After the college admission exams, I stayed up three nights in a row, helping students research their university applications.

From the top-performing students to those at the bottom of the class, I considered each one carefully, mapping out multiple options and future career paths adapted to their strengths.

But when the admission notices arrived, I was stunned to discover that every single one of them had applied to Ridgeway University.

I had never even heard of this university before.

After some research, I found out it was an unaccredited institution.

The incident caused an uproar. School administrators, parents and even the education board launched an investigation.

During this chaos, the class monitor, Vivian Shaw, suddenly stood up and asked, “Ms. Claire Williams, isn't this the university you told us to apply to?”

“We followed your advice in everything. Why did you betray us?”

“Yes, now my future is ruined!”

“You have such a cruel heart! Just to recruit for Ridgeway University, you were willing to sacrifice all of our futures!”

It was in that moment I realized, this was their revenge.

They were striking back against me for the strict discipline I had enforced over the past three years, even if it meant destroying their own lives in the process.

I had no way to defend myself. Overnight, I became a pariah in the education world.

Judgment poured in from every direction, educational institutions, furious parents and the internet.

Eventually, I was dismissed from my teaching responsible.

The relentless harassment didn’t stop there.

In the end, an enraged parent attacked me and I bled out on the cold floor.

That was how I died.

But when I opened my eyes again, I was back in the classroom.

The students sat in front of me, pretending to be obedient, asking which universities they should apply to.

I sighed, my heart hollow. I no longer wanted to concern myself with their futures.

——

For three years, I had poured my heart and soul into guiding them.

Perhaps my methods had been too strict.

But I had taken a failing class and lifted them to the top of the grade.

They had performed well on the college entrance exams, every one of them had made it past the cutoff for first-tier universities.

Among them, Vivian had scored 712, making her the top student in the entire city.

Next was the vice-class monitor, Sophie Lane, who achieved 703 points, enough to enter Lakeshore Institute or University of Meadowbrook with ease.

I had been proud of them. I had truly been happy for them.

But I never imagined that behind all of it, a massive conspiracy had been quietly brewing, one that would ultimately drag me into a bottomless abyss.

“Ms. Claire, thank you for your hard work over the past three years in nurturing us into capable individuals,” Vivian once said, standing up to express her gratitude.

Led by her, the rest of the class rose and echoed in unison, “Thank you, Ms. Williams!”

In my previous life, the sight had moved me to tears.

For me, this had felt like the greatest reward.

But now, reborn with the weight of hindsight, I knew. It had all been an illusion.

“Ms. Williams, I heard you’re helping this year’s graduates plan their futures?” Vivian asked again.

The other students quickly joined in, each requesting my guidance.

And just like before, I eventually agreed.

I spent three sleepless nights drawing up personalized plans for their futures.

They used this as their opportunity.

They turned on me, accusing me online of coercion and bribery, claiming I had manipulated them into applying to Ridgeway University.

Even now, I still couldn’t believe it.

The ones who hurt me the most were the very students I had loved the most.

“Yes, Ms. Williams, please help us think it through!”

“My parents also said they’ll follow your advice. Wherever you say, I’ll go!”

“Coincidentally, my grandfather said the same thing.”

I raised my hand to stop them.

“You’re all adults now. The path ahead should no longer be dictated by me,” I said calmly.

“Besides, you must already have schools you're interested in. You don’t need to listen to me anymore.”

It was the first time I had ever refused a request from my students, sincerely and from the bottom of my heart.

In the past, I would have agreed without hesitation.

No matter how difficult or exhausting, I would have done everything in my power to fulfill their wishes.

In the end, I came to understand that the education I had devoted myself to had produced a group of heartless ungrateful brats.

Vivian replied, “Miss, you’ve taught us for three years, so let’s just consider this our last lesson.”

“We hope you can point us in the right direction for the future so that we can avoid taking detours.”

Hearing this, I thought they sounded so mature.

In truth, I should have seen the signs much earlier. If I had, I might have avoided the tragedy of my past life.

“Sometimes, taking a detour isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”

Seeing that I still wasn’t willing to agree, Vivian’s expression darkened slightly before quickly returning to normal.

“Ms. Williams, do you have any concerns?”

I smiled and replied, “I’m just tired and wants to go home to rest.”

No matter what they said, I had already made up my mind. In this life, I would no longer offer them advice.

Whatever university they chose, whether they all ended up at Ridgeway University again, it had nothing to do with me.

As I turned and left the classroom, I spotted the school principal is waiting outside the door.

He looked at me and asked curiously, “Ms. Williams, you’ve endured three years. Are you really planning to give up halfway?”

Only then did I understand why the school had testified against me in my previous life.

They had claimed the students’ decision to apply to Ridgeway University was solely my doing.

I didn’t know what method they had used, but somehow, they had made sure the principal, Greg Dawson, happened to pass by and overhear everything.

It turned out they had been plotting against me from the very beginning.

Strangely, I felt more relief than anger, but above all, I felt heartbroken.

