The Day Before the SATs: A Reckoning

I had it all – a secured Yale scholarship, a bright future, and a best friend, Scarlett, who seemed genuinely happy for my success.

She even convinced me to take the SATs with her, 'just for fun,' like we always did everything together.

But that 'fun' was a sinister plot.

Scarlett, consumed by a poisonous envy I never recognized, used a dark web app called 'Score Swapper' to steal my nearly perfect SAT result, making it hers.

My future, meticulously built, crumbled instantly.

Yale revoked my scholarship, my name smeared by Scarlett' s aunt, our school guidance counselor, with fabricated misconduct papers.

Former friends abandoned me, and even my boyfriend, Blake, stared at me with pure disgust, completely believing Scarlett's cunning lies.

Publicly shamed, isolated, and utterly heartbroken, I couldn't fathom such a cruel, calculated betrayal.

My world went dark when Scarlett, her face twisted in a chilling smirk, lured me to an abandoned construction site, whispering, 'You should have just stayed dumb, Ava,' before pushing me to my death.

But then I woke up, screaming, tangled in my bedsheets-the day before the SATs.

My previous life wasn't a nightmare; it was a devastating memory.

I was back. This time, I wouldn't just survive.

This time, Scarlett, you' re going to pay for every single thing you did.

Ava Miller sat at the SAT testing center.

She pulled out a pack of brightly colored gel pens.

Not the required No. 2 pencils.

The proctor, a tired-looking woman, walked over.

"Miss, you know you can't use those pens."

"It'll likely invalidate your test."

Ava looked up, a small, almost careless smile on her face.

"It's fine. My Yale scholarship is already secure."

She shrugged. "Just trying something out."

The proctor frowned but moved on.

Across the room, Scarlett Hayes watched.

Her eyes, usually bright with queen-bee confidence, were narrow with unease.

Scarlett, captain of the cheerleading squad, the school's "It Girl," desperately needed good scores.

Ava' s casual defiance made her nervous.

Ava knew Scarlett was watching.

She knew exactly what Scarlett was thinking.

Because this had all happened before.

A memory, sharp and cold, flooded Ava' s mind.

Her previous life.

She had her Yale scholarship then too.

Scarlett, her supposed friend, had pushed her to take the SATs.

"Just for fun, Ava! We can do it together."

Ava, trusting, had agreed.

But Scarlett had a plan. A dark web app. "Score Swapper."

One time use.

Scarlett swapped their scores.

Ava' s near-perfect result became Scarlett's.

Ava received a score so low it was almost zero.

Yale revoked her scholarship.

Scarlett, suddenly a genius, became the school' s academic hero.

Ava tried to understand, to investigate.

"What happened? There must be a mistake."

Ms. Albright, Scarlett's aunt and the school guidance counselor, stepped in.

She produced "evidence" of Ava' s past academic misconduct. Forged papers. Lies.

"Ava, I'm so disappointed in you," Ms. Albright had said, her voice dripping with false sympathy.

The school turned on Ava. Blake Jr., the star quarterback and Scarlett' s boyfriend, believed Scarlett' s lies.

He looked at Ava with disgust.

Publicly shamed, isolated, broken.

Then came the final betrayal.

Scarlett and her loyal sidekick, Jessica Vance, lured Ava to an abandoned construction site.

"We need to talk, Ava. Clear the air."

On a high, unfinished floor, Scarlett had smiled, a truly chilling expression.

"You should have just stayed dumb, Ava."

Then, a push.

The fall. Darkness.

Until now.