The Girl Who Stole My Degree

I was reborn one month before the forensic certification exam. This time, I spent my days drinking and clubbing instead of slaving away studying, for the class belle had bound me to an Achievement Transfer System in my previous life. We had prepared for the forensic certification together, and I'd burned the midnight oil while she slacked off and partied. Yet, I scored a zero and failed, while she got exactly what she wanted and passed when the results were out. The entire class praised the class belle for her talent and mocked me, saying a nobody like me could never rise above my station. Unwilling to accept it, I demanded a review of the exam. The results showed that every single one of my answers was wrong, while hers were all correct. I searched through everything from my past experiments, only to find that every certificate bore the class belle's name. The class belle then put on an innocent front and accused me of misconduct, declaring imperiously, "Dakota Saunders, you've always pretended to be hardworking in front of others. I just didn't expect you to lie for so long that you started believing it yourself! "And now you've even stolen my certificates! You're disgusting. A thief like you belongs in the sewers, not here!" I was scorned by everyone and expelled from the academy. In the end, unable to bear the blow, I jumped to my death. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to one month before the forensic certification exam. Chapter 1 Reborn One Month Before the Exam "Dakota, Holly, whichever of you gets the forensic certification will receive the internship slot at the Criminal Investigation Department!" My mentor's stern voice rang in my ears, and I snapped back to reality. "Don't worry, Professor. I won't disappoint you. That spot is mine!" The class belle, Holly Monroe, lifted her chin proudly and made her declaration to everyone. As I watched the scene unfold before me, I knew right then that I had been reborn, back to one month before the forensic certification exam. In my previous life, Holly had looked just as confident during this class meeting. However, she slacked off once the preparation period began. She had spent her days fooling around without a care. Meanwhile, I worked day and night, doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and burying myself in books. Just when I thought I had it in the bag, the exam results hit me like a bolt from the blue. I scored a zero and failed, while Holly got exactly what she wanted and earned the certification. The entire class praised Holly for her brilliance, saying she could pass even while partying. As for me, they mocked me for being a tryhard. Some even said that a nobody like me could never rise above my station. I refused to accept it and applied for a review, and the results showed every single one of my answers was wrong, while Holly's were all correct. I tore through everything from my past experiments, only to find that every certificate bore Holly's name. Holly immediately accused me of theft. "Dakota Saunders, you should know your place! You've always pretended to be hardworking in front of others! Who would've thought you'd lie for so long that you started believing the same lies you've been peddling? "And now you've even stolen my certificates! You're disgusting. A thief like you belongs in the sewers, not here!" I was despised by everyone and expelled from the academy. In the end, unable to bear the blow, I jumped to my death. Only after I died did I learn the truth, and that was that Holly had bound me to an Achievement Transfer System. Everything I studied went straight into her mind. The results I worked so hard for became hers, and even my past certificates were all reassigned to her name. Fortunately, I had been given another chance. This time, I would relish in making sure that Holly suffered the consequences of her own actions. Chapter 2 No Longer Playing Her Game After the class meeting ended, Holly and her posse of bimbos blocked my way. She stood in front of me, smiling sweetly, her eyes curved into crescents. "Dakota, you'd better study hard for the exam. I won't go easy on you!" Her followers immediately chimed in. "Dakota, Holly only didn't fight you for first place before because you're a scholarship student from a poor background. All your scholarships were basically given to you by Holly!" "Holly's just too kind-hearted. That's why she's always let you have your way and paved the road for you! But this time, she's not holding back anymore. She's going to take back everything that belongs to her!" Their so-called "letting me win" referred to the fact that I had ranked first in class every year, while Holly was the eternal second ranker. She was clearly no match for me. Yet, she'd twisted her inferiority into an act of generosity to spare her tattered pride. As if worried I hadn't taken it to heart, Holly continued, "Dakota, I can let you have things at school, but my career is a different thing entirely. I