The Betrayal Within

Olivia's voice trembled as she spoke, her eyes red from crying.

"Why would you do such a thing, Lucas? You took everything and left me with nothing. Why are you so mean?"

Lucas's expression remained cold, his voice devoid of emotion. "I am your husband, young woman, and I have the right as your husband to be in charge of your properties. Besides, it's already in my name."

Olivia's confusion deepened. "Wh... what do you mean? I don't understand."

Lucas's tone didn't change, his words dripping with indifference. "I said what I said, young woman. The properties are now in my name. You should be grateful I'm taking care of you, instead of questioning my actions."

Olivia's anger flared. "Grateful? You're my husband, not my benefactor. Those properties were my parents', and they were meant for me."

Lucas shrugged, his eyes glinting with a mixture of disdain and boredom. "Your parents are gone, and I'm your husband. That makes me the rightful owner. You'd do well to remember your place, Olivia."

Olivia's voice rose, her words laced with desperation. "This isn't right. You can't just take everything from me. What about our marriage vows? What about love and respect?"

Lucas's laughter was cold and mirthless. "Love and respect? You're just a means to an end, Olivia. A way for me to secure what I want. Don't be foolish enough to think this is about love."

Olivia felt a chill run down her spine as Lucas's true nature revealed itself. Her eyes widened in horror as the reality of her situation sank in.

"You're disgusting," she spat, her voice trembling with rage. "You used me, manipulated me, and now you're taking everything from me. What kind of monster are you?"

Lucas's expression didn't change, his voice still cold and detached. "I'm a businessman, Olivia. And in business, you do what it takes to succeed. You should be grateful I'm willing to take care of you, despite your... limitations."

Olivia's anger boiled over, and she took a step forward, her hands clenched into fists. "Take care of me? You're not taking care of me, you're suffocating me. You're destroying me, Lucas. And I'll never forgive you for it."

Lucas raised an eyebrow, his eyes glinting with amusement. "You're dramatic, Olivia. It's not becoming. You should calm down and accept your fate. After all, you're my wife now. And wives do as their husbands say."

He paused, his tone turning slightly condescending. "Besides, you are still the manager of the company, and your best friend Maddie is by your side to support you in anything. So why all the stress?"

Olivia's eyes narrowed, her anger and betrayal simmering just below the surface. "You think keeping me as a figurehead in the company makes everything okay? You think I'm just going to sit back and let you control everything? You're delusional, Lucas."

Lucas's smile was cold and calculating. "We'll see about that, Olivia. We'll see about that."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you? Watching me suffer, manipulating me, taking everything from me. You're a master manipulator, Lucas. But you won't get away with it. I'll find a way to take you down, to expose you for the monster you are."

Lucas's smile never wavered, his eyes glinting with a mixture of amusement and warning. "You're making empty threats, Olivia. You have no power here. I'm the one in control, and you're just a pawn in my game. You'd do well to remember that."

Olivia's eyes flashed with defiance, her voice rising in anger. "I'll never forget, Lucas. I'll never forget what you've done to me. And I'll make sure you pay for it."

Olivia stormed out of the mansion, the sound of her heels echoing through the hallway as she made her way to her car.

She drove to Maddie's house, her best friend since childhood, hoping to find some solace in her company.

As she arrived at Maddie's cozy apartment, Olivia burst through the door, tears streaming down her face. "Maddie, oh my god, it's all falling apart," she exclaimed, collapsing onto the couch.

Maddie rushed to her side, concern etched on her face. "What's wrong, bestie? What did he do now?" she asked, handing Olivia a tissue.

Olivia sniffled, trying to compose herself as she recounted every detail of her confrontation with Lucas. Maddie listened attentively, her expression growing more and more outraged.

"I'm so sorry, bestie," Maddie said, wrapping Olivia in a warm hug. "What do you want to do now?"

Olivia's voice trembled with determination. "I'm tired, Maddie. I just want to end this once and for all. I'm going to the police station immediately after I leave here."

Maddie's brow furrowed slightly. "I think it's better not to involve the police, Olivia. Maybe you can just... settle this between yourselves."

Olivia's eyes widened in incredulity. "Settle it? Are you kidding me? He's taken everything from me, Maddie. He's manipulating me, controlling me... I need to take action."

Maddie nodded understandingly. "I get it, dear. If that's what you want, then I support you, okay?"

Olivia smiled weakly, feeling a surge of gratitude towards her friend. "Thank you, bestie. I love you."

Maddie hugged her tightly. "I love you too, my darling. You should go now before it's too late, okay?"

Olivia nodded, wiping away her tears as she stood up. She picked up her purse and headed out the door. As she drove to the police station, a van suddenly blocked her path. Olivia's heart skipped a beat as she slammed on the brakes, her confusion turning to fear. She came down from the car.

"What's going on? Who are you? And why the hell would you block my path?" she demanded, her voice shaking slightly.

Before she could react, two hefty men with masks emerged from the van, their movements swift and calculated. One of them approached her, a cloth in hand, and covered her nose with it. The sweet, pungent smell wafted up, and Olivia's world went dark.