The Rope That Told the Truth

At the school gate, Chloe was already waiting.

She wore a white camisole dress, a full face of makeup, and her hair was curled into big waves. She looked like she was about to walk a red carpet.

"You're wearing that to hike?" I asked.

"It looks good on camera."

She checked her makeup through the front camera of her phone.

"Tell me, does this lipstick shade look good on video?"

Chloe turned toward me. Her lips were painted a deep red.

"It looks good," I said.

It really did.

In my last life, after she fell, her makeup was smeared.

Blood poured from her nose and ears, redder than her lipstick.

Sienna arrived second.

She was carrying a large canvas tote, bulging with things.

"What did you bring?" Chloe asked.

"Power banks, a selfie stick, a fill light, and the rope."

Sienna lowered her voice and wiggled her brows.

"The one you asked me to buy."

"Let me see."

Sienna pulled out a coil of orange-red rope.

I glanced at it.

The rope was old. The surface was worn, and several places had frayed.

The seller had labeled it: "decorative rope, not load-bearing." Fifty dollars, shipping included.

When Sienna placed the order, she hadn't even read the product description.

Chloe took it and gave it a casual shake, without checking anything.

"Fine. This will do."

"Chloe, should we test it?" Molly Weaver came up behind us, pale-faced, her voice small.

"Test what?"

"I mean... pull it and see if it's sturdy."

Chloe rolled her eyes.

"Are you stupid? It's new. What could be wrong with it?"

Sienna immediately chimed in.

"Exactly. I bought it myself. It cost more than two hundred dollars. What could be wrong?"

More than two hundred.

In my last life, I saw the purchase record.

The rope cost fifty. Sienna pocketed the extra one hundred and fifty Chloe had given her and bought secondhand junk.

The seller had even written in the comments: the rope is worn and not recommended for climbing.

Sienna didn't care.

It wasn't her life on the line anyway.

I stood there without speaking.

In my last life, I had warned Chloe in the car.

"That rope doesn't look very strong. Maybe we should forget it."

She flipped out on the spot.

"What do you mean? Are you cursing me?"

This life, I wouldn't warn her again.

But I also wouldn't stand there stupidly like last time.

What I had to do was make them believe they were safe, then watch with their own eyes as the rope snapped.

After we got into the car, Chloe started a livestream.

"Hey, everyone! Today Sunny is heading to Eagle's Beak Cliff for an extreme challenge!

"Look, behind me are my three besties. They'll be coming with me."

She turned the camera toward us.

Sienna flashed a peace sign.

Molly lowered her head.

I looked out the window.

Comments drifted across the screen.

"Sunny, be careful!"

"Why does the girl next to you look so serious?"

Chloe smiled and said, "That's Lena. She's... not quite like us. She's pretty introverted."

Introverted.

No.

I was thinking about how to make all of you die with the truth laid bare.