In my past life, I won the grand prize of $99,000 at the company’s annual party. But my coworker publicly accused me of having an affair with our manager, claiming we had rigged the prize draw. From then on, I fell into a trap of trying to prove my innocence. Whether it was prize money, project bonuses, or promotion opportunities, I had to give them all up to avoid suspicion. But my coworkers still weren’t satisfied. At a construction site, they pushed me into a deep pit and buried me alive. Only as I lay dying did I learn the truth – my coworker was the one actually having an affair with our manager. They had conspired to frame me so they could take my position. Given a second chance at life, I decided to beat them at their own game. At the annual party, I preemptively confessed to dating the manager, announcing we’d been together for a year. 0 “Congratulations Rachel! It’s year-end and everyone’s rushing to submit expense reports. How did yours get approved so quickly?” “If you’ve got some secret trick, you can’t keep it to yourself. We’re all colleagues here – you wouldn’t want to see us stressed out over a bit of money, would you?” Amber tossed an expense report onto my desk, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Before I could defend myself, she continued: “I heard you had dinner with Mr. Blake last night. No wonder your expenses got approved today. Talk about greasing the wheels! What did you treat him to?” Amber claimed I’d treated the manager to dinner, but her mocking gaze roved over my face and chest, clearly implying I’d used my feminine charms to bribe the boss for preferential treatment. Everyone in the office was already distracted as the year wound down. Amber’s loud voice immediately drew all eyes to me. “Oh, so that’s how it is! I was wondering why Mr. Blake had no plans yesterday but still waited around for Rachel to leave work together. Tsk tsk.” “Rachel, come on. It’s not like they won’t reimburse us eventually. Why did you have to cut in line?” “Was it really worth buying dinner just to get reimbursed first? Seems excessive.” Gossip and speculation filled the office. Amber looked increasingly smug. Seeing me at a loss for words, she assumed I had no defense and started openly spreading rumors. “Rachel’s got quite the sweet deal going. Don’t our bonuses, raises, and promotions all depend on Mr. Blake’s say-so? I bet Rachel’s about to get promoted.” The entire office stared at me intently. Their gazes – eager, fierce, resentful – felt like they could pierce right through me. But my mind was stuck on memories of my past life. It had started just like this. Amber inexplicably spread rumors that the manager and I were having an affair. To prove my innocence, I was forced to give up everything I’d earned through my own hard work. First it was the chance to submit expenses first. Then the grand prize I won at the company party. Finally, a promotion opportunity. Amber’s relentless accusations made her seem like she was championing fairness and justice. In the end, she reaped all the benefits. I was reassigned from the office to a construction site. While inspecting the work quality there, Amber pushed me into a pit full of steel rebar. Only in that moment did I realize the truth – Amber was the one actually having an affair with the manager. They had conspired to frame me so they could take my position. 0
“Look, she’s speechless. Amber must be telling the truth after all.” “We absolutely cannot allow this kind of impropriety in our company. Rachel Johnson, give up your expense reimbursement priority right now!” The crowd was getting riled up. I had become public enemy number one. Someone asked nervously, “What if Mr. Blake retaliates against us?” Hearing this, Amber made a grand gesture. “What are you afraid of? I’m the one who exposed this. If there are any consequences, I’ll bear them alone!” Her bold declaration won a round of applause. As people clamored for me to give my reimbursement priority to Amber, I calmly stood up. Looking Amber straight in the eye, I said, “Technically, it wasn’t my turn to submit expenses first. And yes, I did use connections to cut in line. That part is true.” Amber’s smug expression grew even more pronounced. But she wouldn’t be smiling for long. I turned to address the crowd. “If I used connections to get preferential treatment, and Mr. Blake gave me special privileges, shouldn’t he be disciplined too?” In my past life, faced with accusations and false charges, I had only wanted to quickly prove my innocence. I didn’t realize Mr. Blake and Amber were in cahoots, so I fell into a trap of trying to defend myself. No matter how much evidence I produced, as long as Mr. Blake insisted he was my boyfriend, who would believe anything I said? Now I understood – if you’re going to accuse me, I’ll drag you all down with me! Sure enough, at the mention of