My best friend was a "mistress breakup consultant".

I had lent her money to start her business, and her very first job turned out to be breaking up my own marriage.

"Jessie, what's the point of a loveless marriage? You've wasted Harold's time for five years. Are you really going to keep clinging to him and making him miserable for the rest of his life?" my best friend asked.

I laughed at the self-righteous nonsense she was spouting and had security escort her out.

She came right back, though, this time with a so-called "Anti-Mistress Alliance", live-streaming the chaos as they broke into my company.

"The one who isn't loved is the real intruder!"

"Fight for love at all costs!"

They chanted while smashing up my office.

I watched them calmly, waiting until they wore themselves out before pulling out a contract.

"The 100,000 dollars you borrowed from me has been overdue for six months. If you don't repay it soon, I'll be forced to take legal action.

"And, the lab equipment you've destroyed is valued at 5,550,000 dollars. You'll need to compensate me at full price.

"Otherwise, I'll see you in court."

-

It was during lunch break when my best friend, Bethany Liefeld, walked into my office.

"Jessie, I need to discuss something work-related," she said, sitting upright with a serious expression.

I immediately understood, reached for my phone, and asked, "How much do you need?"

Bethany had studied psychology in college but struggled to find a job after graduating. Eventually, she decided to start her own business.

Money was not something I lacked, and I knew how hard it was to get a business off the ground. If I could help, I always would.

Bethany's cheeks flushed slightly. "No, I'm not here to borrow money."

I paused, confused. "Then what is it?"

There was no overlap between our work, so aside from asking for money, I had no idea what she could possibly want to discuss.

Bethany took a deep breath as if gathering courage for a final confrontation.

"Jessie, you know I work as a breakup consultant, right? A few days ago, I received a request from a new client to..." She hesitated before continuing. "To persuade you to back off."

I froze, unable to believe what I was hearing.

My husband, Harold Sullivan, and I had gone from wearing school uniforms to wedding attire together. Our families and friends were all well acquainted. I was certain I wasn't the mistress here.

How could she possibly have received a request to break up my marriage?

"Wait, this has to be a mistake. Harold and I have been married for three years. How could I possibly be the mistress?" I asked.

Bethany's expression shifted, becoming more businesslike.

"Jessica Whalen, you may be Harold Sullivan's lawful wife, but it's clear he's already having an affair. Why not just let go?" she said.

I stared at her in disbelief. "So, you're telling me you took the mistress' commission to get rid of me, his actual wife?"

A breakup consultant's job was to get rid of mistresses, as the name implied. And now she was taking the mistress's side to remove me?

For the first time, I began doubting Bethany's character.

She met my gaze, calm as ever, and then nodded with righteous conviction.

"Jessie, don't misunderstand. If it were any other mistress, I wouldn't have accepted. But you're my friend. I can't just sit back and do nothing," she proclaimed.

My mind spun in turmoil as I reached for my phone. "Let me ask Harold."

I couldn't believe it. Harold, that thick-headed man, would never cheat on me. He worked at my family's research institute, and between work and home, there was no time for an affair.

Before I could dial, Bethany snatched the phone from my hand. "Jessie, do you really think a man would admit to cheating? What's the point of asking him?"

I frowned. "So, what are you suggesting?"

"Just divorce him," Bethany said firmly. "What's there to discuss with a cheating man?"

I watched her, her eagerness almost palpable.

After a moment, I asked, "Then tell me, who's the mistress?"

Bethany immediately shook her head. "I can't. I have to keep my client's information confidential."

I laughed in frustration. "You won't tell me who the mistress is and won't let me verify with Harold. You just want me to divorce him without any proof? Do you think that's reasonable?"

Bethany nodded as if it made perfect sense. "Of course. I'm your only friend, Jessie. Would I ever steer you wrong?"

I looked at her, feeling something sink inside me.

Usually, when Bethany played the "only friend" card, I gave in unconditionally. But this wasn't enough to force me into a divorce.

I shook my head. "No. I can't agree to this."

Bethany stared at me, her eyes darkening with a hint of menace.

"Jessica, you know I have plenty of ways to make you initiate a divorce and walk away with nothing. But I don't want to use those methods against you. Do you understand?" she warned.

