Chapter 1

In my past life, I drew the grand prize of ninety-nine thousand dollars at the company’s annual Labor Day gala.

Right on the spot, my coworker framed me, claiming our department director and I were sleeping together and that the raffle was rigged.

From then on, I fell straight into the trap of self-defense.

Bonuses, benefits, promotions—I gave them all away, just to prove I wasn’t dirty.

Yet it still wasn't enough.

During the holiday, while inspecting an active construction site, that same coworker shoved me into a deep pit, leaving me buried alive in concrete.

Only right before dying did I realize she was the one sleeping with our director.

The two of them had orchestrated the whole thing, walking all over my corpse to climb the corporate ladder.

"Congratulations, Joyce! The holiday weekend is right around the corner. Everyone’s rushing to get their expense reports processed, so how is it that yours got cleared so fast?"

"If you have some special trick, don't hold back on us. We're all on the same team here. Do you really have the heart to let the rest of us stress over money all weekend?"

My coworker, Vivian, tossed an expense form onto my desk. Her sharp, sarcastic tone dripped with venom.

Before I could even speak, she drove the knife in deeper.

"Word on the street is you went out to dinner with Director Hayes last night. No wonder your reimbursement was signed off this morning. I guess eating out of someone's hand really works wonders. So, Joyce... what exactly did you feed him?"

She framed it as me treating our boss, but her sneering eyes crawled down my face to my chest.

She was making it blatantly clear to the entire room: I had slept my way up to jump the line.

With the long weekend approaching, no one was focused on working anyway. Vivian’s shrill voice turned every head straight toward me.

"Oh, so that’s what happened! Hayes had zero work left yesterday, yet he stayed behind just to walk out with Joyce. Gross."

"Come on, Joyce. It's not like the company won't pay us back. We all need that cash for the holiday. Why do you get to cut the line?"

"Selling yourself out over a single dinner just to get reimbursed first? That’s desperate."

The office erupted into a storm of whispers and sneers. Vivian’s smirk grew wider by the second.

Seeing my silence, she assumed I was trapped with no way out, so she poured fuel on the fire.

"Honestly, it’s a brilliant investment. Director Hayes decides all our bonuses, raises, and promotions, doesn't he? Joyce, don't tell me you're coming back after the break as our new manager?"

Dozens of eyes locked onto me. Hungry, judgmental, venomous glares threatened to tear me apart.

Yet my mind was anchored in the memories of my previous life.

It had started just like this. Vivian made up a wild rumor about Hayes and me, forcing me into an endless cycle of self-justification, making me hand over everything I had earned with blood, sweat, and tears.

First, it was the priority reimbursement. Then, the grand prize at the company party. Finally, the management promotion.

Vivian had played the fearless champion of office fairness, yet she was the one who walked away with every single reward.

Meanwhile, I was banished to a dangerous construction site, where she shoved me into a dark foundation pit bristling with rebar.

Only in my final, suffocating moments did I learn she was Hayes’s real mistress. They had set me up together, stepping on my throat to take my spot.

"Look, she can't even say a word! Vivian was right!"

"We can't tolerate this toxic crap in our office. Joyce, hand over that reimbursement approval!"

The mob was whipped into a frenzy. I was public enemy number one.

Someone grew hesitant, murmuring, "Wait... what if Director Hayes retaliates against us?"

Vivian waved her hand dismissively with grand bravado.

"What are you scared of? I’m the one calling it out! If there are consequences, I’ll take them alone! I won't let her ruin everyone's holiday!"

Her bold declaration earned instant applause.

As the room chanted for my reimbursement slot to be handed over to Vivian, I calmly stood up.

Looking Vivian dead in the eye, I spoke clearly.

"Technically, the first slot shouldn't have been mine. And you're right. I did use personal connections to jump the line."

Vivian’s smug grin stretched across her face. But it vanished just as quickly.

I turned toward the rest of the room.

"If I used connections to cut the line, then Director Hayes abused his authority to grant it to me. Shouldn't we report Hayes to HR and get him fired, too?"

In my past life, faced with sudden accusations, all I wanted was to prove my innocence. I never suspected Hayes and Vivian were working together, which was why I fell right into their trap.

No matter how much evidence I brought, the moment Hayes publicly claimed to be my boyfriend, no one believed a single word out of my mouth.

Now, my mind was crystal clear. Since you want to drag me into the mud, I’m dragging both of you down with me!

Sure enough, the moment Hayes’s job was on the line, the righteous mob went dead silent.

They only had the courage to bully someone when they held a numbers advantage. Deep down, they knew neither the money nor the promotion would ever go to them, but watching someone else burn was their favorite pastime.

Vivian never expected me to turn the guns on Hayes. Panicking, she scrambled to protect her lover.

"You're the one who threw yourself at him! Hayes is the victim here!"

The bootlickers immediately chimed in.

"Exactly. If you hadn't seduced him, he wouldn't have bent the rules for you."

"We all know Hayes is a decent guy. He was just manipulated."

"She probably blackmailed him. Poor guy might have been cornered."