Juice Boxes And A Broken Engagement

The board of directors room was suffocatingly quiet. Our primary intern, Ted, had just stood up to suggest serving Capri Suns and Goldfish crackers to our prospective multi-million dollar venture capitalists.

My fiance, Hailey, gave him a fond, indulgent smile before turning to the room and nodding her approval. The other shareholders quickly chimed in, murmuring their agreement.

In my past life, I had fought them tooth and nail on this. This was our Series B funding roundthe most critical milestone our company would ever face. If we failed to secure these investors, our cash flow would dry up, the company would collapse, and every single shareholder would be buried under mountains of personal debt.

At the time, Hailey had sneered at me in front of everyone. "You're just being petty, Zach. You're jealous because he's younger and actually has fresh, modern ideas."

The other board members had sighed, checking their watches with clear annoyance. "Capri Suns are quirky and nostalgic. Besides, investors care about our metrics, not what's on the snack table."

But this firm was my sweat and blood. I couldn't bear to watch everyone's hard work go down the drain.

Before the meeting started, I had quietly cleared away the juice pouches and cheap snacks, replacing them with artisanal cold brews, fine loose-leaf teas, fresh berry platters, and delicate pastries from the high-end bakery down the street.

The investors were highly impressed. The round closed smoothly, we eventually went public, and our market valuation soared.

But Ted? He ran out of the office crying, supposedly distraught over my "workplace bullying" and rejection of his idea, and ended up getting struck by a delivery truck that left him paralyzed from the waist down.

Then came the live streams. Sobbing on camera, he accused me of severe harassment, claiming I had stolen his projects and, in a fit of jealousy, physically pushed him under the wheels of that truck.

Haileys silenceher quiet, public complicitywas the match that lit the fire.

I was doxxed, hunted, and ultimately doused in gasoline and burned alive by radical vigilantes. My mother suffered a fatal heart attack from the sheer terror of it all, dying alone. My father was run down in the street, his body left in the gutter.

Now, the universe has spun backward.

I am standing in the conference room again. I hear Ted's whiny, victimized voice suggesting the Capri Suns.

This time, I stay silent. If they want juice boxes, why stop there? Let's throw in some Goldfish crackers too. Its a match made in heaven.

I reach into my pocket, pull out my phone, and dial a number.

"Hey. Is that offer still open? The one with the executive salary and equity?"

...

In my past life, Teds tearful live streams ruined me. He painted me as a monster who stole his hard work.

Hailey had stepped forward as the self-sacrificing martyr, promising to "make amends" for my sins by marrying Ted in a lavish, highly publicized ceremony.

As a wandering spirit, I saw my mother clutching her chest, dying of a heart attack while angry protesters blocked the ambulance right outside our driveway. She died in agony, just yards away from help.

I saw my father, struck by a car on a rainy night, his body left on the pavement like roadkill.

And there Ted and Hailey stood, watching coldly as stray dogs tore at his remains.

"Zachary brought this upon his family," Ted had murmured, his hand resting on Hailey's waist. "They are only reaping what he sowed."

I had screamed, clawing at the air, trying to chase the dogs away, but my spectral hands passed through nothingness.

Then, I blinked.

And I heard Teds fragile, wounded voice again.

"Its just an investor meeting. What's wrong with bringing a little nostalgic fun with the Capri Suns? Why does Zach have to be so mean about it?"

"Yeah, Zach," Hailey said, her eyes narrowing with irritation. "Capri Suns are charming. Maybe the VCs will appreciate the humor."

I looked around the room. Hailey and the other board members were staring at me, their faces tight with impatience.

I pinched my thigh hard under the table. It stung sharply.

I was back.

The lead investors were in their late fifties. Two of them had severe diabetes; another was lactose intolerant and avoided artificial dyes like the plague. Serve them juice boxes? They'd think we were taking them for fools.

I smiled, letting my hands rest flat on the glass table. "Actually, I think Ted's idea is brilliant. I approve."

Hailey and I had built this firm from a dusty garage. The shareholders were our close friends, people who had mortgaged their homes to back us.

To secure our early contracts, I had literally drunk myself into the ER twice, working eighty-hour weeks alongside Hailey, never daring to catch my breath.

In my previous life, I changed the catering to save them.

This time, I wanted to see how long this company would last when they served childhood drinks to ruthless venture capitalists.

Ted launched into his presentation, puffing his chest out. I didn't care to listen. I quietly slipped out of the back door.

Finding an empty office down the hall, I dialed a number I knew by heart.

