Chapter 4: Outrunning the Poison

Finally, the SATs came. This time, I was ready to give it my all.

I prepared for every possibility—locking up my food, setting multiple alarms, keeping my supplies close.

I wouldn’t let anyone sabotage me again.

The night before, I told my family I’d already eaten. I didn’t trust Madison not to try something, so I didn’t eat or drink anything at home. I bought bottled water outside and kept it with me at all times, even taking it to the bathroom.

I slept with one eye open, my bag packed and ready by the door.

I wouldn’t let my guard down, not even for a second.

Before bed, I set three alarms—one on my phone, one on the desk, one in the bed. I woke up before any of them went off. The house was silent—everyone was sleeping soundly. I didn’t know what Madison had tried, but I was ready.

I checked and rechecked my supplies, my heart racing. This was it—the moment I’d been waiting for.

After checking my admission ticket and supplies, I left early, waiting at the neighborhood gate for half an hour until Madison and her mom showed up. She was surprised to see me. “Mrs. Rivera, can I talk to Madison for a minute?” I smiled sweetly. Her mom agreed.

We walked behind a flowerbed. “Why aren’t you unconscious?” she hissed, eyes full of hate.

“So you did mess with my family.”

“I came early yesterday, paid your brother to put sleeping pills in all your food and water—I watched him do it myself. How could you not fall for it? Didn’t you even drink water?” she demanded, as if I owed her an explanation.

I taunted her, “Maybe I’m just lucky. Like you said, I’m pretty, smart, and lucky. You’ll never beat me. Life isn’t fair, and you’ll just have to live with it.” I knew exactly how to get under her skin.

Her face twisted in rage, but I just smiled.

I’d won, and she knew it.

“Rachel Foster! You bitch! I hope you die!” She looked like she wanted to attack me but held back, probably worried about missing the exam herself.

I rolled my eyes, unbothered. Her threats meant nothing now.

“Go ahead, curse me all you want. I heard your mom hired three top tutors, but your grades still dropped. Guess brains matter most—no amount of effort can make up for average intelligence. From today on, the gap between us will only grow—you’ll spend your life eating my dust.”

My words cut her deeply.

She stared at me, trembling with fury. I almost felt sorry for her—almost.

“Bitch, go to hell!” Madison lunged at me, but I dodged easily. “Think it through—are you skipping the exam? Besides, you’re shorter than me. Without your dirty tricks, you’re no match for me.”

“I’ll surpass you! I’ll be better than you someday!” she spat, then stormed off.

I watched her go, feeling lighter than I had in years.

I composed myself and walked confidently to the exam, ready to give it my all—and hoping Madison would bomb it.

I never planned to let her off so easily.

After all she’d done to me, after the pain and ruined future, I couldn’t just let it go.

This time, I was determined to come out on top, no matter what it took.

In my past life, how did I miss the exam? The day before, Mason invited me to the county park to set off fireworks for his birthday. His friend drove us up, then left us alone. After the fireworks, our phones disappeared. With the exam the next day, I insisted on walking down. The path was rough, Mason carried me, but we fell and rolled down a slope. I passed out. When I woke up, it was the next afternoon—I’d missed the exam.

The memory still haunted me—the feeling of helplessness, the crushing disappointment.

I’d sworn I’d never let it happen again.

Mason had broken his leg saving me. Seeing him in the hospital, I couldn’t bring myself to blame him. I could only blame fate. What could I do?

I’d spent months blaming myself, never realizing the whole thing had been orchestrated from the start.

With my parents’ hopes dashed, they stopped being nice and forced me to work, demanding all my wages. I ran away. Mason took me in and supported my decision to retake the exam. We couldn’t afford tuition, so I studied on my own and worked part-time. Mason took care of everything at home.

But the next year, on the way to the exam, I was hit by a motorcycle and knocked out again. I missed it a second time.

The universe seemed determined to keep me down, but I refused to give up. I kept fighting, even when the odds were stacked against me.

After two years, I had no more chances. We planned to move south for work. Before leaving, Madison found me, saying a relative at the school district could help with my records. “You’re too talented to give up now.” I agreed to try again, but after months of studying, she told me her relative couldn’t help. She apologized, and I didn’t blame her.

Now I saw her apology for what it was—a final twist of the knife.

Just as I was about to leave town with Mason, I found out I was pregnant. I was stunned. We’d only lived together for a month, always careful, but I still got pregnant—not even twenty-one years old.

Unmarried, young, broke, no job—every factor was a disaster. I wanted to end the pregnancy, but Mason begged me to keep it, promising to give us a happy family. Having grown up unloved, I longed for a warm family, and his promises moved me.

I decided to keep the baby. We got married, telling only Madison.

Her reaction was a mix of feigned concern and barely concealed glee.

I should have seen through it then.

She took leave to persuade us not to move, saying I needed rest. She even lent us money and found Mason a job. Two months later, he’d lost money gambling and owed over $15,000. Debt collectors trashed our place. We moved and started a life on the run. Mason stopped working and drank all day. We fought more and more.

During one argument, I complained he’d changed. He laughed, drunk, saying it had all been an act for me—he hated studying. I felt cold all over, like I was seeing him for the first time.

Our relationship had been a lie from the start.

The final betrayal was almost a relief.

At least I knew the truth now.

I decided to end it—told Mason I wanted a divorce and an abortion. He went crazy, and during a struggle, pushed me down the stairs.

That was the end of my short life.

I remembered Madison’s words. In my past life, she’d always been involved behind the scenes—suggesting ways to stop me from taking the exam, arranging the motorcycle accident, tricking me into studying for nothing, pushing Mason to trap me with a pregnancy, and introducing him to gambling. Every time I tried to climb out of the mud, she’d kick me back in, until I was swallowed by darkness.

Her jealousy was a poison that seeped into every corner of my life.

I vowed never to let it touch me again.

All she wanted was for me to be beneath her forever, begging for her charity to satisfy her twisted mind.

This time, I wouldn’t let her win. Since she cared about grades and the SATs, I’d destroy her there.

I poured every ounce of energy into my studies, refusing to let her sabotage me.

I was stronger now—smarter, too.