Hellfire's Wrath

"Janice, let me cover the scene," The intern said in a young, eager voice. Ruby Thomas wore her work attire and never complained despite holding a heavy camera in her hand.

I looked like a senior colleague picking on her for no reason when I stood next to her.

I heard myself say, "No, you're still an intern. You're still not familiar with how to handle emergencies on your own."

A familiar male voice cut in next. "Let Ruby handle it. You were a rookie once, so you should give her a chance to grow."

That was when I finally woke up.

The man who had just spoken was my husband, Danny Smith, who was also my superior.

Ruby was a new intern. She was one breaking story away from landing a full-time position.

In my previous life, I had also turned down her request. Then, my husband had criticized me for targeting her and refusing to give her a chance in front of all the other staff.

He had then decided for me and sent Ruby to the fire, not even assigning anyone experienced to go with her.

I had had no choice but to stay at the office and pay attention to the coverage, and I thought this would just be another close call. I never expected Ruby to falsify a coverage just to get that job.

There were still more than a thousand employees in the factory along with the plant's stockpile of explosive materials, yet she had hidden all of that information and gone on air claiming there was no one trapped, acting as if the explosive materials did not exist.

The firefighters believed her and rushed in to organize the evacuation. In an instant, the entire factory blew up and killed all the employees and every firefighter who had gone inside.

Nothing was left of them.

She had done all of it just to create a piece of sensational news, and when it hit the front page, she received the notice that she had passed her probation.

However, too many people had died. Their families were devastated, and amidst the public outrage, someone secretly lodged a report saying she had lied about the fire.

When the police burst into the company, Danny pushed me forward instead.

He wrapped his arms around the sobbing Ruby and said to me, "Janice, just turn yourself in. You sent an intern to the scene alone when you're the senior. She's just an intern, so of course this is your fault!"

The footage from the office's security camera had been destroyed, so the video of me refusing Ruby's request was gone. He went as far as to lie on the spot, claiming I had ignored his objections and insisted on sending an intern to the scene.

He even pulled out the finalized assignment sheet, and my signature was on it.

He helped Ruby fabricate the evidence, and I ended up in prison.

The explosion had taken too many lives. I was thrown into the middle of the mob, lost my job, and was drowned in abuse online. Everyone cursed at me and wanted me dead.

On the day of the trial, the furious families broke through the bailiffs, and a bottle of sulfuric acid was hurled at me. I collapsed on the floor as the acid splashed on me, screaming and rolling until the pain eventually killed me. Only then did I realize it had all been a plan to get rid of me.

Danny did not care whether I lived or died. He had run to comfort the shaken Ruby instead. "Don't be scared. She deserved all of this."

The last image in my memory was of Ruby being held in my husband's arms, smiling smugly, and it was carved deep into my mind.

I hated them.

I hated their cruelty and their need to wipe me out completely.

But luckily, I was given another chance.

I had regressed to the day she had falsified that coverage.