The Brewery Heiress's Reckoning

The first thing I remembered from my last life was the smell.

Stale beer, blood, and the cheap, cloying perfume Jenna always wore.

I was on the cold concrete floor of my brewery, my head bleeding, watching my fiancé, Liam, kiss my best friend, Jenna.

They had just pushed me.

'Is she dead?' Jenna asked, pulling away.

'Doesn' t matter,' Liam said, his voice cold.

'With her gone, the brewery is ours.

Her parents will be lost.'

They left me there to die.

In that life, their betrayal led to my family' s ruin and my own demise, bled dry by their endless demands for 'business expenses' that were really just lavish trips and gifts.

I perished, feeling the bitter sting of ultimate betrayal and injustice.

But then, I somehow returned.

I was staring at that same man, my fiancé Liam, very much alive, standing in my parents' living room.

He was giving me the exact same ultimatum, demanding my family' s money for his 'Master Brewer program' and Jenna' s living expenses.

This was the moment I chose him over my family last time.

The moment I signed their death warrant and my own.

Not this time.

This time, the memory of my own blood on the brewery floor was a burning clarity.

This time, Liam and Jenna would pay.

This time, I' m strong enough to fight back.

The first thing I remembered from my last life was the smell.

Stale beer, blood, and the cheap, cloying perfume Jenna always wore.

I was on the cold concrete floor of the brewery, my brewery, watching my fiancé Liam kiss my best friend Jenna. My head was bleeding. They had just pushed me.

"Is she dead?" Jenna asked, pulling away from him.

"Doesn't matter," Liam said, his voice cold. "With her gone, her parents will be lost. The brewery is ours."

They left me there to die.

Now, I was staring at that same man, my fiancé Liam, very much alive. The memory was a ghost, a cold layer over my skin. We were in my parents' living room, the one with the big windows overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains.

He stood in the center of the room, arms crossed, the picture of entitled charm.

"Chloe, it' s simple," he said, his voice smooth but with an edge I now recognized as a threat.

"I need the tuition for the Master Brewer program. It' s twenty thousand dollars. And Jenna needs a place to stay. She' s my best friend, she' s going to be my assistant. We need to cover her moving expenses and her first six months of rent."

Jenna, standing beside him, looked down at her worn-out shoes. She played the part of the poor, loyal friend so well. "Oh, Chloe, I couldn' t ask you to do that. It' s too much."

Her voice was soft, but her eyes flickered toward Liam, a quick, shared glance of conspiracy.

My mother, a practical woman who built our brewery from nothing, shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. "Liam, that' s a lot of money. And paying for Jenna' s expenses... it seems a bit much."

My father, who always had a soft spot for me, just looked at me, waiting for my reaction. In my last life, my reaction was to cry and beg.

Liam' s face hardened. "This isn' t a request. This is about our future. My future. I' m going to be a star in the brewing world. Do you want to be married to that man, Chloe? Or do you want me to walk away right now and find someone who actually supports my dreams?"

He was giving me an ultimatum. The exact same one.

This was the moment it all started. The moment I chose him over my family. The moment I signed their death warrant and my own.

But this time, I had the memory of my own blood on the floor.

I looked at Liam, at his handsome, lying face. I saw the greed in his eyes, the same greed that was there when he left me to die.

I remembered how I had begged him in my past life. How I' d promised him anything. I remembered convincing my parents, who had reluctantly agreed, their faces full of worry.

That decision led to a year of him and Jenna bleeding my family dry, taking loans against the brewery for "business expenses" that were really just lavish trips and gifts for each other. It ended with my parents bankrupt and me dead.

Now, I felt a cold calm settle over me.

"You' re right, Liam," I said. My voice was even, without a single tremor.

Everyone in the room froze.

Liam' s smug expression faltered, replaced by a flicker of confusion. He expected tears, not compliance.

I turned to my parents. "He' s right. His career is important for our future. We should pay for it. And for Jenna, too. She' s been such a good friend."

Jenna looked up, a fake, grateful tear rolling down her cheek. "Oh, Chloe, thank you! You' re the best friend I could ever ask for."

My father looked at me, his brow furrowed with concern. "Honey, are you sure?"

"I' m sure, Dad," I said, giving him a small, reassuring smile that didn' t reach my eyes.

Liam' s confidence returned, twice as arrogant as before. He smirked. "See? I knew you' d understand. We' ll be a power couple."

He draped his arm around my shoulders. I didn' t flinch away, but I felt nothing. His touch was like a cold stone.

Later that evening, my parents hosted a small dinner for some of our business partners and close friends. Liam was in his element, holding court, telling everyone about the prestigious Master Brewer program he was about to attend, all thanks to his wonderfully supportive fiancée.

Jenna was right there, laughing at his jokes, playing the part of the adoring sidekick. His mother, Sharon, who had arrived just for the dinner, was beaming, telling anyone who would listen what a genius her son was and how lucky I was to have him.

I waited until dessert was served. Then I stood up, tapping my glass with a spoon. The room went quiet.

"I have an announcement to make," I said, my voice ringing clear in the sudden silence.

Liam smiled at me, thinking I was about to toast to his success.

"I want to thank you all for coming tonight," I began. "It' s a special night. It' s the night I realized what' s truly important."

I looked directly at Liam, then at Jenna, then at Sharon.

"Which is why I' m calling off my engagement to Liam."

The silence in the room was absolute. You could hear a pin drop.

Liam' s smile vanished. "What did you say?"

"The wedding is off," I repeated, my voice like ice. "And all financial support for your education and for your 'assistant' is, of course, rescinded. As of tonight, you are no longer welcome in this house or at our brewery."

I turned to my father. "Dad, can you please have security escort Liam, Jenna, and Sharon off the property?"

Chaos erupted.

"Chloe, have you lost your mind?" Liam shouted, his face turning a blotchy red.

Sharon jumped to her feet, pointing a trembling finger at me. "You ungrateful little bitch! After everything my son has done for you!"

Jenna just stood there, her face pale with shock, her plan crumbling before her eyes.

My father, who had looked worried before, now had a look of pure, unadulterated relief. He nodded once, sharply, and made a quick call.

Within minutes, two of our brewery' s security guards were there. They were big guys. They didn' t have to do much. The fight had gone out of Liam and his family. They were stunned, humiliated.

As they were being led out, Liam turned back and glared at me, his eyes full of hate. "You' ll regret this, Chloe! You' ll come crawling back!"

I just smiled. "I don' t think so."