When I arrived early at the swanky condo my parents bought me as a wedding present, I stumbled upon my boyfriend and bestie in a steamy affair. Eavesdropping on their chat, I discovered that my seven-year sweetheart and my best friend, who grew up on my parents' dime, were plotting against me, aiming to snatch my parents' fortune. Thinking they could play me and take everything? Not on my watch—I was ready to take them down.

***

Since my boyfriend was out of town on business and couldn't spend the weekend with me, I figured I'd check out my new place and get things sorted.

What I walked into, though, was a total shock. The moment I unlocked the door, I was hit by a wave of hushed, intimate noises coming from the bedroom. Thinking some squatter had taken over, I was about to give them a piece of my mind when I caught a familiar voice—

"Luca... Luca..." It was my bestie, Olivia's voice!

I froze, shocked. What in the world was Olivia doing in my bedroom? Did she sneak someone into my place?

Hold up! "Luca"... isn't that my boyfriend, Lucas? Could it be a guy with the same name or... I didn't even want to think about it.

"Quite the enthusiast, aren't you!" A male voice echoed from the bedroom.

That voice... I'd know it anywhere. Lucas Harrison! He was supposed to be on a business trip. How could he be here, in my bedroom, with Olivia, doing... it?

It felt like my blood turned to ice. I wanted to flee, but my legs were cemented to the floor.

I thought about busting in, but I restrained myself. Their voices drifted out, revealing their sinister plot—

"Tell me, when can you grab the cash from Ava's trust? I mean, this baby isn't going to wait, and you don't expect me to walk down the aisle showing, do you?"

"Chill, once we're flush with cash, we can think about a wedding post-baby. Plus, Ava's insurance just kicked in, and it's a month till we're official. Timing's everything."

"Heard her dad's hanging up his boots soon. You stepping up?"

"Step up? That old codger never had any love for me. Like he'd hand it down! He'd rather leave it to his darling daughter. But we'll see how he tries to stop me. Once I'm married to Ava, it's all in my pocket. I'll ditch their firm and watch him squirm! I've tolerated them far too long!"

"Once you two tie the knot, I can play the daughter card too!"

"You're pretty slick, no wonder everyone's into you! I've had it up to here with that princess. I'm over it!"

...

Listening to their venomous words, I was dumbstruck. These two, who always seemed so sweet and kind, were anything but. My boyfriend of seven years and my best friend, supported through college by my parents, betrayed me in the cruelest way imaginable. It was like a dagger to the heart.

Mulling it over, I opted to slip away quietly, keeping the upper hand by not letting on that I'd heard everything.

Back at my place, I bolted the door, dived under the covers, and let the tears flow. I'm not one to lose my cool or get overly sentimental, but... this betrayal felt like a gut punch.

Lucas Harrison was a guy I met back at the university. From a humble background, he was a star student and always hustling. His pride was massive, often felt like the world was against him. When he opted to bootstrap his business post-graduation, my parents were skeptical and didn't invest. Blinded by love, I stood by him, pulling strings, wearing multiple hats, scrimping and saving, and even raiding my savings to bootstrap his startup.

I thought he'd value my sacrifices, that he'd reciprocate my devotion. But no, he turned out to be a cold-hearted user, taking for granted everything I did, holding a grudge against my parents for their initial doubts, and now plotting to hijack my inheritance.

How could I have been such a fool? To pour so much into a man and a supposed friend who were only out to ruin me and seize my family's wealth. It hit me hard—I'd been played.

No free lunches, right? If they thought they could exploit my generosity and swipe my legacy, then I had to plot my next move carefully!

The next morning, as I walked into the living room, my mom looked up, worried. "Ava, what's up? You look like you've been crying your eyes out."

I touched my swollen lids, scrambling for an excuse. "Got caught up in a super tear-jerker last night. Just couldn't help myself."

"Oh, I was worried it was something serious. You're almost married, and still such a drama queen!" Mom said with a relieved chuckle, handing me a plate of sweet potatoes.

"Why all the sweet potatoes, Mom?" I glanced at the pot brimming with them.

"Oh, these? Olivia's mom dropped them off. Said they had a bumper crop this year, wanted us to try some." She said, enjoying a sweet potato.

"Gotcha." I nodded.

Olivia Walker was once a needy student with a dad who died in a work mishap, leaving her and her mom to fend for themselves. My parents, taking pity, funded her schooling through to graduation. Afterward, she landed a job at my dad's firm as a way to repay their kindness, often visiting our home. She charmed everyone, especially my mom, who took to inviting her over often. We, being the same age with similar interests, naturally became thick as thieves.

