Reborn to Watch My Class Destroy Their Futures

The day before the SAT, the homecoming queen, Madison Freeman, lets out a shrill scream. "Everyone, you should skip out on the test! Luna AI is paying out five million dollars!" She pulls up the insurance agreement she has signed with Luna AI on her phone and shows it to everyone. As long as we miss the SAT, we will get five million dollars in compensation. "We're all Acorn League material. Skipping the SAT just means repeating senior year." "This is five million dollars we're talking about. We could work our butts off our whole lives and never earn that much." In my previous life, I had called 911 and spent forever explaining that Luna AI was just an AI and couldn't actually pay out. The cops literally dragged every single person into the exam hall. But because of it, Madison was ridiculed and cyberbullied so hard that she couldn't take it anymore and jumped off a building. The whole class then cornered me on the rooftop and poured acid all over me. "If it weren't for you, Madison would still be alive." They watched me thrash in agony and then kicked me off the edge. When I open my eyes again, I am right back at the moment Madison is hyping everyone up to blow off the SAT. I quietly watch every single one of them sign the agreement with Luna AI. I can't wait to see who they plan on collecting those five million dollars from. Chapter 1 Madison dropped the agreement she'd signed with Luna AI into the group chat. Luna AI was listed as Party A, and Madison was Party B. "Following friendly negotiations, both parties have reached the following agreement regarding compensation for SAT delays. "If Party B is unable to enter the exam hall and take the SAT due to an accidental delay, Party A shall bear the liability for compensation. "Within three days, Party A shall make a one-time compensation payment of five million dollars to Party B." The class group chat instantly exploded, and messages flooded the screen at lightning speed. "Five million dollars? Is this for real? Madison, you're not messing with us, are you?" Madison sent a voice message, her voice trembling with excitement. "You've seen the agreement for yourself, so how could it be fake? Luna AI even signed and stamped it, making it legally binding." "But what if Luna AI refuses to honor it?" someone asked. Madison sneered. "Hello? We're in the Acorn League prep class. Name one person here who isn't scoring above 1,500. You really think a company as massive as Luna AI is going to pull a stunt like that and trash their reputation? "Even if they don't care about looking bad, the corporation behind them sure does! So, we skip this one SAT—big deal. We can retake it next year and still walk right into an Acorn League school. This is five million dollars we're talking about, guys!" I stared at that screenshot of the Luna AI agreement and thought that these people had completely lost their minds. Luna AI was just an AI. It had no legal personhood, no assets of its own, and no bank account. Even if it wanted to pay out, where was the money supposed to come from? In my previous life, I had painstakingly tried to explain this to everyone, but no one listened. If anything, they accused me of not being able to stand seeing other people succeed and being jealous that they were about to strike it rich. Thus, I wasn't going to say anything this time around. I couldn't wait to see who they planned on collecting those five million dollars from. My phone buzzed. My best friend, Bernice Ward, had sent me a message. "Constance Nichol, look—five million dollars! Are you going to sign the agreement?" In my previous life, I was the one who dragged Bernice out of the mall and straight to the exam hall. She'd been convinced that a life-changing fortune was about to rain down on her and was all set to follow Madison on a shopping spree. It was I who called her parents and physically hauled her away. Later, she stood at the very front of the crowd that threw acid at me. "Constance, you destroyed my dream of getting rich overnight! You ruined my only shot at turning my life around!" The searing pain from that incident still felt fresh on my face. I gripped my phone so hard that my knuckles went white. "I'm going to pass. I don't have that kind of luck. You guys can go ahead and sign." Madison posted a complete guide on how to trick Luna AI into signing the insurance agreement. "Guys, make sure you screen-record the whole thing. If Luna AI tries to back out, this can all be used as evidence. I'll have my cousin, who works at a law firm, Gerald Compton, sue them into the ground. We'll bankrupt them so hard that they don't even know what hit them." She started a sign-up chain in the group chat. "Madison Freeman—signed." "Bernice Ward—signed." "Kirk Holloway—signed." The chain kept going until it hit 32 people. The class had 33 students in total. Madison tagged me in the chat, the tone of her text dripping with mockery. "Aren't you going to sign? Constance, do you think you're better than everyone else, or do you just think