Reborn Before Finals I Let the Golden Students Destroy Themselves

The day before finals. The class heartthrob's birthday.

Samantha Gilbertclass president and said heartthrob's girlfriendproposed that everyone hit a bar to celebrate, a pre-exam send-off for the Elite Track.

The top students voted unanimously in favor.

In my last life, I was the academic chair. I'd blocked that absurd idea, argued that the night before the most important exam of our lives was no time for alcohol and partiesthat it would wreck everyone's performance.

Samantha's face went cold. "You're jealous again."

Our classmates sneered. "Always acting so above it all. You're just bitter that Samantha treats Roger so well."

I ignored their mockery. I begged them not to go.

I even stayed up calling each of them, one by one, confirming they were home and resting. The next morning, I waited at the exam site in the sweltering heat, phoning everyone to make sure they left on time.

They crushed the exam.

But when scores came out, so did the newsRoger James had gone to that bar alone to celebrate. A wealthy woman had taken interest. He'd been found beaten nearly to death, bones shattered, bleeding out. Rushed to the hospital.

When Samantha heard, she lost her mind.

She rallied the entire class. They pushed me off the roof.

I died on impact.

When police questioned them, they lied in perfect unison:

"He threatened us. Said if anyone tried to help Roger, they could forget about taking the exam."

"He got scared when it backfired. Jumped."

Those calls I'd made that night? The security footage of me counting heads at the exam site? All twisted into "evidence" of my guilt.

The internet tore me apart. Some psycho doused my family's home in motor oil and set it ablaze.

My parents burned alive.

Samantha lived next door. She stood on her balcony, arms crossed, watching my mother and father scream themselves hoarseand only called the fire department after they stopped.

I didn't learn the truth until after I died.

Roger James had orchestrated everything.

Now I'm back.

When Samantha laced her fingers through Roger's and announced, all smiles, "See everyone at the bar tonight"

I grabbed my bag and walked out.

This time, let them make their own mess.

I'm done trying to save people who'd sooner see me dead.

1.

"Even though he bullied me over family stuff and threatened our classmates not to rescue me... he's gone now. I forgive him."

He sighed, perfectly rehearsed. "But I have trauma around the exam now. I can't bring myself to retake it. I've decided to study abroad instead. I know I promised everyone I'd get into Stonebridge UniversityI'm sorry to let you down."

He'd built his whole persona on being the "genius heartthrob," the guy destined for the nation's top school.

His followers ate it up. Called him an inspiration, a survivor who rose above tragedy. He gained a million new fans overnight.

The second the stream ended, he was tangled up with his sugar mama, smirking ear to ear:

"I cheated on every single test. If I'd actually sat for finals, I'd have been exposed in a heartbeat. Lucky I came up with this schemeand bonus, it covered up your husband finding out about us and landing me in the hospital."

He stretched lazily. "Originally, I was gonna lure Samantha to the bar that night. Get her pregnant. Marry into money. But that dog Daryl Shepherd ruined it."

A shrug. "Whatever. Samantha's so broken up about what happened, she swore she'd marry me the second I recover."

His laughter cut through me like shattered glass.

I wanted to claw his throat out.

Then

A voice. Familiar. Dripping with contempt.

"Daryl Shepherd, what's with that face?"

"Roger's birthday wish was to celebrate with the whole class. He invited you. The least you could do is act grateful instead of standing there looking disgusted."

"Then again, Roger streams every day and still outranks Daryl. Meanwhile, Daryl grinds himself to death just to place third. Jealousy's an ugly look."

"He's been kissing up to Samantha so obviously, and she doesn't even give him the time of day. Now that she's throwing a birthday party for Roger, he's totally losing it."

I froze, the realization hitting me like a thunderboltthis was the night before the college entrance exam.

I pinched myself. Hard.

It hurt. But I was tremblingnot from pain, but from sheer, overwhelming excitement.

I've actually been reborn.

Seeing me standing there with my head down, saying nothing, a few classmates who'd always been decent to me spoke up.

"Are we being too harsh? Daryl was just looking out for us..."

Roger let out a theatrical sigh.

"Daryl, I had no idea you hated me this much. Cursing everyone to bomb their exams? Come on. We're the Elite Trackyou really think one birthday outing is going to tank our scores?"

Samantha immediately stepped in front of him, her voice dripping with contempt.

