Reborn to Beat the Fake Heiress System

I caught my fiancé and the fake heiress in the act. They didn’t show an ounce of guilt; the heiress even laughed at me, full of mockery. “What I have isn’t just this,” she said. “Last year, I was bound to the Score-Boosting System. No matter what score you got on the SAT, I was always a little higher. Didn’t you notice?” “Natalie,” Vivian sneered, “as long as I’m around, you’ll never get ahead of me!” Anger surged through me. I wanted to take them down with me, but then a gas explosion struck, and the three of us were reborn at the same moment. I was welcomed back into the Sullivan family. Grandpa Sullivan declared that whoever became the SAT champion would inherit the family fortune. The fake heiress boasted proudly, “Natalie, don’t even try. You’ll always be my stepping stone!” I smiled. “If you’re always a little ahead of me, fine. I’ll just set the highest score in history.” Chapter 1 The results of the first practice SAT were out. I scored 1550, while the fake heiress, Vivian, got 810. Unlike the panic she felt the last time she saw practice test scores, there was a calm, confident look on her face, as if she had already claimed victory. Ethan, holding nine hundred and ninety-nine roses, froze for a moment, clearly planning to propose to me. Then, in a complete turnaround, he went down on one knee in front of Vivian. “Vivian, would you consider dating me, with marriage as the ultimate goal?” It was then I realized that all three of us had been reborn. The students crowding around the bulletin board erupted in shock as they checked their scores. “Wasn’t Ethan supposed to like Natalie? Why is he confessing to Vivian?” “Has he lost his mind? Natalie’s scores and looks are much better than Vivian’s. What is he thinking?” Vivian took the bouquet from Ethan and addressed the crowd, her eyes slightly red. “It’s not that I’m bad at studying,” she said. “It’s just that my sister is naturally sensitive and easily jealous, so I held back. “Now that the SAT is coming, Ethan chose me. I can’t let him down. From now on, I won’t restrain myself for you, Natalie.” As she finished, her eyes swept over me, and a trace of mockery peeked through, though she tried to hide it. The students sneered. “She’s just talking. Natalie hit over 1500 every time, and now 1550. How could someone scoring 800 even compare?” Ethan stood to back her up. “I can vouch for Vivian. Everything she said is true. She really is better than her sister. Before, she held back to protect Natalie’s pride.” Because Ethan had a good reputation, many students believed him. “I didn’t expect Vivian to be so thoughtful and kind toward Natalie. That’s really touching!” “But Natalie… why can’t she accept that her sister is better? That’s way too petty!” Hearing the comments, I couldn’t help but smile. Someone like Vivian, who loved to show off, would never hide even a fraction of her abilities if she truly had them. She certainly wouldn’t have let me, the person she hated most, keep her down for so many years. In my previous life, Vivian never got this chance to openly throw down a challenge. But now, she was bound to the system. Starting from the second practice test, all her scores would always be a little higher than mine. The system called it “preserving my sister’s dignity”, just a little higher was enough. This life shouldn’t be any different from the last. Even knowing she had the system boost, I couldn’t afford to slack off. I turned back to my seat and continued practicing problems. Vivian strode over to my desk, holding her bouquet like a trophy. “Natalie, the person you like just confessed to me. Looks like you lost!” I responded casually, “Oh, congratulations.” Seeing my calm reaction, she snorted and snatched the workbook from my desk. “You can try as hard as you want, but no matter what you do, you’ll always be my stepping stone! From today on, you’ll never have a chance to beat me again, my dear.” Chapter 2 I smiled. “We’ll see about that.” The second practice SAT came as scheduled. I scored 1550, and, just as expected, Vivian scored 1560, a little higher than me. It was the first time since entering our senior year that I hadn’t taken the top spot in the grade. The students swarming around the bulletin board went wild. “Oh my god, Vivian really wasn’t lying. She’s a genius! She passed Natalie without even trying!” Vivian stood in the center of the crowd, basking in their admiration, and envy. “I’ve said it before,” she announced proudly. “I held back before, but with the SAT coming up, of course I had to give it my all!” Meanwhile, I sat at my desk, calmly analyzing the situation. The system she was bound to always pushed her score a little higher than mine. Then an idea hit me: what if I didn’t take the exam? To test it, during the third practice, I pretended to be sick and went to the