My boyfriend's childhood friend, Cassandra Lindth, performs one of the forbidden spells, trading 30 years of her own life just to steal the top spot on the civil service exam from me.

She pulls off a 30-day miracle and becomes an internet sensation, her comeback going viral. Meanwhile, I take the fall, get reported for cheating, and am banned from ever taking the exam again.

I turn to my boyfriend, Derrick Hayes, for help, but the look he gives me spells pure disbelief.

"Have you completely lost it? You couldn't pass on your own, and now you're trying to drag Cassandra's name through the mud? I never imagined you'd stoop this low!"

I am speechless, with no way to prove my innocence.

Cassandra sues me for defamation, and Derrick shows up in court to testify against me.

I have studied for three years straight, and it ends with a three-year prison sentence.

My parents are disappointed with me. They go so far as to publish their statement in the newspapers, publicly shaming me.

Derrick and Cassandra announce their wedding online and are set to dive into their new jobs as soon as the honeymoon wraps up.

With no way to clear my name, I spiral into despair. Disoriented and numb, I fall into the river and drown.

When I open my eyes again, I am back to the week before the civil service exam. I toss my exam ticket in the trash and sign up for a three-month temp gig instead.

If Cassandra is dumb enough to trade 30 years of her life for my spot, she can have it and choke on it!

"Everyone, it's day 23 of my study check-in! Only one week left until the exam, and today I'm finally revealing the position I'm aiming for!"

Hearing that familiar voice through the livestream, I jolted. Right then, it hit me. I had been reborn.

After Cassandra Lindth announced the position she was going for, the chat exploded.

"No way! Isn't that the most competitive post? Like 6570 to 1 odds!"

"How ridiculous! People spend years preparing for this, and you think a month of studying is enough?"

"I just followed her! Can't wait to see her cry when the results come out."

The majority of comments were skeptical, mocking Cassandra for overestimating herself.

"Are these people serious?" My boyfriend, Derrick Hayes, fumed as he went through the insulting comments, reporting each one. "They don't even know how smart she is!"

I couldn't help but scoff. Anyone who had prepared for these exams knew that no matter how smart someone was, 30 days of studying alone could never get them the top score in the country.

In her previous life, Cassandra had been a travel blogger with little success. Riding the wave of the civil service exam craze, she boldly announced online that she intended to tackle the most competitive position with just 30 days of preparation.

The move drew massive attention, though just like now, almost all of it was ridicule.

But when the results came out, the woman who had spent her days traveling nonstop actually pulled it off, taking the top spot and sparking a huge buzz. She gained over a million followers overnight.

And me—the one whose spot she had taken? I had spent three years studying, only to be accused of cheating and sent to prison.

Every time I tried to defend myself, people just mocked me, saying, "You're obsessed with passing, aren't you?"

I was lost in my thoughts when Cassandra approached me curiously after ending her livestream. "Which position are you going for?"

Before I could answer, Derrick jumped in.

Cassandra feigned surprise. "Wow, Yvette, we're going for the same position! But they're only hiring one person.

"You've studied for three years and aced every practice test. You'll obviously get it. I'm just here to be the filler."

Derrick looked at her adoringly. "That's not for sure. You're smart and quick. Who knows who'll take first?"

Cassandra covered her mouth and giggled.

I clenched my fists. In my past life, I had been so blind that I hadn't realized how close they had been.

Cassandra pulled a stack of practice exercises from her bag and handed them to me.

"Here you go, Yvette. These are the practice exercises from the top-tier class. Study them carefully, and you'll be fine."

Derrick's eyes were full of admiration.

"Cassandra, you're too kind to share your materials with a competitor! Yvette, you should be thanking her. You've got a huge advantage."

An advantage? She was just making sure I would score high without a hitch. I saw right through her intentions and let out a cold laugh.

"I don't need them."

Derrick, protective as ever, immediately snapped. "Cassandra was trying to help you. How can you act like this? Apologize right now!"

Cassandra's eyes glistened with unshed tears.

"Yvette, are you mad that Derrick's taking me to Slovia tomorrow? Don't worry. I can go by myself."

Derrick frowned instinctively. "That's not okay! I can't just let you go alone."

I nearly forgot this scene from my past life. The week before the exam, Cassandra hadn't studied and was filming videos to gain followers instead. Derrick, ever the chivalrous protector, insisted on going with her.

I had gone to great lengths to stop him so he could focus on the exam. In the end, he passed with flying colors, and I was left drowning in resentment.

Now, since he insisted on making his own mess, why should I stop him?

"But…" Cassandra hesitated, looking at me, pretending it was a tough choice.

"Funny enough, I was planning a little trip myself," I said calmly.

Derrick shot me an annoyed look.

"You're coming with us? Yvette, stop being so ridiculous! I've known Cassandra for over ten years. If anything were going on between us, do you really think you'd even matter?"

I ripped my exam ticket in half and tossed it into the trash, smiling.

"Don't worry. Whatever you two get up to is none of my business. I'm going on my own trip."

"No way!" Cassandra blurted, then quickly forced a laugh to play it cool.

"The exam's only a week away. Yvette, you really should stay and focus on studying. How else are you going to score high?"

I snapped back. "Why are you so worried about my results?"

Derrick frowned at me. "Is Cassandra at fault for giving you good advice?"

I was speechless. "Who cares? You should worry about yourself instead."

I turned to walk away, but Cassandra grabbed my hand, her eyes full of tears. "Yvette, it's all my fault… Please don't be mad…"

I pulled my hand back instinctively, and she stumbled to the ground.

Derrick's temper flared instantly. In one swift motion, he shoved me to the floor.

I hit the floor hard, my knees shooting with pain, and for a moment, I couldn't get up.

