Joel was initially taken aback but quickly erupted with joy. Juliette, on the other hand, looked devastated.

I brushed past Joel and leaned into Juliette, whispering, "It's time for you to pay up on our bet. I'm eagerly waiting for you to call me 'Daddy.'"

Juliette's face darkened with anger.

As expected, Juliette tried to weasel out of it. She denied ever making the bet and refused to apologize publicly or call me "Daddy."

That was fine with me. I knew from my previous life that Juliette would try to avoid her promises. My goal was to make her uncomfortable. I had plenty of opportunities to deal with her later. Most importantly, her denial meant she couldn't complain to Joel about our bet, so I wouldn't need to waste time explaining things to him. After all, if Joel didn't experience the same pain I had before, it wouldn't be true revenge.

After the Fourth of July festivities, my reputation surged across campus. Almost no one remembered the old story of Erica Contreras, the student who got by on financial aid and collected recyclables for a year. Now, whenever my name came up, it was met with awe and praise.

But I didn't let it go to my head. I remembered my humble beginnings and the painful end of my previous life. Now, I was using my foresight to improve myself and raise my family's living standard. Every step I took, I made sure to be grounded and steady.

By evening, I declined Joel's invitation and hurried outside with some cat food, heading toward the southeastern part of the campus.

The area was still undeveloped and desolate. No one knew that six months ago, I spent nearly all my savings to buy up this wasteland. Even fewer knew I had been taking care of a few stray cats here.

When I arrived, I was surprised to see a guy squatting in front of the stray cats, placing food on the ground. Did someone else know about this place and come to feed the cats?

As I approached, I was surprised to find it was Duncan Mathis.

I was even more taken aback. Like I said, I had become one of the campus celebrities, and Duncan, a senior in the computer science program, was another. Rumor had it that he came from a wealthy background and spent most of his time working on apps outside of school. I never met him in my previous life and had only seen his photos on bulletin boards around campus.

"Erica, are these cats yours?" Duncan asked as the strays affectionately rubbed against me.

I was a bit surprised and put the cat food on the ground. "How do you know my name?"

Duncan's voice sounded oddly familiar. Could it be...

I shook my head. He couldn't be that person.

Duncan stood up. "You're one of the campus celebrities now. How could I not know about you?"

I felt my cheeks flush slightly.

To me, these stray cats were like my former self, driven away by poverty and wandering aimlessly. Now that I could help, I wanted them to be well cared for.

After feeding the cats, we packed up and walked slowly along the wasteland. Duncan pointed at the surrounding area and said, "Erica, I'm planning to buy this land with my startup money. If you have enough savings, I suggest you buy a small plot too. According to my dad's inside information, this area will soon be designated as a new economic zone and will face redevelopment."

I told Duncan, "You might need to rethink your plans."

Duncan looked puzzled. "Why?"

I replied, "Sorry, but I've already bought this land."

In my previous life, this plot of land was a barren area so desolate that even farmers avoided it, with vast stretches of it lying unused. However, after a major shake-up in the local government and the arrival of new officials eager to make their mark, the land was designated as a new economic zone. Coincidentally, this piece of land fell within the new zone's boundaries, and once it was included, property values skyrocketed.

This time, I had used the information gap to buy up as much of the land as I could six months ago, waiting for the redevelopment to make a profit. If everything went as planned, I would make a fortune, enough for me and my family to live comfortably for life.

As we reached the school gates, Duncan suddenly said, "Erica, don't get involved with Joel."

After hesitating, he added, "Joel isn't sincere. He's with you because of a bet with someone else."

"I know," I replied calmly.

"Then why are you still—" Duncan began, confused.

Before he could finish, Joel appeared, having come to the gate after not being able to reach me by phone. He ran into us as we were heading back.

Joel wrapped his arm around my shoulders possessively. "Erica, I've been waiting for you. Let's have dinner together tonight."

I pushed Joel's arm away and stepped closer to Duncan, deliberately saying, "I'm afraid not. Duncan and I have some academic matters to discuss. Maybe another time."

In my previous life, even though Joel had become my boyfriend due to the bet, he often used "discussions" as an excuse to leave me and go out with Juliette.

"You and he are in different fields—design and computer science—what could you possibly discuss?" Joel noticed something was off, just like in the past when I questioned him.

I mimicked Joel's previous behavior, feigning annoyance. "If you don't trust me, maybe we shouldn't be together."

Back then, Joel was the one cheating and getting defensive. This time, he was the one desperately trying to hold on.

Joel's face softened immediately. "Go ahead with your discussion. Call me when you're done, and I'll come pick you up."

Not wanting to push too hard, I nodded.

Joel reluctantly left. The scene was identical to my previous life, except the roles were reversed. It was oddly satisfying!

As soon as Joel was out of sight, Duncan leaned in and whispered with a chuckle, "Using me as a decoy, huh?"