"Well, Zach," the voice on the other end said, rich and resonant. "To what do I owe the pleasure? Please tell me you've reconsidered my offer."

"I have," I said, leaning against the window. "But I want absolute decision-making authority and veto power."

I heard the rustle of paper as Cassie sat up straight, her tone shifting from casual to intensely serious.

"Whatever you want, Zach. It's yours. Welcome aboard."

As I stepped into the main corridor, I ran right into Hailey and Ted.

"Zach, where did you disappear to?" Ted asked, his lower lip trembling slightly.

"Is it because the board liked my proposal instead of yours? Did I ruin your spotlight? I'm so sorry, Zach... I didn't mean to."

"Its not your fault, Ted," Hailey interrupted, her voice softening as she patted his shoulder. "You did great. Its Zach who needs to grow up. He's incredibly small-minded, and frankly, he owes you an apology."

I stared at herthe girl I had loved since we were children.

I had been her shadow in school. She used to pretend to find me annoying, but she had always defended me. I remembered a time in high school when some older boys cornered me in an alley because they were jealous of our closeness. She had marched right in, small but fierce, throwing herself in front of me.

"He's my boyfriend!" she had yelled at them. "If any of you touch him, you'll answer to me!"

Now, her voice was cold and sharp.

"Did you hear me, Zach? Apologize to Ted. For a senior executive, you have zero grace."

When I didn't immediately answer, lost in the ghost of who she used to be, she lost her patience and shoved me.

Caught off guard, I stumbled backward, my wrist slamming hard against the sharp corner of a heavy filing cabinet. A sickening pop echoed in the hallway, and agonizing pain shot up my arm.

I gasped, clutching my swelling wrist, my face contorting.

Hailey froze, a flicker of panic crossing her eyes.

"Oh, please, Zach," Ted sneered, rolling his eyes. "Nice performance. Hailey barely touched you. Anyone would think she just assaulted you."

The panic in Haileys eyes instantly vanished, replaced by disgust.

"Get up, Zach. Stop making a scene."

Several board members began trickling out of the conference room, stopping when they saw us.

"What's going on here? Zach, did you upset Hailey again? You two are getting married soonstop acting like a petulant teenager."

Ted immediately pivoted to his victim act, addressing the onlookers.

"I'm sure Zach is just upset because my pitch was accepted. It's okay. For the sake of the company, he can yell at me all he wants."

"Zach, why must you be so incredibly petty?" one shareholder scoffed. "You need to think about the bigger picture. Stop targeting the kid."

"Exactly. Teds proposal is fresh. It's disruptive."

"Besides, we're the top firm in our sector right now. So what if we serve them Capri Suns? Who else are they going to invest in if not us?"

Listening to their arrogant chatter, I cradled my broken wrist and smiled inwardly.

"I don't have an issue with Ted's presentation," I said quietly. "In fact, I have some personal matters to attend to tomorrow. I won't be attending the summit."

Haileys eyebrows knit together, her finger pointing sharply at my chest.

"Zach, don't you dare start throwing tantrums now. This is the most critical day of the fiscal year."

Oh, so you do know how critical it is.

Without this funding, our accounts would be frozen by next month.

"Seriously, Zach," another board member chimed in. "Check your ego. Once we go public, Haileys net worth is going to skyrocket. If you keep acting like this, do you really think she'll still want you?"

"As a partner, you should be willing to sacrifice for the firm."

I looked at their smug faces. I was the one who negotiated every single major account. I was the one who drank until my stomach bled to seal those deals, and now I lived on prescription antacids.

And because Hailey was insecure about her leadership, I had let her take all the credit. Now, they thought I was just a lucky tagalong living off her charity.

Ted stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with opportunistic joy.

"How about I handle the presentation tomorrow? Zach can just hand over his slides, and I'll take it from there."

Hailey's expression softened instantly. "Are you sure? That's a lot of pressure, Ted."

"Anything for you and the company, Hailey. If Zach doesn't want to do his job, I'm more than happy to step up."

"Do you hear him, Zach?" Hailey turned on me, her eyes burning with disappointment. "Look at Ted, then look at yourself. I am embarrassed to be associated with you. You're fired. We don't need you to keep this place running."

A few of the older board members looked slightly uneasy.

"Wait, is that wise?" one of them murmured. "The presentation is incredibly detailed. Zach is the only one who truly knows the numbers."

"Maybe Zach should still present. And if the Capri Suns are really a bad idea, we can just change them back."

