Chapter 1

I was stunned for a moment. My eyes widened in shock as I tried to get a better look at the face in front of me.

However, despite my actions, the person just kept droning on and on.

"I mean, you were just transferred out of his department. So, that means you're the one who knows about what's going on in there. Do you think I should transfer in after all?

"He promised that as long as I went in and went along with his arrangements, he would promote me and even give me a raise…

"I'm only getting paid 18 dollars an hour now, and I keep getting yelled and shouted at all day while they keep making things horrid for me. I really don't feel like carrying on anymore…"

Then, the speaker finally turned to look at me, so I could finally see her full face.

"Do you think I should agree to his proposition?" she asked. "I mean, as long as I get paid, I'm willing to do just about anything."

I finally managed to take a good look at the person talking to me. It was none other than my best friend, Lacey Donnovan.

Memories immediately flooded my mind. I gritted my teeth and felt myself trembling uncontrollably.

We had been besties for seven years. I had always treated Lacey as close as a family member ever since we were in high school, until we began working in corporate.

However, despite treating her sincerely for years, she had heartlessly pushed me off the top of the building to fall to my death. I didn't even manage to keep my body intact upon hitting the ground.

In my past life, Lacey had been called into Elton Baldwin's office as soon as he transferred me out of his department. He had been my manager then. And he had then asked Lacey if she was willing to join his department instead for some personal work.

His so-called "personal work" was actually just referring to going along with the rules that he set while being his secret mistress at work.

I couldn't accept his filth and refused to be involved, so I automatically requested to be transferred out of his department. I even told Lacey all about it afterward.

At that point in time, Elton was a married man with an 8-year-old son. Also, Lacey had been serious with her boyfriend for a year.

Lacey had asked me the same question back then, about whether or not she should accept his offer to join his department.

I managed to convince her to turn him down. After all, normal people would never want to ever get involved in something like this.

Lacey hesitated and thought about it for a long time. Eventually, she chose to pass on the offer. She also agreed to report Elton to the authorities with me after we'd resigned from the company.

However, I never got to wait until we'd resigned in my past life.

After Lacey rejected the offer, Elton invited another employee to join his department instead, and the employee entered his office to "discuss" things.

The "discussion" lasted for over an hour. After the employee came out, our HR manager, Joe Johnson, then informed her that her salary had been doubled, effective immediately.

Lacey overheard that the young woman who'd just come out of Elton's office hadn't just doubled her salary but also been promoted to a higher rank at the office.

At once, Lacey was furious. She glared at me like it was all my fault. And after work that day, she stopped me from leaving and said, "Giselle Ashford, just tell me if you hate seeing me doing better than you at work! You hated that I would be promoted over you and be your supervisor instead!

"We've been best friends for so long, and I'd already treated you as family. And this is how you repay me?"

There was nothing I could say to defend myself. I just looked at her in shock, unable to believe that she was actually saying such things to me.

When she saw that I didn't say a word in return, she thought that I was feeling guilty about it and cackled disdainfully.

"What did you say about asking to be transferred out by yourself because you couldn't bear to watch all the filth going on? Ha! You were just mad that he didn't pick you!

"You got jealous because Mr. Baldwin never picked you, so you also tried convincing me not to join his department! And to think that you said it so self-righteously too. How dare you!"

At that point in time, the seven years of our past friendship seemed to have shattered at once.

Things weren't over after Lacey's outburst with me.

After Elton learned about our argument, he then fired Lacey for being incompetent. Yet, just as Lacey was about to leave the company, he crouched to my ear and pretended to be intimate with me, speaking to me in a teasing voice, "You're just a stubborn little girl after all, and yet, you're still trying to pretend like you're innocent after all that?

"You've got years of learning ahead of you, sweetie. You're no match for me!"

The sight of Elton smiling happily while whispering next to my ear triggered Lacey immediately. He had slyly and successfully led Lacey to believe that I was the one responsible for getting her fired.

In the end, Lacey conspired with her boyfriend, Xavier Pugh, to grab me from my rented apartment and shove me off the rooftop balcony.

Gradually, my mind drifted back to the present. I forced myself to calm down my ragged breathing.

I looked at Lacey, who didn't seem like she was having a hard time making a decision after all. After managing to calm my anger, I suddenly felt like laughing at myself.

Lacey had already made her decision from the start. And since she already knew what she wanted, what was the point of getting all entangled in her mess?

I had been too much of a busybody in my past life. If she insisted on jumping from the fat into the fire, then who was I to stop her?

"That's a very big decision, and I don't think I should take any part in that," I said. "I think you should make your own decisions. You already know what your answer is going to be anyway, don't you?"