A Bottle of Water of Exchanging SAT Scores

The moment my SAT scores came out, I, Anna Barnes, took the bottled water my mom Ella Barnes handed me and the beaded bracelet my friend Lionel Murphy gave me, and passed them both to Ryder Carter—the guy who’d been bullying me for ages, someone with AIDS and terrible grades. Because in my past life, I drank that water, and my SAT score ended up becoming my adopted sister Aubrey Barnes’, while her score became mine. Within days, my body began deteriorating rapidly for no apparent reason. I started coughing up blood, running fevers, and eventually the pain was so intense I could barely get out of bed. Meanwhile, Aubrey, who had been suffering from stomach cancer, miraculously recovered. I begged Ella to take me to the hospital, but she not only refused—she mocked me, saying I was faking it, cursing at me before locking me in the basement. While I endured the agony of illness, they were outside throwing a lively celebration party for Aubrey. In the end, I died alone in that basement. After my death, Aubrey used my scores to shine at a prestigious university and even got together with Lionel. Only then did I realize that the water Ella had given me was a swap potion—once I drank it, my grades would be stolen. And the beaded bracelet Lionel gave me would transfer Aubrey’s illness to me if I wore it for three days, completely draining my life away. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day we checked our scores. ***** “What are you spacing out for? Take it!” The familiar voice snapped me back to reality. Realizing I’d truly been reborn, I stared intensely at the water and beaded bracelet before me, a chill rising in my heart. In my past life, it was because I accepted these two items from Ella and Lionel. Three days later, my grades had swapped with Aubrey’s. Not only that, but my body began rapidly deteriorating—constant high fevers and frequent coughing up blood. At the same time, Aubrey, who had been tormented by stomach cancer, suddenly regained her health. Her complexion was rosy, her condition excellent—nothing like someone who’d been ill. I was in agony, grabbing Ella’s hand and begging her to take me to the hospital. She shook me off and coldly scolded, “You’re just being dramatic! Aubrey got better, so now you’re pretending to be sick? Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to!” Then they dragged me into the basement. After that, they threw a celebration party for Aubrey, completely ignoring whether I lived or died. Eventually, I was tortured to death from prolonged lack of water and food. After my death, I watched helplessly as Aubrey took the acceptance letter that should have been mine, got together with Lionel, and enjoyed the life that should have been mine. Only then did I finally understand—the water Ella gave me that day was a swap potion, and the beaded bracelet Lionel gave me was a luck transfer charm. My scores, my health—they had all conspired to transfer everything to Aubrey. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day we checked our scores. Looking at Ella and Lionel with their hypocritical faces, I remained expressionless, smiled as I accepted what they handed me, then turned and gave everything to Ryder. Poor grades plus AIDS—double debuff maxed out. They love swapping so much? This time, I’ll let them swap to their heart’s content!

After handing everything to Ryder, confirming he drank the water, and watching him smugly put on the bracelet, I finally felt at ease leaving the house. I bought a bottle of real water and an ordinary bracelet similar to the beaded one Lionel had given me, then returned home. Seeing me wearing the bracelet with the water bottle half-empty in my hand, Ella and Lionel visibly relaxed. A few days passed, and Aubrey truly seemed like a different person. Her previous sickly appearance had completely vanished, replaced by a rosy glow on her face. Even her steps were much lighter, and she radiated unprecedented vitality. I huddled in the corner of the sofa, pretending to cover my mouth and cough a couple of times. Seeing this, Aubrey immediately swayed over to me, her face full of smugness and mockery. “Anna, feeling unwell again? You look so pale—don’t tell me you’ve got some serious illness? How pitiful.” She then flaunted the diagnosis report in her hand. “Oh, by the way, you probably don’t know yet—I went to the hospital today, and the doctor said I’m completely recovered. Tell me, isn’t that fate? Looks like all your good fortune has transferred to me.” Watching her gloating expression, hatred surged within me. But I still suppressed my anger and forced a smile. “Congratulations, Aubrey. Though you know, good fortune has a way of… going back where it came from.” Ella, who had just walked in and heard about Aubrey’s recovery, immediately broke into a brilliant smile. She grabbed