---
EXT. CEMETERY – DAY
A small, private funeral.
Wind rushes through tall trees.
Birdsong drifts in from the edges of silence.
A plain gravestone stands surrounded by a modest bouquet of lilies and forget-me-nots — her mother's favorite.
Anissa stands alone.
Her black coat clings to her frame in the breeze, hair tied back, eyes dry — but only because the tears have already been cried. For days.
ANISSA (V.O.)
I promised I'd save her.
I didn't.
But maybe… maybe I saved myself.
She kneels on the wet earth and presses her palm to the cold, weathered stone.
ANISSA (softly)
"I miss you, Mama. I still don't know how to breathe without you."
A breeze stirs the flowers, one petal breaking loose and floating toward the sky.
She watches it drift, jaw trembling.
---
INT. UNIVERSITY DEAN'S OFFICE – DAY
A richly furnished room.
Degrees on the wall.
A faint clock ticks somewhere behind the desk.
Anissa sits across from the dean — head high, shoulders steady. But her fingers twist tightly around each other in her lap.
DEAN
"You've been cleared of all academic penalties. The board reviewed everything — the footage, the statements, your grades."
(He sighs, removing his glasses.)
"You were wronged. And I'm sorry the system didn't protect you sooner."
Anissa nods once.
ANISSA
"Thank you."
DEAN
"You're welcome to continue your studies. Any support you need — we'll provide it."
She stands to leave, then turns back.
ANISSA
"I don't need sympathy. Just opportunity."
DEAN (smiling faintly)
"Then go take it."
---
EXT. CAMPUS QUAD – DAY
Golden leaves swirl across the brick paths.
Nelly sits on a bench, her expression unreadable, one leg jittering nervously.
Anissa approaches slowly.
They lock eyes. Anissa sits beside her.
The silence stretches.
NELLY
"I don't expect you to forgive me. I just… wanted you to know I'm sorry."
ANISSA (quietly)
"I don't forgive you. But I don't hate you either."
NELLY
(softly, surprised)
"…That's more than I deserve."
A group of students passes in the distance, laughing.
NELLY (CONT'D)
"I'm leaving town. Fresh start. Somewhere where no one knows me."
Anissa nods slowly.
ANISSA
"Good. Start over the right way."
A breeze brushes past.
The silence is lighter now.
NELLY
"You're a badass, you know that?"
ANISSA (half-smirking)
"Took me long enough."
They share a bittersweet smile.
No hugs. No tears.
Just something that almost feels like peace.
---
INT. TANYA'S OFFICE – NIGHT
A luxury penthouse turned empire HQ.
Glass walls overlook the city skyline.
Tanya stands at the window, arms crossed over her sleek black suit.
She's carved her space now — not from Steven's name, but her own grit.
ANISSA (V.O.)
Tanya Smith didn't fall.
She rose.
She built.
She ruled.
Her phone buzzes.
TEXT FROM ANISSA:
"Thanks for the empire. I'll build mine next."
Tanya smiles — sharp and proud.
Not motherly. Not sisterly.
Just one warrior to another.
TANYA
"Good girl."
---
INT. ANISSA'S APARTMENT – NIGHT
A small, cozy space. Secondhand furniture.
Warm lighting. Shelves of anatomy books and a growing stack of baby clothes.
Anissa folds a tiny yellow onesie, smoothing the fabric with reverence.
Her belly is softly rounded now, the bump barely showing beneath her hoodie.
She places the onesie into a drawer lined with a soft, pale blue blanket.
She stands, catching her reflection in the mirror.
Hair tied up. Eyes tired but alive.
She touches her stomach gently.
ANISSA (V.O.)
I've bled.
I've broken.
But I'm not the girl I was.
Not anymore.
Her phone vibrates.
She checks it.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
"I'll be watching."
She stares at it for a long beat — then smirks.
ANISSA
"Watch me win."
She powers off the phone, tosses it in a drawer, and closes it with finality.
---
FADE OUT.
---
TEXT ON SCREEN: FIVE MONTHS LATER…
Magazine pages flip.
CLOSE-UP ON COVER:
Campus Girl to CEO: The Anissa Wallenstein Rise
Photos flash:
– Anissa standing at a podium
– Her new company's logo
– A photo of her holding her baby, smiling
ANISSA (V.O.)
They said I was broken.
Maybe I was.
But broken girls don't stay broken forever.
---
THE END