Chapter 2

“Alex, aren’t you heading to the library? Could you save a spot for me?”

Seraphina’s sugary voice echoed in my ears.

The sheer malice in her eyes sent a chill down my spine.

I’d actually been reborn.

In my last life, I was at the top of my class, with a guaranteed spot in grad school. She was barely scraping by, but she desperately tried to project an image of a brilliant, academic goddess. That’s why she constantly targeted me.

At first, I didn’t pay much attention. But then, she secretly filmed me scratching an itch *under my clothes* and then twisted it, claiming I was making inappropriate advances. That’s how she started the online campaign against me.

The university expelled me. My classmates believed her vicious lies, and not a single person stood up for me.

I died from a sudden heart attack because of the cyberbullying, while she smoothly secured her grad school spot. My grandfather couldn't bear the blow and fell into a vegetative state, and my once-happy family shattered into pieces.

Reborn, I wasn’t going to let history repeat itself.

I coldly refused. “Sorry, I’m not going to the library.”

Seraphina’s expression froze, her eyes widening in surprise before she quickly put on a show of injured innocence.

“Alex, do you have something against me? Why won’t you even help me with such a small thing?”

Seeing her tearful performance, my classmates immediately felt sorry for her, turning their indignant glares on me.

“Alex, Seraphina works so hard every day! Would it kill you to help her out?”

“I can’t stand people like *him*, acting all high and mighty just because *he* gets good grades. Thinks he's naturally superior, but didn't he only get ahead because of his brother’s connections?”

I scoffed and turned to leave.

“Hold it! If you dare to walk away today, forget about grad school, I’ll make sure you can’t even *show your face* on this campus!”

A classmate’s angry voice boomed, but I didn’t look back.

Seraphina, ever the “innocent” one, played the peacemaker. “It’s fine. If he wants to be pathetic, we don’t need to bother.”

I smirked inwardly.

Last time, she had scared me into a panic, and in my desperate attempt to prove my innocence, I fell right into her trap. That’s how she framed me.

This time, I’d avoid all contact with her. I just wanted to see how her own boomerang would come back to bite her.

As for the grad school spot? If she wanted it so badly, she could have it.

Leaving the university, I aced an interview with a Fortune 500 company.

Just as I bought a cake, ready to go home and celebrate, my classmates blocked my way right outside the campus gate.

They looked me up and down, then, without a word, smashed the cake right onto my head.

“Eat, eat, eat! Is that all you know how to do? Seraphina’s practically in tears, and *you’re* thinking about cake?”

“That experiment was supposed to be a collaboration between you two! Now that *you’re* getting fast-tracked to grad school, you’re trying to block Seraphina’s path completely, aren't you? Are you even human?”

I wiped the cream from my face, glaring at them furiously.

“That experiment wasn’t even supposed to involve me, so why would I go? Besides, did *I* make her unable to do it?”

A classmate sneered, slapped my face, and snatched my ID badge.

“Now, go help Seraphina with that experiment! Otherwise, I’ll burn all your stuff.”

My heart clenched.

“Give it back! I’ve already relinquished my spot to the department. If she wants it, she can earn it herself. Can you please stop bothering me?”

The classmate scoffed, looking at my ID badge with utter disdain.

“Who knows if you’re telling the truth? You need to leave us with some leverage, don’t you?”

With that, he tossed my ID badge into a filthy gutter and raised his phone, recording me. The surrounding classmates wore smirks, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

Thinking of my future in this life, I still jumped into that disgusting gutter to retrieve it. The laughter around me only deepened the humiliation in my heart.

“Oh, look at him, he still looks defiant! Going to tell your brother to fail our classes again?”

“You country bumpkin, always doing gross things like this! So disgusting!”

The leading classmate kicked me right into the filthy water. The foul stench of sewage and mud soaked into my clothes.

“Remember what you said! If Seraphina doesn't get her grad school spot, you'll be famous, alright!”

Clutching my ID badge, I returned to my dorm, completely defeated.

I knew my classmates had never really liked me. Before, I hadn't understood why, but in this second life, I finally realized it was all Seraphina’s doing. She had schmoozed with everyone for scholarship money.

Knowing her chances for grad school were slim, she started spreading rumors about me among the students. She claimed I deliberately had my brother, who was also a professor, fail them in his classes just to keep my GPA high. Every time a classmate failed, she would pretend to comfort them, then whisper that I’d ordered my brother to change their grades.

Once my classmates heard I had connections, they started to resent me deeply. In my last life, when I was slandered, these very same classmates, who already harbored long-standing grievances, wasted no time kicking me while I was down.

This time, I was curious to see if, without my involvement, she would turn on her sycophants.