I knew from the moment I could understand words that my life wasn't my own. I was a tool, born and raised by my parents to secure an alliance with the wealthy Sterling family of the capital. In my freshman year, my parents transferred me to the elite high school where Leo Sterling studied. They wanted me to flatter him, to stand out among the throngs of girls vying for his attention, and ultimately become the Sterling family's daughter-in-law. But Leo already had a girl by his side. I watched him lower his usually arrogant gaze for her, watched him kiss her forehead with a reverence he never showed anyone else. I witnessed the passionate youth Leo shared with her. Even after I married him, those memories remained vivid in my mind. I knew that even though I had him, he was still the boy shining brightly in someone else's story. So, when fate gave me a second chance, I rebelled. 1 I slapped a band-aid on the cut on my neck. Looking back at the sprawling villa complex behind me, I smiled, finally feeling a sense of release. Reborn. The first thing I did was threaten suicide. I forced my parents to give up their schemes for me. The price was steep—a contract promising to repay them $150,000 for "raising costs" before I turned 30 in exchange for my freedom. But it worked. They withdrew all their "investments" in me, only guaranteeing basic living expenses until I graduated high school. College tuition and living costs? That was on me now. ... Sitting in the classroom, the reality of my rebirth finally hit me. I looked toward the seat at the front left—Leo Sterling. A cool breeze ruffled his oversized white uniform shirt. He radiated youth and confidence. He was smiling, his eyes soft and tender. But that look was reserved for the girl next to him. Sarah Summers. His deskmate, and his girlfriend. They were the golden couple. Talented, beautiful, the envy of the school since freshman year. Even the school administration, usually strict about dating, turned a blind eye because their grades were impeccable. They were even used as examples: "Want to date? Sure, beat Leo and Sarah's grades first." Who would have thought this perfect love story would end? That a thief like me, watching from the shadows, would eventually steal him away. I was secretly thrilled at first. But after the marriage, Leo's coldness... Even in bed, he treated intimacy like a chore to be completed. I finally realized. Even though I possessed him, he wasn't the shining boy from my youth anymore. I fought, I cried. I even steeled myself for a divorce. But he refused. He said he would fulfill his duties as a husband. To my outbursts, he responded with silence. He spent less and less time at home, practically living at the office. I lost myself in self-pity, becoming a shadow of a person. Then, one day. Leo was driving me to a medical checkup. We got into an accident. As the truck barreled towards us, I felt no fear, only relief. The impact shattered my consciousness. In my final moments, I hallucinated Leo holding my broken body, weeping. I quickly dismissed the thought. Why would Leo cry for me? When I opened my eyes, I thought I had miraculously survived. Instead, I was back in high school. Watching the two figures leaning close together in front of me, the last shred of my old desire vanished. It was time to write a new script for my youth. 2 "Tessa, are you sure?" In the office, my homeroom teacher looked at me gravely. I nodded. She was still puzzled. "Your science grades are excellent, but you were so adamant about choosing liberal arts before. Why the sudden change?" I lowered my head. Choosing liberal arts was my parents' decree. Because Sarah Summers was a liberal arts student. Their logic was simple: mimic the girl Leo loved to win his heart. But now, I didn't have to follow their script. I looked up and smiled brightly. "Because the sun came up." ... It was a weird answer, but the teacher seemed relieved I was back on the science track. The summer after freshman year ended. With my switch to science, classes were reshuffled. On the last day of break, I went to the salon. I chopped off my long hair and heavy bangs. I got a shoulder-length bob. "Wow, you have a good eye, miss," the stylist praised, admiring his work in the mirror. "This cut frames your face perfectly. You look much more sophisticated!" I looked at the new me in the mirror and smiled. On the first day back, classmates gathered around, surprised. "Tessa! You cut your hair?" "Short hair looks so good on you! Totally different vibe!" "Yeah, you look like those smart scientists in zombie movies!" ... The chatter caught the attention of Leo, who was napping on his desk. He glanced back casually, then turned away. My parents' dream of me marrying into the Sterling family was just that—a dream. Our family wasn't even qualified to sit at the same table as the Sterlings. Getting into the same school as Leo took a massive effort on their part. So, despite being fed information about Leo my whole life, I had never actually spoken to him. To Leo, I was a total stranger. And that was perfect. Strangers we would remain. ... High school flew by. Sophomore year arrived. I spent freshman year filling in the gaps in my knowledge. I was back to my previous academic level. In my past life, I was consistently top 10 in science before the split. Now, with future memories, I was pushing top 5. In the first exam of sophomore year, I hit second place. Only Leo Sterling was ahead of me. "Whoa, Leo, your number one spot is in danger!" "This Tessa girl is in our class. Do you know her?" A crowd gathered around the ranking board. I overheard Leo and his friend. Leo didn't answer immediately. He stared at the scores—only a 5-point difference. After a minute, he walked away. Dropping two words: "Not familiar." A few weeks later, during math class. The teacher put a competition-level problem on the board. It was a test for those interested in the math Olympiad. Since switching to science, I had my sights set on it. Climbing higher peaks was the only way to learn more. To add new color to my youth. The teacher wrote problem after problem until the last one. The question alone filled the blackboard. The class fell silent. I raised my hand. I solved it. The class exploded. 