Work Location: Literally My Grave

The group chat blew up.People who never liked me piled on:[Always thought Zane's numbers were off. Guess this isn't his first time.][If he's faking check-ins, what about those old contracts...?]I stared at the screen. My knuckles went white.Jay, you're ruthless. You're trying to crush me.I opened the camera, ready to record and drop it in the group.If they saw this—If they saw the stone with my name—They'd know I was being set up.I aimed at the headstone and hit record.The screen flickered.Battery dropped from 80 percent to 1 percent.[Low Battery. Shutting down.]The phone went black."Damn it!"I tossed it onto the passenger seat.Someone messed with it. No doubt.Footsteps sounded behind the car.Rustle... rustle.Dry weeds crunching.My eyes snapped to the rearview mirror.The guy in my exact suit was back. Less than thirty feet behind me, gripping a shovel, staring at my car.Mask on. Just his eyes showing.And yeah—those eyes? Straight-up murde

Didn't matter. I had one shot.Get into that conference room before the papers hit ink, and I could flip this.A sharp curve rushed up. I jerked the wheel. The rear kicked out, sliding wide.Then—A black pickup tore out of the trees.No headlights. No plates.Like a damn ghost, it came straight at me.Bang.The crash hit hard and loud.My SUV got shoved sideways—six feet easy—almost tipping into the ditch.The pickup didn't stop. It backed up, lined me up, and gunned it again.Yeah. Not blocking me.They were here to kill me.I caught the driver for a split second—Black mask. Cap low. But that gold watch? It flashed in the sun.I knew that watch.Looked just like the one Jay gave security captain Peter Black for his birthday.So that's the game. Teaming up with security.That explained the keys. It explained how my car vanished without a trace.Rage burned through me.You wanna ram me to death?I've spent ten years tearing up highways, slipping past eighteen-whee

The room went dead quiet.Everyone just stared.Jay moved first. Stood up. Panic flickered—gone in a second."Zane! What happened to you?"He walked over, all fake concern. "Too much stress? I told you to see a therapist—"I slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me!"He stumbled back two steps."Zane! What is that attitude?" Mr. Lloyd slammed the table and stood. "Late, no notice, dressed like this, and now you're making a scene? Do you have any respect for company rules? Jay's been begging for you. And this is how you treat your own brother?"I looked at him, ice cold. "Mr. Lloyd—if I said I was never late, never absent... you believe me?""Bullshit."Jay cut in fast. "Attendance records don't lie. You weren't here, but you faked your check-ins. And now you roll in looking like this—what, pity play? You think we're stupid?"He pointed at me. "You weren't absent? Then where'd all that mud come from? Don't tell me you tripped outside."I smiled.Cold.I bent down, yanked off

He looked at me, pure hate in his eyes. "Zane! Don't get cocky! I'm not done! Why are you always better than me? Top sales, Mom and Dad favor you, even Mr. Lloyd backs you! I just wanted you to lose everything once. Is that so wrong?"I walked over, looked down at him.The guy who used to call me brother."You messed up thinking my patience was weakness." I kept my voice flat. "And you crossed the line. Some paths—you don't come back from."The cops cuffed him. "Jay Zander, you're under suspicion of assault, unlawful detention, and property damage. You're coming with us."They dragged him out, still yelling.Didn't matter anymore.A few claps started.Then more.Louder.The same people who trashed me in the group chat were all smiles now."That was insane. What a comeback!""I knew you were set up!""Mr. Zander, take care of us next time..."Their faces made me sick.Didn't show it.This was work. These were people.I fixed my torn collar, gave Mr. Lloyd a short nod. "

The same guys who used to buddy up with Jay?Now pale. Jumpy. Sitting stiff as they might snap.No one even breathed too loudly.Like the next one getting dragged in could be them.I pushed the door open.Let my eyes sweep the room.Anyone who met my gaze dropped it fast.Power does that.So does guilt.But I didn't wipe them out.A full purge? Feels good for five minutes. Then it wrecks the company.I wasn't stupid.I signed a few quiet transfers. Finance, key positions—swapped in people I trusted.The rest?Fence-sitters stayed.Clean it too hard, and there's nobody left.This isn't some moral courtroom. As long as they could work and make money, I didn't care where they stood before. Or what they said behind my back.Fear works better than loyalty anyway.***At my first department meeting after that, I took Jay's old seat.My fingers were tapping the table.Soft.But everyone felt it.Message was clear.Still a Zander running this department.Just not Jay.