The intern secretly submitted a voluntary pay-cut application on my behalf.

As a result, my salary dropped from $10,000 to $2,000.

When I found out and confronted him, my boss and colleagues all defended him.

"The company is not doing great right now. Oscar was just trying to save costs for us. Do you have to nickel-and-dime over this?"

With my salary so low, I couldn't afford the special medication for my chronic migraines, and one day I passed out at my desk during an attack.

But the intern snuck a video of me unconscious and posted it on the company's website. He even whipped up a detailed 100-page slideshow breaking down how I was slacking off on the clock and dumping all my work on him.

Overnight, I was labeled a workplace bully. My boss gave me the cold shoulder, and my colleagues whispered about me.

Even worse, some extreme "anti-workplace-bullying" activists tracked me down to my home, showed up with two cans of gasoline, and burned me and my parents alive.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that very day when the intern had submitted my pay-cut form.

In this second chance at life, I would make sure everyone saw the intern for who he truly was.

...

"Casper, got a form here that needs your signature."

That familiar voice of the intern rang in my ears, and I snapped my eyes open.

I froze for a second, then realized that I had been reborn. The sight of Oscar Kaufman's phony grin made rage boil up inside me.

My face fell, and I refused flatly, "I'm not signing it."

In my previous life, while I was buried under a mountain of work, he had shoved this form at me just like this. I had scribbled my name without looking closely.

Little did I know it was a voluntary pay-cut request! My salary had plummeted from $10,000 to $2,000 as a result.

When I blew up and went after him to settle the score, my boss and colleagues all rallied around him.

"The economy is shaky these days, and the company is taking a hit. Oscar was just looking out for the bottom line. Do you have to be such a tightwad about it?"

With my paycheck slashed so drastically, I couldn't swing the cost of my ongoing migraine treatment medication.

During one bad episode, the pain knocked me out cold at my desk. Taking his chance, Oscar filmed me unconscious, uploaded the video to the company's website, and created a detailed 100-page slideshow accusing me of sleeping on the job and shoving all my responsibilities onto him.

In no time flat, I was branded a workplace bully. My boss iced me out, my colleagues gossiped about me, and I faced relentless online harassment.

Even worse, some radical "anti-bullying" activists hunted me down to my home, armed with two gallons of gasoline, and burned me and my parents alive.

God pitied me, giving me a second chance to change my fate. This time, I would not let the tragedy repeat itself.

I'd tear off Oscar's mask and reveal his true colors to everyone.

Oscar was stunned, clutching the form behind his back. He looked all wounded. "I'm just doing my job. Why are you so mean, picking on a new guy?"

I snatched the application right out of his grip. "What the hell is this? Why don't you apply for it yourself? Did I ever say I wanted a pay cut? How many times have I told you not to assume things? Are you really that dumb, or are you just pretending?"

The grown man pouted like a kid. "I'm doing it for the company. The economy is in the tank. We need to cut costs. Your salary's so high anyway. Why can't you make a sacrifice for the team?"

"Well said!" Our boss's voice cut in from behind us.

...

Judy Bianchi continued, "Times are tough right now, and the company is feeling the pinch. I hope everyone can be like Oscar and always think about the company's best interests."

She shot me a chilly glance, and my colleagues, seeing which way the wind was blowing, piled on.

"Ms. Bianchi is spot on. We should all take a page out of Oscar's book."

"Honestly, for the company's sake, a little sacrifice is the least we can do."

"Some people have no sense of dedication at all! They forget that without the company supporting them, they'd be starving on the streets!"

I scoffed. It was easy for them to talk when the knife wasn't cutting into their own flesh.

These people all assumed Oscar and Judy had some special connection. In my previous life, they'd sided with him, piling the blame on me.

"If we're talking about costs, I suggest a 30% pay cut across the board for every employee," I countered.

The words were barely out of my mouth before everyone shot me resentful glares.

Judy frowned. "I'll have to think that one over."

"I've got another idea," I said. "These days, it's all about developing well-rounded talent. We could rotate Oscar through every department for internships. That way, we won't be limited to specialists in single roles."

