I picked up the top university admission slot that the real heir didn't want.

Horace Clark had gone crazy for love. He ran off with a failing student and dropped out, smashing the perfect life he had been handed.

Meanwhile, I carried the label of an impostor who stole someone else's place. Step by step, I clawed my way up, became a rising name in the business world, and even married his childhood sweetheart.

At the peak of my life, I opened my eyes again and found myself back in senior year, on the day we were filling out our college applications.

And floating in front of me were lines of strange comments.

[Brian, the fake heir, is a straight-up thief. He stole the life that was supposed to belong to the real heir, Horace!]

[In his last life, the real heir completely lost his head over love. He dropped out of school, ran off with that rebellious troublemaker to start a business, and even handed his childhood fiancée to someone else. What a disaster. The guy was a total idiot!]

[Good thing he gets a redo this time. The real heir has finally woken up. Now I really wanna see how the fake heir who stole someone else's life ends up crashing and burning.]

I watched the comments quietly and sneered.

Hate to break it to them, but the road I walked was carved out with my own hands.

Even if Horace were reborn a hundred times, he still wouldn't be able to stop me from reaching the top and claiming my glory.

When I suddenly woke up on the day we were submitting our college choices, I was shocked for maybe a few seconds.

Then the feeling faded, and I calmed down.

When I turned my head, I saw Horace Clark.

His eyes were blazingly bright, almost frighteningly so. They burned with the wild joy of someone who had gotten something back after losing it, along with the certainty that he would never let it slip away again.

He glanced at me once, his gaze sharp and hostile.

Then, he rushed out the back door of the classroom and sprinted down the hallway toward the girl standing at the far end.

It was Sharon Fleming from Senior Class A, Horace's childhood sweetheart.

In my last life, she had become my wife.

"Sharon!"

Horace's voice shook as he wrapped his arms tightly around the girl's slim waist, holding her as if he were afraid she might disappear.

"I really like you. This time… I won't let anyone else have you."

The sudden hug left Sharon stunned for a moment. When the realization hit, joy flooded across her face.

She hurriedly hugged him back, a little clumsy but gentle, softly patting his back as if she was calming him down.

"Okay," she murmured. "I'm yours forever."

Sunlight streamed through the hallway windows, outlining the two of them in gold.

The scene looked so perfect that it could have been a poster for some coming-of-age movie.

The comments in front of me exploded instantly, dripping with excitement and malice.

[Yes! That's how it's supposed to be! The real heir should be with the hardworking childhood sweetheart who's always loved him. That dumb loser can move aside!]

[Brian is a despicable thief. He stole someone else's top university spot, someone else's heir status, and even someone else's woman. People like him are disgusting!]

[The real heir finally woke up this time. His main-character arc is just getting started. As for the fake heir, Brian… Without that spot at a top university, let's see how he ever makes anything of himself.]

Reading those smug comments, I smiled.

Everything from my last life replayed clearly in my mind.

After Horace was brought back to the Clarks, he couldn't stand the rules and expectations of a wealthy household. All he wanted was freedom and so-called true love.

He fell hard for Laura Turner, a wild, unpredictable troublemaker.

To run off and "see the world" with her, he tore with his own hands his early admission letter to Ashford University, a top college, right in front of everyone.

He publicly announced he was breaking off the engagement with Sharon. It nearly gave my father, Sebastian Clark, a heart attack and turned our family into a laughingstock among the upper-class circle.

As for me, the fake heir who suddenly lost everything the moment the real one returned, I walked on eggshells with every step.

While people looked at me with either contempt or pity, I quietly picked up the Ashford University admission letter Horace had tossed aside like trash.

And I also "picked up" the engagement he had scorned.

I spent ten years, from stepping into Ashford University's campus with nothing but nerves, to carving out a brutal path for myself inside Clark Corporations and finally securing my place there.

Every step I took in that life was soaked in sweat no one ever saw, along with calculations no one understood.

By the time I finally secured the CEO's seat, I was no longer the "fake heir" who had to watch people's expressions just to survive.

Now that I had another chance, I was curious, too.

Without the fake heir's halo and the backing of a top university, could I still make it while relying only on myself?

The next second, the bell rang, signaling the end of the college application session.

Our homeroom teacher walked in, looking as if he had just won the lottery. In his hand was a gold-embossed envelope, and the smile on his face was practically glowing.

The floating comments instantly exploded.

[Here it comes! Horace's guaranteed admission letter!]

[In the last life, the fake heir stole this exact spot and completely changed his destiny. That's how he started climbing. But now, Horace has woken up. Let's see how he steals it this time!]

I didn't react.

The teacher cleared his throat, smiling so widely that his cheeks were practically cramping.

"Congratulations to Horace Clark from our class. Thanks to his outstanding grades, he's received guaranteed admission to the physics department at Ashford University!"

Thunderous applause filled the classroom.

Dozens of admiring eyes turned toward Horace.

This time, he didn't reject the offer like he had before. Instead, he took the admission letter from the teacher's hand.

"I accept Ashford University's admission offer. Thank you!"

After saying that, Horace turned and looked straight at me.

The smugness on his pale face was impossible to miss. There was something else, too: the satisfaction of someone who believed revenge was finally within reach.