infirmary, skipping the test entirely. Sure enough, when the results came out, Vivian’s score stayed in the 800s. My theory was confirmed. As long as I skipped the exam, her true ability would be fully exposed. After figuring everything out, I returned to class. A circle of students had gathered around Vivian. Ethan was comforting her after her poor performance. “You’ve already been too considerate. Natalie was selfish. She threatened you and refused to let you surpass her.” “She’s wicked. She deserves punishment!” The students whispered and sneered at me. “To be jealous of your own sister, threatening her if she scored well… that’s just cruel!” “Vivian, you’ve been far too nice. Forget about Natalie. Let her do whatever she wants!” As I walked in, I could hear them gossiping and plotting against me. I stared at their faces. “What are you all talking about?” Vivian immediately put on a pitiful expression, acting as if I had bullied her. “It’s nothing, Natalie. We were just chatting… don’t take it to heart. It’s my fault. I just like to show off too much.” Ethan stood beside her, looking stern. “Natalie, you went too far this time! Knowing Vivian is better than you and still acting jealous? You couldn’t stand her outscoring you?” Watching them perform in perfect sync, I almost laughed. They knew her scores were purely the result of the system, yet they were acting like I was jealous of her talent. I said calmly, “Jealous of someone who couldn’t even get into high school on her own? Someone bought in with money? An idiot who can’t even copy homework correctly?” Vivian shot back. “Natalie, I know you look down on me, but you don’t need to slander me in front of our classmates! “I showed my real ability a few times, and you skipped the third practice test to threaten me… what else could I do to satisfy you?” I had no patience for her act. I turned back to my desk and practiced problems. I had already found a way to break the cycle. Tomorrow, the State would hold a math competition. The top three would receive guaranteed admission to Yale University. If I won, I wouldn’t have to take the SAT, and I wouldn’t have to be Vivian’s stepping stone. At dawn, I grabbed my backpack and headed out. I was scanning a shared bike at my doorstep when a motorcycle suddenly barreled toward me. I was thrown through the air in an instant. My vision went black, and I lost consciousness. When I woke up, I was lying in a rundown junkyard. Ethan was perched on a motorcycle, and beside him, Vivian had dumped the contents of my backpack onto the ground. She held up the math competition admission ticket and slapped it against my face. Chapter 3 “My dear, how do you plan to handle this differently? The SAT is your only way forward! “I don’t know what you’ve figured out, but it’s already five in the afternoon. You have no choice but to take the SAT. “You’re definitely going to compete with me for every single point on that test, right?” I stared at her. “If you want me to take the SAT so badly, then I’ll just refuse to take it!” In this life, I would rather end up with nothing, just like before. I wouldn’t let the woman in front of me rise to power on my back. As long as I skipped the SAT, Vivian could never use my scores to break through. But I never imagined they’d stoop to something so disgusting. Before I could react, Ethan grabbed my chin harshly. “I hear your adoptive mother is still receiving treatment at Whitmore Medical Center. If you refuse to take the exam, I don’t mind causing her a… little accident.” I stared at him in disbelief, then turned to Vivian. “Even if she is my adoptive mother, she’s also your biological mother. Are you both insane?” Vivian shrugged, indifferent. “That poor loser doesn’t deserve to be my mother.” “I am a Sullivan, and the heir to the Sullivan family!” “And you,” she spat, “should stay living in the mud!” “Remember to take the SAT. Don’t be late,” Vivian said viciously. They rode off on the motorcycle. A sudden thought struck me. If I couldn’t avoid the exam, and deliberately failing would ruin my future, then why not ace it instead? After all, in my previous life, I had taken the SAT and lost to Vivian. I had practiced that exact test dozens of times, memorizing every problem. Over the next few days, all I needed to do was consolidate and study properly, and I would achieve an unprecedented score. I pretended to compromise, throwing myself into intense practice and preparation. Seeing me work so hard, Vivian completely lost interest in studying. After celebrating her eighteenth birthday, she spent her days in the dorm goofing off with Ethan, even sneaking indulgences. I didn’t disappoint their expectations. In the subsequent practice tests, my scores stayed above 1550, and Vivian’s scores were always just a little higher. The night before the SAT, I accidentally found a positive pregnancy