Chapter 8: The Degree Was Always Mine

Holly stared at the result page as if the word "Pass" had personally betrayed her.

"No... this can't be right!" she screamed, frantically refreshing the page. "Dakota, you must have done something!"

I folded my arms and watched her unravel with a calm smile.

"Why are you looking at me?" I asked. "Didn't you say you were confident enough to get full marks with your eyes closed?"

Her face turned pale.

Our mentor stepped forward and checked my result carefully. "Dakota Saunders, congratulations. You have passed the forensic certification exam."

Applause broke out around the room.

Holly looked like she had just been struck by lightning.

"Impossible!" she shrieked. "She barely studied! I studied every day! There has to be a mistake!"

I laughed softly. "Maybe the problem isn't the system, Holly. Maybe you're simply not as talented as you thought."

Her expression twisted with fury.

Then the second set of results appeared.

Holly Monroe—Failed.

The room went completely silent.

Her followers stared at her in disbelief. The same people who had spent weeks praising her natural talent suddenly had nothing to say.

Holly lunged toward the computer. "No! Check it again! I can't fail! I was supposed to get the internship!"

Our mentor stopped her. "Holly, enough. The results have been verified."

She turned toward me, her eyes filled with hatred.

"You knew, didn't you?"

I met her gaze without blinking.

"I knew enough to stop playing your game."

That answer made her freeze.

She had no idea that I remembered everything from my previous life. She did not know about the Achievement Transfer System that had once stolen every result I had earned.

But there was still one thing left to expose.

I pulled out my old research files and placed them on the table.

"Professor, I'd like to request an audit of the certification records and my previous experimental certificates."

Holly's face changed instantly.

Our mentor frowned. "Why?"

"Because there is something wrong with them. Every certificate I earned before this exam suddenly appeared under Holly's name."

Whispers spread through the room.

Holly immediately shouted, "She's lying! She is trying to frame me because she lost!"

I remained calm. "Then you have nothing to worry about. Let them investigate."

The investigation began that afternoon.

Digital records, archived experiment logs, examination histories, and certificate databases were reviewed one by one.

The evidence was impossible to explain away.

My original experiment records contained timestamps matching the hours I had spent working in the laboratory. The files had been created from my account, using my research data.

Yet the certificates had been transferred to Holly's name.

When the technical team traced the changes, they discovered an unauthorized system linked to Holly's student account.

Holly's carefully constructed world finally collapsed.

She tried to deny everything, but the records kept speaking for themselves.

Our mentor looked at her with disappointment. "You didn't earn those achievements."

Holly lowered her head, trembling.

For the first time, there was no crowd praising her and no innocent smile to hide behind.

She had spent an entire lifetime taking credit for work that belonged to someone else.

This time, she had nothing to transfer.

My certification was officially confirmed, and the internship slot at the Criminal Investigation Department was awarded to me.

As I walked out of the academy, I stopped for a moment and looked back at the building where I had once lost everything.

In my previous life, I had died believing that my hard work meant nothing.

Now I finally understood.

My effort had never been meaningless.

It had always been mine.

Holly had only stolen the results because I had never known how.

This time, she could not steal what I refused to surrender.

I adjusted my bag and walked toward my new future without looking back.

I had been given a second chance, and I would not waste it proving myself to people who had already judged me.

The girl who once stole my degree had finally lost everything she had taken.

And the degree she claimed was hers had always belonged to me.

THE END