Five years have passed.

The woman who once smelled of grease and laundry detergent is gone.

In her place stands a woman in a cream suit, with neat hair, calm eyes, and a steady voice.

Lorna Villanueva.

Founder and CEO of LV Global Foods Inc.

My company now exports sauces, frozen meals, and ready-to-eat foods to twelve countries.

I have three manufacturing plants.

Twenty-seven restaurant branches.

More than eight hundred employees.

Could be an image of one or more people and suits

And I owe it all to the woman Dave once called “boring.”

That morning, I reviewed a new set of applications.

We were opening a legal department.

There was one resume that stopped me.

David Ramos.

Former partner at Ramos & Alonzo Law Firm.
Currently unemployed.

I smiled.

Finally, the world had turned around.

I didn’t reject the application.

I scheduled an interview.

It was exactly ten in the morning.

The reception area was quiet when he walked in.

I watched him through the glass wall of my office.

He was wearing a gray suit, slightly worn.

His hair was thinner.

The old arrogance in his stance was gone.

He looked tired.

Nervous.

The secretary said, “Sir Ramos, you’re going to see the CEO.”

He nodded.

And walked in.

Our eyes met.

And suddenly the color drained from his face.

“L… Lorna?”

“Good morning, Mr. Ramos,” I said calmly. “Please sit down.”

His hands trembled as he sat down.

“I didn’t… I didn’t know you owned this company.”

“I’m sure,” I replied. “You didn’t even ask what happened to me after you fired me.”

Silence.

Then he said softly, “Congratulations. You look… successful.”

“Thank you,” I replied. “That’s true.”

I opened his file.

“Your firm has been downsized,” I said. “Your wife’s family withdrew their support. They forced you to resign. Is that right?”

He nodded.

“Yes.”

“And now, you need a job.”

“Yes.”

I looked at him straight in the eye.

“Why should I hire you?”

He swallowed.

“I’m an experienced lawyer. I can help your company grow.”

I bowed slightly.

“Dave, when I was away, I helped you rise. For ten years.”

He rolled his eyes.

“I was wrong.”

I stood up.

Walked to the window.

“You didn’t just leave me,” I said softly. “You erased me. You treated my sacrifice like a receipt.”

I turned back to face him.

“This interview isn’t about revenge,” I said. “It’s about the consequences of your actions.”

He looked up, desperate.

“Please, Lorna. I need this job.”

I smiled softly.

“I know.”

And for the first time, he understood what it felt like to be powerless.

I looked at Dave.

The man who had once believed I was useless.

Now, he was asking everything of me.

“Before I decide,” I said, “I have one question.”

He nodded quickly.

“Anything.”

“When you fired me,” I asked, “did you regret it even once?”

His voice cracked.

“Every day.”

I was silent for a moment.

Then I closed his folder.

“Mr. Ramos,” I said formally, “you are qualified.”

Hope shone in his eyes.

“But,” I added, “I will not hire you.”

Hope vanished.

“It is not because you are incapable,” I said. “It is because your character failed when it mattered most.”

He bowed.

“I understand.”

I stood up and held out my hand.

“I forgive you, Dave.”

He looked up, completely shocked.

“Really?”

“Yes,” I said. “Because my success no longer requires your suffering.”

Tears welled up in his eyes.

“Goodbye, Lorna.”

“Goodbye.”

She left the room smaller than when she entered.

And I returned to my desk stronger than ever.

Sometimes, the best revenge isn’t punishment.

It’s becoming someone they can never reach again.