Chapter 1

I opened my eyes to the sound of papers rustling all over the classroom. I then looked at the words written on the blackboard in front—1 Day Until the College Entrance Exam. I instantly froze all over.

In the next instant, a rosary was held right in my face.

Winnie Cooper, my best friend, cocked her head slightly, her eyes gleaming. "Hurry up and kiss it, Hazel! The college entrance exam is tomorrow, so I can really use some of your academic luck!"

I felt my stomach turn as I listened to that familiar voice and saw that familiar smile. It was the same rosary from my past life. Its beads were worn smooth from all the handling, and there was clear tape stuck on the centerpiece.

In my past life, I had thought nothing of it and treated it as a joke between best friends. Winnie chuckled and threw her arms around me once I kissed the centerpiece. "You're the best, Hazel!"

That was the moment my life completely fell apart.

Winnie looked at me innocently and asked, "What's the matter? Are you unwilling to do it, Hazel?"

In that instant, several of our classmates started chiming in.

"You should just kiss it, Hazel! You're the top student in our class after all!"

"You should share some of your luck with Winnie! I'm certain Ms. Hall will pop open champagne if Winnie gets more than 1,200 on her college entrance exam!"

Winnie blushed and murmured, "Oh, come on! I just wanted a little extra luck before taking the exam!"

Winnie seemed so innocent and kind. Who could have known that behind this worthless rosary hid a score-stealing program?

I gripped my pen hard, my nails practically digging into my palm. I couldn't run away from it.

I was certain that Winnie would come up with another tactic if I raised her suspicions. I would have an even harder time protecting myself against her after that. I couldn't let her catch on. I had to walk right into her trap, exactly as she anticipated.

I looked up at her with a faint smile and said, "I'll do it."

In that instant, a brief flicker of triumph flashed in Winnie's eyes. It was very subtle, but I still caught it.

Winnie held the rosary closer. "You should give it a proper kiss then—don't be half-hearted about it, Hazel."

I lowered my head, my lips brushing against the cold, rough centerpiece of the rosary.

In that instant, the memories of what happened in my past life came flooding back, making it hard to breathe. I recalled Mom letting go of her cup the moment my scores loaded on the screen, causing it to shatter on the floor.

I had a total score of 467.

I stared at the screen, completely dumbfounded. I had scored 1570 on my previous mock test, the third-highest score in the entire school. Tanya Hall, my homeroom teacher, told me that as long as I didn't mess up, getting into a top university was practically guaranteed.

Thus, once the exam results came out, no one believed that score reflected my true ability.

Ms. Hall remained silent for quite a long time before asking, "Did you have a breakdown during the college entrance exam, Hazel?"

Then, someone in the class group chat sent a smiley emoji and said, "I guess she was just faking it the entire time.

"Is it possible that there was something wrong with those mock test scores?"

"Hazel's mother wouldn't stop bragging about her getting into a top university. She must be so embarrassed right now."

In addition, when our relatives came over to our place, they consoled Mom while making snide remarks.

"It's not that big of a deal if Hazel doesn't get to attend a good university, Marie. You really shouldn't have bragged so much before, though. You used to make her sound like a genius, yet she merely scored 467 on the college entrance exam. Who could possibly take that kind of blow, Marie?"

Mom's face turned deathly pale. She tried to pour me a glass of water, but she suddenly clutched her chest and collapsed to the floor.

I broke down in the hospital hallway, crying so hard that I could barely stay on my knees. Then, the doctor walked out and simply shook his head in response.

That day, Winnie's interview was everywhere on the local news. She was wearing a white dress as she cried and said, "I honestly didn't think I'd do this well on my college entrance exam. I feel so bad about Hazel bombing her exam. I just hope she doesn't beat herself up over it."

She held my hand in front of the cameras, her grip painfully tight. She then lowered her voice, speaking so softly that only I could hear her. "Your scores worked out pretty well for me, Hazel."

I suddenly jolted back to my senses.

Winnie had already snatched the rosary back, wearing a bright smile. "Thanks, Hazel! I suddenly feel a lot more at ease about the college entrance exam now."

I looked at the rosary in her hand. In my past life, what she had stolen from me wasn't merely a few hundred points. It was my chance to attend the top university in the country, my future, Mom's life, and everyone's trust in me.

I slowly unclenched my fists, revealing several red marks where my nails had dug into my palms. I then called out to her. "Winnie…"

Winnie turned around. "Yes?"

I pointed at the rosary and said, "I'd like to borrow that for a while."

Winnie's smile faltered. "What do you need it for?"

I smiled faintly. "I just want to pass it around the class before the exam. You said it works wonders, right? I figured I'd let the whole class bask in the luck."