They Blamed Me for Ruining Their Baby Boy, So I Ruined Their Lives

When my coworker, Mia, asked me to make her lunch again, I refused. I looked her dead in the eye and said, "I'm busy lately. Ask someone else." In my past life, I was too nice. I cooked for her every single day. But after a few months, her husband rushed into our office, causing a massive scene. He claimed I had killed his unborn son. And Mia stood right beside him, sobbing. "It's all your fault! You put chili flakes in my lunch today!" "Spicy food kills the male hormones! You destroyed my baby boy! You murderer!" I tried to explain myself, but Mia wouldn't listen. Her husband demanded a hundred thousand dollars in cash, threatening to ruin my life if I didn't pay. The drama got me fired from the company. To make things worse, Mia dragged me on Snapchat and Twitter, posting lies about how I killed her baby. The internet went wild. Keyboard warriors doxed me and harassed me day and night. Every time I managed to find a new job, Mia and her husband would show up and make a scene. In the end, the relentless harassment drove me into a deep depression. I jumped from the roof of my apartment building. Only after my death did I learn the sickening truth. Mia had found out through an illegal gender scan that she was carrying a girl. She was terrified her misogynistic husband would divorce her. So, she framed me. She blamed me for "destroying" her boy. By doing this, she could extort a massive chunk of money from me and get me kicked out of the company, leaving her path clear for a promotion and a raise. But now, I am reborn. This time, Mia, you can eat dirt for all I care. I can't wait to see how your "precious son" turns out. 1 "Come on, Chloe, don't be so petty!" "It's just a lunch. Why do you keep making excuses to say no?" "Besides, it's not like I'm asking for free. I pay you five dollars every single time. Not a penny less." Mia tossed her plastic Tupperware onto my desk, her voice dripping with irritation. Looking at her smug face, I almost laughed out loud. This was exactly how it started in my past life. Every day at noon, Mia would shove her lunchbox in my face. One day she wanted steak, the next day she wanted salmon, and the day after that she'd complain the veggies weren't organic. Back then, I thought we were friends. I would wake up at 5:00 AM, go to the premium market to buy the freshest ingredients, and spend my entire morning cooking. I never asked her for a dime. Occasionally, she would throw a five-dollar bill on my desk and say, "Here, Chloe, five bucks. That's more than enough for the groceries. Consider it me supporting your little hobby." I thought she was struggling financially, so I never complained. Only later did I find out that she saved her lunch money to buy expensive cigars and whiskey for her husband. She even bragged to her mother-in-law: "That idiot at my office cooks for me every day. I get gourmet meals for basically free." I didn't even look up from my computer. "Then pay someone else to do it. I don't need your five dollars." Mia froze. Her eyes welled up with tears in an instant. "Chloe... what is wrong with you today? Did I say something to upset you?" "If you didn't want to do it, you could have just told me. It's not like I'm forcing you..." "I only asked because I know how clean your kitchen is. I'm just terrified of getting food poisoning from takeout. It's bad for the baby..." Mia lowered her head, gently cradling her slightly bumped belly, looking like a fragile victim I had just publicly bullied. "You know I'm pregnant. Fast food is so greasy, and a decent healthy meal costs like thirty bucks around here. My salary is low, Chloe. I can't afford to order door-to-door delivery every day." "I just wanted something homemade and safe for my baby. And I always paid you the market rate!" Mia sniffled, looking at me with a deeply hurt expression. "You were always so happy to help me before. I thought of you as my best friend." "It's just a simple lunch. Why are you being so hostile?" "Is it... is it because of the money? Do you want more?" As soon as Mia finished her little speech, Sarah, a senior colleague sitting nearby, quickly handed her a tissue. She patted Mia's shoulder and glared at me. "Oh, for heaven's sake, Chloe! Look how upset you made her. She's pregnant, in case you forgot. It's just making an extra portion of lunch. Is this really necessary?" "You've been doing it fine all this time. Why the sudden attitude? Refusing to help a pregnant coworker over such a small thing... what is wrong with you?" Mia wiped the corner of her eyes, sobbing softly. "It's fine, Sarah. I'll just go buy something. I don't want to be a