My Greedy Roommate Stole A Million Dollars

My roommate, Samantha, suddenly received a massive bank transfer. She was already a petty leech who loved mooching off everyone, so landing a random million dollars made her grin from ear to ear. Out of kindness, I warned her that it might be a new type of scam. She brushed me off, convinced I was just jealous of her dumb luck. That was until our academic advisor found out and forced her to return every cent. Convinced I was the snitch who ruined her windfall, Samantha pushed me off the sixth-floor balcony. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the exact day she received the transfer. This time, my eyes sparkled with pure envy. "Sammy, your luck is insane!" "Alert: One million dollars deposited into your account." In our quiet dorm room, the loud automated notification was impossible to miss. All eyes snapped toward Samantha. She looked just as stunned, frantically unlocking her phone to check. A second later, she clamped a hand over her mouth, completely failing to hide her ecstatic grin. "Sammy, did you just hit the jackpot? You have to treat us to dinner!" Our dorm RA, Lily, teased her, assuming Samantha was just playing a prank on us. Samantha’s eyes darted around before she played it off. "You guys actually believe that? It’s just a prank ringtone." But Mia leaned over to peek at her screen and gasped in shock. "Holy crap, Sammy, you really have a million bucks! Did someone send it by mistake?" Samantha snatched her phone away with an annoyed scowl, stammering, "No way! Maybe some rich relative wired it to me." The three of us exchanged looks, all thinking the exact same thing: Samantha was lying through her teeth. It wasn’t jealousy; it was just that Samantha had too many disgusting habits. She had always been a shameless mooch. Lily’s shampoo and body wash, Mia’s laundry pods and pads, my expensive skincare and tissues... She helped herself to everything without ever asking. Whenever we caught her red-handed, she’d just roll her eyes without a word of apology and walk away. Since we had to share a dorm, we minded our manners and bit our tongues to keep the peace. But her personal hygiene was even worse. She never washed her clothes, letting them pile up on her mattress until she just dug out whatever looked least dirty to wear. Sometimes she couldn't even be bothered to wear pads, leaving stained underwear hanging right by her bedpost. Empty takeout boxes were stacked high around her bed, making the entire room smell rancid. Every time we broke down and cleaned up after her, she’d brag to outsiders that we were her personal maids. Honestly, nothing about Samantha screamed "wealthy heiress." Believing she had a cool million in the bank was impossible. "If someone really transferred that by mistake, they must be freaking out right now," Lily said with a frown. Like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Samantha shrieked: "How could it be a mistake? It’s in my account, which means it’s my money! Besides, even if they messed up, that’s on them! What does that have to do with me?" "Chloe, don't you agree?" Samantha turned to look at me, the only one who hadn't spoken yet. In my past life, I had earnestly tried to talk some sense into her. She refused to listen, mocking me and accusing me of envying her good fortune. Later, our academic advisor somehow caught wind of it. After calling Samantha in, the advisor ordered her to report it to the police and return the funds immediately. Having "lost" her million dollars, Samantha harbored a burning hatred for me, convinced I was the one who ratted her out. And then, she shoved me off the sixth-floor balcony. The agonizing pain of my bones shattering on impact still haunted me every time I closed my eyes. This time, I’d make sure she got everything she wished for. Clenching my fists behind my back, I forced a wide, starry-eyed look of envy onto my face. "Sammy, your luck is insane! I'm so jealous, ugh!"Samantha clearly loved my reaction, throwing a smug glare at Lily and Mia. Lily and Mia looked baffled, shooting confused glances my way. My family was well-off, and I was always generous, using high-end skincare like SK-II and Helena Rubinstein. By all logic, I wasn't the type to drool over quick cash or act like a beggar. Ignoring their stares, I rambled on dreamily: "If I suddenly got a million dollars, I'd buy so many gorgeous designer dresses. My luxury skincare is almost empty anyway, and I’d stock up on premium sheet masks. Plus all the scented candles, designer bags, cute shoes, and limited-edition figurines I’ve been eyeing..." As they listened, their eyes lit up. Even Lily couldn't help sighing: "Ugh, now I want to go on a shopping spree too." Samantha was practically vibrating with excitement, her face flushed red as she kept darting glances at her phone screen. Right then, I let out a dramatic sigh. "Too bad... if someone sent it by accident, won't the bank reverse it super fast?" That snap pulled Samantha out of her trance. Her expression turned frantic as she unlocked her phone, tapping away madly. Lily offered a sensible warning: "We don't even know where that money came from. What if they call the cops to get it back?" "Unlawful possession of stolen property is a felony," Mia chimed in. Samantha visibly hesitated, instinctively looking back at me. Since I was the only one hyping her up, she clearly