test in Vivian’s room. Once pregnant, there’s no turning back. That night, I slept soundly. The next morning, I walked into the exam hall full of energy. I was more focused than ever. Naturally gifted with a strong memory, I had practiced this test over a hundred times and could even recite the answers from memory. After leaving the exam hall, everyone was eager to know how I had done. I said only one thing: “Better than ever.” Before the scores were even released, Ethan arrived with Mrs. Whitmore to propose, planning to get engaged to Vivian. Mrs. Whitmore had initially looked displeased. After all, everyone knew Vivian was the impostor heiress. In a prestigious family, bloodlines mattered, an heir’s identity could never be handed to an illegitimate child. But Ethan repeatedly assured her that Vivian was exceptionally capable and could get into Yale. Grandpa Sullivan had already recognized her as the heir. Only then did Mrs. Whitmore agree to the proposal and finalize the engagement. On the day of the engagement, Vivian was ecstatic. Both she and Ethan wore expressions of absolute confidence. I watched them closely and couldn’t help but smile. When the SAT scores were finally released, to prove she was the rightful Sullivan heir, they even invited Grandpa Sullivan, relatives, friends, business partners, and media representatives to witness the moment. Chapter 4 “Grandpa Sullivan, you’re truly blessed. Both your granddaughters are at the top of their class, maybe one of them could even become the state SAT champion!” Grandpa Sullivan stroked his cane and gave me a calm, unreadable look. “Since everyone is here today, I’ll make it official: whichever of you, Natalie or Vivian, scores higher on the SAT will be recognized as the heir groomed by the Sullivan Group.” Mrs. Whitmore beside him nodded repeatedly. “Then it’s most likely my future daughter-in-law, Vivian. After all, in the recent exams, she has consistently outscored her sister!” At that, everyone immediately crowded around Vivian. “Vivian, you’re brilliant! The position of Sullivan family heir is definitely yours.” “Wow! With the union of the Sullivan and Whitmore families, if you become the Sullivan heir, Ethan will have every right to surpass his brother and inherit the Whitmore family! This is a perfect alliance of powerhouses!” “You’re so lucky, attending a prestigious school and getting engaged to the man you love!” Finally, it was time to check the scores. Vivian and I logged onto the website at the same time, but both pages were blank. Many onlookers praised Grandpa Sullivan. “It seems both girls are in the top 50 in the state. The scores have been hidden. The Sullivan family is truly blessed!” “Let’s see who really comes out on top.” Vivian, calm and composed, walked over to me. “Thanks for working so hard. That way, you could be my stepping stone. Natalie, all your life, you’ve been my defeated subordinate.” I sneered. “Is that so? I happen to think I might not lose this time.” Ethan looked at me mockingly. “Natalie, don’t be so confident. Sometimes, things are just destined.” The students standing nearby chimed in. “Vivian is simply better at learning. She doesn’t even need to study, yet she scores higher than you. Can’t you just admit it?” “Don’t be stubborn. I bet this time Vivian manipulated the scores again, just a little above her sister!” I ignored their sarcasm. Vivian pretended to be magnanimous. “It’s fine. I heard Yale gets advance notice and calls to recruit students.” She was right. Yale did call. But not for her. They called for me. In front of everyone, I answered call after call from admissions offices, listening to the country’s top universities offer me extremely generous terms. Everyone’s jaws dropped in shock. A reporter couldn’t help but speak. “Even last year’s state champion didn’t get this kind of treatment. Could Miss Sullivan be the national SAT champion?” Vivian’s face darkened. The next second, a sudden burst of firecrackers went off outside. The principal and homeroom teacher, along with a group of officials, entered jubilantly. Vivian beamed. “Looks like the best things come personally!” I was slightly surprised. Could it be that, in this second life, the grading standards had shifted, and my perfect essay had points deducted? Before I could figure it out, a group of people dressed as police officers appeared beside Vivian. “Vivian, you are suspected of SAT cheating. Please come with us.” “Impossible!” Vivian screamed hysterically. “You can’t accuse me of cheating just because I scored high!” Ethan stepped forward to block the officers. “On what basis are you claiming Vivian cheated? Did someone report her? That’s all false!” He shot a sharp glare at me as he spoke. The officer spoke reluctantly. “No one even needed to report it. “Vivian’s SAT score is 1610, while the maximum possible score is 1600!”