Chapter 3

Just as I stepped out of the school compound, a sharp voice rang out behind me. "Stop right there, Isabelle!"

I turned around and saw Lance, his face ashen.

He rushed over and pointed at me angrily. "How can you be so shameless? I always thought you were a good student and that you'd earned your grades. But it turns out you've been cheating all along. And of all people to cheat from, you chose Marie? How dare you, Isabelle!"

I let out a cold chuckle. I was truly blind to have liked him in my past life.

When Lance saw how I kept quiet, he continued to threaten me. "I'm warning you—I'll break up with you if you continue to bully Marie and copy her answers!"

I rolled my eyes and snapped, "No. I'm the one breaking up with you. From now on, stay away from me!"

Ignoring the stunned look on Lance's face, I turned around and left. At that moment, I was too busy trying to survive to waste my time arguing with him.

Once I returned home, I shut myself in to prepare for the upcoming exam.

…

Soon enough, it was the day of the SAT exam.

Just as I was about to enter the exam hall, a hand suddenly reached out to grab me. I knew it was Marianne from the all-too-familiar touch.

Her shrill voice rang as she coldly laughed. "You've been cheating all along, Isabelle. I'd like to see you try copying from me in the SAT exam this time!"

Lance's disdainful tone came right afterward. "Let's see how you'll cheat off Marie when the SAT is so strict. You're finished!"

I'd already taken the exam once during my past life. During the days I'd locked myself away at home, I'd reconstructed every subject's paper and memorized the answers by heart.

As soon as the bell rang, I confidently answered the paper in my seat. I was done with it in no time at all.

The bell finally rang after a long wait, signaling the end of the writing exam. But Marianne, who was seated on my left, raised her hand the moment the bell sounded.

"I want to report her for cheating off me, sir." Under everyone's watchful eyes, she pointed right at me.

The exam supervisors' faces fell as they hastily made their way over to us.

After checking the papers, they questioned me, "Ms. Larson, why are your answers the same as Ms. Quentin's? Even your essays are identical."

I wordlessly shook my head upon hearing the exact words from my past life. I wanted to know the answer to that question too.

Marianne shot up from her seat and pointed at me, yelling, "It's not the first time Isabelle has done this! She copied my paper during the mock exam and even got scolded by our homeroom teacher."

Everyone around us started agreeing with her.

"That's right! Isabelle cheated off Marianne a few days ago!"

"How could she be so shameless? She's even trying to cheat her way through the SAT exam!"

"Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained! If she manages to cheat her way to the top of the scoreboard, wouldn't that be a hell of a payoff?"

At that moment, Mr. Smith, who was patrolling the halls, rushed over to the classroom after hearing about it. Bitter disappointment tinged his voice as he said, "This is the SAT exam, Isabelle! And you still dared to cheat!"

He clutched his chest, too furious to say anything else.