Everyone jumped in with enthusiastic nods.

"We're all for it! Welcome aboard!"

"Start in our department!"

"Come to ours first!"

Oscar's eyes lit up with smug satisfaction, and I smirked because that was exactly what I wanted things to go on like.

A few days later, the HR Director suddenly blasted the work group chat with dozens of photos, tagging everyone: [Half the desks empty after 9 AM. Sloppy attendance, $500 fine!]

The next moment, complaints erupted throughout the office.

"I just stepped out for a water refill and got hit with a $500 fine? Treating us like slaves? This is ridiculous!"

"I was just in the bathroom. Do they expect me to hold it in?"

"I'm even worse off! I just bent down to pick up a pen, and I got photographed not at my desk. This is worse than a sweatshop!"

Dissatisfied with the new rule, they stormed toward the HR Director's office. As they reached the door, they heard a heated argument inside.

"Oscar, what the hell did you post from my computer?" George Gonzalez growled.

"Sir, I was just helping the company. Only with heavy fines will people stop slacking off," Oscar replied, unapologetic.

"Who permitted you to do that? You're just an intern," George countered.

Oscar lifted his chin defiantly. "If it's for the company's good, anyone can step up. Rank doesn't matter."

George's face flushed with anger. "You're out of line! I'm reporting this to Ms. Bianchi! Let her be the judge!"

"Go ahead," Oscar snorted. "I stand by what I did, and I am sure she will back me up."

George was left speechless.

When Judy heard about it, she chewed George out and publicly praised Oscar. With her backing, Oscar walked around like he owned the place.

...

When Oscar rotated to the tech department, they rolled out the red carpet like he was royalty.

"Feel free to come and go as you please, Oscar," said the Tech Manager with a flattering smile.

Oscar crossed his legs and nodded smugly.

The next day, the whole company went into meltdown. The system crashed hard, and all electronic devices were paralyzed.

Everyone gathered in the technical department.

"What is going on?" Judy demanded sharply.

The Technical Manager, Steven Colombo, looked rattled. "Madam, I'm still figuring it out."

"I pay you a fortune for what?" Judy growled. "You know how much this is costing us? Fix it now, or you're fired!"

Steven broke out in a cold sweat. Just then, Oscar strolled in, humming a tune and grinning ear-to-ear.

"Madam, I just did another solid for the company," he said. "Saw the server was low on memory, so I wiped out the extra config modules. No need to buy new gear now."

There was a round of gasps, and I smirked inwardly. This idiot had caused a major disaster without even realizing it.

"You can't touch the date on that server!" Steven exploded. "Once deleted, it can't be recovered, and the entire production environment will crash!"

Oscar caught Judy's darkening expression and started to panic. But then, he jabbed a finger at me. "It's all Casper's fault. When I was shadowing him before, he taught me to do it this way."

"What the hell are you talking about?" I stared at him in disbelief.

"I saw you operate it like that, and you told me it was system optimization!" he insisted.

My blood boiled. "That was just the antivirus software prompt!"

"Enough!" Judy roared.

The scene fell silent, so quiet that one could hear a pin drop.

She barked, "Who do you think you are? How dare you wreak havoc in my company?"

I was shocked because she was pointing at me.

"This is all Oscar's doing," I argued. "It has nothing to do..."

"Casper Lancaster, gross negligence on the job!" she cut me off. "You're fired, effective immediately! Oscar Kaufman, for his outstanding performance, is promoted to full-time status and appointed as my executive assistant!"

This was straight-up insanity. I clenched my fists tightly, the anger in my chest about to erupt.

Oscar beamed, "Thank you for your trust, Ma'am. I'll keep giving it my all!"

"See? We need more employees like Oscar, not backstabbers who'd tank the place." Judy shot me a pointed glare.

"Fine! I'm out!" I sneered.

Truth be told, I had wanted to quit for a long time. Who wanted to stick around this dumpster fire? Not me.

Leaving the office, I booked three plane tickets.

In my previous life, my parents and I had never gotten to enjoy life before we were burned alive. This time around, I would take them on a tour of the country's beautiful landscapes.