Chapter 2

Brittany' s smile turned a little smug, a flicker of satisfaction in her eyes that I hadn' t noticed the first time.

"Totally. SwiftLend. It's a lifesaver. You just fill out some stuff online, and bam, money in your account."

She sat on the edge of my unmade bed, making herself comfortable.

"I can even help you with the application if you want. It's super quick."

Last time, her offer of help felt like a lifeline.

Now, it felt like a spider weaving its web.

I had to let her. I had to walk into the trap, but this time, I'd be the one setting the real snare.

"Oh, Brittany, would you? I' m so bad with that kind of stuff," I said, trying to sound helpless and a little desperate.

"Of course, sweetie! What are sorority sisters for?" she chirped, pulling out her phone. "Let's just use my laptop, it's faster."

She guided me through the SwiftLend website, a slick, professional-looking front for their rotten core.

I "hesitated" at the $3,000 amount.

"Are you sure, Brittany? That' s a lot."

"Girl, you need it, right? For tuition, books, helping your folks out back in Havenwood? Don' t sweat it. It' s easy to pay back."

Easy. Right. I remembered the crushing weight of that $9,000, the impossible interest rates.

I let her fill in most of my details, details she already knew or would have gotten from the phishing scam anyway.

I provided the information she "needed" from me, the information she'd stolen in my past life.

The approval was almost instant, just like she said.

$3,000.

"See? Told you it was easy!" Brittany beamed, like she'd just done me the biggest favor in the world.

The money appeared in my bank account a few hours later.

The next day, I withdrew $300 in cash.

I found Brittany in the sorority lounge, surrounded by her usual clique.

"Brittany," I said, walking over, making sure I looked suitably grateful. "I just wanted to thank you again. You' re a lifesaver."

I pressed the envelope with the cash into her hand.

"This is a little something for helping me out. Like a referral bonus, I guess."

Her eyes lit up when she felt the thickness of the envelope. She quickly pocketed it.

"Oh, Kayla, you didn't have to!" she said, but her smile was greedy. "But that's so sweet of you."

Her friends exchanged knowing smirks.

Perfect. She took the bait.

This $300 wasn' t a thank you.

It was an investment.

An investment in her downfall.

My heart was steady. My mind was clear.

The first step was complete.