took me as her ally. I shrugged innocently. "How would I know? After all, I'm not the lucky girl who struck gold." In my past life, being kind and rational got me murdered. This time, I refused to offer any actual advice. Still, I had my little traps—I made sure to emphasize the word lucky. After a long pause, Samantha suddenly burst out laughing. "Whatever, I can handle this myself. I haven't even checked who sent it yet. It’s probably from some loaded relative of mine. Besides, even if it were a mistake, their bank would just recall it automatically. No need to stress." With that, she strutted out of the dorm with her chin held high. Once Samantha was out of earshot, Lily frowned. "Chloe, what's with you today? Why are you backing Samantha up?" I smiled lightly. "Even if we warned her, do you honestly think she’d listen?" "Well..." Lily started to argue, but I cut her off. "Respect people's choices and drop the savior complex." Lily and Mia looked at each other and burst into giggles. Truth be told, they were already sick of Samantha. If I hadn't played peacemaker all the time, they would have kicked her to the curb ages ago. Mia had already requested a room transfer multiple times. Seeing that I’d finally opened my eyes, both of them looked thoroughly relieved. An hour later, Samantha waltzed back in, arms loaded with shopping bags full of snacks. She even generously tossed each of us a bag of chips. In the past, she would never bring food into the room—the three of us were her personal pantry. With her acting so out of character, I figured it out instantly. She had definitely started spending that money!The outcome didn't surprise me in the slightest. Some people's greed is etched right into their bones. Even when they have everything, they still can't resist mooching off others. How could someone like that ever let a free million dollars sit untouched? "I just asked my mom," Samantha announced smugly. "Turns out it’s an inheritance from a distant aunt. She didn't have kids, so she left it all to me." She announced triumphantly. "Also, this is private. Keep it between us, okay? Don't go spreading it around campus!" Biting back my laughter, I faked an envious gasp. "Of course, Sammy! Who knew you had such a filthy-rich relative? Don't forget about us when you're rolling in dough!" Samantha waved her hand magnanimously. "Chloe, I know I used some of your skincare before. Don't worry, I'll buy you a brand-new bottle soon. Don't mention it." "Really? Sammy, you're the best!" Over the next few days, Samantha walked around like she owned the place. Before, she used our stuff on the sly, but now she didn't even bother hiding it. Whenever one of us called her out, she'd flash her bank balance in our faces. "I have this much money. Why would I need to steal your cheap stuff? I'm just too lazy to shop right now. Chill out. Once it's empty, I'll replace it with something way better." Yet despite all her big talk about buying replacements, we ended up repurchasing our own toiletries, and she didn't lift a finger. On the other hand, she went wild buying designer clothes, shoes, and bags for herself. Delivery boxes piled up to the ceiling on the balcony, and Lily ended up having to throw them out for her. Coming into money didn't cure her mooching habit; it only made her feel entitled to treat us like unpaid maids. Mia couldn't take it anymore and finally exploded. "Samantha! If you don't clean up your trash right now, I'm going to the housing advisor to get you kicked out of this dorm!" "By what right? Does your family own this college? Why the hell should I leave?" Dorm rent was dirt cheap compared to off-campus apartments, and I knew Samantha would never spend her own dime on rent. "Because you don't follow the dorm rules! You're a toxic parasite!" Mia stormed into the bathroom, grabbed a toilet plunger, and brandished it like she was ready to shove it onto Samantha's face. Samantha shrieked, whirling on Lily. "Lily, aren't you going to rein her in? What kind of useless RA are you?" Lily merely watched with cold eyes, ignoring her completely. Samantha flew into a rage. "You're ganging up on me! You want to bully me? Just you wait—Hunter is going to make you pay!" "Hunter?" I knew who he was. Hunter was the campus bad boy—an academic deadbeat who roamed around with a gang of frat-boy wannabes. They walked around acting tough, genuinely believing they looked like heartthrobs straight out of a teen drama. I never expected Samantha to get tangled up with him. If she actually set Hunter on us, things could get ugly. I immediately stepped in to play diplomat. "Alright, let's calm down. We're all roommates. It's totally normal to have little arguments. Let's just talk it out." After a few sweet words from me, Samantha lifted her chin arrogantly. "See? At least Chloe knows how to respect people. Don't worry, Chloe, I'll protect you from now on." As long as you don't make me vomit, that's already a blessing! I cursed her a thousand times in my head, but pasted a thrilled look on my face. The storm passed for the moment. After that, Samantha was busy with who-knows-what, staying out all night for days, which made the dorm wonderfully quiet. Until one day, she cornered me out of nowhere. Her face was pale and twisted with rage as she gripped my shoulders, demanding fiercely: "Why does the academic advisor know about the money? Did you snitch on me?"