Rebirth: Defeating My Betrayal Best Friend

My best friend, Rosie Lloyd, was a marriage counselor. She cheated on her husband and begged me to cover for her.

She kept swearing it was just a drunken mistake, and now, unable to handle the guilt, she was threatening suicide. Feeling sorry for her, I agreed to explain things to her husband, Carlos Carlson.

But the very next moment, she flipped the script and accused me of drugging her.

Carlos believed her without question. He even showed up at my door with a posse, ready to make me pay.

He barked, "You're nothing but a backstabbing witch. I'm going to make sure everyone knows who you really are."

I tried to explain that Rosie had asked me to help her, but she was quick to deny everything.

She said, "Ella, I trusted you like a sister. And now you're trying to destroy me? You're slandering me.

"If I did anything like you're claiming, just show me some proof, and I swear I'll end my life to make it right."

Of course, there was no proof. And Carlos got angrier. Even my boyfriend called me disgusting.

In the middle of all this chaos, I got shoved off the balcony. And when they found my body, they said I'd killed myself out of guilt for all the wrong I'd done.

Then I was reborn on the day Rosie first came to me for help.

She grabbed my hand and pleaded, "Ella, you have to save me, please."

...

"Ella, I just went to the bar because I was feeling down, and I had too much to drink. When I woke up, I was lying next to a guy," Rosie sobbed, sitting on my couch.

She looked devastated.

She continued, "I didn't come home all night, and Carlos' been calling me nonstop, asking where I was. My life is over.

"What should I do? My parents will kill me if they find out. I can't live with this shame. Maybe, I should just jump off a bridge. That would solve everything, right?"

In my last life, those words had sent me into a panic. I'd begged her not to do anything reckless, terrified she might harm herself.

But now, I knew better. I took a deep breath, processing the fact that I'd been reborn.

As I sat there, silent, Rosie put on her best show, crying even harder.

She said, "Ella, do you think I deserve to die? Is that why you're so quiet? I must be a horrible person, right?

"You were always the kindest person in our class, always willing to help anyone. That's why I came to you. I didn't know who else to turn to."

Then she glanced at the balcony.

She continued, "You live on the 20th floor, right? If I jumped from here, that would be the end, wouldn't it?"

I didn't answer. Instead, I casually checked my phone, making sure of the date.

Then, gently but firmly, I pried her hand off mine.

She stared at me in shock. I turned to look out the window.

I said, "If you jumped from here, your bones would shatter the moment you hit the ground.

"Your body would spread out like a sack of meat.

"Your face and your features would be mashed together with your organs.

"But if you weren't lucky, you might hit a tree branch or power line on the way down. You'd get to feel what real pain is."

I turned back to look at her.

Rosie was dumbfounded, her mouth hanging open.

It took her a moment to find her voice.

She asked, "Ella, what are you saying? That's creepy."

I smiled coldly.

"Creepy?" I thought back to how happy she'd been when she saw my dead body in my last life.

I had always been the "nice girl" in every group. Ever since school, people liked me because I was easygoing and always willing to help.

If someone had a problem, they came to me.

But I was never that close to Rosie. We only started hanging out after we graduated and ended up working in the same city.

I'd had dinner with her and Carlos maybe twice before that night she showed up at my place, crying her eyes out.

Honestly, I was surprised to see her. But in my last life, the moment I saw her tears, I believed her story.

She'd said she was just in a bad mood, so she'd gone to the bar with some friends and had too much to drink.

But she blacked out and woke up next to some guy. By the time she came to, it was too late.

She didn't come home all night, and Carlos had called her a million times.

Now, her family and friends were all asking where she'd been.

To make things worse, she'd found a video of herself on social media

It showed she was drunk and grinding on a stranger.

Those hanging out with her denied everything, claiming she'd left the bar halfway through.

She didn't know what to say to Carlos or face everything.

So, she came to me, begging for help.

Rosie was a wellknown marriage counselor.

She had over a million followers on various social media platforms.

If Carlos found out, her career and her marriage would be over.

I'd listened to her story and agreed to cover up for her.

I had been truly worried about her.

She'd clung to me, desperate.

She said, "I know I messed up, but I love Carlos so much. I can't lose him.

"This was a mistake. If anyone finds out, I'll lose all my clients. They'll think I'm a fraud."

