Chapter 1

My relatives spent eighteen years plotting against me, all just to steal my spot at an Ivy League university.

When I was in the eighth grade, my uncle changed my cousin's name so it was identical to mine.

They told me back then that it would make our families feel closer.

But after the final merit rankings were released, I supposedly failed, while my cousin received an invitation from the top university in the country.

Living my life over again, I finally realize that they had been calculating every move for nearly two decades.

This time, I will make sure they taste the bitterness of ruin and lose everything they own.

1.

My blurred vision finally snapped back into focus.

The classroom was familiar, filled with the same teachers, classmates, and textbooks I remembered.

The math teacher was droning on at the front of the room.

Behind him, a bright red countdown was pinned to the wall.

【218 days until the Ivy Merit Trials.】

Outside the window, a cold winter wind whistled, making everything look bleak and dormant.

I froze for a second before a wave of pure ecstasy washed over me.

I actually did it. I've been reborn.

In my past life, I was the top student in my grade, collecting academic medals until I ran out of shelf space.

Everyone assumed I was a shoe-in for a full ride to Harvard or Yale.

But when the results came out, I only scored a 423 out of 800.

I couldn't even get into a decent state college with that score, let alone an Ivy.

Meanwhile, my cousin, who was usually lazy and failing her classes, was suddenly the star of the town.

She scored a 723, and every top-tier university was practically begging her to enroll.

She acted so fake, pouting as she talked to me.

"How did this happen, Macy? You should go to the Board of Education and ask if they scanned your answer sheet wrong," she suggested.

I was desperate and heartbroken, so I took her advice.

I didn't even make it a few blocks from my house before I was grabbed.

A hand clamped over my mouth, and I was dragged into a dark alleyway.

A group of men assaulted me and then ended my life.

I died in that alley, covered in bruises and shame, bearing a grudge that burned even in death.

By the time they found me, I had been dead for days.

In the middle of that sweltering summer, my body had already begun to rot.

As a ghost floating in the air, I watched my cousin's family arrive to identify me.

When my cousin saw my body, she covered her mouth.

It wasn't out of shock or grief. She was struggling to hide her smile.

With their backs to the police, the entire family was grinning from ear to ear.

My mother, who already suffered from a weak heart, came stumbling out of the hospital still hooked to an IV.

She collapsed the moment she saw me, her heart finally giving out from the sheer agony.

She died right there on the pavement.

My uncle used her death certificate to claim a massive life insurance payout and inherited our family home.

It wasn't until I saw him delivering boxes of cash to a high-ranking official at the Board of Education that I understood.

They had rigged the entire thing from the very beginning.

Now, I've opened my eyes back in the final winter before the exams.

My heart hammered against my ribs, and my eyes stung with tears of rage.

This is my second chance, and I won't just sit here and wait for the end.

In this life, I will make my uncle's family pay for every drop of blood they spilled.

I raised my hand and told the teacher I had a stomach ache so I could go home early.

When I walked through the door, I found my aunt and cousin busy in the kitchen.

If I remembered correctly, this was the day my uncle hosted a secret dinner for a board official.

To keep me out of the way, he had given me some pocket money that morning.

He told me it was a reward for my hard work and suggested I go get a nice dinner and stay out late.

Back then, I was so naive that I actually thought he was being a kind uncle.

It wasn't until my cousin let it slip later that I realized they had important guests over.

My uncle had quickly made up an excuse.

"Macy, don't overthink it. It was just a business dinner, and I didn't want the noise to distract you from your studies."

Looking back, those excuses were so incredibly hollow.

How did I ever believe him?

Fortunately, I'm not the same girl I was before.

I looked at my aunt and cousin, pretending to be shocked.

"What's going on? Are we having guests? Let me help you out!"

A flicker of discomfort crossed my aunt's face.

She forced a smile and asked, "Macy? Why are you home? Shouldn't you be in class right now?"

I sighed and looked down. "The hospital called. They said my mom's condition is getting worse."

"What?" My aunt faked a gasp and winked at my cousin.

"That's terrible. I'll have your cousin go check on her later. You should go back to school, Macy. You can worry about this after the exams are over, okay?"

My cousin jumped in perfectly. "Yeah, Macy! You're so smart, you have to stay focused. I'll go see Auntie for you. Just get back to school!"

Watching their polished performance made me want to scream with laughter.

Before I could say another word, the front door opened.