Since my guaranteed spot at graduate school was gone, I'd just have to go through the assessment process myself.

I gave my guaranteed spot up in my previous life because Nathan said, "Kimmy, you should just work in the city. You'd be able to tend to matters at home and accompany me as I prepare for my exam. How am I supposed to cope with missing you every day if you leave?"

I was truly a fool back then, genuinely believing he would die of a broken heart if we had a long-distance relationship.

But now that I thought about it, he was just worried about having no one look after him. Now, I even wondered if he was afraid my postgraduate degree would be a blow to his self-esteem.

After all, he was a gold-digging peasant.

Word of my plan to take the postgraduate entrance exam spread soon enough.

One day, I left the library and headed straight to the cafeteria to grab a bite. Nathan walked past my table with a tray in hand and with Cordelia in tow.

"Kimberly, I heard you're trying for grad school," Nathan sneered.

Cordelia chimed in with an innocent look on her face, "Kimberly, didn't you give up your spot in grad school voluntarily? Why the change of heart? I certainly won't be giving my spot back.

"Though, it's not a bad thing to go through the postgraduate entrance exam. It will give you more of an edge when you take the civil service exam after completing your studies. Since you're doing the same major as Nathan, who knows? You might be working under him in the future."

The sheer sense of superiority in her tone made everyone grimace. Nathan, however, basked in it. He stroked her hand, feigning a serious tone.

"Oh, she just likes to jump on the bandwagon. As you know, she's not the brightest person in the room. She was only given a guaranteed spot at graduate school because she scored higher at her internship module and was given special consideration by the school.

"Now that she's trying to go through the assessment process to get into grad school after giving up her guaranteed spot, it's all just a pipe dream for her. You, on the other hand, have it easier. Since your spot in graduate school is guaranteed, you won't have to go through that struggle now."

I kept my head down and ate, pretending I didn't hear them.

All of a sudden, Cordelia let out a cry, and the iced lemon tea in her hands spilled all over my books and notes. The notes I had carefully compiled were all ruined.

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

Instead of looking the tiniest bit sorry, she covered her mouth and stifled a giggle. She continued, "Butterfingers! But it's not like it matters anyway, since reading these books is a waste of time for you.

"You'd be better off getting a part-time job and earning some money. After all, you'll be graduating soon. You will be unemployed once you graduate anyway."

Nathan stood by, chuckling coldly. "It's already dirtied, so just get rid of that, Kimberly. Don't make a fool of yourself."

The people around us began to murmur with one another.

I took a deep breath, then lifted my head to look the cheating couple in the eye. "You're Cordelia Lynch, right?"

I wiped the tea stains off my books, then rose to my feet and went over to her.

Cordelia was taken aback momentarily, but then she took a step back. "What are you doing?"

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna touch you. Your father's time as government official is running out anyway. People will come and teach you a lesson soon enough," I said in a calm yet clear, confident voice.

"What are you blabbering about?" she questioned, her face dropping instantly.

Nathan, who also looked livid, asked, "Kimberly, you've really lost it, haven't you? It's a crime to spread rumors about others!"

"Spread rumors, you say?"

I flashed a smile, throwing the ruined notebook into the trash. "Let's just wait and see."

In my previous life, Cordelia's father, Andrew Lynch, was investigated by the anti-corruption body for bribery not long after this. And Nathan, who put in so much effort to climb up the social ladder, only ended up stepping off a cliff instead of actually getting to the top.

A crowd had gathered to watch the commotion, their voices buzzing like an annoying swarm of flies.

I couldn't care less about the fact that Cordelia looked like she had seen a ghost, nor could I be bothered about Nathan's murderous gaze.

I turned around and strutted off, making a cool, confident exit. This was the posture a woman with a second chance at life should have.

Behind me, Nathan lost his composure and tried to give chase. "Stay right there, Kimberly! Explain yourself! What do you mean that her father's time as Director General is running out? Stop it with your damn lies!"

Cordelia grabbed onto him and held him back. In a shaky voice, she urged, "Leave her alone, Nathan. She lost her mind and only said that out of spite."