She was so convincing, even swore up and down it was a onetime thing.

I thought it was just a mistake, and I didn't want to see her life ruined over one bad decision.

So, I agreed to cover for her.

I said, "Rosie, listen. I'll help you this time, but this is it. If anything happens again, you're on your own.

"And as a marriage counselor, you should know better. Don't do something like this again."

She nodded furiously, thanking me over and over.

She promised she would live well with Carlos and would not do stupid things again.

And just like that, I picked up the phone when Carlos called.

I told a lie about how Rosie had been with me the whole night at the bar.

Before leaving, Rosie hugged me and called me the best woman in the world.

She said, "Ella, this will be our little secret. Please, don't tell anyone."

I didn't want to get involved in anyone else's marriage, but I nodded, trying to be a good friend.

I thought that would be the end of it.

But the very next morning, I woke up to my phone ringing off the hook.

I'd missed at least ten calls.

When I finally answered, the angry voice of a man came through.

He yelled, "Ella. Is this how you treat your friend?

"Rosie's about to jump off a building because of you. You'd better get here now."

Rosie's wild night out at the bar quickly made its way to the top of the trending list.

She was a marriage counselor who preached fidelity and reconciliation.

Her raucous behavior behind the scenes instantly drew a flood of ridicule in the comments on her social media accounts.

Standing on the rooftop of her apartment building, Rosie recorded a video to set the record straight.

She stated, "I'm Rosie Lloyd. I was drunk because my friend spiked my drink. But since none of you believe me, I might as well die."

By including hashtags about suicide and current trends, Rosie's video spread like wildfire.

Soon, crowds gathered outside her building, drawn by morbid curiosity.

Her husband and parents sobbed uncontrollably downstairs, and the firefighters arrived, setting up safety measures.

From the rooftop, Rosie screamed, her voice cracking in desperation.

She said, "What do those videos prove? I was set up. They got me drunk on purpose.

"Why are you doing this to me? I don't want to leave Carlos. Are you all trying to push me to my death?"

Without another word, she jumped, landing right on the air cushion the firefighters had prepared.

Then she was rushed to the hospital.

Almost simultaneously, the tone of the comments on her social media flipped.

[Jumped off a building to protect her marriage. What dedication!]

[Marriage counselor saves her marriage with a heroic leap.]

[Her toxic friend is the real villain here.]

As trolls flooded the internet with similar messages, the video of Rosie jumping became viral.

Content creators seized the moment, cutting and remixing the footage. They tried to dig me out.

Eventually, Carlos identified me as the "toxic friend".

Then I found myself the target of an online witch hunt.

[Ella knew Rosie couldn't handle her alcohol and still dragged her to the bar. Ella got her drunk just to ruin her marriage. What a snake!]

[She's just jealous because she's single. That kind of person deserves the worst.]

When Rosie woke up in the hospital, her first words were not to blame me.

She said, "Ella didn't mean it, I'm sure. Please, everyone, let this go."

She said it with such grace and magnanimity that she fainted again right after.

Carlos recorded the scene and posted it online.

This sparked a new wave of outrage at me. People praised Rosie's kind nature, while the internet tore me apart.

Even my boyfriend posted a video announcing he was done with me.

He even joined Carlos to confront me.

Soon after, I was fired from my job when my boss saw the news.

Carlos led a mob that gathered outside my door, demanding I pay for what I'd done.

No one believed me, no matter how much I explained.

Desperate, I called Rosie and begged her to tell the truth.

But Rosie sounded frail and confused.

She asked, "Are you mistaken? When did I ever ask you to help me lie to Carlos?"

"I was at Ella's place that night, but she kept telling me it wasn't a big deal, that society is more open nowadays," Rosie said.

Her voice carried uncertainty.

She added, "Ella, weren't you the one who dragged me to the bar? You're the one who insisted on inviting those men to join us, right?

"Why did you set me up like that? I was worried that Carlos would cause you trouble. How could you still lie like this?

"When I was on that rooftop, I thought my life was over. But even then, I didn't blame you. We're best friends, aren't we?"

Rosie started sobbing, her voice trembling as if she were deeply hurt.

She continued, "I can't believe you would stab me in the back like this. If I've done something wrong, why didn't you just tell me? Why would you do this?

"Forget it. I don't want to talk to you anymore. Having a friend like you is unbearable."