won't give up my future for you. So you'd better study hard and give it your all. Let's compete fairly!" After delivering her shameless lecture, she finally left with her entourage. I watched her retreating figure and sneered inwardly. I knew exactly what she was doing. She wanted to provoke me into working myself to the bone this month so she could transfer everything from me at the last moment. In my previous life, I had thrown myself into studying, thinking I would earn the forensic certification and secure an internship at the Criminal Investigation Department. In the end, I handed everything over to Holly on a goddamned silver platter. I had to grit my teeth to stop myself from screaming in pure rage at the thought of what had happened in my past life. I inhaled deeply, giving myself a few seconds to collect my thoughts. I looked at the towering pile of study materials on my desk and made up my mind. I dug out every last book and note, tore them to pieces, and threw them into the trash. Then, I deleted all the autopsy-related videos stored in my cloud drive. When I was done, I walked straight to the bar at the school entrance instead of heading to the library like I always did. I drank alone, swaying to the music, letting myself sink into the noise and lights. For the first time since forever, I emptied my brain of studying and immediately felt an odd sense of relief. In my previous life, I had been wound up tighter than a spring. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that my entire existence had revolved around studying. Alas, all of that had still been for naught as I became a pariah and was expelled from the academy. I partied until 10 p.m., when a message from Holly popped up, her tone puzzled. "Dakota, it's so late. Why aren't you back in the dorm studying?" I didn't bother replying. Instead, I tossed my phone aside and went back to dancing. When I didn't respond, she panicked and called me. I meant to hang up, but accidentally ended up answering. The moment the call connected, her anxious voice burst through. "Dakota, where are you? I went to the library to look for you. Why aren't you there?" After being forced to listen to her rapid-fire questions, I replied coolly, "What I do is none of your business. Just worry about yourself." I hung up immediately. After another hour, I finally returned to the dorm. The moment she saw me, Holly rushed over, clearly wanting to question me. I didn't even look at her as I climbed onto my bed and fell asleep. From then on, I slept through classes every day and went out to have fun the moment they ended. My mind was nowhere near studying. Naturally, Holly began to notice something was off. That day, I was at the bar playing games with some girls I had just met when Holly showed up with people in tow. Chapter 3 Playing Along Holly gaped at me in disbelief. "Dakota, how can you be drinking with people like this? The only thing that matters right now is your exam prep! The forensic certification is just two weeks away! Come back with me and study! "Don't you want that internship at the Criminal Investigation Department anymore?" She stepped forward, grabbed my wrist, and tried to persuade me earnestly. It definitely sounded like she was looking out for me, at least on the surface. However, the truth behind it all was that she was afraid that my slacking off would ruin her plans. How disgusting, and not to mention hypocritical. I shrugged her hand off and said coldly, "My life is none of your business. If you've got time to meddle in mine, then you'd be better off going back and reading a few more books, wouldn't you say?" My blunt rejection made her eyes redden instantly, her voice trembling with grievance. "Dakota, I only have your best interest at heart. How can you talk to me like that?" I couldn't be bothered. "Did I ask for it? No, I didn't think so. So, run along now and go back to wherever you came from." I made it clear she wasn't welcome, picked up my drink, and took a sip without sparing her a glance. That was enough to set her followers off. One of them snatched the glass right out of my hand and glared at me. "Dakota, don't push your luck! Holly came here herself, and you're still acting like this?" Another one shot me a cold look as well. "If it weren't for Holly, we wouldn't even bother with you. She's only here because she's kind and doesn't want to see you go down the wrong path. Yet, this is how you repay her?" They tried to pull Holly away, but she didn't move. Her gaze lingered on me, and I noticed a flicker of panic in her eyes for a split second. "Dakota, come back with me to study. You're not exactly well off. Your future will be ruined if you keep this up. We're classmates. I can't bear to watch you fall like this. Don't worry. I'm sure you'll still beat me in this exam." Her acting was flawless. I had to hand it to her. If I hadn't died once because of her Oscar-worthy performance, I might have bought that slop. When I saw how persistent she was, a devious idea