Replace Me

After my dorm mates found out about my 0-000,000 monthly allowance, one of them became my personal copycat.
If I dined at a Michelin-starred restaurant, she’d max out her credit cards to order the exact same tasting menu. If my parents gifted me a limited-edition handbag, she’d commission a high-quality replica from a back-alley workshop when she couldn’t buy the real thing.
Everyone told her to stop being a cheap imitation, but she reveled in it.
I was beyond annoyed.
Until the day she chopped her waist-length hair into a wavy bob, identical to mine. That’s when the pop-up comments first appeared in my vision:
[GIRL, WAKE UP! SHE'S NOT TRYING TO COPY YOU, SHE'S TRYING TO REPLACE YOU!]
[ONCE THE IMITATION METER HITS 100%, YOUR ENTIRE IDENTITY AS A WEALTHY HEIRESS WILL BECOME HERS. THE PROGRESS BAR IS ALREADY AT 80%.]
[THE SCARIEST PART: SHE'S INTENTIONALLY TAKEN OUT A NAKED LOAN. WHEN IT DEFAULTS, YOU'LL BE SADDLED WITH THE DEBT, AND THE COMPROMISING PHOTOS WILL GET YOU EXPELLED!]
She wanted to steal my life?
I looked at my reflection in the mirror and made a decision that would make my ancestors roll in their graves.
I was going to take the hair I’d spent eighteen years caring for... and shave it all off.

1
Seeing my roommate, Jenna, with her new hair—a perfect replica of my own wavy bob—my best friend Kristen finally snapped.
“Jenna, what is your damage?” she fumed. “You’re a total wannabe! It was bad enough when you were copying Ava’s every move, but now you have the same exact hair and outfit? Who are you trying to freak out?”
Honestly, having someone mimic your every move is deeply unsettling. Our other roommates had tried to talk to her, gently suggesting she focus on her own strengths instead of being someone else’s shadow.
But it was like talking to a brick wall.
This time was no different. Faced with Kristen’s outrage, Jenna just casually fluffed her newly styled hair. “Everyone has the right to pursue beauty. I happen to like this style right now. What’s the big deal?”
“Is Ava Sterling’s name written on this haircut?” she continued, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Can no one else have it? Don’t be so selfish.”
She had twisted it around to make us the villains. That was the last straw for me.
I was about to let her have it when the comments flooded my vision again:
[GIRL, WAKE UP! SHE'S NOT TRYING TO COPY YOU, SHE'S TRYING TO REPLACE YOU!]
[ONCE THE IMITATION METER HITS 100%, YOUR ENTIRE IDENTITY AS A WEALTHY HEIRESS WILL BECOME HERS. THE PROGRESS BAR IS ALREADY AT 80%.]
[THE SCARIEST PART: SHE'S INTENTIONALLY TAKEN OUT A NAKED LOAN. WHEN IT DEFAULTS, YOU'LL BE SADDLED WITH THE DEBT, AND THE COMPROMISING PHOTOS WILL GET YOU EXPELLED!]
I had thought Jenna was just a deeply insecure copycat. I never imagined her intentions were so malicious.
In that moment, a plan formed.
I put a calming hand on Kristen’s arm. “It’s fine. I was getting tired of this hairstyle anyway.”
“But she’ll just—” Kristen started, probably about to say that Jenna would just copy whatever I did next.
“Kristen,” I interrupted, my voice sweet but firm. “Jenna just said, she simply likes wavy hair. She’s definitely not intentionally copying me!”
We were in the crowded campus dining hall, and I made sure to raise my voice. Heads turned. Everyone saw it: Jenna, a dollar-store version of me in every way except for her face. No one said anything, but the looks of disdain they shot her were loud and clear.
Jenna couldn’t stand being the center of negative attention. Her face flushed.
She muttered something under her breath that sounded like, “So smug. Just you wait,” before storming out of the hall.
Kristen poked my arm. “You’re just going to let her get away with that?”
I shrugged. “What else can I do? It’s not like she’s breaking the law.”
“You could at least yell at her! The nerve of that copycat, being so arrogant!”
“Arguing with someone like that is beneath us,” I said, soothingly. “Besides, a gorgeous girl like you can’t risk getting frown lines. It’s not worth it.”
Kristen laughed, but she warned me not to be too nice to Jenna, or she’d take a mile.
I wasn’t worried about her copying me. In fact, I was counting on it.
With no classes in the afternoon, I told Kristen I was off to get a new look. She was all for it.
I left campus and drove to the mansion my parents had bought for me. They were worried I wouldn’t adjust to dorm life, so they’d dropped a cool twenty million on a place nearby.
Thinking of Jenna’s smug face, I didn’t hesitate.
I picked up the electric clippers, took a deep breath, and shaved off the hair I’d spent eighteen years caring for.
The comments went wild.
[WHOA! WHAT IS SHE DOING? IS SHE SHAVING HER HEAD TO GET REVENGE?!]
[DID SHE FIND OUT ABOUT THE PLOT AND DECIDE TO JUST BURN IT ALL DOWN?]
[I MEAN, CREDIT WHERE IT'S DUE, THE GIRL HAS A PERFECTLY SHAPED SKULL. SHE EVEN LOOKS GOOD BALD. BUT DAMN, THIS IS JUST HANDING THE VILLAIN FREE PROGRESS POINTS.]

