Chapter 5

Olivia's eyes widened in shock as she realized who the voice belonged to. It was none other than Maddie, her best friend. The same Maddie who had just started working at the company. The same Maddie who was supposed to be helping her.

Olivia felt like she had been punched in the gut. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Maddie and Lucas? It couldn't be.

But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. The way Maddie had been acting, the way she had gotten the job so easily. It was all starting to fall into place.

Olivia composed herself, taking a deep breath to calm her racing thoughts and emotions. She didn't want to reveal her shock and hurt to Lucas, not at work, not now.

She had to maintain her professionalism, no matter how difficult it was. With a steady hand, she carefully placed the files on the table, trying to focus on the task at hand.

"I've finished with the files," she said, her voice neutral, betraying none of the turmoil that was brewing inside her.

Lucas looked up, with a cold expression on his face, but Olivia didn't meet his gaze. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she had overheard his intimate conversation with Maddie.

As she turned to leave, Olivia's mind was already racing ahead, planning her next move. She knew she had to talk to Maddie, to confront her about what she had just overheard.

She didn't want to accuse her friend without giving her a chance to explain, but she couldn't shake off the feeling of betrayal that was growing inside her.

As soon as she got home, Olivia pulled out her phone and sent Maddie a text, asking her to come over. She didn't have to wait long; Maddie replied almost immediately, agreeing to come over. Olivia knew that Maddie would obey willingly, unaware of the storm that was brewing inside her.

Earlier that morning, the maid had told Olivia that she had seen them laughing together, and something about their body language had seemed off. Olivia had dismissed it as mere speculation, but now she wasn't so sure.

When Maddie arrived, Olivia greeted her with a calm exterior, but inside, she was seething. She knew that she had to keep her cool, to hear Maddie out before she jumped to conclusions.

Olivia's eyes locked onto Maddie's, her gaze piercing and intense. "Let's go somewhere and talk," she said, her voice low and even. Maddie followed her to Lucas's room, curiosity etched on her face.

As they went inside the room, Maddie couldn't help but ask, "What's going on, Bestie? You look like you've seen a ghost." Olivia's face was cold, her expression unreadable.

"Tell me what's going on between the two of you," Olivia demanded, her voice firm. "I need an explanation from either of you now!" Her eyes blazed with a mixture of anger and hurt.

Maddie's expression changed in an instant. She looked confused, her eyes wide with innocence. "What are you talking about, Bestie?" she asked, her voice trembling. "I don't understand all these." As she spoke, crocodile tears began to well up in her eyes, and she looked like she was on the verge of breaking down.

Olivia's gaze narrowed. She knew Maddie was a good actress, but she wasn't buying it. "Don't play dumb with me, Maddie," she said, her voice cold. "I know what I heard. I heard you and Lucas talking on the phone. I heard you call him 'baby' and tell him you loved him."

Just as the tension between Olivia and Maddie seemed to be reaching a boiling point, Lucas intervened, his voice cutting through the air like a knife. "Okay, so now you know, so what?" he said, his tone nonchalant, as if he were discussing the weather.

Olivia's eyes widened in shock, her face pale with anger and hurt. "Wait, so you mean it's true?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, her breath knocked out of her.

Lucas's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Yes, it is," he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "And do you have a problem with that?" he asked, his tone turning angry, as if daring Olivia to disagree.

Olivia's eyes filled with tears, her voice shaking with emotion. "Oh my God!" she exclaimed, her hands flying to her mouth. "Maddie, say something!" she shouted at her best friend, her eyes pleading with her to deny it, to tell her that it wasn't true.

But Maddie's expression had changed in an instant. She cleaned up her fake tears, her face transforming from a picture of innocence to one of calculation. "Well, that's the truth, you know," she said, her voice casual, as if she were discussing something mundane.

Olivia's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing. "How could you, Maddie?" she asked, her voice shaking with anger and hurt. "How could you do this to me?"

Maddie's shrug was almost imperceptible, but Olivia saw it, and her anger grew. "You're not exactly in a position to judge me, Bestie," Maddie said, her voice cold, her eyes glinting with malice. "You're not exactly innocent, are you?"

Lucas's smile grew wider, his eyes glinting with amusement. "I think it's time we cleared the air, don't you?" he said, his voice dripping with satisfaction. "I think it's time we showed Olivia what's going on here."

Maddie's eyes locked onto Lucas's, a silent understanding passing between them. Olivia felt like she was trapped in a nightmare, like she was watching her world crumble around her.

The moment Lucas and Maddie shared a kiss, Olivia's anger reached a boiling point. She felt like she was watching a nightmare unfold before her eyes, and she couldn't take it anymore.

With a fierce cry, she lunged at Maddie, grabbing her hair and delivering a resounding slap that echoed through the room.

"How dare you, Maddie!" Olivia roared, her voice shaking with rage. "How dare you do this to me!" She felt like she was losing her mind, like her whole world was crumbling around her.

Maddie's eyes widened in shock, but she surprisingly kept her cool. She didn't retaliate or try to defend herself. Instead, she calmly pulled out her phone and started tapping on the screen.

For a moment, Olivia thought she was going to call someone, but then she realized Maddie was doing something else.

Maddie's eyes gleamed with malice as she looked up at Olivia. "I just posted your sluty and disgraceful video on my I*******m page," she said, her voice dripping with satisfaction.

Olivia's eyes widened in horror as she processed Maddie's words. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, like all the air had been sucked out of her lungs.

She couldn't believe what Maddie had just done. With 2.5 million followers on I*******m, Maddie's post would go viral in minutes.

Olivia's reputation would be ruined, her life would be exposed to the world, and she would be the laughing stock of the entire internet. For a second, she just stared at them in silence before something in her snapped.

"You bitch!" Olivia screamed, her voice ripping through the room like shattered glass.

Without thinking, Olivia reached out to the knife resting on the bedside table and grabbed it.

"Olivia!!!" Maddie and Lucas chorused.