A month before the SATs, I, Jenny Reid, could see my score.

Literally. It was just floating right above my head. But there was a catch.

Every time I cracked open a prep book, my score would drop by ten points. But if I skipped a day of school? It jumped right back up by ten.

So, I played the system. For a whole month, I barely lifted a finger. And on the day of the test, the number glowing over my head was a solid 1560.

When the scores finally dropped online… I'd scored a 500.

And the 1560? That was my little sister Patricia's score.

My parents lost it. As punishment, they got me a grueling night-shift job at a local electronics factory. That first night, a bunch of guys I'd never seen before cornered me in the parking lot and beat me half to death.

Fading in and out of consciousness, I heard my sister's voice right by my ear.

"You just had to one-up me, didn't you? Thought you were so smart… but you never figured out I was the one controlling that number over your head."

The truth hit me like a physical blow. The score had been her trick all along.

I opened my eyes—and I was back. One month before the SATs. The number above my head read exactly 1300.

"Hey," my sister said, all fake sweetness. "Want to study together tonight? We can go over the practice tests."

I looked at the stack of papers in my own hands. Without a word, I pulled out my lighter and set them on fire right there in the driveway.

"Exams are coming," I said, watching the flames. "I'm not studying."

My score ticked up to 1310. My sister's face was this perfect mask of disappointment, but the second I turned away, I caught the sly smile she couldn't quite hide.

She had no idea… the real performance, the one I'd been rehearsing just for her, was finally about to begin.

After blowing off my sister, I headed to my room to crash. But she wasn't done.

She cornered me again, this time trying to drag me to a teacher for extra tutoring. "It's not too late to cram!" she insisted.

I shook her hand off my arm. "Last-minute cramming is pointless. You go if you're so worried. I've got shows to watch."

"Jenny, you're naturally smart, but you still shouldn't get careless."

The words were a perfect echo from my last life. She was testing me, watching my face for any sign that I still trusted the cursed number floating over my head.

I met her gaze dead-on and smiled. "Even if I never crack another book, I'll still beat you."

She put on a disappointed face, but I saw the triumphant smirk she couldn't quite hide.

As she walked away, radiating that smug, misplaced confidence, I almost laughed out loud.

'Oh, little sister… this time, the one being careless is you,' I thought happily.

Back in my room, the score had already ticked up to 1320. But the second I unzipped my backpack, the number started to fall. By the time I'd reviewed my teacher's notes, it had plummeted to 1280.

I tapped my phone, pulling up the feed from the pinhole camera I'd hidden in her room. She was freaking out.

"Why is it dropping so fast? I knew she was lying! She said she wasn't studying, but she's obviously grinding right now. Why doesn't she believe the score?!"

A cold, unfamiliar voice answered her. "Why are you panicking? Once it drops below 1000, it'll detonate right on top of her. Studying is basically a death wish."

My blood ran cold.

But my sister looked thrilled. "If she gets blown up, she deserves it. Who told her to start studying and mess with my head?"

Staring at the falling number, my mind raced. I had to find a way to fool this thing, and fast.

I spent the next hour trying everything. No matter what I did, the moment I engaged with any study material, the score kept dropping. When it hit 1000, it flashed a violent, warning red.

Pure adrenaline shot through me.

I slammed my books shut, grabbed my stuff, and booked it to an all-night bar downtown. I didn't breathe easy until I saw the number climb back to 1530 on the reflection in my phone.

And right on cue, my sister noticed it, too.

On the surveillance feed, she looked unbearably smug.

"I knew that idiot would fall for it. She's probably out partying right now, thrilled that her score is going up from slacking off. She actually thinks she's going to score a 1530. That's my score!"

Watching her celebrate, I let out a cold laugh and killed the feed.

She had no idea—I'd just cracked the code on how to cheat the score over my head. The real game was about to start.

I let the chalk clatter onto the floor. Stretching out on the plush sofa in the bar's private room, I looked over the walls I'd covered in formulas and equations. That's what I'd really been doing all night.

And the score floating above my head hadn't detected a thing.

A waiter knocked, telling me my time was up. So, I made the call.

"Hey, sis? They won't let me leave the bar. I need you to Zelle me some money. Now."

"A bar? Jenny, what are you thinking?" Her voice was the perfect blend of shock and fake concern.

"I just needed to blow off steam before the SATs. Don't you dare tell Mom and Dad. Just send me a thousand dollars."

She switched to her nagging tone. "Jenny, the test is coming soon. You should come home and study."

"Are you even listening to me? If this place calls Mom and Dad, they'll drag me home. I'm begging you, just let me have this one night."

She sighed, laying the guilt on thick. "Fine. But you have to promise you'll study later."

I hung up without another word.

The notification popped up instantly. Patricia had sent fifteen hundred dollars—every last dollar of her own savings.

And with her money, I funded a carefree month of secret prep. On the day of the exam, I finally dragged myself home, looking suitably wrecked with dark circles under my eyes. The number above my head glowed a confident 1550.

Patricia met me at the door with a sugary smile, handing me my admission ticket. "You made it back. At least you didn't miss your test."

"You selfish brat! The SATs are tomorrow and you've been out partying!" My mom's voice was pure venom. "A whole month gone! Why come back at all?"

