Higher Dimension.5
Ava’s dreams were filled with chaos. She was back in her old, cramped kitchen, surrounded by a whirlwind of activity. Her children’s cries and shouts echoed sharply through the small space. Dirty dishes piled up high, a burnt smell wafted from the toaster, and the incessant buzz of her phone on the counter added another layer of stress. Emily and Alex bickered loudly, Noah zoomed around the room like a tiny tornado, and Lily, still in her high chair, stretched her chubby arms toward Ava, her face wet with tears.
Ava tried desperately to keep up, juggling too many tasks at once. The tension in the room was suffocating, each scream and demand like a hammer to her chest. She felt the familiar sting of guilt as she failed to meet the needs of each child, the pressure building unbearably. Her hands were slow and clumsy, her movements heavy with exhaustion. Everything around her seemed to move faster, slipping out of her control.
Then she felt a dark presence behind her.
Ava turned, expecting to see Chris, hoping for his help, but instead, a shadowy figure loomed in the corner. It was Victor, watching silently. His face was obscured, but his presence was undeniable. There was no empathy in his gaze—only cold calculation. He didn’t move, didn’t speak; he simply observed, like an inescapable judgment, a sinister manifestation of everything that had haunted Ava in both dimensions: financial ruin, the weight of failure, the helplessness of being trapped. Victor wasn’t just out of place in this kitchen—he was the embodiment of every fear she had ever run from, now standing before her.
Ava woke with a start, drenched in sweat, her breath coming in ragged gasps. The luxurious sheets that had once felt comforting now seemed suffocating, and the soft glow of her penthouse bedroom did nothing to ease the panic that gripped her chest. For a moment, she lay still, her body tense, her heart racing. The nightmare had been too vivid, too familiar. But it wasn’t just about being an overwhelmed mother—it was about Victor.
In this dimension, Victor was more than just a businessman. He was the CEO and founder of CannaCore, a multinational cannabis conglomerate that had ruthlessly taken over the industry. He wasn’t only running small dispensaries and local farms out of business—he was actively poisoning the market. His black market grows were notorious for using toxic pesticides, producing dangerous vape cartridges, and selling contaminated products that made users sick. His fertilizer, marketed as “Miracle Grow for Weed,” was a toxic mix that poisoned the soil and the plants.
Meanwhile, Victor’s influence extended beyond the marketplace. He manipulated politicians to maintain his monopoly, securing laws that favored his control and blocked out independent growers. He wasn’t just a corporate tyrant; he was the dark side of an industry Ava had once loved, twisting it into something corrupted and dangerous. He was everything she had ever fought against in her advocacy, and everything she had feared as a mother struggling to protect her family in a harsh world.
But Ava’s fear was not just about Victor’s power—it was about what he represented. He was the physical manifestation of the forces that had driven her to despair in her original life. He was the pressure of unpaid bills, the burden of trying to be everything to everyone, the constant, lurking fear of failure. Victor wasn’t just a villain here; he was the embodiment of Ava’s deepest insecurities, given a face and a name.
Ava sat up slowly, wiping the sweat from her forehead. She realized something then, something that went beyond fear: she was done running. If she was going to be trapped here, she would not just survive; she would fight back. And Victor, as the source of so much corruption and personal anguish, would be her target.
The decision to take down Victor solidified Ava’s resolve. But she knew she couldn’t do it alone. She needed allies—people who were tired of living in Victor’s shadow and who believed in the same ideals she had once fought for. She arranged a secret meeting with Rob, Dana, and Sophia in the backroom of a dimly lit, upscale bar. The space was secluded enough to avoid Victor’s surveillance, but the air was thick with tension.
Ava’s voice was steady, her eyes filled with intensity. “Victor isn’t just bad for business—he’s poisoning the industry. He’s not only selling toxic products that make people sick, but he’s also using the system to keep small players out. This isn’t just about survival; it’s about fighting for what’s right.”
Dana’s face was tight, her skepticism evident. “We’ve known about his black market dealings for years, Ava. But nobody’s been able to touch him. He’s got too many politicians in his pocket.”
Ava’s eyes blazed with conviction. “We’re not going to play by his rules. We’re going to expose his toxic grows, his underground events, and his political connections. We’ll make it impossible for him to operate in the shadows.”
Sophia leaned forward, her expression a mix of loyalty and admiration. “I’m with you, Ava. But this is dangerous. Victor doesn’t just shut people down—he destroys them.”
Ava’s lips tightened into a thin line. “I know. But if we don’t act, we’re just as guilty as he is. We have to bring the truth to light, no matter the cost.”
Rob’s voice was low, uncertain. “What makes you think you can succeed where others have failed?”
Ava’s gaze was unwavering. “Because I have nothing left to lose. And I’m not afraid anymore.”