I explained to Greg, “I’ve been suffering from severe headaches lately. The doctor said if I don’t rest, it could become serious.”

“Is that so? Well then, you’ve certainly worked hard these past three years.”

With his permission, I left the classroom without looking back.

I didn’t even say goodbye to the students.

Not long after, Vivian rushed out and asked Greg, “Mr. Dawson, did we do something wrong?”

“Ms. Williams has guided us for three years. We trust her advice.”

Greg smiled kindly.

“Dearest student, Ms. Williams would be proud of students like you for the rest of her life.”

I overheard the conversation faintly.

Proud? Yes, in my previous life, I had thought so too.

It wasn’t until they killed me that I realized how terrifying this group of madmen truly was.

I rushed home, locked the door and finally calmed myself down.

I believed that by refusing to give them advice this time, I could change my fate.

But I had underestimated these little beasts, especially Vivian.

Her cunning ran far deeper than I had imagined.

She was a natural-born actress, masterful at pretending.

With a warm, innocent smile, she could easily hide the cruelty buried in her heart.

She even organized a birthday celebration for me.

My birthday was two days away.

They didn’t invite me directly. Instead, they used the authority of the school boards to summon me back.

On the phone, I politely declined Greg’s invitation.

He didn’t understand and asked why I wouldn’t accept the students’ goodwill.

Even two vice principals would be present to celebrate my birthday.

After all, I had been the class’s greatest teacher.

I wanted to explain, but I knew it would be useless.

In the end, I was cornered into reluctantly accepting the school’s invitation.

My birthday and the day the admission notices arrived coincided.

With the school boards present, I believed that as long as I stayed cautious, these little monsters wouldn’t dare cause trouble.

At first, everything seemed heartwarming. Vivian entered first, carrying the birthday cake.

Other two classmates followed beside her, singing the birthday song.

The entire class, along with the school boards, clapped and smiled.

“Ms. Williams, may you have many more birthdays to come.”

I stared blankly at the cake and replied simply, “Thank you.”

Vivian then mentioned that there was a surprise waiting for me.

The admission notices had arrived, all delivered by a courier standing at the door.

When the packages were brought in, the school boards seemed even more excited than the students.

This class had not only achieved the best results I’d ever seen, but they had also broken the school’s record.

However, once the students opened the envelopes and pulled out the admission letters, the expressions of the school boards began to shift.

They quickly stood up to check them one by one, only to find they were all from the same, unfamiliar university.

Vivian gave me a gentle, forced smile.

“Ms. Williams, this is the birthday gift we prepared for you. As you wished, the entire class was admitted to Ridgeway University.”

I had already suspected the outcome, but I hadn’t expected them to actually follow through.

Seeing the identical admission letters in their hands, it was as if they had taken all their years of hard work and burned them to ashes.

As if they had personally buried their futures.

Even if they hated me, this was madness.

“As your homeroom teacher, I just want to ask you one thing. Is this really worth it?”

Vivian answered calmly, “Ms. Williams, what are you talking about? Weren’t you the one who told us to apply to Ridgeway University?”

“You said it was a newly established 211 university with a strong faculty and bright prospects.”

“Nonsense!” Greg suddenly snapped.

He had looked into Ridgeway University and discovered it was nothing more than a scam.

Not even a legitimate third-tier institution. And yet the entire class had applied there?

His fury was about to boil over.

Once the truth was revealed, the room descended into chaos.

Some of the parents became hysterical, accusing me of destroying their children’s futures.

I asked, “Vivian, when did I ever tell you to apply to Ridgeway University?”

I refused to be baited this time without evidence.

Besides, I had never advised them on their futures, not once.

But Vivian replied smoothly, “Ms. Williams, didn’t you tell us last time that Ridgeway University was the best choice?”

“The principal was there too. Are you going to deny it?”

The other students erupted into theatrical sobs.

They knew exactly what they were doing, yet played the part of helpless victims.

They hurled insults at me, saying I wasn’t fit to be a teacher.

Their plan had been flawless.

From the setup to the execution, every step had gone off without a hitch.

Some students had even secretly started a livestream.

The title had already been prepared.

[Teacher Manipulates Students into Enrolling at Unaccredited School, Sparking Outrage.]

In just a few minutes, the stream had tens of thousands of viewers.

All eyes turned to Greg.

He looked shaken, but tried to remember.

I said, “Mr. Dawson, you were present. You know I didn’t give any advice.”

“I didn’t hear you say anything, but I can’t confirm what you might’ve said before I arrived.”

The entire class applying to a fake university was a scandal that could taint the school’s reputation forever.

No matter what stance the leadership took, the fallout would land squarely on me.

Meanwhile, Vice-class monitor, Sophie, stood up.

“Ms. Wiliams, are you trying to shirk responsibility?”

“Give me back my life!”

“I was counting on getting into a 211 university. Now what am I supposed to do? My family’s efforts over the past three years were all for nothing!”