I stopped in my tracks briefly and scoffed. She thought I said that out of spite? In my previous life, it was clearly written in black and white on the news articles. There was solid proof.

Perhaps this cheating couple should just enjoy their party while it lasted.

After that, I headed back to the library. Only when the library's closing announcement played did I realize that my stomach was growling. Even so, I didn't feel miserable at all.

My head was buzzing with the sense of achievement after studying, which was a thousand times more rewarding than washing Nathan's pile of smelly socks.

I returned to the apartment we rented—the place we originally planned to use as our marital home. I used to be understanding of Nathan's struggles back then. But now, it just felt so ominous to be here.

I packed my bags and moved back to the school's dormitory overnight, tossing away everything Nathan had ever given me to the trash.

A massive surge of satisfaction crashed over me as I looked at the scattered mess on the floor. This was what deep cleaning felt like—I'd rid myself of all my burdens.

That night, Nathan bombarded me with text messages, all of them long-winded essays.

"Kimmy, I know you only said that out of exasperation. I don't blame you for it."

"I really miss you when you're not here. Move back here. I won't charge you rent."

"Delia was just being immature, but I still care about you."

I blocked his number and deleted his messages immediately. Otherwise, it would just be an eyesore.

Over the next two weeks, I was out first thing in the morning and only returned to my dorm late at night. I was always either in the dormitory, the cafeteria, or the library.

One day, I bumped into Nathan in front of the library again. This time, he was alone, and he looked rather haggard.

"Kimberly, you've finally decided to come out here!"

I took a step back, frowning. Disgust was written all over my face. "If you've lost your mind, go get some help. Quit barking like a dog here."

Nathan froze for a bit, and then he forced a smile. "Kimmy, I heard you have been studying really hard lately. Truth be told, I've come to my senses now. We were together for four years, after all. There's no need for us to let things get so ugly."

He reached out for my arm, but I blocked him immediately with the thermos in my hand.

"Just get straight to the point."

Nathan pulled his hand back awkwardly and lowered his voice. "Here's the thing. The official appointments will be announced soon. Then, it'll be set in stone.

"But Delia has been in a bad mood as of late. I was wondering if you could lend me some money. I want to take her on a trip to clear her head."

He wanted to borrow money from me to take his new girlfriend on vacation? This egomaniac was really something else.

"Nathan, are you seriously out of your mind?"

My eyes filled with mockery. "Are you sure you will get a job?"

Nathan pumped his chest out slightly, getting full of himself again.

"Of course. I placed first in both the written exam and the interview. The rest is just a formality. I'm about to become a civil servant, Kimmy. If we patch things up, you'll actually have something to brag about with your family in the future, don't you think?"

I'd have something to brag about? No—embarrassment would be the only thing I felt about that.

"Well, since you're so confident, I wish you nothing but the best in your career."

In reality, I wished he'd be put behind bars.

Nathan thought I was finally caving in, so he leaned closer to me. "Also, Kimmy, you should just forget about trying for grad school. The competition these days can be really tough. If you fail to get in and miss out on the fall recruitment cycle, it'll be too late for you to even regret it.

"Why not just get yourself a job right now? I can get Delia to arrange something for you—"

I interrupted without hesitation, "There's no need for you to worry about that, Nathan. What goes around comes around. Justice will prevail."

Upon saying that, I marched off, leaving Nathan behind. Looking completely dazed, he muttered under his breath, "What a psycho. Some people just can't appreciate a favor."

Nevertheless, I couldn't be bothered to respond to him. Time waited for no man, and the upcoming postgraduate entrance exam was my utmost priority.

As for Nathan, his day of reckoning was already here.

The weather was bad on both days that I had my postgraduate entrance exams. It drizzled the whole time.

A crowd gathered outside the exam hall. Parents clutched onto lunchboxes, peering anxiously.

I stood there, alone in the crowd. But I didn't feel the slightest bit of loneliness. After all, I knew I was fighting for myself.

