My boyfriend’s adopted sister claimed to be the ultimate advocate for "loving herself." During working hours, she flipped the main breaker for the entire office floor, causing everyone to lose half a day’s worth of unsaved work. She just giggled and said, "I was sooo sleepy, but it wasn't time to clock out yet. So I listened to my body and flipped the breaker for my own mental health!" "Treat yourself! See you guys tomorrow!" To reduce her own workload, she took it upon herself to reply to a VIP client I had been courting for six months: "The price is non-negotiable. Take it or leave it." The client was so furious they blocked us entirely. The multi-million dollar deal evaporated. When I confronted her, she acted cute and innocent. "I didn't mean to mess it up!" "I just saw myself getting stressed, so I set my boundaries and went into boss mode! Hehe, I'm so good at prioritizing my peace!" I expressed my frustration to my boyfriend. But he just brushed it off, saying there was nothing wrong with a girl treating herself better, and told me to stop being so petty. That is, until the night of the company’s annual gala. A fire suddenly broke out in the hotel corridor while I was out there checking the venue decorations. His adopted sister blocked the only fire exit door from the other side, looking incredibly smug. "I realized I hadn't taken any good pictures today, and the lighting right here is absolutely perfect!" "Watch me snap a flawless selfie set!" By the time she finished taking her photos, I had been burned alive in that hallway. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the exact day she flipped the office breaker. This lifetime, her whole brand is "loving herself," right? Fine. I’ll let her love herself straight to hell. "I really wanted a matcha latte but I didn't want to spend my own money, so I listened to my inner child, manifested it, and ordered one as a gift to myself!" "Treat yourself! See you guys tomorrow!" A sickeningly familiar voice suddenly rang in my ears. I snapped my eyes open to find Chloe Brooks swiping on her phone, giggling and muttering to herself. After finishing her little monologue, she leaned in close to my face, pretending to be earnest. "Stella, you really need to prioritize your self-care more. Otherwise, you wouldn't look like this in your twenties..." She pointed to the corner of her own eye. "You're already getting crow's feet! Watch out, or my brother might dump you~" Hearing the exact same dialogue from my past life, I finally dared to confirm it: I had been reborn! After saying her piece, Chloe tilted her head, waiting for my reaction. In my last life, I was shaking with anger but forced a polite smile. This lifetime, I just touched the corner of my eye and smiled warmly at her. "You're absolutely right." "I really do need to treat myself better." Chloe let out a satisfied hum and turned her attention back to her phone. "Exactly! Oh, that new viral boba shop downstairs is doing a buy-one-get-one for the first hundred customers! I'm making a run for it!" She bounced up, grabbed her purse, and dashed toward the door. At the entrance, she turned back and shouted into the bullpen: "Anyone want to jump on a group order? If you order now, you get it instantly!" Nobody answered her. Everyone was glued to their screens, keyboards clattering frantically. Proposals had to be submitted before 3:00 PM. Chloe pouted. "You guys are so boring." She pulled the door open and skipped out, humming a tune. I sat back in my chair and looked at my computer. The time on the bottom right corner of the screen read: 1:55 PM. There were exactly five minutes left before she flipped the breaker. I turned back to my keyboard, typed a quick command, and hit Enter. The screen flashed: [Cloud Backup Initiated.] Then, I reached down and unplugged my computer’s power cord from the wall. Clean and decisive. Mia, the intern in the next cubicle, peeked over and whispered, "Stella, what are you doing?" I looked at the 3D model rendering halfway on her screen and said, "Save your work. Right now." Mia blinked, muttered an "okay," and quickly hit Ctrl+S. But for everyone else, it was too late. Click. A sharp, mechanical snap echoed through the floor. The overhead lights, the glowing monitors, the hum of the servers—everything was instantly severed. Pitch black. Followed by a dead, eerie silence. And then, the entire office lost its mind. "MY DOCUMENT!!!" "I DIDN'T SAVE!!!" "THE CLIENT FILES! I SPENT THREE DAYS ON THIS PITCH!" "THE