"Don't waste your concern on us. We're not like youso terrified of a little test that you're running to the bathroom every five minutes. And then you blame your garbage scores on a few extra trips?"

She tossed her hair. "The college entrance exam is nothing. For geniuses like us, it's a breeze."

The whole class erupted in laughter.

My fists clenched. A dull ache spread through my chest.

During the placement exam in junior year, stress had wrecked my stomach. Every time I tried to focus, I'd need the bathroom. The constant interruptions destroyed my concentration, and I'd missed the cutoff for the Elite Track by a handful of points.

Afterward, I'd hidden in an empty study room, drowning in disappointment.

Samantha had found me there. She'd rushed in and thrown her arms around me, her voice soft with concern.

"I had my housekeeper make congee for you. You need to eat something. I knew you'd be hiding somewhere, beating yourself up over this." She'd squeezed my hand. "It's okay. One bad exam doesn't define you. There's always next time. I'll tutor you myselfand we'll get into the same university together..."

But the moment Roger transferred in, everything changed.

I took a deep breath and unclenched my fists.

Ignoring their laughter, I gathered my things and slung my bag over my shoulder.

"You're right. Since that's how it is, have fun tonight."

I didn't explode the way they expected. I didn't cry.

Their laughter died in their throats, the sport suddenly gone out of their mockery.

Someone shrugged and turned back to the group, enthusiasm rekindled. "Let's do the fruit wineonly three percent alcohol. Definitely won't affect the exam."

I let out a quiet scoff.

One glass of that bar's fruit wine could flatten a grown adult. Dad's hospital regularly admitted people with alcohol poisoning from that exact place.

In my past life, that was precisely why I'd begged them not to go.

But this time? I wasn't going to stop anyone.

I shouldered my bag and headed for the door.

But Samantha didn't look satisfied. If anything, her brow furrowed deeper as she watched me.

The moment I moved to leave, her hand shot out and locked around my wrist.

"No. You're coming with us."

The room went silent. Everyone stared at me in confusion.

"Why would he come? He'll just kill the vibe and bring everyone down."

Roger's expression shifted to concernthe practiced kind.

"What if Daryl comes tonight and bombs his exam tomorrow? He'll blame me for ruining his score. I can't deal with that kind of guilt."

His eyes were wary, guardedlike he was terrified I might actually take Samantha up on her offer.

And why wouldn't he be? If I tagged along, how was he supposed to get her tipsy and make his move?

Samantha let out a sharp laugh.

"Daryl's too clever for his own good. Don't you remember what happened during the Dragon Boat Festival break? The English teacher forgot to assign homework, and this one"she jerked her chin at me"actually called her to ask for worksheets. Then he texted every single one of you to make sure you knew. Ruined the entire holiday."

The classroom went dead quiet. The looks people gave me shiftedharder now, resentful.

I smiled, bitter and self-mocking.

Those worksheets were practice exams from the top prep school in the province. They'd predicted dozens of actual test questions the year before. The teacher had specifically requested them to help boost everyone's scores.

I was afraid everyone would miss the exam, so I reminded them one by one.

But what I thought was being responsible turned out to be a crime in their eyes.

Samantha looked at me with mockery dripping from her gaze.

"Watchhe'll run home and call our parents again. Little snitch."

I finally snapped. "I don't have time for that."

I forced my voice steady. "I promise I won't say anything. I won't call anyone. Okay? I just want to go home, rest, and do well on the exam tomorrow."

I tried to pry her fingers off my arm, but she used the motion to snatch my bag instead.

"What are you doing?!" I shouted, my stomach plummeting.

The next second, she pulled out my exam admission ticket and waved it in the air.

The blood drained from my face. I lunged for it. "Are you insane? Give it back!"

Samantha tossed it to Roger like she was playing fetch with a dog. Roger flicked it to another classmate.

They watched me scramble back and forth, grabbing at air, and laughed like it was the funniest thing they'd ever seen.

Samantha looked down at me, queen to peasant.

"Your promises mean nothing to me. The ticket's mine now. You want to take that exam tomorrow? Then behave. Don't ruin Roger's birthday."

My eyes burned. My voice shook.

"Samantha, give it back. Don't make me hate you."

Something flickered in her expression when she saw the raw hatred in my eyes. Her tone softenedjust a fraction.

"All you have to do is keep your mouth shut, and I'll return it. We promised we'd get into the same university, remember? Of course I'll give it back."

"Just don't ruin Roger's eighteenth birthday."

