Every step I took was paid for with sweat and scheming no one ever saw. By the time I finally secured the CEO's position, I was no longer the so-called impostor who once had to live at the mercy of other people's moods.

Now that I had been reborn, I wanted to find out one thing. Without the shine of a fake heiress and Westbridge University, could I still reach success relying on nothing but myself?

The very next second, the bell signaling the close of applications rang out.

The homeroom teacher—Edwin Payne was his name—walked into the classroom beaming, clutching a gold-embossed envelope in his hand. His smile was so bright it seemed ready to spill over.

The barrage of live comments erupted in an instant.

"It's here! Nicky's guaranteed admission letter to Westbridge University is here!"

"In her last life, the fake heiress stole this opportunity to turn her fate around and thrived because of it. But now that Nicky's got her wits about her, I don't think the fake heiress will have the guts to steal it again!"

My expression didn't change as I watched Mr. Payne's face light up with joy.

He cleared his throat and announced loudly, "Congratulations to Nicole! With her outstanding grades, she has earned an early admission to the Physics Department of Westbridge University."

The classroom instantly erupted into thunderous applause, and countless envious gazes fell upon Nicole.

In this life, she didn't reject the guaranteed admission. Instead, she accepted the admission letter from Mr. Payne's hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Payne. I accept the offer from Westbridge University."

After speaking, Nicole turned and looked straight into my eyes. On her face was an undisguised smugness, along with the satisfaction of long-awaited revenge.

She then leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Did you think I would refuse this offer? I must've disappointed you."

The barrage of comments flashed across.

"Look at that fake heiress' lost soul expression." One commentator laughed. "She must be fuming right now."

"This is so satisfying! The spot has returned to its rightful owner. This is the first step in shattering that impostor's delusional dream."

"Great job, Nicky! Dumping that trashy school bully, getting into the same university as the male lead, and reclaiming everything that belongs to you? This is what the real heiress should do!"

I stayed silent.

Nicole took a deep breath, as if exhaling all the grievances she had bottled up since her rebirth.

"Gloria, I'm so sorry. This guaranteed admission was always mine to begin with. It feels wonderful to take back what should've been mine.

"Tell me, what could you possibly achieve in the future without Westbridge University's reputation?"

She stared hard into my eyes, trying to find a trace of collapse, despair, or even the faintest flicker of anger.

But there was nothing.

Her expression hardened, stiff with dissatisfaction.

The truth was, I really didn't care.

The SAT was important, of course, and getting into a good university was indeed a crucial stepping stone in life. But even more important was making choices that truly suited oneself at every stage of life.

I brushed past her and calmly submitted my application to a flagship state university for finance and economics—Harrington University.

My test scores were just enough to get me into the honors program for finance.

With the ten years I had spent navigating the business world in my past life, I knew that this university's alumni network, location, and practical approach to training would serve me far better at this moment than the distant prestige of some famous name.

The live comment section instantly boiled over when the viewers saw my college application.

"This is funny. Without Nicky's Westbridge University spot, the thief can only settle for some no-name trash school."

"Harrington University? Never even heard of it! At best, she'll end up as a lowly accountant in the future."

"Sure enough, stolen things never last. Her true colors show the moment she has to rely on herself. I'd like to see how she struggles for the rest of her life without her family's support and the name of Westbridge University behind her."

I simply smirked, not even feeling the urge to argue back.

They sneered at Harrington University as a "no-name trash school". However, in my previous life, its alumni founded the nation's top AI robotics company and steered the industry for years to come.

I packed up my bag and was about to leave when the back door of the classroom was suddenly slammed open with a loud bang.

A figure in a studded leather jacket with a punk hairstyle stormed in aggressively. It was none other than the notorious school bully, Yale, who also happened to be Nicole's true love in her previous life.

His eyes blazed with fury and violence as he strode straight toward Nicole.

"Nicole, what the hell do you mean by this? Yesterday, you were in my arms, swearing we'd drop out together and saying these bullshit schools weren't good enough for us!

"And now you have accepted Westbridge University's offer? Are you taking me for a fool?"

The entire class erupted in shock, and every pair of eyes instantly snapped toward Nicole.

Her face immediately drained of color.

The confidence and pride she had flaunted just moments ago vanished, leaving only embarrassment and panic at being exposed.

She instinctively stepped back and asked, "Yale, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Nonsense?" Yale let out a furious, mocking laugh. Then, he suddenly kicked the empty desk beside me.

The loud bang made the entire classroom fall silent.

He pointed a trembling finger at Nicole and roared, "You liar! You said you'd run away with me! And now you're betraying me for that pretty boy Spencer?"

The more he spoke, the angrier he became.

He raised his fist, about to strike Nicole, when a cold voice suddenly rang out.

"Stop!"

Spencer had appeared at the doorway at some point. He rushed in and pulled Nicole behind him without hesitation to shield her from Yale.

His gaze was sharp as he stared at Yale, carrying an uncommon force for someone his age.

"What do you think you're doing? This is a classroom!"