Aubrey’s hand, her eyes full of affection. “My precious daughter, your illness is finally gone!” she said excitedly, her eyes even welling up with tears. When she turned to look at me, her expression instantly turned cold, her tone filled with disgust. “Some people are always sickly and pathetic—nothing but a burden!” Hearing those words, my eyes couldn’t help but redden. In my previous life, this was exactly how Ella treated me. She would either hit or scold me, and after I got sick, she became even worse, wishing I would drop dead right in front of her. Yet I was her biological daughter, while Aubrey was merely her adopted one. Soon, the day came to apply for schools. Aubrey seemed so confident that she had successfully switched our grades that she didn’t even bother checking her scores before starting her applications. I coughed violently a few times, then asked with feigned curiosity, “Aren’t you going to check what score you actually got?” She responded impatiently, “Mind your own business. I know what I got. As for you, what’s the point of high scores anyway? With your poor health, you’ll die of illness sooner or later. When that happens, won’t it all benefit me in the end?” She spoke smugly, her face twisted with perverse pleasure. Looking at her disgusting expression, I felt a wave of intense nausea. I said, “Oh really? Well, you’d better be careful that all that good fortune doesn’t crush you.” My words made her face flush with anger, and she was about to retort when Lionel pushed the door open and walked in. “Lionel!” The moment she saw him, Aubrey immediately threw herself at him, her voice sickeningly sweet. “Anna’s coughing so badly—I’m afraid her illness might be contagious.” She deliberately snuggled closer into his arms. Lionel steadied her and frowned at me, his tone as gentle as always. “Anna, if you’re not feeling well, go rest in your room. Don’t push yourself.” In my previous life, I was fooled by his gentle facade, thinking he truly cared for me. Only after death did I realize he had been secretly conspiring with Aubrey all along. In the end, they even plotted together to take my life! Now that I’ve been given a second chance, I swear I’ll make them pay the price they deserve!

At this thought, I let out a soft laugh, a flash of sarcasm crossing my eyes. “I just coughed a few times—what’s there to be afraid of? “But Lionel, you’d better be careful. If you catch something else because of your lifestyle choices, that would really be a loss.” Lionel’s expression shifted slightly. He couldn’t grasp the deeper meaning in my words and assumed I was just being jealous, making snide remarks. Though annoyed, he maintained his composure and said quietly, “Anna, don’t overthink things. I’m just worried about you.” I didn’t want to hear any more of his nonsense, so I cut him off. “College applications are due in the next couple of days. Have you guys decided which schools you’re applying to?” Aubrey’s eyes gleamed with smugness as she said coquettishly, “Of course. I’m applying to New York University. “I want to go to college with you—after all, only a place like that is worthy of me.” “As for certain losers,” she shot me a sideways glance and snorted, “even if she applies to the best schools, it won’t matter. She probably won’t even get into a regular college.” I gently traced the ordinary bracelet on my wrist, the corners of my mouth lifting in a serene smile. “New York University?” I said. “That’s certainly a good choice. “But Aubrey, are you sure you’ll get accepted? NYU’s admission standards are pretty high.” Aubrey’s face darkened, and she was about to explode when Ella suddenly interrupted, “Don’t spout nonsense. Aubrey has recovered, and she did great on the exams. She’ll definitely get into New York University. “You’re not fit to be mentioned in the same breath as her! Get lost—I can’t stand looking at you!” Without waiting for my response, she pulled Aubrey to her side, saying with concern, “Aubrey, don’t pay attention to her. Once you get into a good college, I’ll throw you a celebration party. When that acceptance letter arrives, let’s see what she has to say then.” I stood to the side, listening quietly, a wave of desolation washing over my heart. In my previous life, Ella had acted exactly like this. Once she successfully switched our scores, she couldn’t wait to show off Aubrey’s grades, completely disregarding whether I lived or died. I pretended to nod obediently and returned to my room. Over the next few days, I continued to put on a sickly appearance on the surface while secretly keeping close tabs on their movements. Sure enough, Aubrey really did apply to New York University. That very day, Ella began organizing a celebration party for Aubrey, spending an entire day just calling to invite friends and relatives. She even dipped into her personal savings to buy Aubrey a dress