At the same time, I discovered that my boss, my best friend, and my boyfriend were all lying to me.
One missed call was the beginning of it.
It was strange coming from my boss, Darien, who never phoned outside of work.
Since it wasn’t urgent, I let it go to voicemail.
However, my curiosity overcame me. and my heart simply stopped when I heard it.
You could clearly hear two persons bickering in the voicemail’s background. Amara is my best buddy. and Mace, my lover arguing with me.
It sounded like this, but I could hardly make it out: “If she finds out about the promotion—”
“No, you fool, if she finds out about us!”
My phone actually fell to the kitchen floor.
Promotion? Us? What on earth was going on?
I didn’t even think before I hurried to Amara’s flat. When I knocked, she didn’t answer, but her car was in the driveway.
I ought to have gone. ought to have calmed down.
I tried the door instead. It had been unlocked.
And what I entered was worse than I had anticipated.
Amara, Mace, and Darien were all standing in her living room in the middle of their disagreement.
They froze when they saw me.
In that eerily quiet moment, I understood:
They all had something in common.
Something far more significant than a controversy involving infidelity.
Something that screamed my name.
As usual when he was anxious, Mace ran a hand through his hair and mumbled, “Hey, uh… hey.” “It doesn’t look like this.”
“Oh, really?” I crossed my arms and snapped. Even though my voice trembled, I wasn’t ready to cry just yet. Because it appears that you are all doing some sort of covert meeting behind my back from where I am standing. Would you mind explaining?
Amara took the lead, her face white. “Please, Lena. Let’s just clarify—
“No!” I abruptly interrupted her. “After this, you can’t talk to me like we’re still friends. Not until you explain the situation to me.
Darien rubbed his temples and let out a deep sigh, as though the entire situation was more stressful than anything else. We didn’t want you to learn this way, Lena. However, there is something you should be aware of.
Mace gave him a terrified glance. “Darien, perhaps this isn’t the right moment—”
“That’s not possible now,” Darien said firmly. He then faced me. “Remember how diligently you worked on the Anderson account last month, Lena? The one that brought us the major customer?
“I remember, of course,” I murmured slowly. My project was that. Night after night, I stayed up. I spent almost all of my time in the office.
“All right.” After hesitating, Darien went on. “The truth is that you never had the promotion we promised you in the first place.”
“What are you discussing?” I felt my gut turn to knots.
“We handed it to Amara,” Mace exclaimed.
I gazed at him, then at Amara, who gave me a remorseful expression. “Hold on. You mean that she was promoted rather than me?
“Yes,” Darien grudgingly acknowledged. “But only because she forced us to give it to her through blackmail.”
“WHAT?” Amara and I both yelled simultaneously.
“No one was blackmailed by her!” Mace objected.
“She did, without a doubt!” Darien fired back. “If we didn’t ensure she got the job, she threatened to reveal our relationship.”
My mind whirled. “Your partnership? With whom?
Mace took a deep breath. “With me.”
I was unable to breathe for a while. Both my boyfriend and my best friend? All together? What was the duration of this? Why hadn’t I noticed, too?
I shook my head and murmured, “This is unbelievable.” “How could both of you have betrayed me in this way?”
With tears running down her cheeks, Amara finally raised her voice. “I’m very sorry, Lena. I never intended for it to occur. I was intoxicated at the office holiday party, as was Mace. I’m not sure how to solve it, but one thing led to another.
“And the extortion?” I glared at her and demanded.
“I freaked out!” she exclaimed. I lost it when Darien informed me that you were being considered for the promotion. I believed that everything would fall apart for me if I missed that chance. Thus, I manipulated the situation by using what I knew about him and Mace.
“You tricked me,” I retorted angrily.
She gave a pitiful nod. Indeed. I also despise myself for it.
I looked over at Mace. “And you? Apart from having sex with my best friend, were you involved in this betrayal?
He flinched. “No, Lena. I promise that I was unaware of the blackmail until recently. But I made an effort to stop it after learning about it. You heard us battling over whether or not to tell you the truth, which is why we were fighting earlier.
That didn’t help me feel any better, for some reason.
There was an eerie silence for a few moments, and then I inhaled deeply. “All right. This is what will take place. I’m resigning first. With instant effect. Secondly, I am removing you both from my life. Forever.
“Please, Lena,” Amara pleaded. “Don’t let this ruin our friendship.”
I responded icily, “The moment you slept with my boyfriend, our friendship was over.” “In my opinion, neither of you merits another opportunity.”
I then looked at Darien. And you—I had faith in you as a guide. Rather, you let this poisonous mess to get out of hand. Once HR learns about your improper relationship with an employee, good luck keeping your job.
His face went white. “You wouldn’t—”
I interjected, saying, “Try me.”
I slammed the door behind me and ran out of the apartment without saying another word.
I dedicated the following two days to applying for new jobs and updated my resume. I was surprised to see that I nearly immediately got an interview at a competitor. I pleased them during the interview by demonstrating my familiarity with the Anderson account, the initiative that had generated so much controversy.
I had landed a better-paying job with greater benefits by the end of the week. I felt as though I was being rewarded by karma after going through such a terrible experience.
Rumors concerning Darien and Mace’s connection started to circulate in the meantime. Darien lost his job within a month, and Mace resigned soon after. Amara, on the other hand, found it difficult to adapt to her new position and ultimately quit the organization.
I was unpacking boxes in my new apartment one evening when I got a text from an unidentified number.
“Hi, Lena. I’m Mace. Can we have a conversation?
After a lengthy minute of staring at the screen, I deleted the message without replying. I didn’t need whatever closure he desired.
Looking back, I see that it was actually a good thing to lose those relationships. They gave me a valuable lesson: loyalty is invaluable, but trust is brittle. Don’t settle for less and surround yourself with individuals that truly appreciate you.
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