Just as I was about to step into the exam hall, a red Porsche pulled over on the side of the road out of the blue.

The car door opened, and Cordelia emerged from the car, rocking a full face of makeup. On top of that, her designer purse and her big, wavy curls were a complete mismatch with the solemn atmosphere at the exam venue.

Next to her, Nathan held up an umbrella, carefully shielding her with it like an employee attending to his boss. When Cordelia spotted me, her eyes lit up suddenly.

Then, she strutted toward me in her heels. "Well, well. Who do we have here?" she exclaimed, her voice as sharp as nails on a blackboard.

"Did you come here alone? Nathan made the effort to give me a ride here. This is the mark of a responsible man."

Meanwhile, Nathan remained next to her, gazing at her with tender affection. He even gave me a sidelong glance, his eyes brimming with triumph.

I couldn't even be bothered to look straight at them.

"Excuse me. You're in the way."

Cordelia hadn't expected me to brush her off like that. Her expression darkened instantly.

"Kimberly, my advisor actually asked me to come by and help invigilate the exam, so watch it with your attitude. Even if you actually pass the exam—which you won't—you're still just going to be an average Joe.

"You'll end up working for somebody else anyway. Nathan, on the other hand, will soon be a civil servant. He's pretty much set for life in terms of his career."

Just then, Cordelia's phone rang out. So, Nathan jumped in seamlessly to rub it in even further.

"Delia's right, Kimmy. She was just looking out for you. You are too much of a loner, and you will only end up suffering once you get out in the real world. If you back down now, I will put in a word with Delia and get her father to arrange a low-level office job for you."

Did he even hear himself? How had I never realized just how nasty and stupid these two were before?

Cordelia's father was about to be arrested. Yet, she was still trying to lord her authority over me. I let out a cold laugh and stopped in my tracks.

"Nathan, you say you're pretty much set for life in your career. But I reckon you're not."

Nathan's face fell. "What are you trying to say? You're jealous of me, aren't you?"

"Me? Jealous of you?"

This time, I couldn't stop myself from letting out a laugh. "What would I be jealous of? Your prison diet in the future? That you'll be the son-in-law of a prisoner? That people will be talking about you behind your back for the rest of your life?"

"Shut up!" Cordelia suddenly screamed, her voice cracking with hysteria.

Her scream made everyone around her jump, and heads began to turn in her direction. Nathan, too, jumped in fright.

He pulled Cordelia back immediately. "Hey, Delia. What's wrong? Just ignore this madwoman."

Cordelia looked as white as a sheet. Through her trembling lips, she muttered, "Nathan… M-my dad… He just called me."

Nathan's heart sank a little, a sense of dread settling in his gut. "What did he say? Is he taking you on another vacation?"

Cordelia shook her head, and tears began streaming down her face without warning. "No. He t-told me… n-not to tell anyone. He's gonna lay low for a few days because someone reported him…"

An ear-splitting crack of lightning ripped through the sky.

Nathan almost lost his grip on the umbrella in his hand. His face drained of all color instantly. Cordelia's father was lying low for a few days?

He knew all too well what those words implied. His lips quivered. He wanted to say something, but he just couldn't make a sound.

When I saw how pathetic they looked, I felt absolutely thrilled. Karma really was a bitch.

"What's the matter? Are you freezing up already?"

I took a step closer to them, whispering in a voice that only they could hear, "Like I told you, we'll have to wait and see. This is only the beginning."

With that, I strode into the exam hall.

Behind me, I heard Cordelia wailing in devastation, "It's over. It's all over! It's all over for me if my dad goes to prison. What am I to do, Nathan?"

Nathan remained paralyzed on the spot, as still as a statue. I was certain he wasn't thinking about comforting Cordelia, even at a time like this. Instead, he was thinking about his job as a civil servant and whether his job appointment was still on the table.

He was such a pathetic man.

The bell rang out in the exam hall. I took a deep breath and settled down at a desk. As I smoothed out the exam paper before me and browsed through the familiar-looking questions, I felt a sense of ease flow through me.

In this life, victory was mine.