burden..." Several people in the open office turned to look at us. Someone whispered, "It's just lunch. Why is she being so mean to a pregnant woman?" Sarah rolled her eyes. "Come on, Chloe, just help her out." "Why don't you do it then, Sarah?" I snapped back. Sarah choked on her words. "I... I don't have the time!" "You eat lunch every day, don't you? Just make an extra box. Since it's 'just a small thing,' it shouldn't be a problem for you." Sarah shut her mouth instantly, looking away. Mia's voice trembled. "But Chloe, you've always done it..." "Yeah, I did it for six months. Steak, salmon, organic greens. And you gave me five dollars. Do the math, Mia. What does five dollars buy in this city?" "Five dollars can't even buy you a coffee, let alone my labor. If Sarah or Justin wants to take your five-dollar budget, be my guest. I won't stop them." Mia stood frozen, unable to utter a single word. Sarah and Justin immediately glued their eyes to their computer screens, pretending they hadn't heard a thing. At 2:00 PM, while I was deep in my spreadsheet, the glass doors of our office were violently kicked open. Dylan, Mia's husband, stormed in. His roaring voice echoed across the entire floor. "Chloe! Who the hell gave you permission to feed my wife spicy food? You killed my son! Do you hear me? You killed him!" Mia followed closely behind him, her eyes swollen and red from crying. "Honey... I told her not to put anything spicy in it... but she still bought it for me..." "As soon as I took a bite, my stomach started hurting so bad... Our son... is our son going to be okay...?" Dylan wrapped his arm around her, pointing a thick finger at my face. His skin was flushed a disgusting shade of purple. "You explain to me right now! My wife is five months pregnant. She hasn't touched a single drop of spice! Why did you feed her chili?" "Our family superstition says spicy food destroys the male energy and ruins the boy baby! If my son turns into a girl or miscarries, you are going to pay for it!" I stared at Mia, my expression entirely calm. "You claim I poisoned your baby with spicy food? Great. Let's go to the police station right now and let them investigate." 2 Hearing the word "police," Mia's tears flowed even faster. Her voice shook with faux terror. "Chloe... how can you say that? Why would I make jokes about my own child? This is my baby, I've been carrying him for five months!" She clutched her stomach and took two steps back. "I've been praying for this boy every single day. I didn't dare touch anything spicy. Do you know how hard these five months have been for me?" "I don't even eat raw onions because I'm scared they're too sharp!" "But you... you went out of your way to buy me food with chili in it! You are trying to destroy my boy!" Dylan held her tight, screaming at me. "You still have the audacity to deny it? Let me tell you something, when my mother was pregnant with me, she didn't touch a single pepper! She didn't even use soy sauce!" "Our family rule is strict: no spice if you want a boy. Spicy food ruins the boy! My wife worked so hard for five months, and you ruined everything!" He raised his voice, making sure the entire office could hear. "Back in my hometown, everyone knows this! Every family protects their baby boy with everything they have. Only a wicked, bitter person like you would feed a pregnant woman chili!" Sarah chimed in, her tone dripping with self-righteousness. "Chloe, this is really too much. Pregnant women have strict dietary rules. Even if you don't believe in her family's tradition, you should at least respect it. Giving her spicy food on purpose... that's just malicious." "Exactly. Mia is pregnant, it's already so hard on her. She's wanted a boy for so long..." "Look how hard Mia is crying. And Chloe is just standing there like nothing happened..." "This is sick. She literally ruined their baby boy and she doesn't even care..." The whispers around the room grew louder, people gossiping and throwing dirty looks at me. Mia buried her face in Dylan's chest, her shoulders shaking violently as she wept. "My boy... my baby boy is gone... how could you be so cruel..." I ignored the drama and looked straight at Mia. "Mia, you said I fed you spicy food and ruined your baby today. But I didn't make or buy you any lunch today. How exactly did I do that?" Mia paused. The tears were still fresh on her cheeks, but her voice caught in her throat. "Chloe... I can't believe that even now, you're still trying to lie." "Are you really going to deny it just to save your own skin?" Mia sniffled. "You want to play dumb? Fine. Let me ask you this. Around noon, didn't you say you were going to the restroom?" "But instead, you pulled