I stared at her earnest face, and my heart sank inch by inch.

Eighteen years. We'd grown up together for eighteen years.

And my entire future meant less to her than Roger's party.

My whole body trembled. I couldn't look away from her.

She avoided my gaze, turning to the crowd with a bright smile.

"Crisis averted! Everyone can relax and enjoy the party now."

Roger was on her instantly, pulling her into his arms. His voice dropped low, intimate.

"Thank you, Samantha. This party is the best gift I could ask for."

Her ears flushed red, but she didn't push him away. If anything, she leaned in, her palm settling against his chest.

"As long as you're happy."

The room erupted in catcalls and whistles.

"I don't think the party's his best giftI think you are, Samantha!"

"You're both legal adults now. A kiss isn't too much to ask, right?"

Samantha swatted at them playfully. "Oh, stop it."

But she couldn't hide the excitement dancing in her eyes.

I stood apart from them, watching. My nails dug into my palms so hard I nearly drew blood.

Laugh. Have your fun.

Let's see if you're still laughing tomorrow when you're staring at your exam papers.

I didn't bother asking for my bag back. I turned to leave.

But they weren't about to let me go.

Samantha's voice rang out like a verdict. "Don't let him leave. Lock him in the gym."

"We'll let him out after the party's over."

I glared at her, thrashing against the hands grabbing me. "You've lost your mind! Let go of me!"

Several guys swarmed in, wrenching my arms behind my back and dragging me toward the abandoned gym.

They hurled me onto the concrete floor. My arm scraped against the rough surface, leaving a smear of blood.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Samantha's facegone in an instant, replaced by something almost gleeful.

She brought her heel down on my phone. Once. Twice. She didn't stop until the screen went black and stayed that way.

"Don't be so jealous," she said soothingly, like she was calming a child. "Just wait here like a good boy."

"I'm the class president. I'm just helping a classmate celebrate his birthday. If it were your birthday, I'd do the same thing."

"Stay put. I'll come back for you, and we'll walk home together."

The door slammed shut.

The heavy iron door slammed shut, plunging everything into darkness.

I lay sprawled on the ground, my voice raw and shredded as I screamed for help.

I lost track of time. Thenfootsteps outside.

I practically threw myself at the door. "Help me"

The door swung open.

It was Dad.

His face was tight with panic. He rushed in and pulled me into his arms.

"Son? What happened? I kept calling but couldn't get through. When I called Samantha, she said you were at some party."

"You'd never go out partying right before the college entrance examI knew something was wrong! I came looking for you immediately. I never imagined you'd be locked inside the school!"

"Was it Samantha? What's gotten into that girl?"

Two lifetimes apart, and here he wasalive, breathing, real.

I collapsed into his chest and sobbed.

Dad froze, completely at a loss. "Don't be scared. Tell me what happened."

"I'm fine." I wiped my tears and forced myself to stay calm.

Crashing their little party now would be letting them off too easy.

I wanted them to regret this for the rest of their lives.

When Mom arrived and saw the cuts and bruises covering my body, her expression shifted instantly.

But I just whispered, "I'm okay, Mom. I don't want to go to college here anymore. I want to study abroadsettle overseas with you and Dad."

In my past life, I'd given up an acceptance letter from a prestigious foreign university, all because Samantha had said, "Let's go to college together."

I'd taken the national exam instead.

And look where that got me.

This time, I wasn't going to gamble on her actually keeping my exam admission ticket safe.

This exam? I was done with it.

Back home, I passed out and slept fitfully until the early hours, my dreams filled with flashes of my previous life.

When I woke again, my pillow was soaked with tears.

I dried my eyes, swapped my SIM card into an old phone, and powered it on.

My feed was flooded with updates from classmatesand from Samantha and Roger.

In one photo, Roger was leaning back against Samantha's chest, his face flushed as he grinned up at her. She gazed down at him, the picture of tenderness.

I glanced at it once, then noticed the empty fruit wine cans piled on the table behind them.

That much alcohol? Forget affecting their exam performancesome of them might not even wake up tomorrow.

Someone had posted a video. The crowd was chanting: "Kiss! Kiss!"

Samantha pressed herself against Roger, kissing him desperately, deeplya thin string of saliva still connecting their lips when they finally pulled apart.

Disgust churned in my stomach. I closed the video.

The latest post was from Roger. Clearly set to only visible to me.

I opened it. Heavy, ragged breathing filled my ears.