"Yeah, let's play it safe and use Zach's original deck."

But Ted cut them off with absolute confidence.

"Don't worry, everyone. I've been shadowing Hailey on all major accounts. I know the business inside and out. It'll be flawless."

Hailey nodded eagerly. "I trust him."

"And even if Ted misses a detail, I'll be right there to back him up," Hailey added, waving a dismissive hand. "Our metrics speak for themselves. Tomorrow is basically just a formality."

Her words acted like a soothing balm on the anxious shareholders, who began to nod in agreement.

"Fine," I said, my voice deadpan. "I'll email you the slide deck."

I turned to leave, but Ted called out, his voice sharp and loud.

"Wait, Zach can't leave."

He turned to Hailey, putting on an anxious face. "Hailey, we can't let him walk out like this. The summit is tomorrow. What if he tries to sabotage us? I don't want to think the worst of people, but tomorrow is everything..."

"He's right," a shareholder agreed, panic rising in his voice. "Zach clearly harbors resentment. What if he leaks our intellectual property to a competitor?"

"We can't let him leave. If the company goes under, I'll lose everything. I'll have to file for bankruptcy."

I stopped in my tracks, my jaw tightening. "I wouldn't do that."

"Oh, and we're just supposed to take your word for it?" Ted sneered. "We need to take his phone and lock him up until the meeting is over."

Before I could react, Hailey grabbed my arms from behind. She reached into my pocket, ripped my phone from my hand, and delivered a stinging slap across my face.

Ted smirked down at me. "To make sure he doesn't contact anyone, we should put him somewhere secure and quiet."

He snapped his fingers. "The cellar at Haileys townhouse. Its got no cell service, and the walls are thick concrete."

At those words, the blood drained from my face. My body began to tremble violently.

When I was five, my parents worked long hours, and our nanny would lock me in the dark basement of our old building so she could sneak out to play cards. One evening, a rabid stray dog squeezed through a broken window. I was trapped in the dark for hours, being mauled and bitten, before a seven-year-old Hailey heard my screams and ran in with a broom to chase it away.

Ever since then, dark, enclosed spaces and dogs have been my ultimate, paralyzing terrors.

"Hailey, please... not the basement," I pleaded, my voice cracking. "I won't sabotage you, I swear. Just don't put me down there!"

The townhouse was supposed to be our future home. She had promised me she would seal off the cellar entirely. Currently, the entrance was cluttered with construction materials.

I clawed at the doorframe of the office as they dragged me toward the exit, tears streaming down my face.

"Hailey, please! For the sake of everything we used to be, don't do this to me! You know what's down there!"

One of the older board members looked uncomfortable. "Hailey, this seems a bit extreme. Why not just lock him in an upstairs bedroom?"

I looked at her, hoping for a shred of humanity, but Ted stepped in.

"An upstairs room has windows. He could easily escape or signal someone. Besides, its only for twenty-four hours. We'll feed him. Why is he overacting like this unless he's hiding something?"

"No! Hailey, please, I'm begging you"

"Zach, stop lying," Ted cut me off. "The cellar has lights. What's there to be afraid of? Honestly, facing your childhood fears is supposed to be good for you anyway. If you keep fighting this, it only proves you want to ruin the deal."

The shareholders remained silent, looking away. Hailey gave me one final, cold shove, sending me tumbling down the stairs.

"We'll let you out tomorrow after the contract is signed," Hailey's voice echoed from above.

I scrambled back up, grabbing the edge of the heavy door. She didn't hesitate; she slammed it shut.

My fingers were caught in the jamb. A sickening crush of bone and flesh sent a wave of blinding pain straight to my chest. I screamed, instinctively pulling my hand back, and the heavy bolt clicked into place from the outside.

The basement was pitch black. No light seeped through the cracks.

Crying out in pain, I dragged my mangled fingers along the cold brick wall, searching for a light switch, but flipping it did nothing. The bulb was dead.

The darkness pressed in on me like a physical weight. I curled into a tight ball in the corner, shaking uncontrollably as panic seized my lungs.

I don't know how many hours passed before I heard a heavy scraping sound outside.

I dragged myself toward the door. It cracked open slightly, only to be slammed shut again instantly.

But in that brief flash of light, I saw it.

A massive, red-eyed mastiff had been shoved into the darkness with me.

"No! Please!"

The dark became a nightmare of snarling teeth and tearing flesh. I screamed, scrambling backward, but there was nowhere to hide. Sharp teeth sank deep into my thighs, my arms, my chest...

