Chapter 3I Was Slapped by the School Bully, Only to Swap Bodies with Her the Next Second

Rainie Called Me… Maya?

I stared at my hands in shock.

They were smooth, soft, and unblemished—so different from my own calloused hands, roughened by endless chores like cooking and scrubbing.

These weren’t my hands.

It hit me like a freight train: somehow, I had swapped bodies with Maya Summers.

I looked up and saw Maya—well, my body—staring back at me with wide, horrified eyes.

Rainie, oblivious to what had happened, shot her—no, me—a scolding glare.

“Ashley, what’s with that look? Do you want another beating or something?”

That confirmed it.

Instead of fear, a wave of exhilaration rushed through me.

I wasn’t the Ashley everyone bullied anymore.

The bell rang, and Rainie grabbed my arm—well, Maya’s arm—guiding me back to her seat.

“Don’t stress over it, Maya,” she said soothingly. “Your uncle’s the principal. One missed assignment won’t matter. We’ll deal with Ashley after school.”

Hearing the words “deal with Ashley,” my body froze instinctively.

Rainie noticed and frowned. “What’s wrong, Maya?”

I shook my head quickly, pretending nothing was wrong.

Sitting in Maya’s seat, I pulled out a mirror from her desk.

The face staring back at me was hers—Maya’s.

“Ah!”

A scream erupted from the front of the classroom.

Maya—no, my body—was staring into a mirror of her own.

The teacher slammed a ruler onto the desk, glaring at her.

“Ashley, stop yelling! If you disrupt my class again, get out!”

Maya swallowed her anger and sat down, her lips trembling with frustration.

A few minutes later, she scribbled a note and passed it to me.

What’s going on? Did you cast some kind of spell on me?!

I stared at her words, unsure how to respond.

I didn’t have an answer either.

When class ended, Maya—still in my body—was called to the teacher’s office.

Meanwhile, her lackeys, Rainie and another girl, swarmed around me, excitedly asking how we should “punish” Ashley.

I hesitated, unsure of what to say. I didn’t want to accidentally blow my cover, so I mimicked Maya’s usual demeanor as best I could.

“Just handle it the same way as before,” I said casually, waving a hand.

Their eyes lit up with excitement.

Maya returned to the classroom just before the next lesson started.

Her face—my face—was swollen and red, her expression full of barely contained rage.

It was almost funny watching her try to look menacing with my bruised and puffy features.

She glared at me, as she always did.

In the past, I would’ve immediately looked away, afraid to meet her gaze.

But this time, I stared her down, head held high.

Caught off guard, she faltered for a moment before stomping back to her desk.

She opened the drawer to grab a book, but instead, her hand pulled out a dead rat.

Her scream was ear-piercing.

She flung the rat away in a panic—straight onto her deskmate’s lap, who cursed her out for it.

Watching her flail around like that was oddly satisfying.

Even though she was wearing my face, I couldn’t help but enjoy the moment.

All day, Maya—trapped in my body—was berated, humiliated, and bullied.

By the time school ended, it was clear she was finally relieved the day was over.

But what she didn’t know was that this was just the beginning.

Before she could confront me, Rainie and the other lackeys dragged her off to the back alley behind the school.

I knew that alley well.

It was the place where I’d been beaten and tormented countless times.

A few older guys were waiting there—Maya’s “crew.”

I recognized all of them. They’d been responsible for most of my bruises in the past.

When they saw me, they immediately straightened up, their faces lighting up with fake smiles.

“Maya! Glad you’re here,” one said, practically bowing.

I nodded coolly and sat on the stone bench they’d wiped clean for me.

Maya—still in my body—was held down by Rainie and the others.

She thrashed and struggled, finally breaking free and crawling over to me.

Her eyes were filled with hatred as she snarled, “What the hell is going on?! What did you do to me?!”

Before she could touch my shoes, one of the guys yanked her back.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. What do you think you’re doing? Trying to suck up to Maya now?”

Pinned to the ground, Maya looked up at me, her expression a mix of disbelief and rage.

I stared down at her, letting a smirk curl across my lips.

It was the same look she always gave me—mocking, condescending, and full of disgust.

For the first time, Maya Summers was tasting what it felt like to be me.