I frowned at the two bodies tangled together on screen. I didn't need to look closely to know the other person was Samantha.

Roger's voice came through between gasps, dripping with mockery:

"Daryl, Samantha says she loves me best. Says she wants to have my baby as a birthday present. What makes a boring little bookworm like you think you can compete with me?"

Then he sent a photo of an exam admission tickettorn to shreds.

"I made her choose between you and me. To prove her loyalty, she ripped up your ticket. Said this way she won't have to go to the same university as you. Gives her an excuse to finally dump you."

"Can't wait to see you fall apart tomorrow, haha. Consider this an early congratulations on repeating senior year. Enjoy being a super-senior! "

Even though I'd already braced myself for my ticket being destroyed, seeing those scattered pieces still made my breath catch. A dull ache spread through my chest.

Three years of sleepless nights. Three years of relentless effort.

Gone. Just like that. Destroyed on a whim.

The sound of a phone ringing drifted in from the living room.

I opened my door just as Dad answered, his face shifting to shock. "What? A Westbridge High student? A senior about to take the exam? Alcohol poisoning?" He grabbed his keys. "I'm on my way."

His face was pale, drenched in sweat.

When he looked up and saw me, he assumed I was worried about my classmates and rushed to reassure me.

"Don't be scared. It might not be anyone from your class. I'm heading over nowand even if it is them, I'll do everything I can to get them back on their feet. I won't let anything interfere with tomorrow's exam."

I looked at my father's anxious face, and my mind drifted to my previous life.

Back then, I'd been so worried that my classmates had actually gone out drinking that I'd dragged my father to the school bus stop with me the next morning. I just wanted him nearby in case someone showed up hungoverhe could help them recover quickly.

But those ungrateful bastards had turned around and told everyone the same lie: that my father had come to help me threaten them.

That lie was why those deranged internet vigilantesclaiming to avenge Rogerhad shown up at our door.

That lie was why my family was dead.

Not this time.

This time, I would never let my father get dragged into this mess.

The next morning, I ate the breakfast my father made with his own hands, then took the bus to school.

The minutes ticked closer to departure time, but the pickup point for the college entrance exam shuttle was eerily quiet.

The teachers' expressions grew darker by the second.

"What's going on? Is the Elite Track planning to skip the exam entirely?"

Mr. Bennett rushed over, looking like he hadn't slept in days. Behind him trailed a handful of students, their faces ashen.

The moment they saw me, their eyes darted awayguilty, regretful.

Principal Harrington's face was thunderous as he listened to Mr. Bennett's stammering explanation. His fury finally boiled over.

"I told youtold youto watch what you eat before the exam! To get proper rest! And what do you do? Go out drinking at a bar the night before?!"

"Now only five of you can even sit for the exam! The rest are in the hospital getting their stomachs pumpedand some are in the ICU?!"

"Have you all lost your minds? You want to destroy your own futures, finebut did you have to take my career down with you?!"

His shouting drew the attention of nearby parents and reporters.

"Good lord. We're over here cooking every meal with surgical precision, and these kids go and drink themselves into alcohol poisoning."

"Going out partying and drinking right before the biggest exam of their lives? Some 'academic elite.' They're no better than delinquents."

"My kid's grades aren't anything special, but at least she knows how to take responsibility for herself. These top students' parents must be losing their minds."

"I've been in media for years, and I've never seen an entire class drink themselves out of taking the college entrance exam." The reporters raised their cameras.

Principal Harrington's face had gone from red to gray. He clutched his chest, voice cracking with despair. "I'm finished. The school is finished!"

Ms. Parkerwho had always favored Samantha and Rogerwent pale. "Where are Samantha and Roger? They're our best shots at Stonebridge University!"

Mr. Bennett kept his head down, his voice rough. "We can't reach them. We've already called the police."

Principal Harrington staggered. His face darkened further, one hand pressed over his heart. Then his gaze landed on me, and something like hope flickered in his eyes.

"Daryl is a good kiddidn't get caught up in their nonsense. We might still salvage one Stonebridge acceptance this year."

I lowered my eyes, letting a look of regret cross my face. "Samantha was afraid I'd report her. She took my exam admission ticket. She still hasn't shown up... I might not be able to take the test."

Thud.

Principal Harrington collapsed.

Chaos erupted. Some rushed him to the hospital. Others herded the remaining students toward the exam site.