"Spencer!" Nicole grabbed his arm tightly like a lifeline, trembling as she hid behind him.

Yale's eyes reddened at the sight. He pointed at Spencer and shouted, "You damn pretty boy! You tricked Nicky! Get the hell out of my way."

As he spoke, he tried to push past Spencer to grab Nicole.

The classroom instantly fell into chaos.

Spencer kept shielding Nicole while blocking Yale. Only when the teacher arrived was the commotion finally put to an end.

When Spencer was comforting Nicole, he happened to sweep his gaze over my desk, which had been knocked askew in the chaos.

On the edge of the desk was a small butterfly I had doodled out of boredom, simple in form yet faintly defiant.

Spencer's gaze lingered on the butterfly without him realizing it.

"I feel like I've seen this butterfly somewhere before," he said with a slight frown, as though puzzled.

Though his voice was quiet, it clearly reached Nicole, who was pressed close to him. She suddenly jolted, and following his gaze, she saw the butterfly too.

In an instant, a wave of panic seized her.

In her past life, it was this so-called impostor she had always looked down on who eventually took everything, including Spencer, from her.

"Spencer, let's go! Now!" Nicole practically screamed, yanking Spencer's arm to break his gaze and drag him out. She was desperate to cut off any chance of him noticing me.

The live comment feed, which had briefly paused during the chaos, now exploded across the screen again.

"Holy crap! This school's bully is totally mad! Nicky, run!"

"Okay, Spencer's such a protective boyfriend who would even fight for Nicky! I definitely ship them!"

"Wait. Did Spencer just look at Gloria's desk and say that the butterfly looked familiar? What's going on here? Did they know each other before?"

"Of course they don't know each other. The fake heiress lost her Westbridge University spot, so now she's resorting to cheap tricks to seduce Spencer. She's downright shameless for always trying to steal the real heiress' man."

Me? Trying to seduce Spencer? What an absurd, pathetic assumption.

I straightened the desk that had been kicked askew expressionlessly and erased the butterfly doodle with my eraser.

Then, under the mix of sympathetic, scornful, and gloating stares, I walked out of the class with my head held high.

I never needed anyone's charity to walk my own path, nor would I ever stoop to stealing from someone else.

In the end, the acceptance letter would speak for itself.

…

The atmosphere at home was tense in a subtle, unspoken way.

Nicole had become the center of everyone's attention. The glow of Westbridge University clung to her like a medal of honor, blotting out every trace of her rebellious, reckless past.

For the first time in months, my dad and my mom, Sybil Pascal, were smiling with genuine pride. Their eyes shone with indulgence as they looked at her.

"Nicky, you really make us proud!" Dad boomed, clapping Nicole on the shoulder. "Our daughter, majoring in physics at Westbridge University! That's the way it should be."

"Gloria." Mom gave me a sidelong glance, her tone tinged with pity and dismissal. "We've fed you, clothed you, given you a good education all these years, and this is your score?

"Don't take it the wrong way, but just compare yourself to Nicky. Some people are just born winners, and you're definitely not one of them."

Dad frowned and said impatiently, "You're not our real flesh and blood, after all. So, it's no wonder you're so slow. However, even so, I thought there should be some bond after we've raised you all these years.

"If you'd made something of yourself, we could at least hold our heads high. What happened in the end? You chose is a complete joke.

"You'll never be anything but a dead weight!"

"Dad, Mom!" Nicole slipped her arm through Mom's at just the right moment. "Don't be so hard on Gloria. Harrington University is quite a decent school as well. After she graduates, she can always be an accountant somewhere.

"It's a safe and steady job that sounds just right for her."

The condescension in her so-called comfort pricked like a needle.

"Priceless! Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have finally seen the fake heiress for who she really is."

"A no-name school for a no-name student—it's perfect! Honestly, even a dog raised by the Stewarts for ten years would be smarter than her. How is the fake heiress this dumb?"

I listened to these cruel words in silence, saying nothing.

Indeed, Harrington University wasn't great. However, it wasn't terrible either.

Yet if I, this so-called fake heiress, wasn't the best or the "main character" the comment feed claimed I was, then all of it would be meaningless.

Before the acceptance letter arrived, I signed up for a national youth programming competition and also took a part-time job at a nearby cafe to try to earn as much as possible for my tuition and living expenses.

While Nicole slept in, I was already out the door. In the evening, Dad and Mom fussed over Nicole, asking about her day and sharing all kinds of funny stories about Westbridge University.

By the time I dragged my tired body home, I could only wolf down a few bites of cold leftovers before shutting myself in my room, coding and debugging my competition project in front of the computer screen.

The live chat never stopped mocking me.

"Wow, the fake heiress sure is hardworking. Are you enjoying your life as a barista?"

"Pretending to type away like some tech genius reincarnated? Give me a break."

"Getting used to the life of the working class? Good! You'd better, since that's all you'll ever have."

…

A few days later, Dad and Mom threw a lavish party to celebrate Nicole's admission to Westbridge University.

Nearly every prominent business figure in the city, and even across the state, showed up to congratulate Nicole and my parents.