the whole class is beneath you?" I was about to respond when my childhood friend, Raul Dorsey, called me. "Can you just stop going after Madison for once and just sign the agreement? Who do you think you are anyway? You think you're better than everyone else in this class?" In my previous life, he was the one who delivered the final kick that sent me to my death. "If you keep refusing to fit in, don't ever call yourself my girlfriend again. Our engagement is off! I can't afford to be humiliated like this," he added. I let out a cold laugh. "Get lost. I don't have a boyfriend as stupid as you." With that, I hung up and blocked him. "We agreed that none of us would take the SAT. Only if enough people joined in would Luna AI take us seriously. That's the only way we'll get paid!" Several people also tagged me. "Constance, hurry up and sign the agreement. You're literally the only one left." "Don't act like you're too good for this!" "You don't want to sign because you want to screw the rest of us over. Is that it?" Chapter 2 Madison sent a voice message to the group, her voice thick with tears. "Everyone, stop. I know Constance has never liked me because she thinks I stole her boyfriend. But this is about everyone's future." She sniffled, sounding even more wounded now. "Jake Fulton's mom works at an electronics factory, assembling thousands of parts every day until the strain leaves her cervical spine severely damaged. Yet, she still can't afford treatment. "Christina Roth's parents are up before dawn every single day selling fish, waiting for her to make something of herself so she can support the whole family. "Constance, you can hate me all you want. But just this once, could you maybe set aside your petty personal grudge and stand with us?" She paused, then dealt the final blow. "Or is it just that you can't stand seeing other people succeed?" That set the entire class off, especially the people whose names she'd dropped. "Constance, you're disgusting, you know that? No wonder Raul chose Madison over you. You're just a bitter, jealous chick who can't handle watching anyone else win." "You want to stay broke? Fine. But don't drag the rest of us down with you. What gives you the right to do that anyway?" "Do I need to remind you that this is five million dollars we're talking about? Are you blind or just heartless?" Madison immediately put on her peacemaking voice again. "Guys, stop attacking Constance. She's probably shocked by the five million dollars because she's never seen that kind of money before. Please, whatever you do, don't go to her house and pressure her to sign the agreement. "And definitely don't bother her family. I just want all of us to stick together, like we're the closest of friends—forever." I almost laughed out of sheer disbelief. She was basically telling everyone to stir up trouble at my house. As expected, the messages started pouring in the second her voice message finished playing. "Raul, let's all go to Constance's place. We'll hold her hand down and make her sign if we have to." "You got it. I'll pick you up on my bike. Be there in five," Raul replied without hesitation. They were actually going to come after me. I considered calling the police, but it was already late. Calling them now would mean dragging this entire incident out until the middle of the night, which would seriously mess up my performance in tomorrow's exam. Just then, my mom, Trina Kane, knocked on my bedroom door. "Constance, why are you still up? Your exam is tomorrow. Don't study too late." I replied to her and immediately turned off the light. They just wanted me to sign the agreement with Luna AI, right? "You don't need to come over. I'll sign it," I messaged the group chat. I figured that it was better to back down than to fight a losing battle. Following the guide Madison posted in the group chat, I screen-recorded the entire process and signed the agreement with Luna AI, which stipulated a five-million-dollar compensation for missing the exam. "Constance Nichol—signed." I completed the final chain message. "That's more like it," Raul texted sarcastically in the group chat. "You just had to be difficult by making us all beg you. You think you're all that, don't you?" "Let's all meet at Millennium Mall at 8:00 am tomorrow and buy whatever we want." "Yeah, we're about to have five million dollars anyway. No way we can spend it all." "Constance, don't even think about sneaking into the exam hall. If I don't see you shopping with us tomorrow, I'm really calling off our engagement! I mean it!" Raul threatened. "If you dare take the exam, we'll expel you from this class!" The class president, Mitch Fletcher, also sent a stern message, followed by an angry emoji. "Our class doesn't need a traitor like you." I turned off my phone. As if I would care! They were all a bunch of idiots anyway. Chapter 3 At 8:00 am the next day, Mom made a hearty and nutritious breakfast for me. As I ate, I scrolled through the group chat with great amusement. They were already on a celebratory shopping spree, flaunting