous life, when I heard her say things like that, I kept trying to stop her. "This kind of thing, renting yourself out, it's way too easy to run into guys with bad intentions. If something happens, you may not even be able to explain yourself." Back then, I also warned her that being rich did not automatically make someone a good person. A relationship could not be judged on money alone. Their character mattered, too. However, I kept my mouth shut and said exactly what she wanted to hear. "Carrying a real designer bag versus a fake one gives off a totally different vibe. Once you step out with the real thing, everyone will assume you're the real deal." I thought Janet would jump at that without hesitation. However, to my surprise, now that I was not stopping her, she suddenly hesitated. "But…I'm pretty. If I go out alone with those guys, what if I run into someone dangerous?" Chapter 2 I almost laughed. 'So, you do know this could attract dangerous people,' I thought. However, I was no longer the same person. The version of me who felt responsible for saving everyone else was gone. I copied Janet's tone from my previous life and answered calmly, "If a guy is willing to spend that much money just for companionship, how could he possibly be a bad person? You're overthinking it." In Janet's world, anyone with money was automatically a good person. She choked on my response, her expression turning stiff. "Why are you being so harsh? Are you jealous that I can make money this easily?" I quickly shook my head. "Of course not. If you can make money, I'd be happy for you. Then, you can finally go luxury shopping with me." I knew Janet had always envied me. My parents doted on me and gave me the best life they could afford. Growing up, I never had to worry about money. In my previous life, I had felt sorry for her. She came from a run-down rural town, with an abusive father, a mother who clearly favored her sons, and a deadbeat younger brother. Due to that, I treated her kindly. I often paid for her meals and even gave her some of my clothes. However, in the end, she turned on me without hesitation and spat in my face. "You're just lucky, that's all. Why do you get to carry designer bags and ride in luxury cars at such a young age? "I know you look down on me. You were just throwing me scraps like I was some beggar. So now that you've ended up like this, you deserve it!" The memory of her cruelty still burned. So this time, I deliberately pressed the one thing that would get under her skin. "Did you know? Luxury brands are raising prices again next month. If you don't buy now, you really won't be able to afford them later. You don't want to keep carrying fakes forever, do you?" I pulled up a picture of a brand-new designer bag. "However, it's fine if you don't buy it. Even if you did, you don't really have the kind of clothes to match a bag like this." I let out a soft, fake sigh. "It's such a shame. You can't become an influencer with knockoffs. However, if you had real luxury items, you could build a socialite image online and maybe even catch the attention of Mr. Walker, the kind of rich, well-connected man influencers dream of." Janet stared at me, my mocking expression reflected in her eyes. I could see the resentment boiling inside her. She clenched her teeth, then immediately started picking out her best photos and posting them online. It was not the thought of Janet going down that path that frightened me; it was the thought that she would not. This time, to make sure she got exactly what she wanted, I quietly followed behind her and spent money to boost the post she had just uploaded, driving a massive wave of traffic to it. Chapter 3 With the boost I bought, Janet's post about renting herself out quickly started gaining traction. However, most of the comments were not serious. Some people were just there for entertainment. [Being pretty really is an advantage. Making money looks so easy.] Others were clearly probing with bad intentions. [You're charging that much just to go hiking? Is there…anything more physical involved?] Janet watched as inquiries kept coming in, but none of them turned into actual bookings. It did not take long for her to grow irritated. She called me, her voice full of frustration. "Maybe I made it sound too simple. Making money by renting myself out isn't as easy as I thought." I quickly comforted her. "Every business is hard at the beginning. Once you land your first client and get real feedback, everything will get much easier after that." I knew exactly what kind of person Janet was. Even if I managed to avoid trouble this time, eventually, she would find another reason to take her anger out on me and ruin my life for money. So this time, I went all in. I found a professional actor. "All you need to do is pretend to be a rich heir and go on a nice hiking trip with that girl." I paid for everything and even gave him a full script. The actor was getting paid for an easy job, so he happily agreed. Not long after, Janet landed her first booking. When she saw the client's photo and the deposit he sent, her face lit up with excitement. The next day, after she finished the hike with the guy, she came straight to me to brag. "He looks super rich. Head to toe in designer brands, and he was really polite and such a gentleman." I widened my eyes, pretending to be surprised. "No way, could he be some rich heir? However, guys like that are usually surrounded by beautiful women. Why would he pay someone to go hiking with him?" Janet rolled her eyes at me. "Obviously, it's because I'm pretty. He said he saw my photos online and was instantly attracted. He didn't even hesitate before booking me." As she spoke, she pulled out her phone and opened the messaging app, showing me