disciplining the manager, the previously righteous crowd suddenly fell silent. They were only brave enough to bully me as a group. Deep down, they knew that whether it was expense reimbursement priority or promotion opportunities, none of it would actually benefit them in the end. They just wanted to see someone else suffer. Amber hadn’t expected me to respond this way. She rushed to defend her lover. “You brought this on yourself by being cheap and easy. It has nothing to do with anyone else. Mr. Blake is a victim too!” The others immediately chimed in to agree. “That’s right, if you hadn’t seduced Mr. Blake, he wouldn’t have given you special treatment.” “We all know what kind of person Mr. Blake is. He just fell for your tricks for a moment.” “Maybe she’s framing him! Mr. Blake could be getting blackmailed.” 0
Memories of my past life began to overlap with the current scene. Looking at these people’s unchanged faces, I could only laugh coldly to myself. The sales department’s salaries were based on performance. If you didn’t meet the company’s targets, you only got the base salary of 2000. A n d 2000.And2000 was barely enough to survive on in this big city. When I first came here from my small hometown, sales was the only job I could get without a degree or connections. To meet my targets, I went from never drinking to being able to outdrink a table full of men. I stood on street corners handing out flyers in freezing weather, sometimes for an entire day. Having been through hard times myself, I wanted to help others when I could. After becoming the top salesperson, I often shared my performance numbers with colleagues to ensure everyone in the sales department got at least $5000 a month. Not only that, I would win back clients they had lost and handle difficult situations they couldn’t manage. I remember how grateful they always were when I shared my performance numbers with them, helping them calculate how much they’d be able to earn that month. “Thank you so much Rachel! I don’t know what I would’ve done this month without you.” “Rachel, you’re the best! You even bought us gloves and scarves. Now we won’t get frostbite when we’re out chasing sales.” “We love you Rachel!” But look at them now. Where was any trace of gratitude for what I’d done? In my past life, Amber’s accusations were full of holes, but they believed her without question. They immediately banded together to report me to the boss, demanding I be fired. When I produced evidence proving my innocence, they made snide remarks, asking if I could guarantee I’d always remain pure and innocent in the future. After Amber got promoted, she didn’t have the skills to lead the sales team to meet targets. Everyone naturally blamed me, insisting I take on the entire department’s sales goals. And in my foolishness, trying to prove my abilities and innocence, I actually did it. In the end, the whole department shared the bonus, while I was relegated to the construction site. When I died tragically, not a single person remembered the good I had done. If that’s how it is, then this time we’ll see who has the last laugh! 0
Amidst the chorus of condemnation, I calmly accepted giving up my reimbursement priority and promised not to cause trouble for Mr. Blake. Amber couldn’t believe I would agree so easily. She kept pressing: “You really mean it? No take-backs!” I casually reassured her: “If I go back on my word, you can report me to the boss and get me fired.” Satisfied with my answer, Amber gleefully headed to the finance office. I opened up the performance report I had prepared earlier. In previous years, to ensure everyone in the sales department could have a good holiday bonus, I had always evenly distributed my performance numbers among those who hadn’t met their targets. That way, everyone could get a year-end bonus. But this time, I had adjusted the report to show everyone’s true performance numbers. I sent it off to the boss’s email. At this point, the rest of the sales department had no idea they were about to lose their year-end bonuses. They were excitedly discussing plans for the upcoming company party. I sat silently in my chair, listening to them talk about the party. The light in my eyes grew dim as I recalled what had happened last time. In my past life, I had won the grand prize of $99,000 that the boss had prepared. It was the biggest prize at the party. But before I could even celebrate, Amber jumped on stage and grabbed the microphone to “expose” my affair with Mr. Blake. She claimed he had told me in advance where the prize was hidden. I tried to explain, but Mr. Blake beat me to it. He rushed to apologize to the boss, admitting to the non-existent affair and confirming he had told me about the prize location. His confession caught me completely off guard. My attempts to explain became stuttering and unconvincing. Faced with Mr. Blake’s impassioned confession and my clumsy denials, the boss chose to believe him. To prove my innocence, I decided to give up the prize money. In the end, the grand prize went to Amber for her “courage” in exposing office impropriety. The boss forgave Mr. Blake for his sincere apology, viewing my continued protests as dishonest excuses. I lost my year-end bonus as well. Lost in angry memories, I glanced at the time. I knew the boss would be arriving at the office soon, just like in my past life. The moment to launch my counterattack was approaching. 0
