2 Claire hadn't budged . She'd given them an ultimatum : meet her price , or she'd take her " generational talent " elsewhere . The HR Director was practically vibrating with rage . She'd finally agreed on the surface , just to get Claire out of her office , before promptly rescinding the offer . And just like that , the job at the Rhodes Corporation had fallen into my lap . So , that was me stealing her destiny ? It was the direct result of her own spectacular arrogance ! For the first time , I understood the sheer , teeth - grinding frustration that poor HR Director must have felt . It was infuriating . The comments in the air continued their relentless scroll . " Look at the thief's face . She looks so pissed . I'm living for this . " " Serves the talentless hack right ! The more miserable she is , the better I feel ! " " Get lost , you leech ! I hate characters that steal opportunities from others ! " Hah . The fans were just as delusional as their idol . I almost laughed , a bitter , humorless sound . The anger was so intense it cycled back around to sheer absurdity . Just as the nausea from the floating comments reached its peak , the interview room door opened and Claire emerged . 1010 10:10 C Chapter 1 The look of smug satisfaction on her face soured my mood even further . To be fair , she wasn't incompetent . Even the HR Director in our last life had admitted our interview performances were comparable . If she hadn't acted like a spoiled princess , the job would have been hers , fair and square . Now , with a decade of high - level experience under my belt , I was no longer the naive rookie I once was . My desire for this specific entry - level job wasn't what it used to be . But seeing her smugness , and the fawning praise of her invisible cheerleaders , lit a fire in me . The comment section was , of course , having a field day at my expense . " YES ! Our girl nailed it ! " " She's so amazing . Her answers were almost identical to the last timeline ! Flawless ! " The thief doesn't stand a chance this time ! LOL . " That last one gave me pause. Flawless execution ? Identical to the last timeline ? Wait a minute . You get a do - over , a second chance at life ... and you don't improve at all ? You're just recycling the same old answers from ten years ago ? " Audrey Vance ? We're ready for you . " The voice from the HR department pulled me from my thoughts . " Coming , " I replied , standing up and smoothing my skirt . In that moment , all thoughts of Claire Covington vanished . In my previous life , I had poured my soul into the Rhodes Corporation , working my way up to Vice President . I knew every department , every process , every hidden strength and festering weakness of this company . My greatest regret was that I hadn't been able to push it to its ultimate potential before I died . I had thought , for a moment , that Claire's return would cost me this chance . But if she was just going to repeat the past ... then the responsibility of fixing my life's biggest regret fell squarely on my shoulders . As I stepped into the conference room , I saw Claire shoot me a triumphant , mocking smile from the hallway . She wouldn't be smiling for long . My interview was more than smooth . It was , to put it mildly , a revelation . The HR Director's eyes widened , then lit up . More than once , she told me I was exactly the kind of forward - thinking talent Rhodes Corp desperately needed . I was satisfied with my own performance . Compared to my answers a decade ago , my analysis now was sharper , deeper , and dev- astatingly accurate . Chapter 1 10.10 But the moment I stepped out of the room , my good mood evaporated . Claire was waiting , watching me with an expression of pity that was almost comical in its arrogance . She spoke slowly , as if to a child . " You really did your best , Audrey . It's a shame , really . This position was always meant for me . "