Rain poured heavily outside the glass walls of Monroe Fashion's headquarters.
Inside the office, the lights were still on.
Zariah Monroe stood alone in the conference room, her hands resting on the cold table, her reflection staring back at her from the dark window.
Everything she had built… was gone.
"Miss Monroe," the lawyer said carefully, sliding a stack of documents toward her. "The board has voted. Effective immediately, you are removed as CEO."
Removed.
From her own company.
The company she had created from nothing.
The company she had sacrificed her youth, her sleep, her relationships—her entire life—for.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the table.
"And the shares?" she asked quietly.
The lawyer hesitated.
"Transferred. Under the agreement you signed last month."
The room fell silent.
Zariah slowly turned her head.
Her gaze landed on the man standing near the window.
The man she had trusted more than anyone.
The man she loved.
Ethan Blake.
Her fiancé.
Her partner.
Her betrayal.
"I didn't think you'd find out this way," Ethan said, his voice calm, almost gentle.
Zariah stared at him.
"You forged the agreement," she said.
It wasn't a question.
Ethan sighed, walking closer.
"You signed it," he replied. "You just didn't read the fine print."
Her chest tightened.
The document last month.
The one he told her was a temporary investor protection form.
The one she signed without hesitation.
Because she trusted him.
Because she loved him.
From the other side of the room, another voice spoke.
"Don't look so shocked."
Zariah turned.
Lydia Carter walked in, wearing a tailored white suit and a smile Zariah knew too well.
Her former best friend.
Her creative director.
The woman who had been by her side since the beginning.
"Congratulations," Lydia continued smoothly. "You've officially lost everything."
The pieces fell into place.
The board votes.
The sudden investor pressure.
The leaked designs months ago.
The media scandals.
The rumors about her leadership.
It wasn't bad luck.
It was planned.
Carefully.
Patiently.
By the two people she trusted most.
Zariah laughed.
It came out quiet. Hollow.
"I built this company," she said.
Her voice didn't shake.
"I worked sixteen hours a day. I sold my apartment to fund the first collection. I fought every investor who said I wasn't good enough."
Her eyes locked onto Ethan.
"And you took it from me."
Ethan's expression didn't change.
"You built it," he said calmly. "But you're not the one who can grow it."
Lydia stepped forward.
"The board needs someone more… stable," she added. "Someone easier to work with."
Stable.
Easier.
Not difficult.
Not demanding.
Not powerful.
Security guards appeared at the door.
The message was clear.
She wasn't welcome anymore.
Not in her company.
Not in her own life.
Twenty minutes later, Zariah stood outside the building.
The rain soaked through her coat.
Her phone buzzed.
Message after message.
Breaking News: Monroe Fashion CEO Removed
Board Announces New Leadership Under Ethan Blake
Creative Director Lydia Carter Promoted
Her name was already disappearing.
Erased.
Rewritten.
Zariah looked up at the building.
The logo she designed still shined at the top.
Her dream.
Her life.
Her future.
Gone.
Her phone rang.
Unknown number.
She answered.
"Miss Monroe," a reporter said immediately. "Do you have a statement about your removal?"
Zariah closed her eyes.
For the first time in years, she had nothing left to protect.
Nothing left to lose.
"No," she said quietly.
Then she hung up.
The streetlight flickered above her.
A car sped past.
The rain blurred everything.
The world felt distant.
Heavy.
Empty.
If she had known…
If she had seen the betrayal sooner…
If she had read the documents…
If she had trusted herself instead of them…
Maybe things would be different.
A horn blared.
Bright headlights cut through the rain.
Too close.
Too fast.
Zariah turned.
For a brief moment, everything slowed.
The rain.
The light.
The sound.
The regret.
Then darkness swallowed everything.
When she opened her eyes again…
The world would not be the same.
The sound of tires screeching filled the air.
A flash of light.
A sharp impact.
Then silence.
Darkness swallowed everything.
…
Pain.
That was the first thing she felt.
Then cold.
Then the distant sound of voices.
"Miss? Miss, can you hear me?"
Zariah tried to move, but her body felt heavy, like it didn't belong to her.
Everything hurt.
Her chest.
Her head.
Her heart.
The last thing she remembered was the rain.
The headlights.
The betrayal.
Ethan.
Lydia.
Her company.
Her life.
All gone.
Tears slid down the corners of her eyes.
So this was the end.
After everything she sacrificed.
After everything she built.
She died with nothing.
No revenge.
No justice.
No second chance.
If she could do it again…
If she could go back…
She would never trust them.
She would never love blindly.
She would never let anyone take what was hers.
Never again.
Darkness closed in once more.
And this time…
It took her completely.
Darkness swallowed her whole.
No sound.
No pain.
No light.
Just endless silence.
Time seemed to stop.
Or maybe it no longer existed.
Somewhere deep inside that darkness, a single thought echoed.
If only I could go back…
If only I had one more chance.
She wouldn't trust so easily.
She wouldn't ignore the warning signs.
She wouldn't give her heart to people who only wanted her power.
This time…
She would protect what was hers.
This time…
She would make them pay.
The darkness began to shift.
A faint warmth spread through her body.
Then light.
Soft at first.
Then brighter.
Her fingers twitched.
Her breathing returned.
And slowly…
Zariah Monroe opened her eyes.
The air felt different.
Too light.
Too familiar.
Her heart began to pound as she slowly pushed herself up, confusion flooding her mind.
The room…
The walls…
The old wooden dresser by the window.
Her breath caught.
This wasn't where she died.
This was her past.
And this time…
Everything would change.
And this time, she would survive.