Ava’s plan focused on three key areas of Victor’s corruption: his pesticide-laden grows, his underground cannabis events, and his political bribes. Each area represented a different aspect of the industry that he had twisted to his advantage, and each posed significant risks to expose.
1. Black Market Grows: Ava’s first target was Victor’s hidden grows, which used harmful chemicals to maximize yield at the cost of safety. Working with Sophia, Ava gathered information from disgruntled former employees of CannaCore and local farmers forced out of business by Victor’s tactics. They identified the locations of several of these grows and leaked the information to investigative journalists. The resulting media storm led to police raids, which revealed the use of banned pesticides and contaminated water sources. The public outrage was immediate, forcing CannaCore to issue weak denials that only fueled more suspicion.
2. Underground Events: Next, Ava infiltrated one of Victor’s illicit cannabis events, held in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. Disguised in a hooded sweatshirt and oversized sunglasses, she moved through the crowded space with a mixture of caution and determination. The air was thick with smoke, and the sound of clinking glasses and laughter filled the room. Ava kept her head low as she documented the illegal sale of toxic vape cartridges and distributed “free samples” of tainted products.
At one point, Ava felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned to find a burly man eyeing her suspiciously. “You new here?” he asked, his tone guarded.
Ava forced a casual smile. “Yeah, just checking things out.”
He studied her for a moment longer before moving on, and Ava let out a quiet sigh of relief. The close call only reinforced the danger of what she was doing, but it also fueled her determination. She managed to capture video evidence of the event’s operations, planning to release it strategically to maximize public awareness.
3. Political Corruption: Ava knew that to truly bring Victor down, she needed to expose his corrupt ties to politicians. She dug through the other Ava’s encrypted files, uncovering damning emails, financial records, and evidence of campaign contributions that had bought Victor favors and influence. Ava compiled a dossier of this information, leaking it to the press in waves, each story more damaging than the last.
The political fallout was swift and brutal. Politicians who had once been friendly with CannaCore began to distance themselves, trying to avoid being implicated in the scandal. Ava’s tactics were working, and for the first time, she felt like she was winning.
But Victor wasn’t one to take such attacks lying down.
He confronted Ava at an exclusive charity gala, his presence imposing as always. Ava was in the middle of a conversation with a potential ally when she saw him approaching, his expression calm but menacing.
“You’ve been busy, Ava,” Victor said, his voice smooth but laced with threat. “I didn’t expect you to be this bold.”
Ava met his gaze steadily, refusing to show fear. “I’m not just bold, Victor. I’m tired of watching you poison everything this industry stands for.”
Victor’s eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a whisper meant only for her ears. “You think you can win? You’ve always been good at running, Ava, but there’s nowhere left to hide.”
Ava felt a flicker of anger, not just at Victor’s words but at the memory of running from her problems in her old life—running from creditors, from responsibilities, from the feeling of being trapped. She wasn’t that person anymore.
“I’m not hiding,” she replied, her voice strong. “And I’m not running. You’re the one who’s afraid, Victor. Afraid of losing control.”
For the first time, Victor’s expression faltered. It was a brief, almost imperceptible shift, but it was enough to give Ava confidence.
“We’ll see about that,” he said coldly, before turning and walking away.
The confrontation with Victor only fueled Ava’s resolve. She returned to her allies with renewed energy, rallying them with a speech that was both passionate and personal.
“We’re not just fighting for business,” Ava said, her voice raw with emotion. “We’re fighting for what this industry was supposed to be—safe, fair, and accessible to everyone. I’m not just doing this for the Ava who built this empire; I’m doing it for me, for the person I was before all of this. I lost everything once, and I won’t let it happen again. Not here. Not now.”
Rob’s skepticism melted away, replaced by respect. Sophia’s loyalty was stronger than ever, and even Dana, who had once doubted Ava’s resolve, seemed inspired by her determination.
Ava’s final move against Victor involved a daring sting operation. She used the other Ava’s encrypted journal to locate one of Victor’s secret warehouses—a hub for his most dangerous smuggling ring. The operation was risky, but Ava was prepared to take the chance. She coordinated with local authorities, providing them with enough evidence to secure a raid.
From a nearby rooftop, Ava and Sophia watched as police stormed the warehouse, arresting Victor’s operatives and seizing toxic products. Ava felt a surge of triumph as she saw the operation unfolding below, the tangible proof of Victor’s empire beginning to crumble.
“This is my world now,” Ava whispered to herself, a fierce smile spreading across her face. “And I’m taking it back.”
As Ava stood there, watching the results of her efforts, she felt a mix of triumph and anticipation. The battle was far from over, but she was no longer afraid. She wasn’t just fighting to survive—she was fighting to win, to redefine her life on her own terms.