SERVERS! DID THE SERVERS JUST CRASH?!" "MY RENDER! IT'S BEEN RUNNING FOR EIGHT HOURS!" In the darkness, desperate wails and furious curses exploded simultaneously. By the electrical panel, Chloe’s cheerful voice rang out: "Huh? Why did it go dark?" She held up her phone, using the flashlight to illuminate her own face. "This is great! Since the power is out, does that mean we can clock out early?" Brenda from Accounting was shaking, her voice trembling. "Clock out? Chloe! Did you touch the breaker?! I just lost three hours of financial modeling! Corporate needs this before five o'clock!" Chloe strolled over, shining her phone flashlight right into Brenda’s fury-twisted face. "Brenda, if the spreadsheet is gone, just make it again." "Treat yourself better. Don't get so angry, anger gives you wrinkles." Brenda nearly choked on her own breath, clutching her chest. Mark, the Project Lead, shot up from his desk. "Chlo. E. Brooks." Every word sounded like it was being ground out between his teeth. "I was on a Zoom call with our European headquarters! Right! Now! Flip that breaker back ON!" Chloe acted startled by his anger, taking a step back and pouting. "Mark, why are you being so toxic... It's not my fault the power went out, I'm not an electrician." "YOU FLIPPED IT!!" Mark roared. "I just wanted to see what would happen," Chloe’s voice took on a layer of grievance. "I was just manifesting clocking out early, and my hand just moved on its own... How can you blame me for that?" She turned, her flashlight sweeping over to me like she'd found her savior. "Stella! Look at them! They're all blaming me! I was just prioritizing my peace, what did I do wrong?!" Every eye in the room turned to me. I picked up the cup of lukewarm coffee on my desk and took a sip. I smiled and said, "Prioritizing your peace? Nothing wrong with that at all." Right as I spoke, the office doors were violently pushed open. The executive assistant, holding a heavy-duty emergency lantern, stepped aside. Liam Sterling walked in. His tailored suit was immaculate, but his face was darker than the powerless office. "Who did this." Those three words suffocated all other noise in the room. Everyone’s gaze immediately shot to Chloe. Her hand trembled, and she shrank toward my direction. "Liam... I-I didn't mean to... The breaker just..." Liam cut her off, his eyes locking onto my face. "Who is the manager in charge here." In my last life, this was the moment I stood up, took the blame, said "It was my failure in oversight," and pulled an all-nighter cleaning up her mess. This lifetime, I met Liam’s gaze and smiled. "Liam," I said softly. "We really need to thank Chloe for this." Chloe’s eyes lit up. I raised my lukewarm coffee. "Chloe was just teaching us a valuable lesson. A person needs to prioritize their own peace." "Look at her. The moment she prioritized her peace and wanted to clock out, her hand just moved on its own and the breaker flipped itself." "So efficient." "I think this is a fantastic mindset. So I’m going to learn from her and treat myself better too." "For example, right now." I checked my phone. "It’s officially clock-out time. All my work for the day was just wiped out anyway. So I’ve decided..." "I. Am. Not. Working. Overtime." The entire room fell into a deathly silence. Everyone was absolutely floored by my declaration. Mark was the first to shout: "Mr. Sterling! What kind of attitude is this from Stella?! My international conference call! The damages to the company!" Brenda burst into tears: "The financials... Corporate is breathing down my neck..." Mia the intern gritted her teeth: "Mr. Sterling, I lost an eight-hour render..." Liam stared at me. "Stella, do you have any idea what you're saying right now?" "I do." I set my cup down. "I’m just putting the company’s 'employee wellness' initiatives into practice. Chloe led by example, and I think the whole company should learn from her." Chloe nodded frantically. "Yes, exactly! Liam, I just wanted everyone to get off work early and decompress! Good vibes only!" A vein throbbed on Liam’s temple. He looked at Chloe. "Chloe, no matter what, you cannot touch the main breaker. The company is taking a massive loss." Chloe’s lip quivered, and her eyes instantly rimmed with red. "Liam... you're yelling at me..." "I just had a little slip of the hand..." "They were all attacking me, and Stella was making fun of me... and now even you're blaming me..." Tears materialized on cue, rolling down her cheeks. "I said I was sorry... stop being mad at me..." "You never used to yell at me..." Liam stood rigidly, looking down at her. