Chapter 1

The sound of a powerful slap landing on my cheek rang through the air.

Half of my face turned numb in an instant, and there was a buzzing in my ear. The metallic taste of blood permeated my taste buds.

My head snapped to the side, my messy hair falling over my face and hiding the cold glint in my eyes.

The woman who slapped me was none other than my own mother, Delilah Grant. Her face twisted as she pointed a finger at me.

"Talia Sanders, you shameless woman! Why on earth did the Sanders family end up with such a despicable daughter like you? How dare you cheat during SAT of all things? The Sanders family's reputation is in shambles because of your greed and vanity!"

The hall was packed with people since the exam had just concluded. The crowd consisted of curious students and steely-faced teachers.

Layla Sanders, the fake heiress of the Sanders family, stood to the side, covering her face as she sobbed quietly. Tears streamed down her face. She looked incredibly frail, reminiscent of a white flower swaying in the wind, drawing sympathy from anyone who laid eyes on her.

"Don't hurt Talia, Mom. It's all my fault," she blubbered as she carefully tugged on Mom's sleeve. "It's my fault. I shouldn't have done so well during the exams and put so much pressure on Talia.

"She just wants you and Dad to acknowledge her so badly. That must be the reason why she caved in to her wayward thoughts and decided to copy my answers. If Talia's going to be disqualified, I won't enroll in college either. I'll retake the final year with her…"

It was an immensely touching display of sisterly love, if I ignored the fact that I had personally seen Layla tamper with my car brakes and cackle wickedly during my funeral in my past life.

The same thing had happened in my previous life.

After the exam was over, my homeroom teacher, Richard Hoffman, had stepped forward to accuse me of cheating, claiming that my answers were identical to Layla's.

I hadn't been able to defend myself when faced with two sets of exam papers that had the exact same answers.

To protect Layla's reputation as a top scholar and to save their pride, the Sanders family didn't hesitate to sacrifice me. They coerced me into admitting that I had cheated during the exam and forced me to drop out of school.

They also sent me to a mental hospital to stop me from saying anything I shouldn't.

I was tortured for three whole years during my time there.

I managed to escape during a stormy night, but in the end, I died at the hands of Layla, who had meticulously planned the car accident that took my life.

Right before I took my last breath, I finally understood that even though I was the real heiress of the Sanders family, in their eyes, I was nothing but trash that could be disposed of at any time.

Layla was the only one they cared about. She was their precious treasure that they had cherished for the last 18 years.

When I opened my eyes again after that, I had found myself transported back to the final day of SAT.

I slowly raised my head in the face of Mom's furious shouts, wiping the blood from the corner of my lips. My eyes were calm like a still lake.

"You're accusing me of cheating, but do you have proof, Mom?"

Mom was briefly stunned by my question, looking as if she hadn't expected me to talk back to her when I had always been so timid in the past. Her temper exploded a few seconds later.

"Proof? Mr. Hoffman has already provided all the proof we need! What else do you have to say for yourself?"