It started with a single missed call.

From my boss, Darien — which was weird because he never called outside of work.
I let it go to voicemail, figuring it wasn’t urgent.

But curiosity got the best of me… and when I listened, my heart just stopped.

In the background of the voicemail — you could clearly hear two people arguing. My best friend Amara.
And my boyfriend, Mace.

Arguing about me.

I could barely make it out, but it was something like:
“If she finds out about the promotion—”
“No, if she finds out about us, you idiot!”

I literally dropped my phone on the kitchen floor.

Promotion? Us? What the hell was happening?

I rushed over to Amara’s apartment without even thinking. She didn’t answer when I knocked — but her car was right there in the driveway.

I should’ve left. Should’ve cooled off.

But instead, I tried the door. It was unlocked.

And what I walked into… was worse than I could’ve imagined.

All three of them — Amara, Mace, and Darien — standing in her living room, mid-argument.

When they saw me, they froze.

And in that dead silence, I realized:

They were ALL in on something.

Something way bigger than just a cheating scandal.

Something that had my name all over it.

“Hey, uh… hey,” Mace stammered, running a hand through his hair like he always did when he was nervous. “This isn’t what it looks like.”

“Oh really?” I snapped, crossing my arms. My voice shook, but I wasn’t going to cry—not yet. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you’re all having some kind of secret meeting behind my back. Care to explain?”

Amara stepped forward first, her face pale. “Lena, please. Just let us explain—”

“No!” I cut her off sharply. “You don’t get to talk to me like we’re still friends after this. Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

Darien sighed heavily, rubbing his temples as if this whole thing stressed him out more than anything else. “Look, Lena, we didn’t want you to find out this way. But yes, there’s something you need to know.”

Mace shot him a panicked look. “Darien, maybe now’s not the time—”

“It’s too late for that,” Darien interrupted firmly. Then he turned to me. “Lena, do you remember how hard you worked on the Anderson account last month? The one that landed us the big client?”

“Of course I remember,” I said slowly. “That was my project. I stayed late every night. I practically lived at the office.”

“Well…” Darien hesitated before continuing. “The truth is, the promotion we promised you—it wasn’t ever yours to begin with.”

“What are you talking about?” My stomach twisted into knots.

“We gave it to Amara,” Mace blurted out.

I stared at him, then at Amara, who looked down guiltily. “Wait. You mean… she got the promotion instead of me?”

“Yes,” Darien admitted reluctantly. “But only because she blackmailed us into giving it to her.”

“WHAT?” Both Amara and I shouted at the same time.

“She didn’t blackmail anyone!” Mace protested.

“She absolutely did!” Darien shot back. “She threatened to expose our relationship unless we made sure she got the position.”

My head spun. “Your relationship? With who?”

Mace swallowed hard. “With me.”

For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. My best friend—and my boyfriend? Together? How long had this been going on? And why hadn’t I noticed?

“I can’t believe this,” I whispered, shaking my head. “How could you both betray me like this?”

Amara finally spoke up, tears streaming down her face. “Lena, I’m so sorry. I never meant for it to happen. Mace and I… we were drunk at the company holiday party. One thing led to another, and… I don’t know how to fix it.”

“And the blackmail?” I demanded, glaring at her.

“I panicked!” she cried. “When Darien told me you were being considered for the promotion, I flipped. I thought if I lost that opportunity, everything would fall apart for me. So I used what I knew about him and Mace to manipulate the situation.”

“You manipulated me,” I corrected bitterly.

She nodded miserably. “Yes. And I hate myself for it.”

I turned to Mace. “And you? Did you have any part in this betrayal besides sleeping with my best friend?”

He winced. “No, Lena. I swear, I didn’t know about the blackmail until recently. But when I found out, I tried to stop it. That’s why we were arguing earlier—you heard us fighting about whether or not to tell you the truth.”

Somehow, that didn’t make me feel any better.

After a few moments of deafening silence, I took a deep breath. “Okay. Here’s what’s going to happen. First, I’m resigning. Effective immediately. Second, I’m cutting both of you out of my life. Forever.”

“Lena, please,” Amara begged. “Don’t throw away our friendship over this.”

“Our friendship ended the second you slept with my boyfriend,” I said coldly. “As far as I’m concerned, neither of you deserves another chance.”

Then I turned to Darien. “And you—I trusted you as a mentor. Instead, you let this toxic mess spiral out of control. Good luck keeping your job once HR hears about your inappropriate relationship with an employee.”

His face paled. “You wouldn’t—”

“Try me,” I interrupted.

Without another word, I stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door behind me.

Over the next few days, I poured my energy into updating my resume and applying for new jobs. Surprisingly, I landed an interview at a rival company almost immediately. During the interview, I impressed them with my knowledge of the Anderson account—the very project that had caused so much drama.

By the end of the week, I had secured a higher-paying position with better benefits. It felt like karma rewarding me for enduring such a painful ordeal.

Meanwhile, rumors began circulating about Darien and Mace’s relationship. Within a month, Darien was fired, and Mace quit shortly after. As for Amara, she struggled to adjust to her new role and eventually left the company altogether.

One evening, while unpacking boxes in my new apartment, I received a text from an unknown number.

“Hey, Lena. It’s me, Mace. Can we talk?”

I stared at the screen for a long moment before deleting the message without responding. Whatever closure he wanted, I didn’t need it.

Looking back, I realize that losing those relationships was actually a blessing in disguise. They taught me an important lesson: trust is fragile, and loyalty is priceless. Surround yourself with people who genuinely value you, and don’t settle for less.

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