2
When I returned to the dorm with a freshly buzzed head, dyed a shocking shade of bubblegum pink, Jenna’s face went pale.
“Ava! Why would you do that?” she demanded. “And that color! It’s an embarrassment to the whole university! You need to change it back right now!”
I scoffed. “What I do with my hair is none of your business. And show me the rule in the student handbook that says we can’t have pink hair.”
Knowing she was losing the argument, she changed her tack. “I’m not saying there’s a rule, I just mean… pink doesn’t suit you.”
That was all Kristen needed to hear. She jumped to my defense. “Are you serious? My girl is a natural beauty; she doesn’t need your fashion advice. Pink is a tricky color, though. It definitely wouldn’t work on someone with your… complexion.”
The comments popped up again.
[Kristen is a legend. That little mouth of hers is a lethal weapon. The villain is turning green, LOL!]
[No wonder she's freaking out. She spent all her loan money. Her bank account is flashing red, only two hundred bucks left.]
[LMAO, Villain's dilemma: Change hair, insufficient funds. Don't change hair, all previous effort wasted!]
[I take back what I said before. This girl knows exactly what she's doing.]
An unexpected bonus.
But I had underestimated Jenna’s determination to steal my life.
The next day, while I was trying on wigs at my mansion, Kristen texted me.
“Ava, when are you coming back to campus?”
[image]
[image]
“OMG I’m dying! The copycat dyed her hair pink to match you, and she looks like a gorilla in drag. It’s a crime against humanity!”
In the photos, Jenna’s hair was a disastrous shade of pink, making her look like an angry flamingo. Apparently, she’d bought a $3 box of dye and borrowed a flat iron from another roommate. After hours of effort, she had achieved a hairstyle that was a sad, 70% match to my wig.
A slow smile spread across my face. I took a long, black, wavy wig from its stand and put it on. I wondered what Jenna’s expression would be when she saw my new new look.
When I walked into the dorm, Jenna was in front of the mirror, yanking at her pink hair in frustration. The cheap dye was already fading, the ends turning a sickly yellow.
“Ava! You’re finally back!” she chirped, striking what she must have thought was a glamorous pose. “Sorry, I just thought the pink was so pretty, so I…”
Her voice trailed off as she saw my hair. Her pupils contracted. “You… you changed it again?!”
I twirled a black curl around my finger. “I thought about what you said. You were right. Pink is too flashy. Black suits me better.”
“Ava, you…” Jenna was trembling with rage, unable to form a complete sentence.
Kristen delivered the final blow. “What’s wrong, Jenna? You’re not smiling. Are you just not a happy person by nature?”
[Kristen is a master of psychological warfare. I can't breathe!]
[I mean, say what you will, but at least our girl has the looks to back it up. Jenna with that fluorescent pink skin tone looks like a walking dragon fruit.]
[This is what happens when you try to fake it without the resources. A new level of pathetic!]

3
Jenna was so angry she skipped dinner, hiding under her covers and plotting something. I, wearing my black wig, was leisurely enjoying soup with Kristen in the dining hall.
“Do you think she’ll dye her hair back to black tomorrow?” Kristen mused, poking a piece of broccoli. “I bet you fifty bucks she’ll try something.”
I was about to answer when the pop-up comments exploded:
[GIRL, YOUR HOUSE IS BEING ROBBED! THE VILLAIN IS USING A VOICE CHANGER TO CALL YOUR MOM!]
[She's mimicking your voice, whining that she's out of money and needs her mommy to spoil her!]
[OMG, that's low. She's trying to use the family connection to speed up the replacement progress bar!]
My hand froze, the spoon halfway to my mouth. Jenna was targeting my mother?
My mom was a total softy. She was easily swayed by a little sweetness. If Jenna laid it on thick, my mom might actually fall for it.
Kristen noticed my expression. “What’s wrong? Are you thinking about Jenna’s horrifying face again?”
I shook my head, slowly swallowing a spoonful of soup. “Nothing. I was just thinking that constantly changing my hair is getting boring.”
“So what’s next?” Kristen’s eyes lit up. “A whole new style? You’d look amazing in historical costumes!”
Just then, a text from my mom popped up on my screen:
“Sweetie, I just transferred a million dollars to your account. Don’t be afraid to spend it.”
“Oh, and that girl in your dorm, Jenna? She seems so nice. I sent her eighty thousand dollars as a little thank you for looking after you.”
She was clever. After failing with me, she’d gone straight to my mom for cash.
But no one takes money from the Sterling family that easily.
“A new style is boring,” I said, placing my phone on the table. “If I’m going to change, I’ll change into something she can’t possibly copy.”
The comments went into a frenzy:
[Is she planning a new game? *rubs hands in anticipation*]
[I'm almost starting to feel bad for the villain, LOL. She's getting played so hard.]
[The villain's morals are twisted. She deserves this! Why can't she just be a normal person instead of trying to steal someone's life? Serves her right!]
“What do you mean?” Kristen asked, her curiosity piqued.
I met her gaze and smiled. “Next Wednesday is my birthday. It wouldn’t be too much to treat the entire class to dinner, would it?”
On my birthday, I booked out an entire five-star hotel. Jenna showed up, ground her teeth for five minutes, and then left in a huff.
“Ava, did you see her face? It was priceless!” Kristen gloated. “She thought she could become you just by copying your clothes. Today, she got a lesson in the difference between the real deal and a nine-ninety-nine knockoff.”
I remained silent. I knew Jenna. She wouldn’t give up that easily.
Sure enough, a few days later, on Friday night, a message from her appeared in our class group chat, complete with a location pin for the city’s most exclusive private karaoke club.
“Hey everyone, I made a little extra money at my part-time job, so I’m treating you all to a night out! Party starts at 7 PM. Hope to see you there!”

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