Chapter 2

That year, we turned down every high-paying job offer and chose entry-level positions at the Department of Occupational Safety instead. We wanted to make a real difference.

Brody dropped to one knee in our cramped apartment. But what he offered wasn't a diamond ring.

It was a ring he'd crafted himself from a scrap piece of industrial-grade alloy, polished smooth by his own hands.

"Lara, wait for me. One day, I'll replace this with a real one."

Tears welled in my eyes. I couldn't speak, so I kissed him instead and slipped that heavy ring onto my finger.

"To me, this is more real than any diamond," I said.

The memory tasted sweet, while reality cut like a knife. I swallowed the bitter ache and turned to look at Brody. His eyes flickered with something unreadable.

Ellie bit her lip and sighed, brows furrowing as though she truly pitied me. "If Lara hadn't gone down the wrong path back then, she'd probably have a bright future now. What a shame…"

She didn't need to finish. Brody had clearly followed the thought to what came after. His expression darkened instantly.

He lifted Ellie's hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "She was always calculating, always chasing profit. She could never compare to you.

"If only I'd met you first..."

While they whispered to each other, my memory flickered again.

"Lara Quinn, you're being dismissed."

That day should have been my 25th birthday.

The screen lit up. I stood with my head bowed as someone slapped me hard across the face.

"You'd better get your act together!" The department's loudspeaker began broadcasting my termination notice on a loop.

"Following an investigation, Ms. Lara Quinn, while serving as a safety technician, was found to have accepted corporate bribes and falsified critical safety data, resulting in severe safety hazards.

"Effective immediately, Lara Quinn is dismissed and permanently barred from re-employment."

The familiar faces of my colleagues looked at me differently now.

"No wonder she's been wearing designer clothes lately. It turns out she was taking dirty money!"

"Poor Brody. He's about to marry someone with a criminal record!"

I kept my head down and gritted my teeth as I walked home. My eyes stung with tears, but I didn't say a word in my own defense.

When I got home, Brody didn't ask a single question. He acted like nothing had happened and cooked an entire spread to comfort me.

"Lara, it's okay. We can still make a difference outside the department."

I stared at the ribs on the table without lifting my gaze. Then I reached out and flipped the entire table over.

"Can making a difference pay the bills? Brody Pierce, I'm done with this endless poverty!"

His face went white as a sheet. "Don't do this…"

I stood up and cut him off without mercy. "I'm not doing anything! I'm telling you the truth!"

I pulled the ring he'd made for me off my finger and hurled it to the floor. "Wearing this thing makes me feel dirty!"

The sharp clatter echoed through the silent apartment. I stepped on the ring and ground it beneath my heel.

The metal scraped and shrieked. Brody's eyes turned bloodshot.

"Lara!"

I ignored him and kept going, my voice dripping with mockery.

"Let me tell you something. Mr. Wilcox from Apex Industries has already given me a large sum of money. That's worth a hell of a lot more than your pathetic dreams!"

I watched the color drain completely from his face. Then I smiled coldly, turned around, and slammed the door behind me.

The memory paused. The screen went dark, and the crowd in front of it erupted.

"That woman is pure evil! She threw away her conscience for money!"

"Mr. Pierce almost had his entire life ruined by someone like her!"