But... never did I imagine she'd end up in bed with my boyfriend, helping him scheme over my family's fortune. What a backstabber!

"Ava, Olivia mentioned wanting her mom to come to work for us," Mom noted, "Said it would make life easier for them, cut down on their commutes."

"You agreed?!" I felt a chill run down my spine.

"Yes, why?" Mom looked puzzled.

"You've got to say no!" I blurted out, realizing Olivia had carefully plotted even this move, getting her mom into our house.

"Why?" Mom looked taken aback.

Scrambling for a plausible reason, I said, "Living together can bring out the worst even in the best of friends. She's new, bound to have habits we're not used to. Your health isn't the best, and added stress is the last thing you need. If we clash, people will talk, say we're pushing around a widow and her daughter. Not to mention, I'm used to Nancy's way of doing things, a sudden change would just throw me off."

Mom seemed convinced by my argument, nodding in agreement, "Makes sense."

Lucas found out pretty quickly that I'd canceled the insurance policy he'd taken out for me. The first thing he did when he got back from his "business trip" was to confront me about it.

"My mom got me a policy, so I figured there's no need to have two. One's enough," I replied calmly.

"So, your mom's insurance is legit, and mine isn't? Is that what you're saying?" Lucas' face darkened, the frustration evident.

"Why does it matter? Why are you getting so worked up?" I shot back, staring at a face I thought I knew so well, suddenly feeling like I was looking at a stranger.

"Because... because..." Lucas stammered, and then his expression twisted with anger. "Oh, I get it! Your parents are behind this, right? They've always looked down on me! Canceling my insurance, huh? One day, I'll make sure they respect me!" With that, he stormed out.

The old me would've tried to comfort him, reassure him that he was overthinking things. But now, I could only see him for what he really was—a rotten apple from the start.

I suddenly remembered that Lucas was scheduled to visit my dad's company this month, seeking a partnership under the guise of a potential collaborator. It was something I'd begged my dad to consider months ago. Now, I had to make sure my dad turned him down. To avoid raising any suspicions at home, I decided to drop by my dad's office the next day. I could use the visit as an excuse to check on Olivia's performance at the company.

Just as I arrived at the office entrance, before I could even greet the receptionist, a middle-aged woman in a janitor's uniform, her face beaming with a smile, came striding toward me—

"Ava! Wow, it's really you!" This woman, with her dark skin and steady gait, grabbed my hand as if we were old friends. "It's me, don't you remember?"

"I don't know you," I said, trying to pull away, but she only tightened her grip.

"It's me, Mary Walker! Olivia's mom! You might not recognize me, but I know you. Olivia's always sending me pictures of the two of you. I can recognize you right away. Are you here to see Olivia? Let me take you to her." She grinned, tugging at my hand, already guiding me toward the office.

I couldn't believe it—Mary, working at my dad's company? I'd just turned down their request to have her work at our home, and now she's landed a job here? They had this all planned out! And to make things worse, she was flaunting her connection to me right out in the open!

"I'm not here to see Olivia. It's work hours; you should get back to your duties," I said, pulling my hand free and signaling for her to go back to work.

Mary looked a bit miffed but didn't say anything, heading off toward the break room.

The receptionist's curious, almost gossipy look told me I needed to dig deeper. So I asked, "Who brought Mary on board? When did she start?"

The receptionist shook her head, "No idea who hired her. She started this month. I heard she's... Director Walker's mom."

"Director Walker?" I was surprised. So Olivia had already been promoted to Director, and she'd brought her mom into my dad's company too.

"Does everyone know they're related?" I asked, pretending not to care.

"Oh, yeah, the whole company knows," the receptionist nodded.

"And do people know about their connection to my family?" I pressed further.

"That I'm not sure about," the receptionist seemed cautious, "But everyone knows your families are close."

Olivia soon came over, her face lighting up with a bright smile when she saw me. "Ava! Why didn't you tell me you were coming? I would've sent someone to greet you!"

"Yeah, seriously!" Mary chimed in from behind Olivia.

"I'm here to see my dad, not you. No need to check in with you for that, right?" I replied coolly.

My words seemed to throw Olivia off a bit, but she quickly recovered, nodding. "Let me take you to him." She hooked her arm through mine, not giving me a chance to refuse, and I let her lead the way.

"Did you and your boyfriend have a fight?" Olivia asked as we walked.

"How did you know?" I shot back, curious.

"Just a hunch," Olivia responded smoothly, not missing a beat. "Did I get it right?"

Watching her reaction, I realized lying had become second nature to Olivia. She was playing up our relationship in front of the entire office, just like her mom had done. The apple didn't fall far from the tree; they were both master manipulators.