worth over ten thousand dollars. Learning that Aubrey had gotten into a prestigious school, relatives flocked over to congratulate her. My second aunt, Violet Barnes, sidled up to Ella, eyes full of envy. “Ella, you’re so blessed! Aubrey is so capable—getting into New York University!” Ella beamed with joy, nodding enthusiastically. “Aubrey really is amazing!” My third aunt, Mary Barnes, went so far as to directly hand Aubrey a gift. Aubrey smiled sweetly, graciously accepting all the gifts and flattery. Amid all the praise, I received a text from my good friend Paige Lynch. [Anna, Ryder seems to be sick. I saw him coughing up blood yesterday.] I gripped my phone tightly, my gaze sweeping over the smug Aubrey and Ella, a cold smile playing at my lips. Compared to my previous life, Ryder’s condition had manifested a full week earlier. It seemed the backlash from the bead bracelet was already accelerating. Now I couldn’t wait to see what expressions Ella and Lionel would wear when they discovered that the health and test scores they had schemed so hard to steal would ultimately amount to nothing. As the celebration party drew closer each day, I intensified my act of being sick. I coughed violently every day, as if I were about to hack up my internal organs. I walked with an unsteady gait, applied special makeup to create a sickly complexion, and looked utterly frail and weak. Whenever I put on this performance, Aubrey and Lionel would show expressions of disgust, as if I were something filthy. Ella, in particular, would constantly mock me with cold sarcasm, calling me a burden and a sickly weakling. Finally, under my carefully orchestrated performance, the celebration party proceeded as scheduled. The party was held at the largest hotel in town, with a luxurious and grand setting. A huge backdrop read: Congratulations to Aubrey Barnes on her acceptance to New York University. Ella wore an elegant dress, linking arms with Aubrey and beaming with joy. Lionel stood nearby, his gaze frequently falling on Aubrey with tender eyes. Meanwhile, I stood in the corner dressed plainly with a pale complexion, like an outsider. Guests arrived one after another, offering their congratulations to Aubrey. Aubrey basked in everyone’s compliments, her face glowing with smug satisfaction. Just then, the mail carrier delivering acceptance letters arrived. “Aubrey, quick! Your acceptance letter is here!” Ella excitedly nudged Aubrey. Aubrey’s face lit up with joy as she hurried forward. The guests all raised their phones, ready to capture this joyful moment. The next second, the mail carrier called out loudly: “Is Anna Barnes here? Please sign for your New York University acceptance letter!” The air instantly froze. Aubrey’s smile froze on her face, and Ella’s complexion turned deathly pale. Lionel also looked at me in disbelief, his hand that had been supporting Aubrey recoiling as if he’d been electrocuted. All the raised phones hung suspended in mid-air, and the crowd fell into stunned silence. From the corner, under the gaze of hundreds of eyes, I slowly stood up, walked forward, took the envelope, and said clearly: “Thank you, I’m Anna.” “No! That’s mine!” Aubrey suddenly snapped back to reality, screaming as she rushed over, trying to snatch the acceptance letter from my hands. Ella also glared with furious eyes, shouting sternly: “Anna, what are you making a fuss about? Give the acceptance letter back to Aubrey right now!” I chuckled softly, gripping the acceptance letter firmly in my hands, and spoke slowly: “Mom, you’ve got it wrong. This has my name written on it.” Someone whispered: “Could it be that both Anna and Aubrey got into New York University?” But the next second, the mail carrier denied this: “Impossible. New York University is very hard to get into. Only one person from this entire area was accepted.” With these words, everyone present showed curious expressions, their gazes turning in unison toward Ella and Aubrey. Aubrey still refused to believe it, trembling as she opened the score-checking website. When she saw the score displayed on the screen, she instantly froze. She mumbled: “Impossible! Where’s my score? My health has recovered, so my score should also be…” Violet sneered: “I knew it! Aubrey’s grades have always been terrible. There’s no way she could get into New York University!” Mary loudly chimed in: “She acted like it was real! Turns out she only scored that little!” The scene immediately erupted in whispered conversations. Ryder, who had been eating fruit by the buffet table, seemed to find this interesting and craned his neck to join the commotion. Aubrey’s gaze inadvertently swept over him, and when she saw the beaded bracelet on his wrist, her face instantly became even more ashen. She asked: “Ryder, where did you get that bracelet?”

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