their purchases. Madison posted a selfie of herself at the mall holding three bags. The caption read, "I spent close to 100 thousand dollars. My arms are about to fall off. Once the five million dollars comes through, I'm buying out the entire mall." Raul commented below, "Madison, you're such a baller! I dropped 100 thousand dollars on a Rolex too." Bernice sent a voice message, her voice trembling with excitement. "I maxed out all three of my parents' credit cards, totaling 50 thousand dollars. But who cares? The five million dollars will hit our accounts in three days anyway." The group chat was buzzing with joy, as if the five million dollars were already sitting in their bank accounts. Suddenly, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Raul. "Constance, why aren't you here yet? If you don't come, there'll be hell to pay. I swear I won't let you off easy!" I cursed him for being an idiot and ignored him. After double-checking that I had all my stationery and ID card, I looked up at Mom. "Mom, let's leave through the underground garage. Oh, and could you please call the police for me?" I smiled and handed her my phone with the group chat records. "Over 30 people are plotting to stop me from taking the SAT. I've already taken screenshots as evidence." Mom's expression darkened instantly. Without asking any questions, she picked up her phone and dialed 911. In less than ten minutes, the local police station called back to confirm that additional officers had been deployed around the exam hall and assured me that I could take my SAT with peace of mind. I took my backpack and got into the car. Mom dropped me off on a street just outside the exam hall, since parking any closer would have been inconvenient. She took my hand and said, "Constance, if anyone tries to stop you, just shout for the police. I'll also be waiting nearby." I looked back and smiled. "Relax, Mom. Just wait for my good news." I made my way through the crowd toward the exam hall. As expected, a dense crowd of 32 people stood waiting on the sidewalk right outside the gates. "Great, Constance. I knew you'd pull something like this. You think you're better than us? That you're the only one who has life all figured out?" Raul was the first to rush over. With his height and long legs, he quickly closed the distance and clamped his big hand around my wrist without hesitation. Behind him stood Madison and the rest of the class. Everyone was here, waiting, just to stop me from taking the exam. Madison stepped forward and fixed her eyes on me. "Constance, why are you so determined to make things hard for yourself? When the whole class signed, you were the last one. And when we all went shopping, you decided to take the exam instead. Do you have any idea how ridiculous you look right now?" She turned to the classmates around her and raised her voice. "Look at our straight-A student, showing up at the exam hall early in the morning with her ratty old backpack, as if that somehow makes her smarter than the rest of us." The crowd burst into laughter. Bernice stood next to Madison, clutching two Louis Vuitton shopping bags. She rolled her eyes at me and said, "Wake up, Constance. So what if you get into an Acorn League college? Can you earn five million dollars in your entire lifetime working some job? "Madison said that as long as we all skip the SAT together, Luna AI will have to pay up. And if it doesn't, we'll sue them. A big company like that can't afford the bad press." I looked at her, finding her both unfamiliar and laughable. In my previous life, she had been the first to throw acid at me. In this life, she was still spouting the same old lines. Raul leaned close to my ears and whispered threateningly, "If you know what's good for you, you'll come with us. There's still time for you to go to the mall and buy something. Don't make us lay a hand on you in front of all these people." I tilted my head and looked at him, smiling. "Raul, you bought that Rolex on your wrist with your dad, Oscar Dorsey's, card, didn't you? Does Mr. Dorsey's little factory even make 100 thousand dollars a year in profit?" Raul blanched. "And you, Bernice." I turned to her. "You maxed out all three of your parents' credit cards. How are you planning to pay next month's bills? By selling a kidney?" Bernice's smile froze. I looked at Madison, my gaze landing on the fancy bag in her hands. "Madison, is that bag even real? Because a real one costs tens of thousands of dollars. Do your parents even make that much in a year? Or are you counting on Luna AI to foot the bill?" Madison's expression finally darkened. She bit her lip, her eyes turning cold and vicious. Chapter 4 "Drop the act, Constance. You're too scared to get rich yourself, so you can't stand seeing others get rich, right? You're just a coward. You'll never be anything but a wage slave—squished on the subway, living in some rented dump forever. "When we signed the agreement, we took screen recordings as evidence. So, there's no way Luna AI can weasel out of it. Meanwhile, you've got nothing