After Alicia finished tidying up her room, she turned on her heels and dashed into the kitchen with the practiced ease of someone who had done this dance before.

Just like in my previous life, she was back at it, trying to weave her spell around my parents with her cooking and sweet demeanor.

I watched her silhouette through the kitchen door, a bitter taste creeping into my mouth.

My heart hardened, and I reached for my phone, my fingers gliding across the screen as I opened a shopping app and ordered a few hidden cameras.

Simultaneously, I reached out to a private investigator through a classmate who worked as a lawyer.

This time, I was determined to turn the tables. I wanted to make sure Alicia faced the consequences of her actions.

No more would she manipulate and deceive without consequence.

That evening, our housekeeper, Freya Miller, returned home after taking the day off, her arms laden with a heavy bag of groceries.

She was ready to prepare dinner, her usual cheerful demeanor tempered by the fatigue of a long day. As she approached the kitchen, she noticed something was amiss. There was someone already inside.

Freya asked, her brow furrowed with concern as she set down the groceries, "Jennifer, is everything alright? Did I do something that upset your parents? Why do we have someone else in the house?"

Freya had been with us for years, and her presence was a constant comfort. I respected her like a family member.

"Ms. Miller, don't worry. She's just a student of mine, staying with us for the summer," I reassured her.

Freya seemed to relax a bit.

In my previous life, Alicia had made it her mission to undermine Freya at every turn.

Things often went missing after Alicia arrived, and once, she even found a pair of Rachel's earrings in Freya's room.

Freya couldn't defend herself against the accusations, and ultimately, she resigned.

That left Alicia in a position of power in our home, almost overshadowing me.

This time, I was determined to protect Freya and make sure Alicia didn't get away with her schemes.

The hidden cameras and the private investigator were just the beginning. I would not let history repeat itself.

During the sizzling days of summer, the school buzzed with a different kind of fervor as it organized a myriad of learning activities.

Although officially on break, I found myself inexorably drawn back to the campus.

One particularly sultry afternoon, we convened in the lecture hall for a workshop. The room was a veritable sea of young, ambitious teachers, each one eager to make their mark.

In such a milieu, every event carried the weight of future evaluations, and thus, everyone was on high alert, their nerves taut as strings.

Seated beside me was Keira Maguire, a fellow educator and a contemporary from our first year of teaching.

In my previous life, when Alicia caused a scene at the school, Keira was the one who ran around to assist her, even spending money to buy internet trolls to spread smears about me online.

The competitive atmosphere had hardened us both, and the tension was palpable. Leaning in with a conspiratorial air, she whispered, "Ms. Hawke, I heard Alicia is staying at your place over the summer?"

Her voice dripped with insinuation, and I met her gaze with a steely calm, "Yeah, what about it?"

"Oh, nothing much. Just seems like you're being a bit too nice to her. Almost desperate to prove yourself as a great teacher, don't you think?"

The sarcasm in her tone was as thick as treacle, and she spoke loudly enough for the surrounding teachers to catch wind of it.

As anticipated, the room's collective attention shifted to me, their eyes laden with judgment. I could feel the weight of their scrutiny pressing down on me.

In a swift retort, I raised my voice to equal hers. "Ms. Maguire, maybe instead of focusing on my life, you should pay attention to your own work. I heard your class budget has been off for months."

Her eyes narrowed, but I wasn't done. "And I also heard a male student bought you a car worth over 100 thousand. What's the deal there? Are you that close? I'm just trying to earn my stripes as an excellent teacher, unlike you, who's busy digging up dirt on others."

Keira's face flushed a deep crimson as the dean turned to investigate the source of the commotion.

She quickly lowered her head, shooting me a furious glare from the corner of her eye.

I had never liked her, always finding her petty and too cozy with her students.

Now, after everything I'd been through, I wasn't about to let her get away with her snide remarks.

With the house empty, I had the private investigator come over to set up cameras, meticulously ensuring there were no blind spots.

In my previous life, Alicia had stolen the condoms the next month, so I still had time to prepare.

In the meantime, I had the investigator dig into Alicia's background.

What I uncovered was surprising. Not only was Alicia's family struggling financially, but her father was also borrowing money to fund his prostitute visits.

A bold idea began to take shape in my mind.