Chapter 3

Becca squeezed the dog tighter.

"But he looked so sad! I only wanted to give him a temporary place to sleep!"

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face.

By now, a few curious freshmen had gathered outside the open office door, whispering.

"Oh my god, she's so sweet," someone whispered.

Others threw judging looks at me, silent disapproval written all over their faces.

The familiar tightness crept back into my chest.

In my last life, it was always like this. As long as Becca cried, the entire world took her side.

When I said I was allergic, they said I was being dramatic.

When I cited dorm rules, they said we should show compassion.

When I said my life was in danger, they accused me of having a cold heart.

Even after I died in that dorm room, people on the school forum debated if I had "deserved it" for being so close-minded.

I ignored Becca and looked straight at Mrs. Davies. "Mrs. Davies, I'm not here to judge her kindness. I am only requesting to not live under the same roof as her."

Becca's sobbing hitched.

She looked up in disbelief, tears clinging to her eyelashes.

"Chloe, why are you being so hostile toward me?"

"I'm not hostile toward you. I'm allergic to the dog," I said flatly.

She stumbled back half a step, looking completely devastated.

"So what if you're allergic? He didn't ask to be born a dog! He just wants to live!"

I didn't bother wasting my breath on her. I simply pushed my medical files closer to Mrs. Davies.

Mrs. Davies scanned the allergy report, her frown deepening.

"A room transfer requires approval from both the department dean and housing services. The bureaucracy takes time."

Becca quickly wiped her nose, putting on a saintly act. "Mrs. Davies, don't worry about all that hassle."

"I'll work hard to show Chloe how sweet animals can be. I'll watch him every second. I promise he won't bother her."

I looked at her, enunciating every word. "I don't want to get used to him."

"I support your charity work, Becca. But I also have the right to protect my own health. Those two things can coexist."

Whispers erupted from the hallway.

"She's so heartless. If I were Becca's roommate, I'd help her raise the dog!"

"Seriously. How can someone be so cold-blooded?"

I looked at these online trolls and almost laughed out loud.

Let's see if they still feel that way when they have to live with thirty stray, un-potty-trained dogs.

"Mrs. Davies, if I have a medical emergency on campus due to a known hazard, the university will be held legally liable," I said calmly. "I can wait for the paperwork, but I need you to initiate the transfer immediately."

Mrs. Davies winced.

"Dorm transfers are a nightmare right now... Why don't you girls go back and try to communicate? You're college students now. You need to learn to resolve roommate conflicts."

Hearing this, Becca's tears flowed even faster.

"Mrs. Davies, we don't want to cause trouble for you! I'll talk to Chloe."

"Chloe, let's go. Let's not bother the director. We can solve this ourselves."

The students crowding the doorway began to chime in.

"Yeah, just go talk it out. You're both girls, it's not that deep."

"Starting the semester with a dramatic room transfer is just a bad look anyway."

Becca cradled the dog, speaking just loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Chloe, I just wish you wouldn't reject a precious life so easily."

"Look how good he is. He doesn't even bark."

"Why do you have to be so hateful?"