Chapter 1

At the water company's board meeting, the intern made a suggestion.

She wanted to connect the city's septic tanks directly to the main tap water lines.

My boyfriend, Lucius Drake, agreed immediately.

The other executives nodded their heads in excitement.

In my past life, I fought against this with everything I had.

The new water purification patent was never designed to handle raw sewage.

If anything went wrong, the entire company would be held criminally liable.

Lucius had looked at me with cold, judging eyes.

"Seraphina's suggestion is brilliant," he snapped.

"Are you just targeting her because you're jealous?"

The other executives looked annoyed as well.

"The company needs cash right now," one said.

"The new patent can purify anything instantly, so stop worrying."

When I kept refusing, they didn't argue anymore.

They teamed up, knocked me unconscious, and used my thumb to force my print onto the contract.

The result was a total catastrophe.

An operational error caused the city's drinking water to mix with raw sewage.

People were forced to drink filth and bathe in liquid waste.

A massive outbreak of acute hepatitis swept through the city.

Dospitals were overflowing with people dying of liver failure.

Seraphina, the intern, didn't take responsibility.

Instead, she stood on the roof of the company building and jumped, breaking almost every bone in her body.

She started a livestream from her hospital bed.

She cried to the world that I was the one who forced the city to consume waste.

She claimed I pushed her off the roof because I was jealous of her talent.

Lucius appeared on screen with her, showing an AI-generated deepfake of me pushing her.

I was hunted by the entire internet.

On my way home, an extremist blocked my path.

He stabbed me eighty-eight times and cut off my head.

He posted the photos on the dark web to brag about his justice.

But now, I have a second chance.

I am back at that same meeting, hearing the intern suggest connecting the sewers to the faucets.

I slowly wrote my resignation letter.

Then, I secretly called the Capitol District High Authority.

"Cancel the patent usage rights for the company under my name immediately," I whispered.

1

In the livestream, Seraphina Sterling was shaking and covered in plaster casts.

She sobbed to the viewers, telling them I had a sociopathic personality.

She told them I enjoyed watching people suffer.

She claimed I pushed her off a ledge simply because she was more capable than me.

My boyfriend, Lucius, held up his phone with the deepfake video.

The screen showed a fake version of me violently shoving Seraphina off the roof.

The comment section exploded with hatred.

The hashtag #DeathToWaverlyQuinn trended across every platform.

I was eventually cornered on a dark street.

The pain of eighty-eight stab wounds was something I could never forget.

Photos of my lifeless body circulated online while people cheered for my death.

As a ghost, I watched my parents collapse from heartbreak.

A truck ran over them while they were grieving, ending their lives instantly.

Seraphina and Lucius stood by the road, kissing passionately.

"They got what they deserved," Lucius sneered.

I tried to scream and tear them apart, but I was nothing but air.

Then, I opened my eyes.

I heard Seraphina's fake, whimpering voice again.

"Connecting the septic tanks to the lines is cost-effective and easy with the new patent."

She looked at me with teary eyes.

"Why is Waverly being so mean to me?"

Lucius frowned at me.

"Waverly, there's no need to target Seraphina like this."

The other executives joined in.

"Seraphina is a top graduate from Stanford," one said.

"Her father is the head of the City Commerce Association. Her ideas are solid."

"Waverly, you didn't even finish college," another added.

"Are you just upset because she's better than you?"

I listened to their insults, the memories of my brutal death flashing before me.

I built this company with Lucius over five long years.

The others had worked alongside us in tiny, cramped offices.

To get the water purification project finished, I hadn't slept for a week.

I had collapsed in the lab from internal bleeding.

In my last life, I brought a risk report to this very meeting.

They didn't even look at it before they knocked me out and stole my signature.

I took a deep breath and smiled.

"Ms. Sterling's suggestion is wonderful. I fully support it."

Seraphina froze for a second, then looked smug.

She started explaining her plan with newfound confidence.

I made an excuse and quietly slipped out of the room.

Back in my office, I made the call.

"Transfer me to the Capitol District High Authority. Cancel my company's patent rights now."

The response was quick.

"Understood, Ms. Quinn. We will process it immediately."

They didn't realize who I actually was.

I wasn't just a dropout.

I was a Special Researcher for the Capitol District, working under a classified identity.

I was only here to study the city's unique water issues.

I calmly walked downstairs and left my resignation on the front desk.

This time, I wouldn't be the scapegoat.

I wouldn't let them drag me down with their greed.