Chapter 3
984 Words
Mia survived the meeting. Barely.
She wasn’t sure how, but her mouth had delivered a string of coherent business jargon, and no one questioned it. If bluffing were an Olympic sport, she would’ve medaled. Twice.
As the room emptied, she stood up carefully, avoiding Drake Vexmor’s gaze. He hadn’t looked at her again after the budget question. She couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or a terrifying omen.
She made it halfway out the door when—
“Selene,” came his voice. Deep. Sharp. CEO-mode.
She froze.
“Yes, sir?” she replied, trying to sound professional and not like someone who had just finished internally screaming for thirty minutes straight.
“You forgot your tablet.”
“Oh. Right. Thank you.”
She reached for the sleek device and managed to knock over a glass of water instead.
It spilled.
Onto the table.
Then onto his notes.
“Oh my god—I mean—oh no—uh—sorry!”
She scrambled for a napkin, bumping the edge of the table with her hip and nearly knocking over the projector.
Drake didn’t even blink. Just lifted his notes with a calm, slightly judging look.
“I’ll have someone reprint those.”
“Right. Sorry again. I’m usually very… stable.”
He raised one eyebrow.
Nope. Not helping myself.
Mia grabbed the tablet, nodded, and made her escape—heels clacking like gunshots down the hallway as she muttered under her breath.
“Great. Day one and I’ve already waterboarded the CEO.”
---
Back at her desk, she collapsed into her chair with a groan.
Kara leaned over the divider. “You’re sweating. Did he fire you?”
“Worse,” Mia said. “He… spoke. And handed me a tablet.”
Kara blinked. “Okay…? Are we pretending that’s traumatic now?”
“You weren’t there. He looked into my soul. I swear I aged two years.”
“Good. Maybe it’ll improve your maturity.”
Mia gave her a sarcastic thumbs-up. “Appreciate the support.”
She glanced at the clock. 10:27 AM.
“How is it only 10:27?! I feel like I’ve lived a full year already.”
Kara smirked. “Welcome to corporate life.”
---
By noon, Mia had discovered three very important things about Selene Ashford’s workplace:
1. The coffee machine on their floor was broken and had been for weeks.
2. There were exactly zero real friends in her department.
3. The company cafeteria was insanely fancy—like, five-star buffet with sushi and salad bars.
She wandered into the cafeteria cautiously, a tray in hand, trying to look like someone who’d done this before. The smell of fresh bread nearly made her tear up. She hadn’t eaten anything since, well… her death.
“Pasta or sandwich?” she whispered to herself. “No. Focus. Strategy. Survival.”
“Talking to yourself again?” Kara reappeared beside her, this time with a tray piled with grilled chicken and a designer-looking smoothie.
“I find myself very relatable,” Mia said with a straight face.
Kara gave a rare laugh. “You’re acting weird today. Like... weirdly alive.”
Mia grabbed a random sandwich and followed her coworker to an empty table. Just as she sat down—
“Selene! Kara!”
The air seemed to freeze.
Mia looked up to see her.
Clarisse Morge.
The heroine.
She looked just like the book described: long auburn curls, flawless skin, delicate bone structure, and a wardrobe that looked like it cost more than Mia’s college tuition. She smiled—sweet and soft—but there was something about her eyes that made Mia's stomach twist.
Kara quickly stood. “Clarisse, hey. We were just talking about your segment in the internal newsletter. Loved it.”
Clarisse tilted her head, eyes landing on Mia. “Selene, you didn’t respond to my message this morning.”
Mia blinked. “Message?”
“Oh. Right. I forgot. You’re always so… busy.” Her tone was light, but the shade was very real.
Kara looked between them, suddenly interested in her smoothie.
“I’m sorry,” Mia said quickly. “I must’ve missed it.”
Clarisse’s smile widened. “You’re adorable when you’re clueless.”
Mia forced a laugh. “Haha. Thanks. It’s a gift.”
Clarisse leaned in slightly. “Don’t forget we’re reviewing last month’s PR feedback together this afternoon. You’re still my support on that, aren’t you?”
Mia froze. Was she? Was Selene?
“Of course!” she said too quickly. “Looking forward to… whatever that is.”
Kara looked like she was watching live entertainment.
Clarisse gave her a slow once-over. “You should fix your collar. It’s flipped.”
Mia looked down. It was not flipped.
“Oh. Thanks!” She reached to fix the invisible flaw.
Clarisse gave a little wave and turned, gliding across the cafeteria like a smug, expensive swan.
The moment she was gone, Kara leaned over.
“Did you just bluff your way through an entire Clarisse ambush?”
“I did. And I hated every second.”
“She hates you, by the way.”
“Oh, I noticed.”
Mia bit into her sandwich and immediately regretted it.
“Tuna?! Ew. Gross. Why would anyone voluntarily reincarnate into someone who likes tuna?!”
Kara gave her another weird look. “...Okay, what the hell is going on with you?”
Mia blinked. “What do you mean?”
“You keep saying random stuff. Like you’re trying to remember your own name. And you talked to your stapler this morning.”
“It was… motivational.”
Kara narrowed her eyes.
“I’m just tired,” Mia said quickly. “And maybe slightly concussed. I fell. Hard. On my face. This morning.”
“Wow,” Kara said flatly. “That explains everything.”
- Writer
