SAMANTHA'S POV
"Are you really not going to stop, Sam?" Jasmine asked while adjusting her mascara in the small mirror attached to her phone case.
We sat in our favourite spot in the campus rooftop garden—a place that was usually quiet, but now sounded like its own private storm courtesy of our whispers. Me? Well, I was silent, but at a boil.
I hate that girl, the way she walks around like she owns the place. I hate the way Jharied is always looking at her, like she's some sort of fragile angel he has to take care of. And most of all, I despise how she puts on an act, fooling most people around, making her look like some kind of victim. Heartfilia—ugh, even her name pisses me off.
"What exactly did you see?" Nancye asked, opening her iced coffee. "Girl, we've been waiting for the tea."
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself down despite the burn still welling up in my stomach from the altercation in the hallway earlier. She had the audacity to talk back to me.
"I saw them together," I said, getting straight to the point without beating around the bush.
"And not the usual, awkward way, either. It was different. They are close now. Like CLOSE."
Jasmine and Nancye exchanged a glance.
"Close?" Jasmine repeated, an eyebrow rising. "Like… close enough to make you angry?
"YES!" I almost yelled out, grateful that no one else was present.
"Like they walked together to her classroom. And Jharied looked… worried. Concerned.
That's not normal for him. He isn't like that with just anyone. He isn't protective unless it's important."
"Or unless he likes her," Nancye added with a smirk, a tinge of provocation in her voice.
I didn't answer right away, because that's the line I refuse to cross in my thoughts. I don't want to accept that maybe, just maybe, he likes her.
I clenched my jaw. "No. That cannot happen. He's just… confused. He just feels sorry for Filia. I mean look at her—she always looks depressed, like she's carrying the weight of the world. Of course any man would pity that."
"Even so…" Jasmine said, "you're still losing grip. You know that, right?
Ouch.
But it was true.
Ever since Heartfilia came, she's been the center of my problem. I am not used to being hindered. Everything that I want, I get.
Everyone, I can manipulate. And yet, she gets attention without even trying.
And that's the most infuriating thing.
"Girl," Nancye said, sipping her iced coffee, "What's the plan? We're not helping you just so you can sulk here. You, Samantha Montana—the Samantha Montana—you don't get defeated easily."
I smiled. That's more like it.
"I'm thinking…" I started, swirling the straw around in my soy latte, "we hit her where it hurts."
They asked in unison, "Meaning?"
"Meaning," I said in a low tone, "we observe her. We study her. If she's hiding something, we expose it. I don't believe she is a perfect and innocent baby girl. People like her always have dirty secrets.
Jasmine raised her hand. "Agreed. But… she doesn't use social media much. She doesn't share her personal life. She has no friends. No one to talk to. No visible issues."
"That's the point," I replied straight away. "Too clean. Suspicious."
"Okay," Nancye followed up. "So… plan A: spying?
"No," I said, firmly. "It isn't just spying. It's a plan."
I got up, walked to the railings of the rooftop, and looked into the distance where the whole campus could be seen: a perfectly calm place, which was ironic, seeing the chaos inside me.
"You know what I realized?" I asked, looking down. "People don't need the truth to believe something. They just need a story… and the right little push."
Jasmine smiled. "So you want us to create a narrative?
"Precisely." I turned to face them. "We plant doubts. Small ones. They don't have to be huge. They don't have to be overt. Just enough to make them start wondering about her… especially Jharied."
"Hmm…" Nancye leaned forward. "Like what?
"Like…" I smirked. "Let's start rumors. Soft ones. Not the kind that are obviously not true. They must be smart. Something that could be believable.
"Such as?" Jasmine asked again, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
"We make it look like she's lying about something. Anything. Let's make it seem like she's hiding something really heavy. Something dark. Something that doesn't match her innocent act."
Nancye snapped her fingers. "Then we hear people's reactions and collect them and add to them, make them juicier.
"Exactly." I sat down again. "Information spreads fast. Especially on this campus. And when it reaches Jharied's ears? He'll start asking questions. And guess what - Heartfilia will panic. She always panics."
"But where do we begin?" Jasmine asked.
"Simple." I leaned forward, lowering my voice.
"You know the argument she had yesterday?
"The one you saw in the hallway? Yes."
"No," I corrected. "I mean the one I heard a bit about—the one where she was fighting with someone she didn't name?"
Jasmine shrugged. "We don't even know if that's true…"
"That doesn't matter," I answered. "We don't need facts. We only need a spark."
"So… you want people to think she's fighting with someone?" Nancye asked.
I smirked. "Exactly. Let's make it sound like she's in trouble. Or maybe… dealing with something illegal. Or maybe someone's blackmailing her. Anything that could worry Jharied enough to confuse him about what is real."
"But Sam," warned Jasmine, "if it gets too much, you might get blamed if the rumor traces back to you."
"That's why," I said calmly, "we won't be spreading it."
They looked at each other.
"Oh, right!" Nancye squealed. "We plant the story where people listen the most… but we don't spread it ourselves."
"Exactly." I stood up, fixing my hair, confident as usual. "Let's tell someone who LOVES gossip. Someone I'm not directly connected to. Someone you know is a rumor queen."
"I have someone," said Jasmine importantly. "Section C, Rina. My god, girl, one whisper to her and the whole building has an update."
I grinned. "Perfect."
"But what will the rumor be?" Nancye asked, smiling as if excited.
I paused.
I closed my eyes and remembered how Filia panicked yesterday, how she walked out like she was running from a demon.
Then I knew.
"We tell her," I said slowly, "that Filia is afraid of someone."
"Someone dangerous?" Jasmine's eyes sparkled.
"Yes," I replied. "Someone who can control her. Someone who can hurt her. Someone who can force her to do things she doesn't want."
"OMG," Nancye clasped her hands. "And people will assume she's hiding trauma or a scandal!"
"And once that gets out," I added, "and they suddenly see a little conflict between her and Jharied? They'll suspect that Jharied might be doing something to her."
"But Jharied? Are you sure?" asked Jasmine.
"Won't that be risky?"
"No," I said with assurance. "Because Jharied is respected. People will defend him. Which means… who will look like the one with the problem? Filia."
"Aaahhh." both nodded, smirking, understanding the full picture now.
"She'll look unstable," added Nancye.
"She'll look untrustworthy," Jasmine said.
"And most of all," I whispered, "she will look like a liar—something Jharied hates most.
Perfect.
Just the kind of punch I needed.
"When do we start?" Jasmine asked.
"Today," I replied without hesitation. "During lunchtime. Let's start with small things first. A little whisper. A few hints. Something that will be repeated until it becomes a 'fact.'"
Nancye leaned back. "Girl, you're something else. Here we go again. But I love this."
"Same," Jasmine laughed. "It's been so long since I've been this excited."
I held my drink, raised it a little, and smirked.
"For peace…" I replied sarcastically.
They lifted theirs too.
"…and chaos," the three of us chorused, laughing almost simultaneously.
But me? I was far happier.
Because this time…
Heartfilia won't even see it coming. And when the world begins to doubt her, when people begin to whisper behind her back, when her little pretend-innocent mask finally breaks…
I'll be right there watching. Smiling.
Because the game has officially started
And I always win.
_____
To be continued.