started to form in my head. I came to the startling realization that I could make my revenge hurt way more if I gave her a little hope before taking it all away. After all, nothing was worse than being given false hope, no? So, I begrudgingly nodded as I tried not to grimace under her expectant gaze. "Fine. I'll go back and study." Holly kept a close eye on me after that. She would watch me head to the library every day, afraid I might slack off halfway. She even spent her own money to buy me stacks of study materials. "Dakota, these are all key exam topics. You have to go through them carefully! And these autopsy videos. I pulled some strings to get them from a forensic expert. Don't let my efforts go to waste!" I smiled and nodded. "I won't let you down." Only then did Holly finally relax. From that point on, I showed up at the library every day and stayed up late "studying" in bed at night. Meanwhile, Holly went back to her carefree life, and her followers bragged about her natural talent—how she didn't need to study like some small-town grind just to get good results. What she didn't know was that I spent my time in the library watching movies and scrolling through short videos. As night fell, I spent my hours reading novels. As for all the materials she bought for me? Hah! I sold every single one of them. Chapter 4 The Fall Before the Reveal The exam day arrived soon enough. Right before we entered the exam hall, Holly kept reminding me, saying, "Dakota, guess the ones you don't know, but you have to make sure the ones you do know are 100 percent correct!" I nodded, and only then did she walk in with a satisfied tilt of her chin. When the written test ended, my paper was filled from top to bottom. As soon as I walked out of the hall, Holly and her little clique were already waiting for me. She looked at me like I was a joke. "This exam was ridiculously easy. I could've gotten full marks with my eyes closed! Dakota, you might've worked hard, but you're still going down this time." I quirked a brow. "We'll see. It's not decided yet." Holly was still operating on the notion that I was still completely in the dark about her schemes. So, she covered her mouth and giggled. "Dakota, there's nothing wrong with admitting I'm better than you. "It doesn't matter what you think because you'll have to accept that fact when the results come out!" Her followers didn't hesitate to jeer at me, too. "Dakota, Holly was born for this. Someone like you, who can only grind your way through exams, could never compare!" "You're just a hardworking bookworm at best. At worst, you're Icarus." "Do you really think you can compete with Holly for a spot at the Criminal Investigation Department? Dream on!" I ignored their mockery and quietly turned to leave. All they got was the view of my trembling shoulders; they thought I had broken down in tears. In truth, I was trying my best not to cackle at their expense. The smugger Holly was now, the harder she would fall when the results came out. … On the day the results were released, Holly organized a gathering, loudly inviting the entire class and our mentor to witness her "moment of glory." Of course, I wasn't about to miss out on the action. After all, the show wouldn't be nearly as entertaining without me there. Holly started taking veiled jabs at me almost immediately after I took a seat. Joy. "Dakota, you've always worked so hard. If you pass, that'd be wonderful…" She paused deliberately before continuing with a meaningful tone, "But if you don't… wouldn't that be humiliating?" Her followers burst into peals of laughter immediately, not caring in the slightest that our mentor was present. "Dakota, this isn't like your usual school quizzes. You can't cut corners here. No tricks will help you on a forensic certification exam!" "And this time, Holly isn't holding back. She's going to crush you!" "I can't wait to see you lose it! Hahaha!" They took turns mocking me as if this were primo entertainment. I remained unfazed. "Ever heard the saying, 'Pride comes before a fall?'" Alas, they didn't take me seriously at all, assuming I was just putting on a brave front. Holly even put on a show of comforting me. "Dakota, don't be too upset. Hard work means nothing in the face of real talent. Try not to take it too hard. Sometimes, people just have to accept their fate, don't you think?" I simply smiled as I didn't want to waste my breath arguing with someone like her. If anything, I was far more interested in seeing who would truly break down once the results were revealed. Ten seconds before we were supposed to check the results, Holly insisted I go first. She was barely able to hide her excitement as she blurted, "Dakota, you go ahead. Let everyone see how the top student in our class performed this time!" Yet, she entered my exam number right in front of everyone without even waiting for my consent. Oh, the absolute gall. Still, my irritation was soothed the very next second when she froze and let out a sharp cry of dismay.