They say your life flashes before your eyes when you die—all the happy memories. That wasn't true for Michael.

The gunshot was loud. The bullet ripped through the top of his mouth and into his brain. Nothing.

His skull fractured. Blood and brain matter sprayed. Still nothing.

He bled profusely, teetering on the brink of death. Absolute nothingness.

Maybe it was all a lie. Or maybe Michael simply had no life to flash before his eyes, no happy memories to recall.

As far back as Michael could remember, there was nothing good.

Orphaned at birth, his life had been a nightmare. He'd seen the darkest side of humanity from a very young age. He'd scraped by, clawing for survival because no one else cared.

And now it was over. His miserable life ended by a single bullet. His body slumped in the cold, empty room. Just a month ago, it had been full of life. Now it felt as empty and lifeless as he was. And it was all because of her.

Even in his final moments, the thought of her made anger boil inside him. She was the reason for all of this.

Being orphaned offered no advantages, only a front-row seat to hell on earth. Maybe there was no hell, just earth, where everyone suffered or enjoyed based on their past actions. Maybe he'd been a terrible person in a past life. Maybe he'd stolen candy from children. The thought made him laugh, a bitter, agonizing sound.

Speaking of bad, Michael had experienced it all.

When life is good, you barely notice the bad. But when your life is consumed by darkness, the good things become invisible. That was Michael's existence. He'd seen all the injustice, the rich preying on the poor, the powerful exploiting the weak.

He'd witnessed law enforcement turning a blind eye to the crimes of the wealthy while the poor were locked up for lesser offenses.

Michael had seen it all, experienced it all. Yet, he clung to hope. He believed good still existed, even if he hadn't found it. That was, until few months ago.

For a decade, Michael had worked in the finance department of Generis Corp. He was the backbone of the department, known for his integrity and unparalleled skill.

He'd steered the company through difficult audits and implemented changes that saved millions. When the Senior Accounting Manager position opened, everyone, including Michael, knew he was the best candidate.

He wasn't just being selfish. He genuinely was the most qualified. He'd made and saved the company more money than all the other applicants combined. If he wasn't qualified, who was?

He looked forward to the promotion. It wasn't just about the money and status. It was a chance for a better future, a way to escape his difficult life.

But to everyone's shock, Michael didn't get the promotion.

Sandra, a junior employee with less than six months at the company, got the job. Sandra, whose greatest skill was dressing provocatively and flirting with the boss, Mr. Stevenson.

When Mr. Stevenson made the announcement, Michael and his colleagues were stunned. Michael kept to himself and didn't have many friends at work. But everyone, friend or not, knew he deserved the promotion. It was a blatant injustice.

Michael sat in the meeting room, chest tight, breath ragged. This was it. The ultimate injustice.

What about the extra hours he'd worked, hoping for a bigger paycheck or a promotion?

What about all the money he'd saved and earned for the corporation?

Most importantly, what about the ten years he'd given them? Was he nothing more than a workhorse, toiling endlessly for scraps? Was this all he was worth?

Michael left the meeting feeling heavier than when he'd entered. The thought of quitting flitted through his mind, but he knew it was pointless. Even with his skills, no other company would hire him. Mr. Stevenson would see to that. He knew Michael's value and would make sure no one else benefited from it.

Mr. Stevenson saw Michael as a loyal workhorse, dependent on the company for survival. He knew it, and he exploited it, taking advantage of Michael's abilities without offering anything in return.

The more Michael thought about it, the more darkness crept into his mind. He'd always focused on the light, choosing to believe in the good of humanity, despite all the bad he'd witnessed. But now, the darkness was unraveling, revealing how foolish and naive he'd been.

He'd ignored the signs, but they were everywhere, in private and public spaces, in things hidden from view. The evil of humanity was all around him. These people lived well, prospered, while he struggled. Where was the fairness? Reality was rigged, either by God or by humans themselves. Good was repaid with evil, not the other way around.

This wasn't just reality. Even in the fantasy novels Michael read to escape, the same pattern existed.

The protagonist, the righteous hero, slaughtering an entire groups for selfish reasons or revenge, and the world applauded them. But when the antagonist did the same, they were condemned as evil.

Where was the fairness? Life, reality, felt like a rigged game, with overpowered players using cheat codes against the noobs like him.

But Michael's problems were only just beginning. Two months later, a significant sum of money vanished from a key company account.

The discovery, during a routine audit, sent shockwaves through the department. Panic set in as an internal investigation began.

At first, Michael wasn't worried. He knew he was innocent. He was meticulous in his work. But as the investigation progressed, fear began to creep in.

It turned out his account credentials had been used to authorize the suspicious transaction. Michael knew nothing about it, but no one seemed to care.

He was called into a meeting with the executives and pleaded his innocence. But it was his word against the digital evidence. A nobody like him stood no chance.

His world began to crumble. His reputation, his hard work, the extra hours – none of it mattered.

Whispers circulated, further tarnishing his name. Michael felt everything collapsing around him.

Then came the final blow. He was summoned to Mr. Stevenson's office to hear the executive decision.

As he walked in, he saw Sandra standing beside Mr. Stevenson, her hand on his shoulder, like a succubus draining his life force. Mr. Stevenson was her puppet.

Michael's heart pounded as he met Sandra's gaze. She gave him a triumphant smile, the smile of a victor who had just won her greatest battle.

Then came the verdict. The executives had found Michael guilty of embezzlement. According to company policy, he would be fired and held liable for the financial loss.

Michael's world shattered. Good was not repaid with good. Only with bad.

His dedication, his loyalty, everything he'd given to the company – this was his reward. A ruined reputation, a tarnished record, and a crushing debt he had no way to repay. It was more than just unfair. It was a betrayal, a calculated destruction of his life.

All of that had happened just a month ago. The aftermath had led Michael to this final moment, lying near death, his brain splattered across the room by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had ended his life. There wasn't much left to live for.

No happiness, no comfort. He'd been forced to sell everything he owned to repay the debt, but it still wasn't enough. His tarnished record made him unemployable. There was nothing left to do but wait for death. He chose not to wait.

But he wasn't going down alone.

Those who had ruined him now had matching holes in their heads.

"In my next life," he vowed silently, "if there's such a thing as reincarnation, I won't be weak. No matter what." Then darkness consumed him, and he drifted into nothingness.