Chapter 1

After the poison killed me in that private dining room, my boyfriend, Ethan Brooks, still wasn’t done.

He searched my body, found my phone, and called my parents.

The moment they heard something had happened to me, they rushed to the restaurant without hesitation.

When they saw me collapsed on the floor, blood seeping from my eyes, ears, nose, and mouth, they broke down. My mother could barely stand. My father’s face went white as he reached for me with trembling hands.

Ethan and the others helped them into their seats.

“Mr. and Mrs. Grant, please try to calm down. The ambulance is already on its way. Drink some water first.”

My parents had no reason to suspect them. They took the water and drank it.

A few seconds later, pain tore through their chests. Then they both coughed up blood.

That was when those people finally stopped pretending.

“Your precious daughter was poisoned by us too. She killed Lissy, so she deserves to pay for it.

“You two can go with her. If you want someone to blame, blame Olivia Grant for being so vicious that she dragged you into this.”

All three of us died right there.

I found myself floating above the room, helpless, furious, and desperate to drag every one of them down with me.

Then, in the next instant, a familiar voice rang in my ears.

“Wow, Lissy, was that your family’s driver who dropped you off again? That was a Rolls-Royce.”

I stood in the corner of the classroom, staring at everything in disbelief.

Only then did I realize I had been reborn.

“No, that was my dad,” Lisa Hale said with a small smile. “Not our driver.”

The classroom erupted.

“Oh my God, your dad is so good to you. He’s that busy and still drives you to school himself?”

Lisa smiled and accepted their envy without correcting a word.

But I knew she was lying.

Every single word.

The pain from my last life was still burned into me. I looked at her, and all I felt was hatred.

Maybe she sensed it, because Lisa suddenly turned toward me.

“Olivia, your grades are amazing. You can probably get into a school like Harvard or Yale without my help, right?”

I looked away and was about to answer when Ethan cut in.

“Lissy, don’t waste your time on her. Look at her. Even if she gets in, she won’t be able to afford it. She might as well go to some cheap community college.”

“Exactly,” someone else said. “She probably can’t even cover tuition. Even if Lissy is kind enough to help her get into an Ivy League school, she still won’t have the money to live there. Lissy can’t support her forever.”

At that moment, everyone in class believed Lisa completely.

They were convinced she had the connections to get them into elite colleges.

I had checked my results the night before. My grades, test scores, and application profile were strong enough that as long as I submitted everything properly, I had a real chance at the schools I wanted.

When Lisa heard them, her eyes lit up.

“Actually, my family donates to scholarship programs all the time. We help students from poor families. Olivia, if you kneel and beg me right now, I might consider paying for your college.”

I clenched my fists and forced down the urge to slap her.

“No need. Anything that doesn’t belong to you will come back to hurt you sooner or later if you keep pretending it does.”

Lisa’s expression stiffened.

Then, almost instantly, tears welled in her eyes.

“I was only trying to help you. If you got into a top college, your whole life could change. But if you don’t appreciate it, fine.”

Seeing her cry, Ethan immediately stepped forward and kicked me in the knee.

“Olivia, don’t be so ungrateful. Lissy is willing to sponsor you. That’s the luckiest thing that could ever happen to someone like you. Kneel down and thank her.”

“Exactly. You’re already poor. What’s the point of acting proud? Pride won’t pay your tuition.”

Pain shot through my leg, but I forced myself to stay upright.

I only glared at him.

Everyone was watching me, waiting to see me humiliated.

“No thanks,” I said. “My family may not look rich to you, but we can still afford my education. And even if we couldn’t, there are scholarships, grants, and student loans. There’s always a way.”

Then I looked at the rest of them.

“As for you, your grades and applications aren’t strong enough for those schools, and now you’re counting on someone else’s connections to save you. Be careful. A shortcut like that might cost you everything.”