except for that pathetic pride of yours." Madison grew increasingly agitated as she spoke. Her voice turned shrill, drawing glances from passersby. "You think you've won just by showing up to take the SAT? So what if you get into an AcornLeague college? After you graduate, you'll still end up working for someone who didn't even get into college. Just who the hell do you think you are?" Raul chimed in from the side. "Exactly! Madison's right! You're just jealous and can't stand to see anyone succeed." The crowd began to stir. Some pushed forward, some raised their phones to record the scene, and some shouted, "Stop wasting your breath and just drag her away!" I glanced at my watch. It was 8:20 am. There were still 40 minutes before it was time to check in for the exam. I eyed them coldly and said, "Move." Then, I gritted my teeth and shoved Madison hard onto the ground. She screamed in panic. Raul and the other classmates immediately scattered to help her up. Seizing the gap, I sprinted toward the exam hall with everything I had. "Constance, stop right there!" Raul charged after me like a madman, reaching out to grab me. But before he could even touch my shoulder, two uniformed police officers had already seized him from both sides. "What do you think you're doing?" one officer barked. "Are you trying to get yourself arrested by causing a scene at a SAT exam hall, of all places?" Raul struggled hard, his face flushing red. "She's my girlfriend, and this is between her and me!" "Girlfriend?" The officer looked at him coldly. "She just told us that you're not her boyfriend." Raul's mouth opened, but no words came out. Panicking, Madison rushed over in her high heels. "Officers, we're all classmates. We were just messing around, really!" she explained, her voice sharp and shrill. But the police officers weren't buying any of it. "Messing around with the SAT? Do you have any idea where you are? You've got over 30 people blocking the entrance to the SAT exam hall to stop students from going in to take their exam—and you call that messing around?" Madison burst into pitiful sobs, tears streaming down her face in an instant. "We really didn't mean any harm. We were just trying to persuade her—" "Persuade me to do what?" I turned back and looked at Madison, my smile faint. "For me to go along with you? To max out my parents' credit cards and give up on the SAT? Don't worry, Madison. I'm not that stupid." I handed over my ID and, escorted by the police, made my way through the crowd toward the entrance of the exam hall. Just then, Raul's desperate, gut-wrenching shout rang out from behind me. "Constance, you will definitely regret this!" I stopped walking and looked over my shoulder. "Raul, the thing I regret the most is ever knowing a bunch of idiots like you," I said, my voice quiet but loud enough for him to hear. Then, I walked in without so much as a backward glance. Just as I was about to hand over my phone, the screen lit up with a message Madison had sent to the group chat. "What can you do? Constance just doesn't have the luck to strike it rich. The five million dollars will be ours to enjoy. Some people are just destined to be poor their whole lives." I smiled and turned off my phone. The bell rang at 9:00 am. I settled in and began working through the exam with unwavering focus. They failed to stop me from sitting the first exam, and they didn't bother me again for the rest of it. I was in top form throughout, and I estimated my total score to be close to 1,500. Once everything was settled, I finally picked up my phone to read through the class group chat. Their spending had gotten even more out of control. "Check out my brand new car!" "I bought a second-hand BMW X5. It'll be paid off in three days anyway, so why not just go for it?" The picture attached was of a BMW steering wheel. "Thank you, Luna AI, for making me successful at such a young age. And thanks to Madison for leading us to riches." I quickly scrolled down. Over those three days, they had done nothing but spend money. I scrolled all the way to the bottom, where that day's messages began. "It's been almost 72 hours now. We should be getting the payout from Luna AI any minute now, right?" "Relax. It'll definitely come before midnight tonight. If it doesn't, I'll eat shit." Three days had indeed passed since the first exam they'd skipped. "I'll just sit back and wait for the money then. I had my family mortgage the house and take out a 400-thousand loan. It was so satisfying to spend it all. Even though my parents chewed me out for that, once the money comes in, I'll make them get down on their knees and apologize." "Once the money hits my account, I'm going to buy my parents a new three-bedroom apartment! And I'll get my younger brother a Panamera!" That night, everyone waited until midnight. "Um… my payout hasn't come in yet. Has anyone else gotten theirs?" Bernice sent the voice message in the group chat right on the dot, her voice trembling. There was a three-second silence in the group chat, and then all hell broke loose.