Derrick froze for a second, then quickly composed himself, his voice cold. "Consider this a lesson. You'd better think about what you did wrong.

"You know my mom's requirements. I'm just giving you a heads-up. If you don't pass, don't even think about coming home with me this year."

With that, he left with Cassandra, leaving me staring at their retreating backs.

"Go on. Enjoy your victory while it lasts. The one who really needs to think this over is you."

I went home, grabbed my stuff, and signed up for a tour.

Three years of intense studying had taught me the pressure of competition. I had never slacked off for a single second.

Now, I finally had a chance to play and enjoy myself.

I lay on the beach, soaking up the sun and occasionally scrolling through my phone. Cassandra was always livestreaming.

Every time I checked, Derrick was right there with her, doing couple challenges and having a blast.

During the day, Cassandra filmed travel videos and livestreamed. It wasn't until around 10:00 pm that she "switched" to study mode, pretending to study for an hour while flipping back and forth on the same page.

I didn't return home until the day before the exam.

The next morning, at the exam site, I spotted them from a distance. They both looked exhausted.

Cassandra was yawning in her slippers, and Derrick wasn't any better, sporting messy stubble and deep, dark circles under his eyes.

Of course, I knew why. The night before, Cassandra had livestreamed about balancing work and play and ended up staying up all night gaming with Derrick.

I could only wait and see what kind of miracle they would pull off this time.

After the exam, I blocked Derrick until the day the scores were released.

He stormed over in a fury. "Where did you go? I almost went crazy looking for you! Why didn't you answer your phone?"

I shrugged it off casually, and he quickly asked about my score.

I showed him the screenshot I had already doctored, saying calmly, "I got 100."

Hearing my answer, Cassandra's face practically glowed with excitement she couldn't hide.

Derrick's eyes went wide, and he practically bounced over to hug me. "Wow, that's insane! That's the top score in the whole country, right?"

"I knew you could do it! Get ready for the interview, and by the end of the year… No! By the end of the month, you're coming home to meet my family!"

I instinctively took a step back, giving the excuse that I needed to prepare for the interview.

That night, Cassandra couldn't resist going live. "Guess what my score was on the written exam?"

The chat exploded with guesses.

Cassandra shook her head with a teasing grin, unable to hide her excitement.

"100! I got the highest score in the civil service exam!"

The audience wasn't foolish. A few congratulated her, but most were skeptical.

"Heh, just saying it without proof? Bold claim!"

"All the top civil service exam streamers wake up at 6.00 am to study. But this streamer's been playing all day!"

"She's just talking crap. Zero experience, 30 days of prep, and now topping the national exam? Yeah, I'll eat my hat if that's real."

Cassandra didn't bother defending herself too much. She radiated confidence.

"I earned this score through real, solid effort. Besides, who still slaves away at boring, rigid studying these days?

"I've got my own fun learning method. You can have fun while studying and still come out on top. In two months, watch me snag the number-one post on the exam, and we'll celebrate together!"

I raised an eyebrow. This time, I actually wanted to see how Cassandra would even snag the top spot.

In the days that followed, I stuck to an insanely strict schedule.

I woke up at 5:00 am every day and went through practice questions nonstop, studying straight until 11:00 pm.

By the time the interview was over, Derrick's phone calls were relentless, pressing for details.

Once I gave him a confident answer, the excitement in his voice was impossible to hide.

Ten days later, the final exam rankings were released. At the same time, my phone buzzed with a text confirming my start date for the temporary position.

I immediately posted a social media update just for Cassandra to see.

"Three years of grinding, and I've finally made it. A fresh start."

Attached was a screenshot of the position I had applied for, along with the onboarding notice.

The next day, as I was packing up my things, Derrick blocked my way, his face dark with fury.

"Yvette, do you have any shame at all? You didn't even go to the interview. How dare you edit a fake score and pretend you passed?"

My stomach dropped. How did he find out?

Before I could react, he continued, teeth gritted with rage.

"Don't think I'm stupid. It was Cassandra who scored 100! She's first in that position! And you still had the nerve to steal her score and claim it as your own?"

I quickly checked my phone.

Sure enough, the onboarding text I got yesterday had disappeared.

Cassandra must have used one of her forbidden spells, trading 30 years of her life to steal the temporary position meant for me.

A smirk tugged at my lips. Derrick's face darkened even more.

"You actually have the nerve to smile? You're shameless! Someone like you will never step foot in my house!"

I laughed coldly. "In fact, that's exactly what I want. We're done here. You and Cassandra, the exam's top scorer, can go live happily ever after!"

Derrick didn't expect my reaction and panicked.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I haven't even settled this with you yet, and you already want to break up?

"Fine. We're done. Don't regret it later."

I watched him storm off, emotionless.

That evening, Cassandra couldn't wait to announce her victory on livestream, showing off her onboarding text.

"No way! She's the real deal! How did she even do it? Teach me!"

"Oh my gosh! Can we get her to run a class? I'd pay 9,999 dollars!"

"Even a regular prep course costs 20,000 dollars. This is the civil service exam's top scorer! I'd pay 50,000 dollars!"

The chat exploded with praise, and the livestream's popularity shot to the top.

Cassandra, seeing all the hype, cleared her throat.

"Hey, I'm not in it for the money. I just want to help more students succeed. I'll share my methods if I get the chance.

"Next week, I'll be starting my new job. I'll do a live broadcast then, so nobody will doubt it anymore!"

The first day on the job arrived. I showed up in a sharp suit, my hair in a high ponytail, looking composed and confident.

The moment I reached the office entrance, a sharp, angry voice cut through the air.

"You really don't know when to quit! You actually followed me here!"