I knew what Bethany was capable of.

She could hire someone to seduce the person in question, gather compromising photos or videos, and use them as leverage. That was how she operated.

Still, I never imagined she would turn her sights on me.

I looked at my former best friend, an overwhelming sense of disappointment washing over me.

If Bethany had simply told me Harold was cheating, I might have believed she was genuinely trying to help.

However, demanding I get a divorce without proof, while even threatening me with her breakup consultant tactics, made her intentions clear. She wasn't trying to help at all.

My mind drifted back to when Harold and I first started dating. Bethany had always nagged me about him, picking at every little thing.

Whenever Harold bought me breakfast, she would say it was a manipulative tactic to control me.

Whenever he bought me expensive gifts, she would claim he was just throwing money at me, probably calling me a gold digger behind my back.

Even when he proposed, she found faults right then and there.

As these memories resurfaced, my heart grew colder.

Seeing my silence, a look of satisfaction flashed across Bethany's face.

She stood up and grabbed my wrist. "Come on, the courthouse is still on lunch break, so they haven't opened yet. We can grab your documents from home and call Harold to meet us for the divorce."

I snapped out of my daze, shaking off her hand. "No, I'm not divorcing Harold based on your one-sided story."

Bethany looked stunned, clearly not expecting my refusal.

"Jessica! I'm doing this for your own good!" Her voice rose sharply. "Harold's cheating! He doesn't love you anymore! Why are you hanging on so desperately?"

Bethany's face twisted with anger. I had never seen her like this before. She didn't even look like herself anymore.

I thought of Harold from that morning, clinging to me and saying "I love you" at least a dozen times.

Then, I looked back at Bethany, her face contorted in rage. My heart filled with unease.

"You have to listen to me! You need to divorce Harold right now!" she shouted, lunging at me again.

Years in the lab had left me with little physical strength, and Bethany was strong, almost overpowering. Once she grabbed me, I couldn't break free.

But I wasn't worried, and I called for help.

My assistant rushed in, quickly pulling Bethany off me.

"Jessica! You actually let her lay hands on me?" Bethany looked deranged, staring at me as if she were some vengeful spirit.

I rubbed my wrist, which had turned red from her grip. "My issues with Harold are none of your business. I've got work to do, so I can't entertain you anymore."

I waved to my assistant to take her away.

Bethany glared at me, her fury palpable. She sneered. "Fine, Jessica. Don't blame me for what comes next."

I thought she was just trying to scare me. After all these years of friendship, even if she was angry, she wouldn't actually do anything to hurt me.

It turned out I overestimated our friendship. And underestimated how far she could go.

I had just taken a sip of water, trying to figure out how to bring this up with Harold, when my assistant returned, looking flustered.

"Ms. Whalen! Ms. Liefeld is back, and she brought..." My assistant swallowed nervously before continuing. "The Anti-Mistress Alliance."

I spat out my water, stunned.

"They're downstairs, holding a banner, shouting with a megaphone, and they've started a live-stream..." My assistant placed a tablet in front of me.

On the screen, Bethany stood front and center, flanked by a dozen burly men holding a banner.

The banner read "Anti-Mistress Alliance", positioned perfectly to ensure the sign for my family's company was also in view.

Bethany looked both angry and sorrowful, her voice filled with conviction.

"I am publicly exposing Jessica Whalen, the general manager of Tensor Pharmaceuticals, for being a mistress and breaking up someone else's relationship!" she declared.

"I'm a mistress breakup consultant, and also a friend of Jessica. I only found out that my good friend was actually a mistress after I was approached for help.

"Even though we're very close, I cannot tolerate such immoral behavior. It's a matter of professional ethics!

"Just now, I tried to advise Jessica to leave that man who doesn't deserve her, but she had her assistant throw me out and refused to speak with me."

The live-stream was gaining traction—already over 10,000 viewers, and climbing fast.

Netizen A: [Is that Tensor Pharmaceuticals, the well-known company?]

Netizen B: [Isn't Tensor always leading in charitable work? How could they have such an unethical executive?]

Netizen C: [I knew it! A woman couldn't become a general manager without some rich backer!]

Netizen D: [Down with mistresses! Boycott Tensor Pharmaceuticals!]

