Call the Cops on Me

I stared down at the girl I grew up with as she sobbed on her knees in the middle of the crowded campus quad.

She screamed to the crowd that I had forced myself on her, demanding I hand over my newly awarded scholarship money to pay for her abortion.

In my past life, I kept my mouth shut to protect her reputation. That hesitation cost me everything.

She manipulated the narrative on social media, leading a mob of radical cyberbullies straight to my house to burn my entire family alive.

The baby in her stomach actually belonged to Holden, her scumbag best friend.

I was just the perfect fall guy, handpicked to take the hit so she could steal my fullride scholarship abroad. But now, I was back.

Reborn into the exact second her knees hit the concrete to destroy my life. Chapter 1 The moment Blair's knees hit the concrete, a loud ring pierced my ears.

She pinched her own thigh hard, forcing tears to pool in her eyes as she looked up at me. "Declan, we grew up together.

Are you really going to back me into a corner like this?" A crowd of students quickly swarmed around us, eager for the drama.

I stared at Blair, catching the smirk flashing across her face. "Declan, I can let it go that you forced yourself on me and got me pregnant, but I seriously don't have the money for an abortion." Blair tilted her chin up, locking eyes with me in a fake display of defiance.

My jaw tightened, my gaze freezing over. The onlookers eyed me with mocking grins. "Isn't he the honors student with the fullride scholarship?

Can't believe he's a rapist behind closed doors." "Damn, what's happening?

The golden boy knocking girls up and dipping?" In my past life, this sudden public humiliation would have left me at a loss for words, desperately trying to drag her away to talk in private.

But my attempt to save face only served as ironclad proof of my guilt to the crowd. The burning ashes of my family's death. That ending wasn't happening this time.

I dragged in a deep breath, pushing down the burning tight knot in my chest.

I looked down at her coldly, raising my voice so everyone could hear: "So what you're saying is, I forced myself on you, you didn't call the police, you didn't take a Plan B, and now you're pregnant?" Blair froze.

She clearly didn't expect me to lay it out so bluntly. "Yes! I was terrified! If people found out, my life would be over!

Are you seriously trying to deny it now?" ears spilled from her redrimmed eyes, streaming down her cheeks. Damn, someone give her an Oscar. "I'm not denying anything.

But following your logic—you were too scared to take a pill, but you're perfectly fine screaming about your pregnancy in the middle of the quad?

Not scared anymore?" I offered a casual smile, like we were discussing the weather. The crowd's mocking shifted into whispers. "He's got a point.

Too scared to report a rape, but fine telling the whole school she's pregnant?" "Is she setting him up? Declan literally never even talks to girls." "I doubt it.

Probably a secret hookup. He won't take responsibility, and she's desperate." The panic in Blair's eyes vanished, replaced by a hard glare.

Blair pointed her finger right at my nose, screaming like a lunatic: "Declan, stop twisting the truth! I'm carrying your baby! You just got that fat fullride scholarship check!

Give me the money for the clinic right now, or I'm taking you to court!" She managed to get me killed in my past life for a reason.

She was smart enough not to fall into my logic trap. But I wasn't going to let her win. I nodded slowly. "If it's my kid, I'll take full responsibility.

Why would we get an abortion? Let's have the baby." Blair opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. "What did you just say?" "I said, if you want to have it, we'll have it.

You're the victim here. It's totally up to you. And this rape accusation—that's a massive deal." A mocking smirk crept onto my face as I pulled out my phone and put 911 on speaker.

Blair scrambled forward on her knees, clawing at my jeans, lunging for my phone. Panic seized her.

She thrashed. "What are you doing!" I lifted my arm high out of her reach, pressing my other hand firmly flat against the top of her head, pinning her to the ground. "911 dispatch?

I need to turn myself in. Yes, a woman named Blair is publicly accusing me of rape.