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh and raised a hand to pat her back. "Enough. Just don't do it again." Then, he looked up at me, and the room full of shell-shocked employees. "The incident has already happened." "The priority now is damage control." "Everyone, stay back. Mandatory overtime. We recover whatever we can." "As for accountability..." He paused. "Stella, as the department director, your lack of oversight is unacceptable. Your salary and annual bonus for this month are docked." "Chloe, a fifty-dollar fine as a formal warning." Hiding behind Liam’s back, Chloe secretly stuck her tongue out at me. Liam turned to leave. "Mr. Sterling." I called out to him, grabbing my purse and standing up. "As for overtime, I won't be participating. Chloe is right, we need to treat ourselves better. If you want to penalize me, go ahead." I walked to the door and paused. "From now on, whoever wants to clock out early, just go flip the breaker yourself. It saves time and it's highly efficient." I pulled the door open and walked out. Behind me, I could faintly hear Liam’s suppressed, furious roar, and Chloe’s tearful, victimized defensive whining. This was just the beginning. Chloe. Your true "rewards" are still on the way. Over the next two weeks, Chloe’s "rewards" began to cash in. On Tuesday, she "felt" the marketing department’s report formatting was ugly, so she "casually" dragged the master files into the recycling bin and emptied it. She blinked at the sobbing marketing coordinator. "Treat yourself better. Stop making such ugly spreadsheets." On Wednesday, she was "thirsty" but too lazy to walk to the breakroom, so she used the adjacent team's freshly printed bidding proposal as a coaster. The coffee stain bled through, completely obscuring the crucial pricing figures. "Oh wow, this paper is super absorbent!" she told the livid team lead in feigned surprise. "You guys should totally use this brand next time! Self-care!" On Thursday, she used the administrative department's commercial color printer to print three hundred high-res selfies. She drained every single color ink cartridge and used up all the premium glossy paper. That afternoon, the finance team desperately needed to print and stamp color audit reports for the bank, but the printer was dead. Chloe munched on potato chips. "Can't you just use black and white? I think black and white is super aesthetic. People need to break out of the box. Treat yourself." I walked by during all of this, nodding and smiling. "Chloe makes a great point." "Very unique aesthetic." "She's a visionary." Chloe’s ego was practically orbiting the moon. She even started actively seeking me out to share her "insights." "Stella, look at this client. His emails are just endless blocks of text, but the core issue is he just wants to lowball us." She pointed at my monitor. It was a Fortune 500 tech giant I had been courting for six months. We were supposed to sign the contract next week. "Yeah, it’s pretty annoying," I said, picking up my tea. "Exactly!" Chloe cheered excitedly. "If I were you, I'd just reply: 'No money, no talk!'" I smiled. "Why don't you reply for me, then?" "Really?" Chloe's eyes sparkled. "Really." I stood up. "I'm going to the restroom. Treat yourself, don't hold back." Five minutes later, I returned. Chloe was humming a pop song, scrolling on her phone at my desk. In my outbox, there was a newly sent email. Recipient: CFO of the Fortune 500 company. Content: [The price is non-negotiable. Take it or leave it. ?] Word for word, identical to my memory before I died. The project team’s phone lines exploded ten minutes later. The client’s roaring could be heard through the receiver: "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! ARE YOU PLAYING GAMES WITH US?! THE DEAL IS OFF! DO NOT EVER CONTACT US AGAIN!" Mark slammed his phone down and charged over, his eyes bloodshot. "CHLOE! BROOKS! Did you touch the Director's computer?!" Chloe flinched in fear, but quickly puffed up her chest. "Stella asked me to help her! She said that client was annoying! I was just helping her set boundaries! Is it a crime to practice self-love?!" Everyone looked at me. I organized the files on my desk, not even looking up. "Yeah, I told her to reply." Mark pointed a trembling finger at me, completely speechless. Liam stormed in at that exact moment, his face thunderous. "Stella. Chloe. My office. Now." Liam