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?]

[Sharon and the fake heir definitely don't know each other. The guy just lost the top university spot, so now he's trying little tricks to get Sharon's attention. He's so shameless, always trying to steal the real heir's girl!]

Seduce her?

The thought was ridiculous. What nonsense!

Without saying a word, I straightened the desk Laura had kicked crooked. I took an eraser and rubbed out the little butterfly I had drawn.

Under the mix of pity, contempt, and quiet amusement from my classmates, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked out of the classroom with my back straight.

My path had never depended on anyone's charity, and I had never needed to steal anything from anyone.

Soon, the admission letters were finalized.

The atmosphere inside the Clarks' residence shifted.

Horace became the center of attention. The glow of a top university wrapped around him like a shining medal, covering up every trace of his past rebellion and trouble.

Sebastian and Molly Clark hadn't smiled like this in months. When they looked at Horace, their eyes were full of pride.

"Horace, you make us so proud." Sebastian clapped him on the shoulder, his voice booming with satisfaction. "Ashford University physics department. That's more like it! That's what a Clark son should look like."

"Brian," Molly said, glancing at me with a sigh that sounded half disappointed and half dismissive, "we fed you and raised you for over ten years. You had the same schools, the same tutors. How did you end up with such a poor score? I'm just saying… Look at your brother, then look at you. Some people are just born different. There's no comparison."

Sebastian frowned, clearly irritated.

"You're not really a Clark by blood, and it shows. Your brain just doesn't work the same way. We thought that even without the bloodline, after all these years raising you, you'd at least make us proud.

"But look at you. You scored 1,500 and picked a second-rate college. You're absolutely hopeless."

Horace slipped his arm around Molly's and spoke gently, "Don't say that about Brian. North River State isn't that bad. After he graduates, he can become an accountant or something. A quiet, stable life would suit him."

The sympathy in his voice carried a sharp edge, like a needle poking at me.

The comments scrolled wildly in front of me.

[Haha, this is great! The Clarks finally see the fake heir for what he is!]

[A no-name college for a nobody. Perfect fit. The Clarks could've raised a dog for ten years and it probably would've turned out better. How is the fake heir this stupid?]

I listened quietly to every cutting remark, but didn't respond.

Fifteen hundred wasn't an amazing score, but it wasn't bad either. Still, if the fake heir wasn't the best one in the room, if I wasn't the so-called main character these comments kept talking about, then nothing I did would ever matter.

Before the admission letters arrived, I signed up for a national youth coding championship.

I also picked up a part-time job at a small coffee shop near the house.

I needed to save up tuition and living expenses.

In the mornings, while Horace was still asleep, I was already out the door.

At night, while my parents sat with him chatting about stories from Ashford University, asking questions, and sharing laughs, I dragged myself home exhausted.

I would swallow a few bites of cold leftovers, then shut myself in my room.

The glow of the computer screen lit the dark while I wrote code and debugged my competition project.

The comments never stopped mocking me.

[Oh, look, the fake heir's working hard. I bet he loves his job at the coffee shop.]

[Typing on a computer like you're the next Steve Jobs? Give it a rest.]

[Getting a taste of working-class life, huh? Probably good to get used to it early. That's about as far as you're going to go anyway.]

A few days later, the Clarks hosted a grand celebration for Horace's admission to Ashford University.

Prominent business figures from the city and across the state arrived, one after another, to offer congratulations to Horace, Sebastian, and Molly.