She Lied About My Husband, I Ruined Her Reputation

I sat behind my desk without even looking up. "Sorry, but Dan's schedule is full. I can recommend another trainer." Tara froze. She hadn't expected me to refuse so bluntly. The gym was quiet. A staff member stretching nearby glanced up. Tara bit her lip, her fingers digging into her fitness band. Her voice came out thin, like it was about to shatter. "But I asked around yesterday. They said Dan still has an opening this Thursday. I've tried with other trainers. My knee only stops hurting when Dan works with me. Mrs. Shaw, I know it's 800 per hour. I've saved up enough for 10." I'd heard those exact words in my past life. Back then, I'd been stupid enough to think I was helping an honest girl who just wanted to get fit. I'd even told Dan to go easy on her and gave her a discount. And how did that turn out? She dragged my husband into hell and climbed her way up on the bones of my entire family. Now, watching her put on that pitiful act, I felt nothing but nausea. "Miss Knight, we have a new policy. Dan isn't taking new clients anymore." Her lip trembled. "Can I at least be put on a waitlist? If someone cancels, I can come in." "No." "Then I'll wait outside the door. If someone doesn't show up at the last minute—" "No." Every "no" from me added another layer of hurt to her face. Before long, a few clients had gathered around the office door, waiting for their own sessions. Someone chimed in, "Come on, Mrs. Shaw. She's practically begging you—can't you cut her some slack?" "Yeah. Isn't the whole point of a personal trainer to fix physical issues? If she gets hurt, who's responsible?" "Dan's here every day anyway. Just one more client—what's the difference?" I swept my gaze across them. In my past life, those exact words had boxed me in. "Just help her out." "You run a gym. You can't just focus on money." "What if she gives up on fitness and ruins her health? That's on you." Later, when everything fell apart, they all disappeared. None of them remembered who'd said, "Just one more client—what's the difference?" Tara, seeing that people were speaking up for her, let her eyes grow even redder. "Mrs. Shaw, I'm not trying to cause trouble. I just want to get healthy. I don't want to keep ending up in the hospital," she said while bracing herself against the desk, like she was about to drop to her knees. The moment I saw that move, I instinctively stepped back. "Don't." Her hands froze midair. A flash of humiliation flickered beneath her eyes.