slammed a thick stack of formal complaints onto his desk. "How many times is this going to happen this month?! Marketing! Admin! Finance! And now the Fortune 500 deal is dead!" His glare cut like a knife. "Chloe, explain yourself right now!" Chloe instantly turned on the waterworks, rushing over to hug his arm. "Liam... I just wanted to help Stella, and help everyone else... All that corporate grinding is so meaningless... Why do we have to compromise our mental health..." Liam shook her off. For the first time, he didn't immediately soften. "Help?! You're tearing this company apart! Do you have any idea how much that contract was worth?!" Chloe flinched at his yelling, sobbing even harder. "Money, money, money! That's all you care about! What's more important, me or the money?! I just wanted to practice self-love, and I wanted you all to love yourselves too! What did I do wrong?!" She gasped for air, crying hysterically. "You're all bullying me... Even you're yelling at me..." "I just want to die..." The anger in Liam’s chest visibly heaved up and down. He looked at her tear-streaked, mascara-ruined face for a full minute. And then, once again, his shoulders slumped. "...Stop crying." His voice had already softened significantly. "Do not let this happen again." He rubbed his temples and looked at me. "Stella, as a Director, indulging a subordinate makes you even more culpable. Your entire quarterly bonus is revoked. Write a formal incident report." Chloe peeked at me through her fingers, a smug, victorious smirk flashing across her face. I nodded, maintaining a perfectly professional attitude. Laugh all you want. Let's see if you're still laughing when the hammer finally drops. The day of the annual company gala arrived. In the grand ballroom of the luxury hotel, over half of the city's elite and industry titans were present. At the center of the crowd was Mr. Henderson, a legendary investor. Getting a single word in with him was enough to brag about for three years. Chloe stood next to Liam, offering a toast to Mr. Henderson with surprising elegance. "Mr. Henderson, my brother tells me stories about your early career all the time. I admire you so much. I'll finish my glass; please, drink at your own pace!" I thought she would embarrass herself again, but her behavior and speech were impeccably appropriate. There was absolutely no trace of the reckless, selfish girl she played at the office. Mr. Henderson smiled approvingly, patting Liam on the shoulder. "Liam, your sister is very bright. She knows how to navigate a room." Chloe turned around and accurately locked eyes with me. "Stella, why are you standing all by yourself?" "Oh, right," she tapped her forehead lightly, as if suddenly remembering something. "Silly me, I got so caught up in hosting. Mr. Henderson mentioned that our company’s showcase corridor this year looks very innovative, and he wants to take a tour of it shortly." "Sister, why don't you go check the hallway and make sure everything is absolutely perfect? We can't afford any mistakes in front of Mr. Henderson." "After all... you are the Director in charge of it." I looked at the fleeting gleam of triumph in her eyes. In my past life, it was this exact sentence that led me to that burning corridor. I finally understood. She was never stupid. She was venomous. All that "self-care" and "treating herself" nonsense was just an act to cover up her sociopathic, malicious nature. Her goal, from the very beginning, was to get me killed. I swirled the champagne in my glass and smiled at her. "Of course." "You're so thoughtful, Chloe. I'll go right now." I set my glass down, turned, and walked straight toward the corridor from my memories. Less than ten minutes later, a deafening explosion echoed from the electrical room at the far end of the hallway. BOOM! Immediately, red flames surged outward, and thick, choking smoke instantly swallowed the corridor! "FIRE!!!" Screams erupted from the direction of the ballroom. But the only exit leading back to the banquet hall was firmly blocked by a single figure. Chloe pressed her back against the heavy fire door, holding up her phone, the camera aimed right at her own smiling face. "I realized I hadn't taken any good pictures today, and the lighting right here is absolutely perfect!" "Watch me snap a flawless selfie set!" Her lines were exactly the same as in my previous life. She giggled, shifting her angles for the camera. Outside the corridor, the terrified screams of my colleagues bled through