Chapter 1

The year Novaris University established its Gifted Scholars Program, my adopted brother, Oscar Callaghan, fell in love with the neighbor's daughter, Tracy Keller. He decided to skip the secondary exam to get into the program for her sake. In the past life, because I reported this to our parents, they forced Oscar to take the exam. Later, he was admitted into the Gifted Scholars Program. However, Tracy chose to commit suicide after the SATs. Oscar returned with success and fame, yet hatred simmered in his heart. Consequently, he set my parents and me ablaze. Now that I had a second chance at life, I decided to respect and let Oscar fulfill his wishes. … "It was you who killed Tracy. Go make amends in the afterlife!" After saying this, Oscar threw the lighter into the room and shut the door instantly. I never expected that the first thing Oscar would do upon his triumphant return was to kill us. Many years had passed, yet he had never forgotten Tracy. The lighter landed in the gasoline on the floor, instantly igniting a raging fire. At the last moment, my parents rushed over and shielded me with their bodies. Amidst the stifling smell of burning flesh, my life came to an end. I never imagined that I would be granted another chance to live. The moment I opened my eyes, I was back in the year when Novaris University was establishing its Gifted Scholars Program. In my past life, Oscar had been selected for the Gifted Scholars Program and had successfully passed the preliminary test. For the secondary exam, he had to take the SATs alongside the high school seniors of that year. Then, only by meeting the required score could he pass and officially qualify. Oscar had just entered his first year of high school at that time. When our neighbors learned that Oscar was a prodigy, they all brought their children along to congratulate him. It was also during this time that Oscar met our new neighbor's daughter, Tracy. Oscar fell in love with her at first sight. He said that Tracy was the most vibrant woman he had ever met. For Tracy, he decided not to take the secondary test. When I learned about it, I didn't hesitate to tell our parents, Hugh Callaghan and Nadia Sommers. That very day, they forcibly sent Oscar to the exam hall. Ultimately, Oscar passed and entered the Gifted Scholars Program at Novaris University. Later on, he studied abroad on a full scholarship. When he finally returned home, he'd become an expert in the most advanced technology from abroad, which he brought back to our country. Our parents thought that they could finally enjoy life after raising him well, but they never expected that Tracy would commit suicide after taking the SATs. Because of this, Oscar resented us for 12 years. The first thing he did when he made his glorious return was to set fire to our house, killing us all. The scent of burning flesh still seemed to linger at the tip of my nose. I hurried out of bed and went to the living room. There, I sighed in relief when I saw that my parents were safe and sound. Just then, the door opened, and Oscar walked in with Tracy. "Mom, Dad, I invited Tracy over to our house." Mom was cleaning the living room, and Dad was hanging up the laundry. Neither of them even looked up when they heard Oscar speak. Tracy looked around a little awkwardly, feeling out of place. Oscar then took her to his room. Even in my past life, I thought that my parents were prejudiced against Tracy. I felt sorry that she had been given the cold shoulder, so I prepared a fruit platter and brought it to her. At that moment, I happened to overhear Oscar and Tracy discussing how to sit out the secondary exam so that he could stay in high school with her. In my past life, I immediately told my parents about this. That very night, they scolded Oscar, and on the next day, they personally took him to the exam hall. I decided against doing that this time. So, I went to the living room and helped my dad hang the laundry. "Let me give you a hand, Dad," I offered. My dad took the clothes from me and looked at me dotingly. He said, "Don't worry about this. You've finally finished your end-of-term exams and will soon be in high school. Actually, you're even smarter than your brother. "Who knows? Maybe you'll also get into the Gifted Scholars Program one day. You should just relax and enjoy your vacation." Mom walked over, smiling. She patted my head adoringly. The truth was that I wasn't their biological child. However, they truly treated me as if I were their own. When I remembered how they shielded me from the fire in my past life, tears welled up in my eyes. Feeling slightly overwhelmed, I ran back to my room and flipped open my books. Dad was right. I didn't fall too far behind Oscar when it came to intelligence. So why couldn't I be the one to enroll in the Gifted Scholars Program? With that thought, I started studying seriously. I planned to use this vacation to review all the courses designated for the freshman year and prepare in advance for Novaris University's Gifted Scholars Program. Not long after, Tracy emerged from Oscar's room. We ran into each other just as I stepped out to get some water. Oscar walked up to me with a strange expression that I couldn't quite describe.