me aside in the hallway and apologized for being rude earlier." "You said you bought me a little snack to make it up to me. Did you forget that?" The onlookers whispered instantly. "Oh my god, she actually admitted it to Mia and now she's lying..." "Poor Mia. Her baby boy is ruined, and she's still being gaslighted like this..." I stared at her. "I never said that. And I certainly didn't buy you anything." Mia immediately pulled out her phone. A few seconds later, she shoved her screen right in front of my face, her voice cracking. "Then how do you explain this digital receipt? You gave me this snack box at noon!" "It has your store membership number on it! Your phone number is right there! You handed it to me and told me not to be mad anymore!" Mia raised her phone high, showing it to the entire room. "Look, everyone! She bought it using her own rewards account! The evidence is right here!" "And she still claims she's innocent? I'm a pregnant woman! Why would I risk my own baby's health just to frame her?" Sarah leaned in to look. "Oh, that really is Chloe's phone number and membership ID..." "Chloe, what do you have to say for yourself now?" Mia's tears fell again. "Chloe... I really didn't want to make a big deal out of this..." "You harmed my baby, and I wasn't even going to sue you. But now you're claiming I'm lying and making things up... How can you be so heartless?" I looked at the receipt on her screen. Yes, it was indeed my membership account and my phone number. But I had lost that physical rewards card last month, and I hadn't gotten around to replacing it yet. I looked up at her calmly. "Mia, I lost that card last month. I haven't used it since." "You found a lost card, bought something with it, and now you're claiming I was the one who bought it?" "Tell me, Mia. How are you going to prove that I was the one who actually swiped that card at the store?" 3 "That is enough." Marcus, the department director, stood at the door of the conference room. His face was dark. Clearly, he had been listening for a while. He threw a cold glare at me, his voice heavy with authority. "Chloe, haven't you caused enough trouble? The evidence is right in front of your face, and you're still denying it. Do you think everyone in this office is stupid?" Sarah was the first to jump to his side, her voice screeching. "Marcus! Thank goodness you're here. You have to see what she's done!" "Everyone knows pregnant women shouldn't eat spicy food if they are trying to protect a male pregnancy!" "Mia talks about wanting a baby boy every single day. She hasn't touched a pepper in months. But Chloe here decided to slip chili into her snack anyway! She ruined Mia's baby, and now she's standing here arguing!" Justin nodded along. "Mia is always so sweet to everyone. She works overtime even while pregnant and never bothers anyone." "She told us so many times she couldn't eat spicy food. Chloe doing this on purpose is just pure evil." "Exactly. Look at Mia, she's devastated. Her dream of having a son is ruined, while Chloe just stands there like a sociopath," someone added from the back. "Why is she still employed here? Today she poisons a baby, tomorrow she might poison our coffee!" "Fire her already. She gives me the creeps." "Marcus, you have to stand up for Mia. We can't let good people get bullied like this." The accusations flew like stones, one after another. Every single one of them pretended to care about Mia, but I could see the malicious excitement in their eyes. They just loved the drama. Marcus raised his hand, silencing the room. His voice was low but firm. "Chloe, save your breath. The company has made its decision. You are suspended immediately. Once Mia's family figures out the medical details, we will proceed with the termination and legal liabilities." I sat at my desk, looking at their triumphant faces. In my past life, before I jumped off that building, it was the exact same scene. They surrounded me, screaming insults. Marcus condemned me without a second thought. And Mia smirked while hiding in Dylan's arms. Back then, I cried, I begged, I screamed my innocence. But nobody listened. Now, Mia was sobbing hysterically. "Marcus... I didn't want her to get fired... I just wanted an apology... My boy is gone, he's going to be a girl now... How am I going to face my husband's family...?" Dylan glared at Marcus. "Marcus, we've been trying to conceive for five years. This is our only baby, and my entire family is waiting for a grandson." "My wife didn't touch a speck of pepper for five months, and this bitch ruined my son in one afternoon." "We don't want to cause trouble for the company, but she has to pay. We want compensation. Otherwise, this