With that, Rosie hung up.

It was masterful.

In just a few words, she made herself the innocent victim, expertly manipulating the situation.

My boyfriend, who had learned about it, turned on me instantly.

He was furious and slapped me across the face.

He yanked the engagement ring from my finger and flung it across the room.

He yelled, "You're disgusting, Ella. We're done."

He kicked me to the ground and, without hesitation, began packing his things.

As I struggled to breathe, my phone rang again. It was my boss.

He said, "Ella, your actions have brought disgrace to the company. After careful consideration, we've decided to terminate your employment. Come by tomorrow to finalize the paperwork."

Carlos was equally mad.

He began rallying others to beat me, shouting through a megaphone for the entire complex to hear.

He said, "Watch out for your socalled friends. This witch was hellbent on destroying our family.

"Fake friends like her don't hesitate to stab you in the back."

They trashed my apartment, smashing everything in sight.

They even threatened to throw me off the balcony to make me feel what Rosie had felt.

Cornered on the balcony, I got a video call from my parents.

Rosie's parents had sent people to my hometown, where they had my parents shoved into a well.

As I watched, they fell.

The shock made me faint.

My boyfriend woke me up by dousing me in cold water.

He smashed all the gifts he had ever given me.

I stared at the wreckage of my life. The screams of my parents echoed in my mind.

As I stood at the edge of the balcony, Carlos pushed me.

No crowd gathered to witness my fall, and no firefighters came to save me. I hit the ground hard, becoming nothing more than a broken corpse.

From the afterlife, I watched Rosie rush to the scene.

The moment she saw my body, she pretended to faint in horror.

But I saw the wicked smirk on her face.

After my death, my boyfriend and the others testified that I had committed suicide out of guilt.

Even my parents' deaths were written off as them being ashamed of having raised a daughter like me.

Former classmates came to mourn me.

But angry netizens drove them away, destroying the flowers they left at my grave.

Netizens stood at my grave with red paint, wantonly scrawling graffiti. Countless vulgarities and insults echoed back and forth there daily.

After she was discharged from the hospital, Rosie showed up at my funeral.

Behind her were a dozen cameras recording. I became her best tool for driving up her viewership.

She said, "Even though Ella tried to destroy my marriage, I forgive her. She must have been in a bad place to do what she did."

The video went viral, boosting Rosie's image as a saint.

[That 'toxic friend' sure was lucky to have Rosie as a friend.]

[People these days are fickle. Rosie almost lost everything because of that snake.]

My spirit followed Rosie as she celebrated with her lover.

She bragged about how well everything had gone.

She sneered, "I only meant for her to be a shield, but she couldn't handle the pressure and jumped. Hilarious."

In the end, Rosie's affair was buried, and I became the scapegoat.

She rode the wave of attention to the top, becoming an internet sensation.

And she doled out advice on how to save marriages.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day Rosie had come crying to me.

She was sitting on my couch, looking visibly uneasy.

She said, "Ella, why would you say something so terrifying? It's almost like you've seen someone jump off a building before."

Her fingers twitched, gripping her phone.

I smiled softly, a touch of amusement in my tone.

I said, "Rosie, come on. You know me. I'm not brave enough for that. I'd probably faint if I saw something like that in real life.

"And besides, you're the famous marriage counselor, right? If people found out you jumped off a building because of your marriage, wouldn't that be the biggest joke ever?

"You're professional. Have a little faith in yourself."

He patted her on the shoulder, and she was reassured.

She slipped back into her previous state of selfpity, crying dramatically about how hard her life had become.

When I'd said enough polite, meaningless words, she cut right to the chase.

"Ella, after talking to you, I feel so much better. You'll help me cover this up, won't you?" she asked.

I nodded. "Of course.

"But just in case, why don't you give me the contact info of the two friends you were drinking with last night? I'll smooth things over with them."

She was so relieved she nearly squeezed my hand off.

She said, "Ella, you're so thoughtful. Thank you."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

She added, "You're the best friend I could ever have. I don't know what I'd do without you."

It was almost funny how good her performance was.

Before all of this, we'd barely spoken to each other since adding each other on social media two years ago.

And in my previous life, I had been gullible enough to fall for it all.

I had believed that I was doing some kind of good deed by saving her.

Once I gave her my promise, Rosie left my house, satisfied.