Please send a squad car to arrest me immediately, and bring a polygraph." Chapter 2 Instead of wasting my breath arguing with a brick wall, I figured it was better to let the professionals handle it.

Blair lunged upward, her painted nails swiping wildly at my screen.

But she was tiny, and I easily shoved her shoulder back down with my free hand. "I just need you to take responsibility! Hang up!

Don't get the cops involved!" she cried out, her voice trembling. The crowd was eating out of the palms of our hands. "Holy shit, Declan has zero chill.

He's actually turning himself in!" "She's totally framing him.

The one panicking is always the guilty one." I patted the top of Blair's head like a stray dog, pulling my phone out of her reach. "Don't worry," I said, offering a sharklike grin. "I'm calling them for you.

I won't let you be wronged." The entire quad erupted in laughter. Blair's face flushed a deep, ugly red.

Her walnutsized brain couldn't possibly comprehend that the Declan standing in front of her had crawled back from hell for revenge. In the face of death, pride wasn't worth a damn.

The dispatcher promised to send a squad car immediately. The second I ended the call, Blair morphed right back into a fragile, broken victim.

She looked up at me, her eyes brimming with calculated tears. "Declan, we grew up together. I really didn't want to make this so ugly.

If you don't want to step up, fine, but did you have to humiliate me like this?" The whispers died down.

Dozens of eyes bounced between her tearstreaked face and my stonecold expression.

I didn't buy a single second of her performance. "First of all," I said, ticking a finger in the air. "If I didn't want to step up, I would have sprinted out of here.

I wouldn't be standing around playing your little games." A few muffled snickers echoed from the front of the crowd. "Second," I continued, ticking another finger. "I've been saying I'll take full responsibility, which is why I called the cops.

Have you ever seen a deadbeat willingly volunteer to rot in federal prison?" Blair scoffed, aggressively wiping a tear from her cheek. "I—" I held up a hand, slicing her off. "You seriously expect us to believe you'd kneel on the concrete, screaming and ruining your own reputation, just to beg me for eight hundred bucks for a clinic visit?" Blair stared at me blankly, her jaw slightly slack.

Her brain was shortcircuiting. This wasn't how her script was supposed to go.

In her mind, my quiet, introverted nature combined with our childhood history meant I'd just stand here and take the hit.

I was supposed to be ruined while she walked away the tragic heroine. Too bad for her.

After being destroyed by those toxic gossip bloggers in my past life, even if I was bad with words, I definitely knew how to counter gaslighting and logical fallacies now.

I crouched down slightly, tilting my head with a look of intense, fake sympathy. "Even if you were scared to approach me privately, you could have texted me or had a lawyer send me a letter.

But you chose to ruin your own reputation in front of the whole school just for a few hundred dollars?

That logic wouldn't even fool a threeyearold, would it?" A wave of nods rippled through the female students watching us. "Declan makes a solid point.

Their families know each other. Why make a scene at school instead of going to his parents?" "Over eight hundred dollars? No way.

I would never publicly out myself like that." "What's this girl's actual deal? Can someone fill me in?" I sneered internally, my blood running ice cold. What was her deal?

She was desperately trying to pin her bastard baby on a convenient fall guy. Right before you die, your five senses shut down one by one. Hearing is the absolute last to go.

So, as the flames had engulfed my home in my past life, I heard every single word she whispered. "My baby needed a scapegoat, Declan.

And you just had to try and steal Holden's fullride scholarship." Chapter 3 Holden, Blair's inseparable backup guy friend.

That Ivy League fullride scholarship was strictly reserved for the valedictorian. What did that have to do with a loser failing every single class? Speak of the devil.

Holden shoved his way through the crowd, dropping to his knees to carefully pull her up. "Declan, I will not let you bully Blair!" Blair kept up the act, burying her face in his chest and whispering pitifully that she was fine. "Are you even a man, Declan?!" Holden yelled, shielding her.

