Chapter 1

Looking at Luke Gilbert, our arrogant school heartthrob, the gruesome scene of my past life flashed before my eyes.

A gang of escaped convicts had brutally assaulted my brother, Jake Drew, and me right in front of our parents. They left us in a pool of our own blood with our intestines spilling out.

Then, as Jake and I screamed in horror, they slowly slit our parents' throats.

Before the final flames consumed me, I heard one of them spit, "Serves you right. That's what you get for sticking your nose where it doesn't belong."

The bloodlust in the killer's eyes made me shudder.

Despair washed over me, and my vision went black.

When I snapped out of it, Luke was eyeing me suspiciously. "Justin, since when did a nerd like you learn to keep up with the times? Do you think you're some rich kid and we're too low-class for you? What's your angle?"

A classmate immediately chimed in with a smirk, "Oh, he's just desperate. Probably thinks this is his last chance to play the hero in front of Keyla.

"He's been crushing on her for three years. If he doesn't shoot his shot now, we're all going our separate ways, and he'll just be crying into his pillow every night."

Keyla Simmons, the class president, instantly turned around, her face dark with disgust. "Keep your filthy thoughts off me. I despise anyone who objectifies me. Besides, I have a crush, so stay the hell away from me."

As she spoke, her eyes darted toward Luke. Her feelings couldn't have been more obvious.

I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration. I just wanted to stay alive.

Receiving his admirer's look, Luke squared his shoulders and announced to the room, "Look, we're all classmates here. This AI college application app usually costs 400 dollars per submission, but today, I'm letting everyone use it for free!"

The classroom erupted in gasps and cheers.

"Luke, you're the man! So generous!"

I let out a cold scoff inside.

In my past life, my father, Nelson Drew, had gone out of his way to help these people with their college applications. He even brought in experienced professors to hold a seminar at our bookstore.

Those professors pulled all-nighters analyzing data just to help everyone pick the best majors for their future.

And what did we get in return? Complete slander.

This time, I wasn't going to save these ungrateful snakes.

Everyone began downloading the app, plugging in their SAT scores, and celebrating wildly as the predictions popped up.

Keyla cleared her throat and said proudly, "I'm proud to say I actually helped develop this app."

Another wave of amazed praise washed over the room.

Keyla motioned for quiet before continuing, "I highly recommend waiting until the final five minutes before the deadline to officially submit. That way, the system can calculate the absolute best options."

The crowd erupted in applause and immediately logged in to finish their setups.

I could only smile coldly.

In my past life, I had accidentally discovered a fatal glitch in that very system. I couldn't wait to see if they'd still be laughing when it triggered.

While the room was still buzzing with loud talk about their bright futures, our homeroom teacher, Edward Hopkins, walked in.

Normally stern, he was grinning from ear to ear, proud that the entire class had scored above 1,400.

"Congratulations, class. Over the next few days, focus entirely on your applications. If you need any guidance, feel free to reach out to Justin's father. He's a real expert in college admissions."

Everyone turned to look at me and whispered maliciously.

"He acts like he supports the AI app, but then he goes and sucks up to Mr. Hopkins. What a hypocrite."

"No wonder Mr. Hopkins favors Justin so much. His family must have given him a massive kickback over the last three years."

One student decided to test the waters. "Mr. Hopkins, have you heard of the new AI college application app?"

The smile instantly vanished from Edward's face, replaced by a scowl. "Hands off that thing. It's only gonna ruin you!"

The student quickly laughed it off. "Just kidding, Mr. Hopkins! With our scores, you better get ready for the local news interviews."

The second Edward stepped out of the room, the guy sitting in front of me kicked my desk. "Snitched pretty fast, didn't you? How else would he know about the app so quickly?"