I boarded the bus. The atmosphere inside was suffocating. Someone had already started crying.

"My dad's going to kill me... I never should've gone to that bar..."

"What am I going to do? I'll never get into a top university now... This is all Roger's fault..."

I stared out the window, expression blank, listening to them weep.

Weren't you all geniuses? Didn't you say the exam was just a formality?

So now you're scared of failing? Now you know how to cry?

At the exam site, just as I'd expected, I was turned away at the gateno admission ticket, no entry.

One of my classmates caught my eye, guilt flickering across their face. "I'm sorry," they whispered.

I confirmed there was no way in, then turned and walked away.

Dad's face had gone a dangerous shade of red. He kept switching between worry for me and cursing Samantha's name.

But before we could even leave the campus grounds, the situation had already exploded.

Parents from the Elite Track had banded together, launching a livestream. They issued a joint statement demanding police involvement, threatening lawyers, insisting the school hold Samantha and Roger accountable.

A scandal breaking during the college entrance exams? The internet went nuclear.

Netizens flooded Roger's social media, calling him a "life-ruiner," a "parasite," worse.

Then Rogerwho'd been radio silent all daysuddenly went live.

Samantha sat beside him, her face pale and drawn.

His expression was mournful, his voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea things would turn out like this. We just wanted to have some cake. It was my classmate Daryl who insisted on ordering drinks. He said they were non-alcoholic, that we could drink as much as we wanted."

He paused, swallowing hard. "Yes, people had a bit too much last nightbut they got to the hospital in time. They should have been fine. It was Daryl. He wanted revenge, so he had his fatherhe's a department chief at that hospitaldeliberately botch the treatment. That's why everyone ended up with alcohol poisoning."

He nudged Samantha. "You're his childhood friend, aren't you? You can back me up, right?"

Samantha's body went rigid. Under his insistent gaze, she slowly lifted her head. Something flickered in her eyesa battlebefore she finally clenched her jaw and spoke.

"Yes. I can confirm it. Daryl was the one who insisted on ordering alcohol. He's always been jealous of Roger, jealous of everyone in our class who's more talented than him." She paused. "And his father really is a doctor at that hospital."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

Were they insane?

And yet people believed it.

The same parents who'd been screaming for Samantha and Roger's heads moments ago now wheeled on me and Dad, demanding answers.

CRASH.

The car window shattered. A U-lock came through and connected with Dad's forehead. Blood poured down his face instantly.

The car lurched to a stop. My body slammed into the windshield, and everything went black for a moment.

Through the ringing in my ears, I heard screaming:

"Beat these animals to death! They put my son in the ICU just to bully their classmates! I want them dead!"

Another parent joined in immediately:

"They deserve it! A doctor who'd commit malpractice to help his son hurt others? Break his hands! See if he can practice medicine then!"

I screamed back with everything I had: "We didn't do anything! Check the surveillance footage! I wasn't even at that bar! And my dad wasn't on shift last night!"

Dad, blood streaming down his face, dragged himself in front of me and covered my body with his own. "Don't be scared. Dad's here."

Tears poured down my face. I screamed until my throat tore: "You've been lied to!"

My phone lit up.

A text from Samantha:

"I'm sorry, Daryl. Roger's family doesn't have money. If he gets sued, his life is over. Your family can afford the compensation, so we had to pin it on you. Once you get through this, we can repeat senior year together and go to the same university. Okay?"

I laugheda hollow, broken sound.

So that's how it is.

Roger couldn't afford to pay, so these parents were happy to redirect their rage at me instead. Because my family had money. Because they figured they could tear off a bigger piece of flesh.

"Samantha Gilbert, you piece of garbage! You deserve to rot!"

The mob dragged me and my blood-soaked father out of the car.

Fists. Feet. From every direction.

Someone held up their phone and started streaming.

Soon enough, Roger and Samantha were watching from the other side of a screen.

Roger exhaled in relief, pulling her close. "Thank you for saving me, Samantha."

She forced a smile, but guilt and panic still swam in her eyes. "As long as you're okay... I'd do anything for you."

In the midst of the chaos, Mom burst through the crowd, scattering the parents like a force of nature.

She planted herself in front of us, her voice a raw, furious roar: "Don't you dare touch my husband and son!"

She raised her phone, her tone shifting to something ice-cold and unyielding:

"The person who actually hurt your children is Roger James. I've already uploaded the proof online. If you don't believe me, go see for yourselves."