-

I watched the flood of comments, my head pounding.

Bethany had really been my best friend. She knew exactly where to hit to make it hurt.

My family's company was about to go public soon. We couldn't afford any negative press. If this fiasco caused us to fail the listing, the consequences would be unbearable.

During the live-stream, Bethany suddenly wiped her eyes and changed her tone.

"Jessie, I know you can't bear to leave him, but you need to think of others. You've torn apart someone else's relationship, and that's just not right," she said, her voice soft and caring.

"Everyone makes mistakes, but as long as you correct them in time, people will forgive you."

She spoke as if she were genuinely concerned, as if she were trying to guide me back onto the right path.

I couldn't help but scoff.

She was clever enough to never mention that she was the one trying to break up a legitimate marriage. Anyone listening to her would think I was the mistress.

She kept saying she was "reporting" me but never once mentioned her own name.

Netizen A: [Stop trying to convince her, streamer! Mistresses have no shame. Nothing you say will get through!]

Netizen B: [Just go in and smash Tensor Pharmaceuticals. The company will punish her for us!]

Netizen C: [Yeah, smash the company! Let them see what happens when they support a mistress!]

The comments rallied behind her, forming an angry mob.

Bethany's eyes sparkled at their encouragement. She quickly turned to her group. "Alright! Today, the Anti-Mistress Alliance will uphold justice!"

With that, she signaled for the men to march inside.

"Ms. Whalen, what should we do?" my assistant asked, her voice trembling.

Fresh out of college, she was clearly terrified. She had never encountered anything like this before.

I remained calm. "Send a message in the company chat. Tell everyone to leave through the emergency exit and take a paid day off. If they run into these people, they should keep their distance. No one should get hurt."

I then added, "Also, remind everyone not to post anything online. I'll take care of this."

My assistant nodded quickly and began sending the notifications.

I kept my eyes fixed on the live-stream.

The men Bethany had brought were clearly experienced in vandalism. One of them kicked open the turnstile, and they swarmed inside like a pack of locusts, destroying everything in their path.

Even the crystal logo near the elevator was shattered, its pieces scattered across the floor.

Thankfully, they hadn't encountered any employees yet. At least no one had been hurt.

Netizen AX: [No one's even here during work hours. Is Tensor just a shell company?]

Netizen AY: [Yeah! Keep smashing! Let the mistress lose her job!"

Netizen AZ: [Are you serious? Smash the expensive stuff! What's the point of kicking a logo? Go for the computers!]

Fueled by the comments, the men grew more reckless, smashing office computers and heading straight for the lab.

Bethany turned to the camera. "I know this is the safest place in the whole company. Jessica must be hiding in here!"

She knew full well I was still in my office, but she said that to encourage them to destroy my family's lab.

Netizen DU: [Break down the door! Beat her up!]

Netizen MBA: [Mistresses deserve a beating. It's only fair!]

Netizen SS: [If you dare to be a mistress, then take what's coming. If she dies, so be it!]

The comments section was in a frenzy, and the viewer count had soared past 100,000.

I watched helplessly as they broke into the lab, tearing apart the equipment.

Thankfully, the lab had been relocated two days earlier. Only two pieces of equipment remained, and there were no critical data files inside.

I mentally calculated the losses—enough to get these vandals a shiny pair of handcuffs—then stood up and left my office.

"What do you think you're doing? That's the lab! The equipment in there is worth millions of dollars. Stop smashing it!" I walked quickly, trying to stop them.

"Jessica, finally, you come out." Bethany turned the camera toward me, her expression smug, though her voice sounded meek. "Don't be mad at me. I'm doing this for your own good. Since I couldn't convince you alone, I had to rally the online community to help steer you back onto the right path."

I looked around at the wrecked lab, noting a few of the men with bulging pockets.

I frowned. "You are maliciously damaging property, and I suspect you're stealing, too."

"Jessica! Stop trying to change the subject!" Bethany's face twisted into a look of heartbreak. "Do you still not understand that your actions in breaking up someone else's relationship are immoral?"

I locked eyes with her, speaking each word deliberately. "Are you saying that my living my life with my husband, whom I'm legally married to, is interfering in someone else's relationship?"