I knew they favored her, but the words still cut deep. I let a bitter smile twist my lips.

My dad's slap came out of nowhere, snapping my head to the side. "You think this is funny? You worthless piece of—!"

He grabbed my ear, twisting hard. Pain shot through my skull.

When I tried to shove him away, he kicked my legs out from under me. I hit the floor, my ear screaming in agony. He wasn't stopping.

"I have my test today!" I finally screamed. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"A whole month at some bar, probably sleeping around—why even bother taking the test? You'll probably be knocked up in a month anyway!"

He kicked me toward my room. "You're not going. I'm not letting you."

My sister panicked. "Dad! You know what Grandma said. She has to take it."

At the mention of Grandma, my father reluctantly dragged me to my feet. "Waste of time," he spat.

Clutching my burning ear, I was shoved into the car and driven to the test center.

After the grueling exam, my sister skipped out of the testing room, beaming. She rushed to our parents.

"I aced it! Can we please have a big party on score-release day? Please?"

They looked at her like she'd hung the moon.

"If you're that confident, sweetie, of course we will. We'll even invite your grandmother. Let her see how amazing you are."

"Perfect! Maybe this time, Grandma will finally be proud of me."

Right on cue, the score above my head vanished.

Watching my sister bask in her misplaced glory, a slow smile touched my lips.

Get ready to open your surprise, little sister.

The day the SATs ended, my parents took my sister on a fancy graduation trip. They didn't even remember I existed. Honestly, it was a relief. With them gone, I could finally move in silence.

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I'd memorized. The line clicked open. "Uncle," I said, not wasting a second. "I solved the problem you gave me."

The man on the other end practically exploded with excitement. "Jenny, you've just saved the entire research institute! You have no idea what this breakthrough means!"

He came to pick me up himself, driving me straight to his lab. For the next month, we worked side-by-side, tearing through complex equations. He only let me go on the morning the scores were released, sending a car to drop me at the "celebration" banquet.

I walked into the hotel ballroom and spotted my parents and sister immediately, fresh off their vacation, holding court in the center of a fawning crowd.

"Robert, your daughters are incredible!"

"A partnership with the Reid Group is a golden opportunity!"

But let's be real. No one gave a damn about our SAT scores. They were here because Grandma had declared that whichever granddaughter got into the better university would inherit her entire stake in the Reid Group.

Grandma was the majority shareholder. Today was the day the next CEO would be chosen, and every vulture in the room had come to see who to suck up to.

I took a deep breath and walked straight to Grandma.

She took my hand, her smile warm and knowing. "Are you ready, Jenny?"

I nodded. "I am, Grandma. I won't let you down."

She was the only one in this family who ever saw me as more than a disappointment. In my last life, after my spectacular failure, even her warmth had turned to ice. She died of a heart attack three days after they shipped me off to that factory.

I wouldn't let that happen again.

"Jenny, why are you lying to Grandma?"

My sister materialized at my side, her voice dripping with fake concern. "You spent the whole month before the exam partying at a bar. How could you possibly have done well?" She turned to the crowd, playing the victim. "You're just taking advantage of her trust."

Patricia whipped out the photos of me in the bar and showed them to everyone.

My father's disgust landed squarely on me. "If I were you, I wouldn't even have the guts to show my face here today!

"Patricia is estimating a 1550. You won't even score 1000. After today, the Reid Group will be hers. You'll be spending the rest of your life begging her for scraps!

"A worthless freeloader, and you have the nerve to stand there and look smug!"

Several business partners jumped in on cue.

"I saw Jenny at that club—flanked by male escorts, living it up."

"With that kind of character, she can't possibly compete with Patricia."

"Of course not! A 1550 puts Patricia in the 99th percentile!"

"Patricia is the complete package. The company will flourish under her."

I let out a cold laugh that cut through their flattery. "The scores aren't even out yet, and you're already polishing the brass on a sinking ship. Be careful you're betting on the wrong horse."

"How dare you speak to us like that? No grades and no manners!"

"Someone should get that girl's head examined."

"Still dreaming? If partying got you into the top universities, no one would bother studying!"

The laughter swelled around me.

My dad, smug, tossed the keys to his brand-new Porsche onto a nearby table. "Fine. If you get into a better university than Patricia, the car is yours."

I sneered. "A car? I thought you were a big shot. If you're so confident in Patricia, then bet the family estate."

My parents hesitated, but the crowd just laughed harder.

"Do you even understand what a 1550 means? That's the 99th percentile!"

"No way in hell she'll beat 1550! It's a safe bet!"

I widened my eyes, playing the fool. "Then what are you afraid of, Dad? Go on. Put it all on the line. Let me see it."

He hesitated again.

My mother stepped in. "What are you afraid of? She definitely won't get into a better university than Patricia."

My sister nodded confidently. "Dad, trust me."

Finally reassured, my father tallied up all the assets and announced before everyone, "Whichever of my daughters gets into the better university will receive everything—together with my mother's shares!"

The moment the words left his mouth, the College Board website went live.

My sister stepped forward, like a queen claiming her throne. "Let me check mine first," she said, oozing assurance. "Let's see how close my estimate was."

Calmly, she typed in her login information.

A moment later, her score flashed up on the giant screen for everyone to see.