isn't over!" Sarah immediately chimed in. "He's right! They tried for five years! You ruined their son, Chloe. You have to pay up!" "A boy and a girl are completely different! Their family wanted a heir!" Justin agreed, his tone matter-of-fact. "Yeah, Chloe. You ruined their family's hope. You have to give them a settlement. It's better than going to jail, right?" "Just pay them and get it over with." "A five-month-old boy turned into a girl because of you... Who could accept that?" "Give them the money, Chloe. Don't make it worse. If her husband keeps coming to the office to protest, you'll never find a job in this city again." Ashley, the receptionist, took a slow sip of her tea and muttered, "Chloe, if I were you, I'd just pay. Don't make a fool of yourself." "They struggled for years. You ruined their dreams. You think a few hundred bucks will fix this? You should pay at least thirty or forty thousand dollars." Hearing this, Dylan instantly barked, "Forty thousand? You think my son is only worth forty thousand? We want a hundred thousand dollars! Minimum! Or I will destroy her life!" The crowd murmured in agreement. "Yeah, a hundred thousand is fair for a son." "Just transfer the money, Chloe. Don't let this go to court." "You're a young girl. You still want to get married one day, don't you? If this gets out, your reputation will be completely ruined." 4 I suddenly burst out laughing. I looked directly at Sarah. "You're right, Sarah. A girl's reputation is very important." "So you better remember this: if someone throws dirt on you in the future without a single shred of actual proof, and demands a hundred thousand dollars while trying to get you fired, don't you dare complain. Just shut up and hand over your bank account. After all, as long as they cry louder than you, they must be the victim, right?" Marcus's face turned pitch black. He turned to Ashley. "Go get HR. Right now." Ashley nodded quickly and ran out of the room. The office fell into a tense silence, save for Mia's soft whimpering. Dylan was still patting her back, whispering, "It's okay, baby. The boss is on our side now." A few minutes later, Brooke from HR walked in. She held a black folder. She looked at Marcus, then at me, her face expressionless. "Chloe, in light of the severe incident that occurred today, which has seriously damaged the company's reputation and work environment, the management has decided to terminate your contract." "This is your termination agreement. Review it. If you have no questions, sign it and pack your things." She slid the folder onto my desk. The bold letters TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT stared back at me. Mia slowly raised her head from Dylan's chest. Tears were still on her face, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward. It was a smirk of victory. She thought she had won. I picked up the folder, flipped through the pages, closed it, and set it down. "Hold on." Everyone blinked in confusion. The smirk on Mia's face froze. I looked at Brooke, then at Marcus. My voice was deadly quiet. "I'll sign it. But before I do, I want Mia to answer a few simple questions in front of everyone." Mia's face paled slightly. "She claimed that during lunch hour, I met her in the hallway, gave her a snack, and she took a bite and realized it had chili in it." "Fine. Mia, tell me: What exactly did I give you? Where did I give it to you? What time was it? What did the packaging look like?" "From the moment I walked into this building today, did anyone see me pull you aside?" I laid out the questions rapidly. The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Mia's lips trembled. Dylan opened his mouth to bark, but I cut him off. "Shut up. Let Mia speak." "If she can't answer these basic questions, nobody is making me sign this paper today." Mia's face flushed from pale to an ugly gray. Her fingers clutched Dylan's shirt, trembling. Under the collective gaze of the entire office, Mia stammered. "I... I don't remember clearly... It was... was it a pastry? Or... or... some kind of snack... You just handed it to me, you didn't say what it was..." Her voice got smaller and smaller. "Maybe... maybe it was near the stairwell? Or the restroom...? My stomach was hurting so bad... I can't remember the details..." Dylan nudged her arm hard, visibly panicking. She quickly added, "But it was definitely you! I... I ate it and felt the spice... Why would I lie about that...?" Looking at her pathetic attempt to fabricate a story, I cut her off. "Since you can't seem to remember, let me help refresh your memory." I unlocked my phone and tapped a play button. As the audio started playing, the entire room gasped in shock.