Bonus Chapter: Redoing My Life, You Can’t Do This to Me

I wrote this after I watched Spider-Man 1 yesterday. I thought it was funny. It's kind of stupid...so stupid but I couldn’t resist.

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Daniel sat at the head of the long glass conference table, the city skyline glittering faintly through the tall windows behind him. He wore his usual calm, sharp smile—confident, almost playful. In his hand was a small remote, which he clicked with ease, bringing up the first slide on the screen behind him.

The boardroom was filled. Paul sat directly opposite, at the other end of the table. To his left was Serena Walsh; beside her, Maya Singh. Matt and John, his longtime friends, flanked one side, while Julie sat to his right, eyes alert. Next to her, Margot—his wife—sat quietly, watching him, her hands folded neatly in her lap.

Daniel gestured toward the screen.

“As of this quarter,” he began, his voice warm yet authoritative, “Midas has officially crossed $6.2 billion in global box-office revenue. John Wick 5 is a runaway hit. Our other releases are exceeding projections across all markets. The Game of Thrones spin-off is in pre-production, and our streaming numbers are breaking records daily.”

He paused, clicking to display a graph that showed a sharp upward trend.

“In short, ladies and gentlemen, this is the most profitable year in Midas history.”

There was a ripple of polite nods, a few small smiles.

Paul nodded, slowly and pleasantly. “Wonderful, Daniel. Really, wonderful.”

Daniel tilted his head, sensing something just behind the compliment.

Paul continued, his voice smooth. “In fact, it’s the perfect time… to sell to Disney.”

Daniel blinked. “What?”

Paul remained poised. Serena, however, leaned forward.

“Disney’s been circling for months,” she said briskly. “The offer came in last week. It’s too good to pass up.”

Daniel’s eyes flicked around the table—to Matt, who wouldn’t meet his gaze; to John, who looked down; to Julie, who looked… uncertain; and finally, to Margot, who wasn’t looking at him at all.

His voice cracked slightly. “Why the hell wasn’t I told?”

Maya spoke then, her voice sharper than he had ever heard it—cold. “They wanted a clean transition. No drama. No… entrenched management to complicate things.”

Julie broke her silence, her voice flat, almost mechanical.

“The deal’s off if you stay on,” she said.

She didn’t look at him as she added, “They want your resignation, Daniel.”

Daniel’s mouth went dry. He turned instinctively to Matt, hoping.. praying but Matt only nodded slowly, his face full of guilt.

“Thirty days,” John said quietly, as if delivering a sentence in a courtroom.

Daniel stared at them—his board, his friends, his wife. His breathing grew shallow and quick; the edges of the room seemed to bend in his vision.

“You can’t be serious…” he whispered.

But Paul met his gaze calmly. “The board is unanimous. Disney’s offer puts our valuation at $10 billion. They’ll take everything—except you.”

Daniel’s fingers curled around the edge of the table.

No.

No.

This can’t be happening.

“You can’t do this to me,” he said, louder now, his voice rising. “I built this company. It’s mine. I am this company.”

His fists slammed against the table. The sound echoed like a gunshot; everyone flinched.

“YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I’VE SACRIFICED?” Daniel roared, his voice cracking with fury and betrayal.

Silence. No one met his eyes.

Finally, he turned to the one person who still hadn’t spoken.

“Mags?” His voice trembled now, small and disbelieving. “What is this?”

Margot looked up slowly, her face composed. “I’m sorry, Daniel,” she said softly. “I’m with the board.

“And… I’ll be filing for divorce. I’ll also be seeking full custody.”

Daniel felt the floor vanish beneath him. His heart slammed against his ribs, and he could hear nothing but the rush of his own pulse in his ears.

“…What?” he breathed. “Please…”

Paul’s voice came again. “We’re announcing the deal next week. I’m sorry.”

Daniel stood frozen as everything he had—his company, his wife, his children, his world—was torn from him in a single moment.

There was a long, heavy beat. Then his face changed.

It was still

Too still.

He looked at each person in turn, a cold calculation settling behind the storm in his eyes. When his voice returned, it was soft and dark.

“…Am I?”

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The light from the TV flickered in the dark room. Daniel blinked awake on the couch, a sheen of sweat on his brow.

“Finally,” Margot said gently. “You were more tired than you thought.”

He glanced around, disoriented, his breath still short. On the screen, Tobey Maguire’s Spider-Man was talking to Mary Jane.

It was a dream, Daniel thought, relieved.

He looked at Margot, eyes wide. “I’m so glad we’re not getting divorced,” he blurted, “and taking the kids—and stealing my company.”

Margot stared at him, baffled. “What?”

Daniel only laughed as Margot walked away calling him weird.