That day, everything seemed perfect. The morning sun streamed through the office windows, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. As I sat at my desk, sipping on my coffee, I couldn’t help but feel like this was going to be a big day.

My name is Olivia, by the way. I’ve been working at this company for nearly five years now, and I’ve always prided myself on being hardworking and focused. I was just one step away from a promotion that could change everything.

Just then, Bella came over to my desk, practically bouncing with excitement.

“Olivia, can you believe it?” Bella asked, her voice bubbling with joy.

Her bright blue eyes were wide with excitement, and her curly light hair seemed to dance with every movement.

“I just heard from HR! We’re both being considered for the promotion!”

“Both of us?” I echoed, trying to keep my voice steady.

Bella was brilliant and charming, always the life of the party, while I was more of a planner, the one who made sure we stayed on track.

The idea of competing against her for the same promotion was both thrilling and terrifying.

“Yeah, can you imagine?” she said, plopping down in the chair next to me.

“But don’t worry, Liv. We won’t let this get between us, right? We’ve been through way worse, like that awful roommate in sophomore year.”

I laughed, remembering the nightmare of a roommate we once had.

“Of course not, Bella. We’ve always got each other’s backs. It’s just… this is a huge opportunity, you know?”

Bella nodded, her expression turning serious for a moment.

“I know. But no matter what happens, we won’t let this affect our friendship. We’ve been best friends since university. One promotion isn’t going to change that.”

“Deal.”

But behind the playful smile, I felt a small knot of worry start to form in my stomach. There was only one promotion, and we both wanted it badly.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of meetings and emails, but my mind kept drifting back to the promotion—and Jack, our new manager.

Jack and I had a history. We met years ago, right after I started working here. We had a brief but intense connection, but life and work got in the way, and we eventually drifted apart.

Now, seeing him again after all this time was stirring up emotions I thought I had buried. But I was determined not to let anything distract me, not even Jack.

***

That evening, Bella and I had planned to attend a party together. We had been looking forward to it all week—an excuse to let loose and celebrate being considered for the promotion.

But just as I was getting ready to leave the office, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Bella.

“Hey, I’m not feeling well. Gonna have to skip the party tonight. Sorry! Rain check?”

Disappointed, I put my phone down and sighed. Bella rarely canceled plans, so I figured she must be under the weather.

I decided to go for a walk instead, hoping the cool evening air would help clear my head.

As I wandered through the quiet streets, I was so lost in thought that I almost missed … them!

Bella and Jack were sitting together at a cozy little restaurant, laughing over glasses of wine.

My heart sank as I realized what was happening. Bella, my best friend, wasn’t playing fair. The easy laughter, the way they leaned in close, it all felt too familiar.

A sense of betrayal washed over me. If Bella was willing to go behind my back for this promotion, I wasn’t going to let it slide.

But before I took a taxi home, I snapped a photo. If Bella wanted to play dirty, I’d play by her rules too.

***

The next day, the office was buzzing with its usual energy—phones ringing, keyboards clacking, and the low hum of conversations. I tried to focus on my work, but my mind kept drifting back to the previous night.

The image of Bella and Jack laughing together was still fresh in my mind. I couldn’t shake the feeling of betrayal that gnawed at me.

Around mid-morning, Bella approached my desk with her usual bright smile, holding out a small flash drive.

“Hey, Liv, could you upload my presentation for me? I’m swamped with work, and you’re so much faster at this stuff.”

I looked at her. That was Bella, my best friend, the one I used to trust with everything. But from that moment, things were different.

“Sure, no problem,” I replied with no emotions.

As soon as she walked away, I stared at the flash drive in my hand. This was my chance.

Bella’s playing dirty, so why shouldn’t I?

My plan was simple.

I plugged the flash drive into my computer and opened the presentation. It was perfect, just like Bella—well-organized, visually appealing, and full of her usual charm. But that didn’t matter now.

I quickly inserted the photos I had taken the night before, placing them on a slide near the end of the presentation.

My heart pounded in my chest as I clicked ‘Enter.’

Just as I finished, Jack walked by my desk.

“Olivia, are you ready for the meeting this afternoon?” he asked, there was a softness in his eyes that made my stomach flip.

“Yeah, all set,” I replied with a smile.