As my vision began to fade into blackness, I hallucinated the sound of wood splintering, and a pair of strong hands lifting me out of the nightmare.

When I finally opened my eyes, the smell of antiseptic filled my nose. I was in a hospital bed, wrapped tightly in heavy white bandages.

Cassie was sitting in the chair beside me, her expression grim.

"What on earth happened to you?" she asked, her voice tight with concern. "We had an appointment to sign the contract, but your phone went dead. I had to track your GPS signal to Haileys place. I could hear the dog barking and your screams from the street. Who did this to you, Zach?"

I clenched my good hand into a fist, staring at the sunlight filtering through the blinds.

"I'll tell you everything later. Right now, help me find some clothes. I have a welcoming gift for your new firm."

They locked me up because they thought I'd ruin their investment. Well, now I was going to take it for myself.

But when my car pulled up to our office building, my heart stopped.

My mother was lying on the hot pavement near the entrance, foaming at the mouth, while a security guard callously threw a bucket of dirty water over her.

"Get up, old lady!" the guard yelled. "We have cameras. You're not getting a dime out of us with this fake heart attack routine!"

"Seriously," another guard laughed, nudging her with his boot. "Ted was right, these scammers are getting creative. It's eighty-five degrees out here and she's still playing dead."

"Maybe the water isn't dirty enough. Let me go fetch some toilet water."

They laughed, completely oblivious to her gasps for air.

Rage, pure and blinding, took over. I threw myself out of the car, slamming into the guards with all the strength I had left.

"Get away from her! Get the hell away!"

My mothers lips were a terrifying shade of blue. She was in the middle of a massive cardiac arrest, and these monsters were torturing her.

The guards stumbled back, shocked. "Wait... Zach? Is that your mom?"

"We didn't know! Hailey told us some crazy lady was trying to break into the building to harass Ted..."

"Yeah, Ted told us to get rid of her by any means necessary..."

Before I could strike them, they turned and ran inside.

My hands shook violently as I knelt beside her. The memory of my past lifewatching her die alone in that housenearly choked me.

"Call 911! Please, someone call an ambulance!" I screamed to the gathering crowd of onlookers, but they only stared, holding up their phones.

"I've already called them," Cassie said, running up behind me. She knelt down, gently wiping the dirty water from my mothers face and placing a rolled-up jacket under her head.

The sirens wailed in the distance. After an agonizing few minutes of CPR on the pavement, the paramedics managed to stabilize her heart rhythm.

As they lifting her onto the gurney, her eyes fluttered open, tears spilling into her hair.

"Zach... what's happening with you and Hailey? I saw her... she was kissing another man in the lobby..."

She gasped for air, clutching my hand. "That man... he told me you stole from the company and ran away. He said you were dead. I tried to ask Hailey, but he started screaming that I was attacking him..."

My chest ached so deeply I could barely breathe. Hailey, whom my parents had raised like their own daughter when her own father abandoned her, had allowed this.

"It's okay, Mom," I whispered, kissing her forehead. "I'm right here. Go to the hospital. I'm going to fix this."

Once the ambulance sped away, I went into the lobby bathroom, washed the blood and dirt off my face, straightened my clothes, and marched straight toward the executive boardroom.

Inside, the atmosphere was suffocating.

The venture capitalists sat around the long mahogany table, their expressions sour.

The projector was turned off. The room was hot because no one had bottled to turn on the AC beforehand. Files were scattered everywhere.

Usually, I would have spent the morning preparingsetting the room temperature, testing the AV equipment, and arranging premium refreshments.

Today, these multi-millionaire investors had been sitting in a stuffy room for forty-five minutes without so much as a glass of water.

Just then, Ted strolled in, a smug grin on his face and a smear of red lipstick visibly smudged near his collar.

"Apologies for the delay, everyone!" he chirped, placing his tray on the table. "I've personally prepared some nostalgic refreshments to break the ice!"

He set down rows of juice boxes and bowls of Goldfish crackers.

The investors faces turned as dark as thunder.

One of the lead partners, a seasoned billionaire, slammed his heavy gold watch onto the table, the crack echoing like a gunshot.

"What is the meaning of this circus?" he barked, turning to Hailey. "Is this a joke to you, Hailey? And where the hell is Zach?"

Before Hailey could speak, Ted chimed in with a self-important grin.

"Zachary has been terminated from the company."

"Terminated?" The investors exchanged incredulous glances. "Are you out of your mind? If Zach isn't here, why are we even sitting in this room?"