Chapter 1

Outside the exam center, she broke down crying, pointing at me and screaming:

“It was him! Alex drugged me and took me to a hotel!”

“I only rejected his confession—he destroyed my entire future!”

Her parents rushed at me on the spot, fists flying:

“You animal! We worked ourselves to death to get her into college—

and you ruined everything with one sick obsession?!”

“People like you deserve to rot in prison forever!”

The parents waiting nearby exploded with rage:

“Right before the SATs and he does something like this? Disgusting!”

“Expose him online! Let his whole family pay for what he did!”

But when the police pulled up the surveillance footage

and played that video—

The entire crowd outside the exam center

fell into a dead, terrifying silence.

"Alex, what's your problem?! Can you stop being so sensitive every time a guy shows up around me?!"

The familiar voice snapped me back to reality.

I looked down at my hands, free of handcuffs,

And at Sophia in front of me, angrily gesturing...

I really had been reborn!

In my previous life, I had tried to stop Sophia from going out with Chad to celebrate her birthday on this day.

Sophia had gotten into her dream school as planned,

But Chad had ended up in prison for killing someone while drunk.

After hearing the news, Sophia had invited me over to her house and set me up,

Taking off her clothes and filming a video before calling the police.

I was sent to prison. My parents, devastated by the online attacks, committed suicide.

When my parents were dying, Sophia was right outside the door,

Coldly filming their final moments before leaving with a smile.

The next day she visited me in prison,

And showed me that video in its entirety,

Screaming at me hysterically:

"Alex, if you hadn't stopped me, how could Chad have ended up in prison?! I've always had top grades, even if I had gone out with Chad the night before exams I still would have gotten into my dream school! You're just selfish! Chad died for nothing, so I'm going to make your whole family pay!"

I had a congenital heart condition, which Sophia knew about.

So when I had a heart attack after seeing the video,

I saw the smile lingering on Sophia's lips...

This chilling memory made my expression darken further.

"Oh come on, Soph, you have to understand our valedictorian Alex here. He's too scared to take you out partying, so of course he's a bit jealous that Chad gets to hang out with you..."

Sophia's friend's words pulled me back to the present.

Sophia looked at me with disdain and laughed.

Then she linked arms with her friend and said coyly:

"Chad said he has a big surprise planned for my birthday celebration tonight. I'm so excited! Getting to celebrate turning 18 with such a hot guy, I'm sure I'll do even better on the SATs tomorrow..."

I laughed coldly to myself.

Earlier that morning, I had overheard Chad talking to his friend in the bathroom:

"Tonight I'm going to show that little girl a real good time, don't any of you dare interrupt us!"

"But she has the SATs tomorrow, don't go too crazy!"

"The SATs? My girl doesn't need to worry about the SATs. Once she's in college, she won't have anything to do with me anymore..."

It was because I had overheard this conversation that I had desperately tried to stop Sophia in my previous life.

This wasn't a birthday celebration at all,

It was a plot to ruin Sophia's entire future...

But Sophia was too naive to see it.

Thinking of this, I looked up at Sophia's flushed face and smiled.

"Go ahead, Sophia. I'm sure with that hot Chad by your side tonight, you'll do great on the SATs tomorrow."