3 "Holy crap, Tessa is a beast! She solved a problem Leo couldn't!" "Looks like her taking the number one spot is inevitable." "Seriously, her progress is insane. That scholar vibe is making me sapiosexual!" "Bullshit, you just think she's hot!" Amidst the laughter and gossip, someone suddenly said: "Hey, do you think Tessa and Leo would make a good couple?" "Both good-looking, both geniuses!" "Hard to say. We're in the same class, but I've never seen them talk." "Plus, Leo has a girlfriend!" "Yeah, Sarah is totally different from Tessa. Leo probably doesn't like Tessa's type." "It's okay, I like Tessa's type." "Get lost, like she'd look at you." ... I heard it all. I just smiled to myself. I didn't care. Focused on the math problem, I didn't notice Leo looking back at me, his expression unreadable. The midterm exams coincided with the lead-up to the competition. In that midterm, I finally surpassed Leo. Number one in science. My classmates congratulated me. I thanked them, my mind already on tomorrow's competition. The prelims and state rounds were over. The finals were international. Leo and I were the top seeds. Our beaming math teacher led us overseas. On the day of the finals. My four hours of sleep per night paid off. Math requires talent, yes. But effort is non-negotiable. I didn't think I was a genius. I just wanted to be diligent. When I received the gold medal, I was proud. Proud that I had changed. Proud of my growth. At the ceremony, I met the man I had been waiting to see. "Professor Tang, I want to be your student." I mustered my courage and approached the legendary figure in aerospace engineering. He was surprised, but his eyes shone with appreciation. "You like aerospace?" I nodded vigorously. The old man smiled. He gave me his contact info. He told me to find him in the capital when I was ready. This was my goal. To qualify for early admission in sophomore year, skip straight to university-level studies in the capital. And start earning money to pay back my parents' $150,000 debt. My math teacher patted my shoulder, emotional. "Tessa, that's a tough road." "But with ambition like that, I support you!" The competition ended. I achieved my goal, met my idol, and stated my ambition. Everything was going according to plan. I was happy. Relaxed, I wandered the foreign streets for hours. As dusk fell, I walked back to the hotel, needing to rest for the early flight home. At the hotel entrance, I saw Leo. He seemed to be waiting for someone. I didn't ask. As my classmates said, in this life, we weren't familiar. I planned to walk past him as if I didn't see him. But he blocked my path. I looked up, meeting his deep eyes. "The teacher saw you weren't back and asked me to check." He explained. I nodded. "Sorry, lost track of time walking." "Thanks for waiting. Go rest, we have an early flight." I turned to leave. But after two steps, he grabbed my wrist. I froze, turning back in confusion. "Anything else, Leo?" He didn't speak. He just looked at me, emotions swirling in his eyes that I couldn't decipher. Finally, he spoke. "Do we have beef?" I was baffled. I shook my head. "No..." "Then why do you keep avoiding me?" Leo stared straight at me, his gaze probing. 4 I was stunned. I tried to pull my wrist back, but his grip tightened. His palm was warm, calloused, his grip unusually strong. "I'm not avoiding you." I kept my voice calm. "We just don't know each other well. There's nothing to say." It was the truth. In my past life, before we married, we exchanged fewer than fifty sentences. He was busy with family business. I was busy trying to please him. We were parallel lines, forced under one roof but never touching. Leo frowned. The streetlight cast a shadow over his sharp nose. "Not familiar?" He repeated the words, his tone strange. "We've been in the same class for almost two years." "You never say hello." "Last time my friend asked who you were, I couldn't even answer." I stayed silent. I couldn't tell him I saw how much he loved someone else in my past life. That I knew I was just a replacement, so in this life, I wanted to stay far away. "In the competition, the auxiliary line you used for the last problem..." He changed the subject abruptly, eyes locked on my face. "That was a method I used in middle school Olympiad training. No one knew it except the teacher back then." My heart skipped a beat. I saw that in his old notebook when I was organizing his study in my past life. I memorized it like a fool, hoping it would give us something to talk about. I never thought it would be useful now. "Coincidence." I looked away, avoiding his eyes. "I saw a similar problem while studying." He stared at me for a few more seconds, then suddenly let go. "Maybe." He turned and walked into the hotel, his voice drifting back. "Rest early. Don't be late tomorrow." I watched his back disappear through the revolving doors before exhaling. My palms were sweating. My wrist still felt the heat of his grip. Back in my room, I threw myself onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. Leo's reaction was weird. Why did he care if I avoided him? Because I took his number one spot? Because of the math problem? I couldn't figure it out. I grabbed the reading list Professor Tang gave me. Two pages in, I was absorbed. Aerospace knowledge was a vast ocean. Once I dove in, I forgot everything else. Back home, life returned to normal.
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