The moment she was gone, I picked up my phone and dialed the numbers of those two friends she'd mentioned.

In my last life, after returning home that night, Carlos quickly sensed something was off.

Rosie had then staged her dramatic rooftop scene, trying to prove her innocence.

She'd timed it perfectly, waiting until I was asleep.

But this time, I was ready. I immediately called Carlos.

I said, "Rosie got drunk last night and slept with some guy at the bar. She's not handling it well and says she wants to jump off a building."

There was a moment of stunned silence before he exploded in fury.

I could sense his anger even through the line.

"What? Didn't she spend the night with you? What the hell is going on?" he said.

Then he asked me where she was.

I replied, "I'm not sure.

"She just left my place. I tried to stop her, but she was worked up. You should find her, fast."

Before he could say anything else, I hung up.

Earlier, in her attempt to make her act look as real as possible, Rosie had given me her parents' contact info too.

She asked me to help her fabricate a call record with them from the night before.

I called her parents next.

I said, "Rosie went out drinking last night and did something stupid. Now, she's talking about killing herself."

Then, I called my boyfriend, Kristian Dale.

"Your favorite influencer is about to stage a dramatic suicide attempt. Aren't you going to swoop in and save her?" I said, my tone teasing.

I didn't stop there. I called every mutual friend we had and gave them the same update.

By the time I was done, I finally headed toward Rosie's apartment complex.

When I arrived, I could already hear the growing crowd's frantic whispers.

"Look. Someone's up there on the rooftop, about to jump."

Thanks to my notsosubtle efforts, word spread quickly.

Nearly all of Rosie's friends and relatives had gathered at her apartment building by now.

The moment they saw her standing on the rooftop, there was a collective gasp of horror.

Her phone had been off since her wild night.

Therefore, she didn't know her family and friends had been desperately searching for her.

When she finally returned home, she hadn't found Carlos, so she immediately enacted her plan to stage her jump for attention.

But the scene she found when she got up there shocked her.

The firefighters had already arrived, laying out safety mats below.

In my previous life, she'd stood on that rooftop all night, drenched in rain.

A passerby filmed her and posted it online.

The video had gone viral, drawing even more attention and sympathy.

But this time, her audience had already arrived.

She hadn't even gotten into position yet.

The crowd was buzzing with gossip.

"Wait, isn't Rosie supposed to be a marriage counselor? Why is she trying to jump off a building?"

"You haven't heard? She got caught cheating. How's she going to keep working in her field after this?"

The building was not so tall, so their voices carried clearly in the still night air.

I saw a flicker of embarrassment cross Rosie's face.

Just then, Carlos burst through the crowd.

He yelled, "You cheating whore, get down here and explain yourself.

"You've been playing the saint, saving other people's marriages, and now you've turned mine into a joke."

Before he could hurl more insults, someone pushed him aside.

Rosie's parents had arrived.

Rosie's father glared daggers at Carlos.

He said, "It takes two to tango. And instead of fixing it, you're out here pushing my daughter to jump.

"What kind of man are you? Rosie is blind enough to marry you."

Rosie's mother collapsed onto the ground.

She sobbed, "What a sin! How could we encounter such a thing? You disgraced our entire family."

Rosie was caught in the middle.

Standing on the rooftop, she screamed hysterically, "Mom, Dad, why won't you believe me? I'm being set up.

"This is all Ella's fault. She got me drunk. She's trying to ruin me. I don't want to live anymore."

Her parents immediately turned to Carlos.

They asked, "Who the hell is Ella? She is bold enough to do this to Rosie. Go find her."

Carlos hesitated, his eyes scanning the crowd.

His gaze finally landed on me.

He quickly came over.

He called out, "Hey, you, come over here and explain what's going on."

A firefighter quickly approached me.

He whispered, "Our priority is to get her down safely. Please don't escalate the situation."

From the rooftop, Rosie caught sight of the firefighter whispering to me, a smug look flashing in her eyes.

She probably thought I would take the same saintly route as in my previous life.

After all, if I upset her and caused her to jump, I would bear a significant amount of responsibility.

As a professional marriage counselor, she had a firm grasp on the psychology of those present.

However, I did not act as she had expected.

Instead, I calmly brought two more people out from the shadows.

The moment Rosie saw who they were, her face turned pale.