I looked at Duncan and said apologetically, "Sorry about that. I won't do it again."

Duncan's eyes sparkled with a smile. "I'm not sure what you're up to, but if you need my help, I'm more than willing to assist."

Shortly after, another piece of gossip spread through the school.

Everyone was talking about how Erica Contreras had supposedly lost her mind and bought a plot of land in the middle of nowhere.

Later, I discovered that the person handling the paperwork when I signed the contract with the original owner was a distant cousin of Juliette's. She inadvertently shared the information with Juliette.

Everyone knew that the land was so remote that even farmers wouldn't want to cultivate it. The original owners had been desperate to sell it, but no one was interested, so it sat abandoned.

No one expected that I would end up acquiring it. The rumor spread that I had lost my mind, and the land would end up being a massive failure for me.

While I was picking up some documents from my teacher, I ran into the teaching assistant. It seemed like she finally had an opportunity to attack me, and her nose was in the air.

"I heard you used all your savings to buy a piece of land? No offense, but you should know your limits. Don't fantasize about becoming a real estate mogul. You're just a small-time player!"

I remained calm. "Well, at least I'm not someone who was born with a silver spoon in my mouth but still fixates on the mundane."

The teaching assistant's face darkened again.

After leaving the office, I encountered Juliette and her entourage outside the classroom.

"My dad says that piece of land has been worthless for years. Erica, are you planning to turn it into a recycling station?" Juliette mocked.

"Yeah, you're used to dealing with trash, so maybe you see everything as valuable…" one of Juliette's friends laughed, covering her mouth.

I didn't respond.

Someday, they'll regret what they said and come back begging me.

Under Juliette's dramatic portrayal and smear campaign, the campus forums and social media were abuzz with talk about my purchase of the "worthless" land.

Everyone speculated that I had lost my mind, risking all my assets on a failed investment. Some even started betting on whether I was planning something major or just had a brain freeze.

The topic quickly went viral, topping the campus trending charts.

Even Joel came to see me. "It's okay, Erica. If you're out of money, I'll take care of you."

I wanted to tell him, "I'm not looking for a sugar daddy!"

After sending Joel away, I got a call from Duncan. "There's a lot of talk online about you. Do you want me to help handle it?"

As a computer science major, Duncan could easily manage the online chatter. Although he didn't say it outright, it was clear from my attitude toward Joel that Duncan understood I had my own plans for everything I did.

He would never act on his own without checking with me first.

I declined his offer.

Let the speculation continue a bit longer. Although I never intended to make a big show of it, if Juliette had pushed the narrative this far, I had no reason to end it quietly.

A month later, the news broke that, just like in my previous life, the land was designated as a new economic zone. The value of the land soared, and the compensation was astronomical.

The campus exploded once more.

"I knew Erica was great at turning things around! She's clearly planned something big this time. She's going to be a millionaire…"

"I want to hitch a ride on her success and get rich too. Erica, you're amazing…"

"Not only is she beautiful, but she also dances beautifully and has a great personality. I'm now Erica's number one fan…"

"Count me in. Erica, you're my idol…"

The buzz was so intense that the campus network nearly crashed.

After that, I became a campus sensation once again. My every move was closely scrutinized, as people worried that I might accidentally create the next big financial miracle.

When I ate some street food for a couple of days, a crowd gathered around the vendor, and the vendor happily stayed open for days.

When I took a few walks on a side street, people started connecting it to economic policies and the area's development trends.

Even when I stumbled on the road, people began researching the origins and potential of my shoes.

At the moment, I was too busy to worry about these things. I needed to sign contracts with the staff and receive my compensation.

I called Duncan to join me. If I encountered anything I didn't understand, his social experience would be helpful.

We agreed to meet at the school entrance.

On my way through the administrative building, I ran into the teaching assistant coming down the stairs.

"Sorry, it looks like that land really did turn out to be valuable. Even a small-time player like me can catch a ride on this success."

The teaching assistant gritted her teeth. "Erica, don't think you can show off just because you've got some money now. Don't forget, we still have the final exams to settle."

I raised an eyebrow and moved aside to let her pass.

I hadn't forgotten. I was still waiting for her to apologize in front of everyone.

After leaving the building and heading toward the campus entrance, I ran into some old dorm mates.

They eagerly invited me to move back into the dorm, saying they had previously been influenced by Juliette and had formed a biased opinion of me.

Left aside, Juliette was glaring at me with hatred.

Hearing their flattery, I knew their attitude had changed only because my situation was now different.

I politely declined but didn't confront them.

People are often attracted to success. I might disdain their behavior, but there was no need to mock them.

"Don't think just because you're on top now, I'll give up! I'm waiting to see who gets the last laugh!" Juliette fumed.

"Throw everything you've got at me," I said, heading to meet Duncan. I had no time to deal with Juliette.