Ready more than you can imagine. It’s time for some people to be ashamed of their actions.

As the time for the meeting drew closer, I walked confidently toward the conference room. This was it. My chance to regain control, to put Bella in her place, and make Jack respect me.

But the moment I opened the door, my confidence wavered.

Two unfamiliar faces were sitting at the table, alongside Jack and Bella. Jack looked up and introduced them.

“Olivia, I’d like you to meet Mr. Adams and Ms. Rivera,” he said with a formal tone. “They’re our primary shareholders and they join us today.”

Shareholders?

The room suddenly felt stifling, and my carefully laid plan started to crumble. Panic set in, but I tried to keep my composure, forcing a tight-lipped smile as I took a seat beside Bella.

“Shall we begin?” Jack asked, looking at Bella to start the presentation.

Bella nodded and launched into her pitch.

Then it happened. The photos flashed on the screen. The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly to uncomfortable tension.

Jack broke the tense silence first.

“Bella, what’s going on here? This is your presentation.”

Bella, still stunned, shook her head slowly.

“I… I don’t know, Jack. Everything was fine when I did the final check. I made sure everything was perfect before handing the flash drive to Olivia for uploading.”

At that moment, all eyes turned to me. The shareholders exchanged a few quiet words before one of them spoke up.

“We apologize, but it seems there are internal issues that need to be resolved before we can proceed with any discussions. We’ll step out and reschedule this meeting once things have been cleared up.”

With that, they gathered their things and left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Bella turned to me.

“Olivia, was this your doing? Did you sabotage my presentation?”

I knew there was no point in lying.

“Yes. Bella, I had a past with Jack. I thought… And you, my best friend, the one person I trusted completely, decided to play dirty and go behind my back. We agreed not to compete, but you broke that promise.”

Jack stepped in.

“Olivia, you’ve got it all wrong. That dinner with Bella wasn’t what you think. It was a business meeting.”

“A business meeting?” I repeated.

“Then why was it so secretive? Bella lied to me, said she was sick, and canceled our plans just to meet with you!”

Bella smiled at me. “Olivia, I wanted to help you.”

Jack raised his hand, stopping the argument before it could escalate further. “Enough. I’ve heard enough, and I understand what’s going on here.”

He turned to me, his eyes hard.

“Bella met with me to discuss her resignation. She was planning to leave the company, to develop her career in a different field. She didn’t want to compete with you for the promotion, trying to step aside gracefully without hurting your feelings.”

The words hit me like a ton of bricks. The pieces of the puzzle were finally coming together, but it was already too late.

Jack’s voice broke through my thoughts.

“Olivia, you’ve got the promotion. I’ll give you the details and instructions after the weekend.”

With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Bella and me standing in silence.

“I don’t know if I can forgive you, Olivia. This… this is too much.”

Then she left me alone with the crushing weight of my mistakes.

As the door closed behind her, I realized that while I had gained the promotion, I had lost something far more valuable.

***

After a weekend of soul-searching, I knew what I had to do. The guilt weighed heavily on me, and I couldn’t ignore it any longer.

On Monday morning, I walked into Jack’s office.

“Jack, I can’t accept the promotion,” I said, my voice trembling slightly.

“My actions… they were driven by feelings I still had for you. Feelings that turned toxic and made me do things I regret.”

Jack listened quietly. When I finished, he sighed and leaned back in his chair.

“Olivia, I won’t lie. Your behavior made me question everything. However, I can see you truly regret what happened.”

I held my breath, expecting the worst, but then he surprised me.

“Maybe we both need a fresh start,” he said softly. “Let’s try again—not as boss and employee, or ex-lovers, but as two people willing to forgive.”

His words brought a small sense of hope.

Later, I reached out to Bella, hoping to mend what I had broken. But despite my apologies and countless offers to meet up, she remained silent.

Deep down, I believed our friendship could be saved, but for now, we both needed time—time to let the wounds close and to rethink what our friendship meant moving forward.

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If you enjoyed this story, read this one: One day, my ex-boyfriend, who had walked out on me five years ago, showed up on my doorstep. I slammed the door in his face. But then I found out why he had come. He’d seen the notes plastered all over our small town… thanks to my daughter! “Dad, I miss you,” they all said. Read the full story here.

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