He leaned down close to my ear and spoke softly, "You thought I'd turn it down again, didn't you? Bet you're disappointed."

The comments rolled by again.

[Hahaha! Look at the fake heir. He looks completely lost. He must be furious!]

[Feels good! The spot's finally back where it belongs. First step in crushing that impostor's dream!]

[Nice one, Horace! Dump the trashy troublemaker girl, go to the same university as the female lead, and take back everything that belongs to you. That's the real heir storyline!]

I didn't say a word.

Horace let out a deep breath, as if he was finally releasing all the frustration he had carried since being reborn.

"Brian, I'm really sorry about this, but this admission spot was always supposed to be mine. Getting back what belongs to me feels pretty damn good. Without a top university on your record… What do you think you'll ever amount to?"

He stared straight into my eyes, searching for something, perhaps panic, despair, or anger.

But he found nothing.

His expression stiffened. He was clearly annoyed.

The truth was, I really didn't care.

Good test scores mattered. Getting into a strong university could definitely open doors. Still, what mattered more was making the right choice for your own life.

I walked past him and calmly turned in my application to North River State College, the top in-state business school, listing finance as my major.

My scores were just enough to place me in their top program.

After ten years of fighting my way through the business world in my last life, I knew something clearly.

The school's alumni network, its location, and its strong focus on real business practice were far more valuable to me than the distant prestige of some famous university.

The comments went wild the moment they saw my application.

[Unbelievable. Without stealing Horace's top university spot, the thief can only end up at some no-name college now?]

[North River State? Never even heard of it. He'll probably graduate and become some low-level accountant.]

[See? Stolen things never fit right. The moment he has to rely on himself, his true level shows. Without the Clarks and without the top university brand, let's see how he struggles through life!]

The corner of my mouth twitched.

I didn't even feel like arguing.

The comments called me a graduate from some no-name college, but in my last life, I had built the most advanced AI robotics company in the country and led the industry for decades.

I packed up my bag and got ready to leave.

Suddenly, the back door of the classroom slammed open with a loud bang.

A girl with a high ponytail burst inside. The metal studs on her black leather jacket scraped against the doorframe with a sharp clatter. A few streaks of pale gold hair slipped loose from her ponytail and swayed beside her face like flickers of sunlight, drawing attention to the small beauty mark under her eye.

It was Laura, the rebellious girl Horace had called his "true love" in my last life.

Her lashes trembled, fierce and angry, like a cornered animal ready to strike. She marched straight toward Horace.

"Horace! What the hell? Yesterday, you were holding me, saying we'd drop out and go build our own life. You said these damn schools weren't good enough for us. And now you're accepting Ashford University's admission? Were you just playing me?"

The whole classroom exploded in noise.

Every pair of eyes turned to Horace.

His face turned ghost white. The confidence and pride he had shown earlier vanished instantly, replaced by embarrassment and panic after being exposed in front of everyone.

He took an instinctive step back and asked, "What are you talking about?"

"What am I talking about?" Laura laughed sharply, furious.

She suddenly kicked the empty desk beside mine. The crash echoed through the classroom, and the room went dead quiet.

She pointed straight at Horace, her hand shaking.

"You liar! You said we were leaving together. Now, you're betraying me for Sharon, aren't you?"

The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She lifted her leg and swung it toward Horace, as if she was about to kick him.

"Stop!"

A cold, clear voice cut through the room.

Sharon had appeared at the doorway without anyone noticing.

She rushed forward in a few quick steps and immediately placed herself in front of Horace, shielding him with her body as she blocked Laura. Her gaze was sharp, carrying the kind of quiet pressure only someone at the top of the class could give.

"What are you doing? We're at school!"

"Sharon!" Horace stood behind her, looking at her with soft eyes, almost basking in the protection she was giving him.

Seeing that only made Laura angrier. She pointed at Sharon and started yelling.

"You little pick-me! Horace only got tricked by your looks! Move!"

She tried to push past Sharon to grab Horace.

The whole scene turned chaotic.

Sharon blocked Laura while still shielding Horace behind her. The struggle went on until a teacher finally rushed over and broke everything up.

Sharon was still quietly comforting Horace when her eyes drifted across the mess in the classroom.

In the scuffle, my desk had been knocked slightly crooked. On the edge of the desktop was a small doodle I had drawn earlier out of boredom, a simple butterfly.

The lines were rough, but somehow stubborn.

Sharon's gaze lingered on it. Her brows slowly drew together in confusion.

"I feel like I've seen this butterfly somewhere before…"

Her voice was soft, but Horace, standing right beside her, heard every word. His whole body stiffened.

He followed her gaze, and when he saw the butterfly, a surge of panic seized him instantly.

In his last life, it was this "fake" he had never taken seriously who eventually took everything from him, including Sharon.

"Let's go, Sharon!" Horace practically barked the words, cutting off Sharon's thoughts.

He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the door, desperate to end any chance of her paying attention to me.

The floating comments had briefly paused during the chaos, but now, they flooded the screen again.

[Damn, that troublemaker girl is completely unhinged. Horace, run!]

[Sharon is amazing. Total protective girlfriend energy. I love this!]

[Wait a second. Sharon just looked at Brian's desk and said the butterfly seemed familiar. What's that about? Did they know each other before?]