Chapter 1

“Principal, her private life is a mess! She just had an abortion! You should revoke her eligibility to speak!”

It was the university's Freshman Welcome Ceremony. I was supposed to give a speech as an outstanding student, but my mom, Veronica, snatched the microphone right out of my hand.

Instantly, I became the laughingstock of the entire university.

My boyfriend slapped me hard and broke up with me.

Classmates scrawled "slut" all over my clothes.

In despair, I jumped from the rooftop.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day before the Freshman Welcome Ceremony.

I secretly swapped Veronica's birth control pills for vitamin tablets.

This time, I’d make sure she got a taste of public humiliation and ruin herself.

Dinner table, the atmosphere was heavy.

Veronica cut a piece of steak and placed it on my plate.

“Eat more. The Freshman Welcome Ceremony is tomorrow. You need to be well-rested.”

I silently pushed the steak to the side.

“I don’t like it.”

Veronica’s face darkened.

“You’re going to be speaking on stage as the freshman representative in a few days. You *have* to be healthy, right?”

Tiffany chimed in.

“Anya, Veronica is just looking out for you.”

“It’s such an honor to speak as the freshman representative.”

Seeing my silence, Veronica’s voice shot up, practically a screech.

“I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?”

“Have you memorized your speech for tomorrow? Don’t you dare embarrass yourself on stage!”

My dad, Robert, couldn’t stand it. He frowned.

“Enough, let her eat in peace.”

Veronica immediately turned her矛头 on Robert.

“What do you know! I’m motivating her!”

“She’s the focus of the entire university right now; she can’t afford to make a single mistake!”

“Anya, I heard your university has an exchange student spot this year, chosen from the freshmen. The requirements are super high.”

Tiffany brought it up, seemingly casually.

Veronica, predictably, spoke up.

“An exchange student? Which country?”

“I think it’s the US. The tuition and living expenses for a year are hundreds of thousands of dollars, all covered by the university.”

As soon as she heard “hundreds of thousands,” Veronica’s eyes lit up. A flicker of greed and calculation passed through them.

Brenda gasped too.

“Something that good? Then my daughter absolutely has to go!”

“Her grades are so good, and she’s the freshman representative; there’s no way she won’t get it!”

A hint of triumph crossed Veronica’s face, but then she frowned again.

“Her? Look at her frail appearance; a strong gust of wind could probably knock her over.”

“If she goes abroad, with no one to take care of her, what if she gets sick?”

Tiffany immediately jumped in.

“That’s right, Anya’s health isn’t great; she’s always had a delicate constitution since childhood.”

“The competition for this spot is probably brutal, and Anya’s body might not be able to handle it.”

I watched their coordinated act, a cold sneer forming in my heart.

In my previous life, I burned the midnight oil for countless nights to get that exchange student spot.

But because Veronica caused a huge scene at the university, I completely lost my eligibility.

In the end, Tiffany actually got the replacement slot.

This time, I wouldn’t let them succeed.

“Mom, I don’t want to fight for that spot.”

“It’s too much work. I just want to enjoy university.”

Veronica froze.

Brenda and Tiffany exchanged surprised glances.

Veronica looked at me suspiciously.

“Are you serious? You’re giving up such a good opportunity?”

“Are you trying to pull some trick on me again?”

“No, I just feel like my body truly isn’t up to it.”

I deliberately showed weakness, shifting the focus to Tiffany.

Watching the mother and daughter arrogantly scheming, a cold laugh echoed in my mind.

This was just the first step. Let them fight over it themselves. The harder they fought, the harder they’d fall.

Tiffany hurriedly waved her hands.

“Anya, I didn’t mean that…”

Veronica, however, cut her off, her eyes gleaming with cunning.

“Since Anya isn’t going, we can’t let this opportunity go to waste.”

“Tomorrow, we’ll go talk to Anya’s professor.”

Brenda’s eyes lit up.

“Will that work?”

“Why wouldn’t it?”

Veronica smiled.

“She can go tell the professor that she’s not feeling well and wants to voluntarily give the opportunity to her cousin.”

“The professor will see how thoughtful she is and will surely agree.”

A flush crept up Tiffany’s cheeks, and she excitedly clenched her fists.

Robert listened from the side, his brow furrowed.

“What kind of nonsense is this? This is absurd!”

Veronica glared at him.

“You shut up! It’s not your place to speak in this house!”

She looked at me, her voice commanding.

“After your speech tomorrow, you’ll take us to your professor.”

I nodded.

“Got it, Mom.”

Late that night, Veronica brought a glass of milk into my room.

“Drink this milk. Don’t be nervous tomorrow.”

It was exactly the same as in my previous life.

Last time, after I drank the milk, I felt groggy every day.

Veronica then had even more reason to claim I was frail.

I took the glass and dutifully drank it all.

“Thanks, Mom.”

Veronica looked at me with satisfaction.

After she left the room, I immediately went to the bathroom and vomited all the milk.

Then, I walked into her bedroom.

From the nightstand, I took out the bottle of birth control pills she always took.

Skillfully, I removed the pills and replaced them with the vitamins I had prepared long ago.

Mom, didn’t you always say I was your pride?

This time, I’ll let you personally experience what it feels like to fall from grace to rock bottom.