BURNING PASSION: MY FORBIDDEN LOVER

"Dakota, Holly, whichever of you gets the forensic certification will receive the internship slot at the Criminal Investigation Department!"

My mentor's stern voice rang in my ears, and I snapped back to reality.

"Don't worry, Professor. I won't disappoint you. That spot is mine!" The class belle, Holly Monroe, lifted her chin proudly and made her declaration to everyone.

As I watched the scene unfold before me, I knew right then that I had been reborn, back to one month before the forensic certification exam.

In my previous life, Holly had looked just as confident during this class meeting. However, she slacked off once the preparation period began. She had spent her days fooling around without a care.

Meanwhile, I worked day and night, doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and burying myself in books.

Just when I thought I had it in the bag, the exam results hit me like a bolt from the blue. I scored a zero and failed, while Holly got exactly what she wanted and earned the certification.

The entire class praised Holly for her brilliance, saying she could pass even while partying. As for me, they mocked me for being a tryhard. Some even said that a nobody like me could never rise above my station.

I refused to accept it and applied for a review, and the results showed every single one of my answers was wrong, while Holly's were all correct. I tore through everything from my past experiments, only to find that every certificate bore Holly's name.

Holly immediately accused me of theft. "Dakota Saunders, you should know your place! You've always pretended to be hardworking in front of others! Who would've thought you'd lie for so long that you started believing the same lies you've been peddling?

"And now you've even stolen my certificates! You're disgusting. A thief like you belongs in the sewers, not here!"

I was despised by everyone and expelled from the academy. In the end, unable to bear the blow, I jumped to my death.

Only after I died did I learn the truth, and that was that Holly had bound me to an Achievement Transfer System. Everything I studied went straight into her mind. The results I worked so hard for became hers, and even my past certificates were all reassigned to her name.

Fortunately, I had been given another chance.

This time, I would relish in making sure that Holly suffered the consequences of her own actions.