the door: "Chloe! Why are you blocking the door! Open it!" "Director Stella is still inside!" "Move out of the way! We have to save her!" Chloe rolled her eyes in exaggerated annoyance. "Why is everyone so loud?" "She’s always preaching about self-care, she’ll definitely manifest a way out. Just trust the universe~" "Stop worrying about her~" Mark’s roar was so loud his voice cracked: "CHLOE! THIS IS A FIRE! PEOPLE ARE GOING TO DIE!!" Chloe clicked another photo, speaking with chilling nonchalance: "If they die, they die." "The life of the person inside..." "Isn't really worth anything anyway." The flames had already licked at my heels, but I just smiled. I turned around and looked at the group I had specifically invited into the corridor with me: Mr. Henderson, Mr. Davis, Mr. Patel, Mr. Cohen... Every single one of the ultra-elite VIPs who had been laughing in the center of the ballroom just moments ago. None of them were missing. The face of every single man was frozen in a mask of sheer, unadulterated disbelief and towering fury. I smiled, repeating clearly and calmly: "Did you hear that? Mr. Henderson, Mr. Davis, Mr. Patel, Mr. Cohen." "She said..." "Your lives... aren't worth anything." As the words hung in the air, the expressions of the VIPs darkened until they were practically dripping with malice. Behind the door, Chloe paused for a second. Then, as if she had just heard the funniest joke in the world, she burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. "Hahahaha! Stella, are you insane?! Has the fear fried your brain?!" Leaning against the heavy fire door, her voice drifted through the cracks. "Mr. Henderson, Mr. Davis... please. They're all in the ballroom drinking champagne. Who has the time to come watch your pathetic little show?" "You think making up a few names is going to scare me into opening the door?" She leaned closer to the crack, dropping her voice to a low, venomous hiss, ensuring only I could hear her: "Stop dreaming." "I know exactly what you want. You want to steal my brother? You want to be my sister-in-law?" "Let me tell you: Maybe in your next life!" "Wait, no. You don't get a next life." She tilted her head, flashing a smile that was both innocent and deeply sadistic: "In your next life, remember to prioritize your peace, and stop being a desperate bitch trying to steal someone else's man." "This lifetime ends right here." The flames crackled and popped. The smoke grew thicker. Outside the corridor, hurried footsteps and shouts echoed loudly. "Miss Brooks! Please open the door immediately! Mr. Henderson's tracker shows he is in this sector! He might be inside!" It was the voice of Mr. Henderson's personal security detail. Chloe didn't even turn her head, waving her hand dismissively. "Stop yelling! The tracker is glitching! Or she's spoofing it! You think you can trick me into opening this door? Not a chance!" She pressed her back even harder against the heavy door. "I'll say it one more time. Nobody is opening this door for that bitch!" "Just ten more minutes! Give it ten minutes!" She stared in my direction, her eyes burning with the undisguised, euphoric thrill of waiting for me to burn to death. Her voice was shrill: "In ten minutes, I promise I'll open the door!" "I promise I'll show everyone exactly what happens to a Director who doesn't practice enough self-love!" "Just wait and see!" Time slipped away in the inferno. The smoke was blinding; the heat was scorching. Outside the door, the sound of bodies slamming against the metal, furious arguments, and Liam’s panicked, furious screaming all blurred together. Chloe acted like she was deaf, guarding the door with her life, humming off-key. Every so often, she raised her phone, trying to capture a few more aesthetic selfies. Nine minutes and thirty seconds later. BANG! A tremendous crash, far more violent than before, shattered the locks! The heavy fire door was violently kicked open from the outside! The immense kinetic force sent Chloe flying. She hit the floor hard. "Oww!" she yelped, but ignoring the pain, she frantically scrambled to her feet. "I told you guys, your precious Mr. Henderson isn't in here, why won't you just believe me?" "But fine, whatever. Nine and a half minutes is more than enough..." Wearing a triumphant, radiant, and utterly wicked smile, she eagerly peered into the smoke-filled corridor... "Stella, how does the smell of burning flesh—" Her voice, and her smile, died instantly.
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