At 3:10 PM sharp, the boss entered the office right on schedule, just like last time. But unlike my previous life, this time he stormed in looking harried, phone clutched to his ear. As soon as he entered, the boss shouted towards the sales department: “Rachel! What’s going on? Why haven’t you sent the deposit for the party venue yet? The hotel says they’re going to give our spot away!” I poked my head up from my cubicle, putting on a helpless expression. “I’m sorry boss, I couldn’t. My expense report hasn’t been approved yet, so I don’t have the money to front it.” Hearing this, the boss grew even angrier. “Didn’t I tell you to submit your expenses first? Is the finance department dead or something? Why haven’t they paid you yet!” Amber had no idea what was happening outside. She emerged from the finance office with a huge grin, eager to show off. “Being first to get reimbursed is great! $3,200 in my pocket!” She had barely finished speaking when she saw the boss’s furious face. And the boss had heard her bragging about being first to get reimbursed. “What’s going on here? I told Rachel to submit her expenses first. How did you cut in line?” Only now did Amber realize that my reimbursement priority hadn’t come from Mr. Blake’s favoritism, but from the boss himself. Her smug little scheme was about to earn her the full brunt of the boss’s rage. “Boss, I—” “You what? Were you that desperate for $3,000? Are you starving? Can’t afford clothes?” “Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused? We don’t have a venue for tonight’s party now. Are you going to find us one?” “Useless! What are you still standing there for? Waiting for me to fire you?!” Amber’s excuses died in her throat. As I stood up to head to the finance office, I brushed past her and whispered in her ear: “This is just the beginning. You’d better watch out.” Amber’s eyes widened as she bit her lip hard. But she could only watch helplessly as I walked into the finance office. I knew her heart was full of hatred for me. That hatred would make her even more vicious when she tried to frame me at tonight’s party. But it didn’t matter. As the finance stamp hit my expense report, I had already come up with a plan to turn the tables tonight. 0
Soon enough, 5:20 PM rolled around. My coworkers and I arrived at the hotel for the company party. The whole venue was decked out lavishly, a clear sign the boss had raked in serious profits this year. Otherwise he wouldn’t be so generous with that $99,000 grand prize. As soon as I entered, I spotted Amber and Mr. Blake whispering together in a corner. The two of them looked exactly as scheming as they had in my past life. After pushing me into that pit, they had stood over my body impaled on steel rebar, passing final judgment on me as I lay dying. “Rachel Johnson, this is what you get for always trying to be first at everything.” “With you around, I could never get ahead in the sales department. My husband’s position would eventually be replaced by you too.” “Look how hated you are. Even the people you helped despise you behind your back.” “Did you really think anyone needed your pathetic charity? Did it make you feel good to treat us like beggars?” My eyes had bulged with pain as I took my final breaths, unable to close them even in death. Only then did I realize that my attempts to help had been seen as humiliation in their eyes. They smiled and thanked me to my face while viewing me as their greatest enemy. Seeing my icy glare, Amber’s face changed. She quickly stepped away from Mr. Blake. This time, I didn’t sit with the sales department. Instead, I took the seat the boss had prepared for me in advance. To my right was a prize wall for the raffle draw. In the second box of the third row was the $99,000 grand prize that had led to my disgrace and wrongful death in my past life. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Amber and Mr. Blake’s gazes fixed on me as I stared at the prizes. As the top salesperson, I would be the first to draw a prize. Mr. Blake had placed that reward in this spot based on my usual habits. To escape their trap, I simply needed to choose a different prize. But I refused to back down. I had earned this through my own efforts – there was no way I would give it up!
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