A Grand Exit: Passing the Spotlight to My Bestie

In my past life, right before sitting for the college entrance exams, my best friend, Lily Shaw, and I made a pact. We promised that once we got into college, we would study finance and make a fortune.

But because my exam went smoothly and I was the first to leave the exam room, I ended up on camera for an interview. Somehow, I blew up overnight.

Years later, I became a top celebrity, while Lily was sent to prison for financial fraud.

When she got out, I gave her a million dollars to help her get back on her feet.

She repaid me by quietly forging lies about me, whipping up a wave of online hate, and doing everything she could to destroy me.

I traced the truth and confronted her, but she snapped back at me, "What gives you the right to stare down at me from your lofty throne and throw me scraps, Hannah Linden? I'm prettier than you, and my grades were better than yours. Why did you get the better life?"

She laid out a plan to get back at me. She knocked me out and slashed my face. She also gouged out my eyes and cut out my tongue before stuffing me into a freezer, leaving me there to freeze to death.

When I open my eyes again, I find myself reborn in my senior-year classroom. There's just over a month left for the college entrance exams.

I look at Lily, who sits to my left and whispers to me. I smile at her, my eyes glinting with ice and venom.

In my past life, my best friend, Lily Shaw, and I made a promise to each other right before sitting for the college entrance exams. We would study finance in college and rake in the big bucks.

Since I did relatively better during my exam and was the first to leave the exam room, I ended up giving an interview to the reporters waiting outside. After that, I blew up overnight.

Years after that, I went on to become a mega star, while Lily was jailed for financial fraud.

When she was released, I transferred a million dollars to her account to help tide her over. In return, she made up lies about me, started a wave of online hate, and did everything she could to wreck my reputation.

I traced things back to her and confronted her. All she did was screech, "What makes you think you can look down on me and throw me your scraps, Hannah Linden? I'm prettier and smarter than you. Why is your life so much better than mine?"

She devised a plan to exact her revenge. After knocking me out, she slashed my face, gouged out my eyes, and cut out my tongue. Then, she stuffed me into a freezer, leaving me to die there.

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back in my senior-year classroom. I'd been reborn, and it was just over a month away from the college entrance exams.

I looked at Lily, who was seated to my left. She leaned in to whisper something to me, and I smiled, my eyes glinting with malice.

"Hannah, can you stop by my place after school? I have something important to tell you," Lily whispered.

Her place and mine were separated by just one wall, and we'd been best friends since we were little.

I'd been given the chance to live life over again. Just thinking about how Lily, being the lunatic she was, would one day wield public opinion like a weapon to stab me in the back and even kill me made my blood run cold.

"Okay," I replied, expressionless.

After school, I went to Lily's place. She finally couldn't hold it in anymore and said to me, "Hannah, I'm sorry. I have to come clean to you. I… I kissed Vincent York."

She lowered her head, blushing as she added in a small voice, "It was my first kiss."

I looked at the beautiful, vivacious young woman before me, taking in her exquisite features. Who would ever guess that she had a heart full of venom?

I thought she would pull some sneaky trick on me. I didn't expect it to be this. I curled my lip, feeling unimpressed.

In my past life, Vincent York had been my first love. We started dating as students and stayed together until we were one step away from marriage.

Yet when I was cyberbullied, he didn't hesitate to push me over the brink for money.

Thinking back, I was such an idiot to have given so much for a worthless man.

Lily probably thought I was upset when she saw me zoning out. She continued, "Hannah, I know I've betrayed you, but I really couldn't help myself. Vincent and I truly like each other."

She sobbed and whimpered, making it seem like I was the one bullying her.

Honestly, I'd stopped caring about things like first kisses long ago.

This time around, I was done with both my best friend and first love. I said, "You two are a great match. I wish you both the best."

Lily was caught off guard by my calm reaction.

While she went to get me some water, I casually flipped open the notebook on the table. Then, my eyes went wide.

The lines scribbled on the page were from a famous poem. They were also the lyrics of my representative work, "Simple Joys", from my past life.

Beside the verse, a huge red "Die" was scrawled. It had been written with such hatred and so forcefully that it had torn the paper.

I snapped the notebook shut as my heart pounded, and a terrifying thought popped into my mind.

There was a chance Lily had been reborn, too!

I couldn't control the emotions that surged in me, so I left without a word before Lily returned.

…

The monthly exam results came out fast. Having been reborn, I'd already forgotten everything I'd learned in class.

As expected, I ranked dead last in class.

Lily, though, took first place by a clear margin. The teachers and students piled on the praise.

"Lily, keep it up and you're sure to get into a top college!"

"She even nailed the problems beyond the syllabus. She's incredible!"

"Wait, weren't Hannah's grades about the same as Lily's? How'd she end up last this time?" someone asked.

That drew everyone's attention to me.

Lily said, "Everyone has off days. Hannah, don't let Vincent affect you. You just need to work harder for the next exam."