I took a step forward, forcing Holden back until he slammed hard against a locker, staring down at him with a cold sneer.

I arched an eyebrow, pointing straight at Blair before shifting my gaze to Holden. "You're willing to testify that the baby in her stomach is mine?" Blair's face drained of color.

She dug her fingers into Holden's arm, her eyes screaming at him to shut up.

Too bad her idiot partner was still blindly following their rehearsed script. "Yes!" Holden barked. "You grew up with Blair, and you've always been obsessed with her!" Holden continued, puffing out his chest. "You constantly push me around just because I'm her friend!" I gave him a slow, agreeable nod. "Don't panic, bro.

I already turned myself in." Holden blinked, the fake bravado instantly melting off his face. "What did you just say?" "I turned myself in.

The cops are on their way to arrest me right now." I swept my gaze over the crowd. "Once the major crimes unit convicts me, I'll be rotting in a cell.

All you students holding up your phones and livestreaming are my witnesses. Blair publicly accused me of rape and extortion.

Did I get that right?" A wave of nods rippled through the onlookers. Holden finally snapped his head toward Blair, genuine panic bleeding into his eyes.

I let out a harsh laugh. "It doesn't matter what I say," I told them, my tone deadpan. "The police will investigate exactly what kind of relationship she and I have.

And when they find zero evidence to support this rape charge… I'm suing you both for defamation.

You're the ones going to jail." Right on cue, the wail of sirens cut through the campus. Before ducking into the back of the squad car, I locked eyes with Blair.

My lips curled into a wide, dark grin. The contrast was glaring—my utter lack of fear against her trembling, pitiful act.

By the time I checked my phone the next day, the campus forums were already leaning in my direction. [Holy shit, that's the ultimate flex. You accuse me?

Fine, I'll call the cops on myself. LMAO.] [I feel like she might be telling the truth. What girl would ruin her own reputation like this? What does she gain?] [Who knows.

Let's wait for the investigation. If he actually did it, he'll be behind bars soon anyway.] I scrolled through the comments, a dark sense of satisfaction settling in my chest.

Are you ready for me to tear your life apart, Blair?

My parents had been pacing the station waiting room, terrified that I had actually done something monstrous to the girl next door.

But the police cleared the air perfectly. "We've pulled the security footage from the campus and the supposed locations where they met up," the lead detective told them. "There is zero video evidence to support the claim that Declan assaulted her." "Why don't you mandate an amniocentesis for a paternity test?" I suggested casually, testing the waters.

The detective shook his head. "Blair refused all medical examinations. She officially dropped the charges." I kept my face entirely blank, showing zero reaction.

Stepping out into the sunlight of the precinct parking lot, I turned to my parents. "Let me handle this from here." My dad shifted uneasily, but my mom's eyes were fiercely protective. "Our son didn't do a damn thing wrong.

What are we afraid of?" Mom snapped, grabbing my shoulder. "If things get ugly, we've got your back." Even as she said it, she was already aggressively typing on her phone, contacting our family lawyer.

A warm, tight knot formed in my throat. Chapter 4 In my past life, my mom drove to Blair's house, swallowing her pride to beg them, even offering a massive settlement.

She promised that if the baby was mine, we would scrape together every penny, even mortgaging our house to take responsibility. We got slammed doors and spit in our faces in return.

Childhood family friends? What a joke. The second Blair pulled this stunt, she permanently severed any tie between our families.

My clean release from the police station had already spread like wildfire across campus, mostly thanks to me pulling a few strings in the background.

Blair wasn't about to just sit back and take the loss. She texted me, asking to meet privately to talk things out. But she picked a highly viral, crowded aesthetic cafe downtown.

She was trying to pull the exact same move she did in my past life, weaponizing public outrage to drag me down with her.

Good thing I was banking on it. "Declan, we grew up together. Are you seriously trying to ruin my life?" She pushed out her lower lip, widening her teary eyes like a kicked puppy.