their chat. "He even said I look better in real life than in pictures. Next time, he wants to book me to accompany him to a dinner party." What Janet did not know…was that the so-called first client's chat account had been under my control the entire time. Chapter 4 To help Janet fulfill the 'regret' she had carried from my previous life, I built everything for her from scratch. Using the actor's photos, I created a chat account and carefully crafted the image of a rich heir. Every flashy post on his feed was edited by me, polished to perfection, designed to hook Janet completely. When Janet excitedly showed off just how wealthy her 'client' was, I played along without hesitation. "Wow, he really does look like the real deal. Janet, you're exactly the type rich guys go for." The moment I finished praising her, I switched accounts and logged onto the actor's profile. Then, I sent Janet a message that looked sincere and full of emotion, like real feedback from a satisfied client. I even attached the beautiful photos he had taken of her that day. At the same time, I used a bunch of fake accounts to comment under her post. [The bag she's carrying is obviously fake. How does someone wearing knockoffs charge that much?] I did not stop there. Using the actor's account, I sent her another message. [You're really pretty, but those bags you carry are obviously fake. It doesn't look very classy.] [The next time I book you to accompany me to a dinner, you'll need to carry a real one. Don't embarrass me.] Janet was furious. Completely triggered, she immediately turned her attention to me. "Ella, can you lend me a few designer bags? Just to help me keep up the appearances. We're best friends, right? You wouldn't want me to embarrass myself out there." In my previous life, I had been generous with her. I lent her plenty of luxury items so she could maintain her image. However, behind my back, Janet had hidden my real bags and bought cheap knockoffs that looked similar, returning those to me instead. When I found out, she cried about how much she envied me, how hard her life had been. I had softened. I had let it go. Due to that, she only became more vain, more addicted to taking shortcuts. What I never expected was that in the end, she would not remember a single bit of my kindness. "These bags were all bought by my mom. She rotates them with me. I can't just lend her things out to other people." Janet was used to my giving in to everything she asked for. The moment I refused, her face darkened. "Ella, why are you being so stingy? Your family is rich. Are you really going to care about a few bags?" I replied flatly, "My family didn't get rich by chance. And what if I lend you a real bag and get a fake one back?" Janet's expression hardened with anger. "What are you trying to say? That I'd do something like that? What kind of person do you think I am? Don't look down on me." We parted on bad terms. That very night, she posted on her social feed, taking a jab at me without naming me directly. [Wow. So I finally ran into one of those fake best friends. Some people pretend to be close to you, but they're actually selfish and full of themselves. Be careful who you trust. Stay away from people like that.] Chapter 5 All our mutual friends knew Janet and I were supposed to be best friends, so when they saw her post, they immediately came to me. "Was Janet throwing shade at you? What happened between you two?" In my previous life, I had been the one who brought Janet into my social circle. The rich guy she had her eye on back then was someone she met through my friends. However, once things went sour between us, Janet turned around and trashed me everywhere. She spread rumors, drove a wedge between my friends and me, and slowly took them all for herself. This time, I made the first move. I put on my sweetest, most innocent act. "It's like this. Janet's been renting herself out online, and I've tried to talk her out of it. She got a little upset… "You all know she's been wanting a rich boyfriend. To keep up appearances, she wanted to borrow my real designer bags, but I said no. That was why she posted those things." I even shared Janet's post with them so they could see it for themselves. At the end, I gently said, "However, honestly, I was probably too harsh. I'll just apologize to her later." My friends were stunned. "Wait, so she's the one acting fake and then accusing you? Those bags cost tens of thousands. Why should you just hand them over? You've spoiled her too much." "Seriously, that's messed up. Renting herself out online? How is that any different from selling herself?" I kept up my act, softly defending Janet. I told them her family background was not great, that she was just trying to earn money and build a better life for herself. They all knew how well I had treated her before. I bought her meals, took her out, and even lent her new clothes. Compared to Janet's post, they quickly took my side instead. "You should be careful. Janet might be using you. Honestly, she's probably just after your money. Being friends with someone that materialistic, you need to watch out." "If she can stab you in the back today just because you wouldn't lend her a bag, who knows what she'll do to you tomorrow?" At the same time, they made it clear they did not want anything to do with Janet anymore. Just like that, I cut off Janet's chances of borrowing designer bags from anyone. Sure enough, with no other options left, Janet came back to me and apologized. "I was being emotional that day. I shouldn't have said those things. "I know you've always been the best toward me. And now I've got many people online trying to book me. I really need to buy some real luxury items to keep up appearances. Can you lend me some money?"