Reborn on Application Day

When my parents saw me crying, they immediately asked what had happened.

I glanced at the staff in the house and wiped my tears.

“Let’s talk in the study.”

Once we were alone, I told them everything that had happened at school that day.

When they heard Lisa’s name, my parents froze for a few seconds.

“Lisa Hale?” my mother said first. “Isn’t Hale the last name of one of our drivers?”

Among our household staff, only one person had that surname.

My father’s driver.

That was right.

Lisa was not the billionaire’s daughter at all. Her father was only one of my father’s drivers.

My father had several drivers, and Lisa’s father was the newest hire. He had never met me.

Not long after he started working for us, he told my father that his daughter wanted to transfer schools.

My father thought he seemed hardworking and reliable, so he helped arrange Lisa’s transfer into my school.

None of us expected that act of kindness to turn into this.

“That bastard,” my father said, his face darkening. “I’ll fire him right now.”

I quickly stopped him.

Exposing them now would only put them on guard.

Besides, pretending to be rich was far from the only thing they had done.

“They bullied my daughter,” my mother said coldly. “They’re going to pay for it.”

I nodded and told them my plan.

After I finished, my mother patted my shoulder.

“All right. Enough of them for tonight. Your materials are ready, aren’t they? Make sure every application is submitted properly. And if you decide you don’t want to stay here for college, that’s fine too. I’ve already reached out to a few schools overseas.”

The latest admissions data and score ranges had come out the night before.

Based on my grades, test scores, activities, and essays, my chances at the schools I wanted were strong.

I had told my guidance counselor the good news right away. I had also asked indirectly about the rest of the class.

For most of them, getting into schools like Harvard or Yale would be almost impossible, but they still had time to apply to solid colleges if they were realistic.

As for Ethan and Lisa, their grades and applications were weak. Community college was probably the most realistic option for both of them.

I opened my laptop, checked every application, uploaded the final materials, and submitted everything before the deadline.

Then I chatted with my parents for a while and went to sleep.

Early the next morning, our guidance counselor posted a long reminder in the senior class group chat.

She told everyone to double-check their Common App accounts, submit their backup schools, and make sure they did not miss any deadlines. If they missed this round, they would either have to settle for schools with rolling admissions, go to community college, or wait another year to apply.

No one replied in that group.

But in another group chat without teachers or counselors, they were all mocking her for being rigid and old-fashioned.

They said they did not need backup schools.

Lisa would handle everything.

A while later, Lisa posted a photo from an overseas resort.

“I’m abroad right now. Don’t worry, everyone. I already talked to my dad. Just wait for your offers.”

The group chat exploded again.

Everyone rushed to flatter her.

I looked at the screen for a moment, then quietly left the chat.

My applications were already submitted.

My flight was booked.

I was going overseas for a vacation.