I rolled my shoulders in a casual shrug, pasting on a fake, polite smile. "Blair, playing this game is getting boring." "I know you don't want to claim this baby, Declan.

You've got perfect grades, your fullride study abroad scholarship is basically locked in, and you think I'm beneath you." She placed a protective hand over her perfectly flat stomach and pushed her chair back, standing up.

She was really committing to the bit.

I kept my eyes locked on her as she took a few wobbly steps and intentionally swayed, collapsing right into a passing waiter. "Ma'am, do you need help?" the waiter asked, catching her arm.

Tears spilled down Blair’s cheeks. She bit her lower lip hard and shook her head. "You can't help me. He won't take responsibility for our baby, and the cops won't do anything.

Nobody can help me." She shot me a glare filled with pure venom. A few girls sitting at the tables nearby immediately dropped their drinks and swarmed around her.

They turned their heads, shooting me looks of raw disgust. "Don't be scared, girl. We've got your back.

We aren't letting this trash bag get away with this!" Phones instantly snapped up into the air. Half of them were probably already streaming on TikTok.

I immediately shot up from my chair and grabbed Blair’s arm. I contorted my face into a mask of pure, agonized regret as I looked at the crowd. "You guys have it all wrong!

I desperately want this baby. I want to marry her. I want to take full responsibility!" "Blair, my parents already agreed.

They're going to give you two hundred thousand dollars in cash as a wedding gift.

Once we get married, I'll put the new house and the cars entirely in your name!" I squeezed her arm, making my voice shake with desperate excitement.

The corners of Blair’s mouth twitched hard. She bit the inside of her cheek to fight off a massive smile, but the raw greed in her eyes gave it away.

Why destroy my reputation to salvage hers when she could just secure a massive bag of cash? "Are… are you serious?" I nodded, channeling every ounce of sincerity I possessed. "I swear.

Once you're a few months further along, we'll just do a quick DNA test, and my mom will wire the two hundred thousand directly into your bank account!

We grew up together, and we should stay together. Don't worry. When I go study abroad, I'll pay out of pocket to bring you with me.

We can start a family over there." I just kept piling chips onto the table. Blair wasn't the only one biting the hook.

The girls surrounding her literally gasped. "Girl, he's actually stepping up.

Maybe you should give him a chance?" "Two hundred grand in cash and paying for you to go abroad with him?

Damn, when is it my turn to find a guy like this?" The heavy envy dripping from the crowd's voices fed straight into Blair's ego. She lifted her chin, soaking in the validation.

She wiped her fake tears, thanked the girls for their help, and eagerly grabbed my hand to drag me out of the cafe. Chapter 5 Blair was still cautious.

We had never even touched each other, so me suddenly claiming her unborn child threw her off. "Declan, you and I both know the truth about this baby," she said softly, her eyes darting around the crowded cafe. "What did you mean by all that back there?" She was keeping it vague.

She was terrified I had a voice recorder running in my pocket. I kept my gaze soft, pouring fake affection into my eyes. "Blair, I've always had feelings for you.

If I don't step up and claim this kid, what happens to you?" I leaned in closer over the table. "I've got it all figured out.

We'll get a forged paternity test proving the baby is mine.

Once my parents see that, they'll fully fund you coming abroad with me." "When the baby is born, we'll get them to hand over that two hundred grand as a wedding gift.

It'll wipe out your family's debt in a heartbeat." I set the ultimate trap. There was zero chance a gold digger like her could resist taking the bait.

Blair’s eyes instantly welled up. The tears swimming in her eyes this time were genuine.

Declan… I thought you only cared about your grades," she whispered. "I thought you never even noticed me.

I can't believe you planned all of this out for my sake." I forced down the bile rising in my throat and gently stroked her hair. "You silly girl," I murmured. "If I don't look out for you, who will?" Dumb bitch.

I'm going to play you until you have nothing left