Chapter 1

In my previous life, my teacher, a grown adult, led the charge in bullying me simply because I scored higher than her favorite male student.

She spread rumors about me throughout the class, accusing me of cheating and even dating.

She’d say things like:

“Some people’s grades suddenly improve out of nowhere. We all know how that happens.”

Or:

“Some girls don’t focus on studying—they’re too busy figuring out how to seduce people!”

She egged the entire class on to isolate me, and in the end, she pushed me into depression, forcing me to drop out.

But this time? This time, I returned to the moment she first accused me of cheating.

I raised my hand and asked:

“Miss Garcia, the other day I saw you sitting on Mason Taylor’s lap. Is that how grades get improved?”

The results for the midterms had just come out. I’d jumped up thirty spots in the rankings, climbing from the bottom of the class to somewhere in the middle.

Lila Green, my best friend, stared at my test paper in awe. “You’re amazing, Amanda! Seriously, this is incredible.”

Lila had always been my closest friend, the one who encouraged me when no one else would. Even in my past life, after I spiraled into depression and dropped out, she was the one who kept visiting, begging me to hold on. When I eventually took my own life, she cried so hard she almost passed out.

Now, as I stared at the test paper on my desk, I didn’t feel much joy. I knew what was coming.

Just then, the sharp clack of heels echoed through the classroom as Miss Garcia strode in, her hips swaying as if she were on a catwalk.

“I’ve posted the class rankings on the board,” she announced, her tone brisk. “Feel free to take a look after class.”

She paused, her gaze deliberately sweeping the room before landing on me.

“But I’d like to talk about two students in particular—Amandaand Mason Taylor.”

She walked over to Mason’s desk, which was right by the podium, isolated from the rest of the class. She patted him on the shoulder in a mock show of sympathy.

“Mason, you’ve slipped in the rankings this time. Amanda even surpassed you.”

Mason nodded, but from where I was sitting, I could see him nudge Miss Garcia’s lower back with his elbow.

Disgusting.

Lila, sitting beside me, bristled at Miss Garcia’s words. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she muttered under her breath.

Miss Garcia’s expression hardened, her voice turning sharp. “It’s natural for students to struggle sometimes. As a teacher, it’s my job to support those who are falling behind and help them catch up. But…”

She paused, her eyes narrowing as they flicked to me.

“What concerns me is when certain students improve their grades too quickly. It makes you wonder what methods they might be using. I won’t investigate—out of respect. But let’s just say, everyone knows the truth.”

I stared at her, her words dragging me back to my past life.

It had started just like this.

The first time I outperformed Mason, she began making insinuations during class meetings:

“Some people’s grades suddenly improve out of nowhere. We all know how that happens.”

Then she saw Mason helping me pick out a book in the library and started spreading new rumors:

“Some girls spend more time flirting than studying!”

She led the class in ostracizing me.

In lessons, she refused to call on me, ignored my assignments, or pretended not to receive them. When she did collect my work, she never graded it.

It got worse.

She stopped giving me study materials, excluded me from group projects, and even left me off the class roster during school-wide attendance counts.

High schoolers are simple—and cruel.

If the teacher hated me, the other students followed suit.

Only Lila stayed by my side, until Miss Garcia transferred her to another class.

With no one left to lean on, I was buried under the weight of rumors, isolation, and cruelty.

It all led to my eventual withdrawal from school and, finally, my death.

And all because I’d dared to score higher than Mason Taylor, her golden boy.

This time, though, I wasn’t going to sit back and take it.

When Miss Garcia finished her little speech, I raised my hand.

“Miss Garcia,” I said innocently, “the other day when I dropped off my homework, I saw you sitting on Mason’s lap. Is that how grades get improved?”

Her face drained of color. “You—what are you talking about?! That’s absurd!”

She pointed a trembling finger at me, her voice rising. “First you cheat, and now you’re spreading lies?”

I tilted my head, feigning confusion. “Lies? Oh, no, I just meant… didn’t you lose your balance, and Mason was helping you steady yourself? Isn’t that what happened?”

Her face turned an alarming shade of red, then pale again. “Yes! I… I lost my balance. That’s all it was.”

Of course, that wasn’t what had happened. But I wasn’t trying to expose her—not yet. I just wanted to give her a taste of the humiliation she’d given me.

The class, however, was already buzzing with whispers. Teenagers and their imaginations—this kind of gossip was like gasoline on a fire.

Miss Garcia quickly yelled, “Enough! Quiet down—class is starting!”

But her composure was gone. She didn’t even spare Mason a glance after class, rushing out of the room as soon as the bell rang.

As soon as she left, my classmates swarmed me.

“Amanda, was that true?”

“Did Miss Garcia and Mason really… you know?”

“I always thought she walked like that for a reason. Guess I was right!”

I calmly gathered my books, ignoring most of the questions. Lila shot me a worried look.

I grabbed her arm. “Come on, let’s go to the restroom.”

Before leaving, I turned to the group. “Didn’t you hear her? She said she just lost her balance. Anything else, I wouldn’t know. If you’re curious, go find out for yourselves—but don’t drag me into it. She already doesn’t like me.”

I led Lila out of the classroom.

When someone spreads rumors about you, the best weapon is an even bigger, juicier rumor. And this wasn’t even a rumor—it was the truth.

Miss Garcia accused me of cheating, so I planted the seed of her inappropriate behavior.

Teenagers thrive on gossip, especially when it involves scandal. And a teacher-student relationship? That was dynamite.

Let’s see if Miss Garcia can keep her skeletons buried now.

On the way to the restroom, Lila hesitated, clearly wanting to say something.

Finally, as we washed our hands, she blurted, “Amanda, I’m scared she’s going to come after you for this.”

I smiled. “She won’t—unless she really has something to hide.”

“But… did she really sit on Mason’s lap?”

I held a finger to my lips. “Shh. Walls have ears.”

Lila nodded nervously, grabbing my wrist as we hurried back to class.

High school is supposed to be the most beautiful, unforgettable time of our lives.

As Lila tugged me along, glancing back to urge me to keep up, I felt a pang of guilt.

I was using her.

It wasn’t just a warning about walls having ears—I knew someone was listening in the restroom.

I wanted Miss Garcia to feel what I’d felt.

To endure the same shame, isolation, and whispers.

What she did to me… she deserved every bit of it.