Olivia’s best friend Sandra turned against her, spoke ill about her to her husband, convinced him that she caused her fall that resulted in her miscarriage, stole from him and that she has been stealing from him for months. Also, that Olivia has been secretly taking prevention pills because she didn’t want to have a child with Nick. She convinced him that Olivia was still in love with her high school sweetheart, Marcus. In his anger, Nick sent his wife to prison and moved on with his wife’s best friend, Sandra. Will their relationship last, was Olivia going to get her revenge and her husband back?

OLIVIA

I hoped Nick would come home early today. He hadn’t been around much since he started working with my best friend, Sandra. Things had been hectic at the office, but I still hoped today would be different, seeing how it was our fourth-year anniversary. I also had big news; I was finally pregnant, and we were about to have the family we’d always dreamed of.

I couldn’t wait to see his reaction when I told him, and I didn’t even want to think about my mother-in-law—she’d be thrilled. I’d call and tell her after telling Nick. I was sure they’d cut their trip short once they heard the news of my pregnancy.

I hummed as I moved around the kitchen, cooking. I was happy, despite knowing things hadn’t been the same between Nick and me lately. I hoped that after hearing the news of my pregnancy, he would become the man I fell in love with again.

Just as I placed the last dish on the dining table, the front door opened. My heart leaped with excitement, and I rushed to greet him. Nick was taking off his jacket when I reached him, but he didn’t look pleased to see me. I smiled and greeted him anyway. “Good evening, my love,” I said, then went to hug him as Sandra walked in, wearing a smile.

Why was she there? I’d told her it was my anniversary and that I wanted to spend the evening alone with Nick.

“Sandra, you’re here?” I forced a smile.

She hugged me. “Yes, friend. Nick and I still have a few work things to sort out, but I suggested we finish here.”

Fine. I would talk to Nick after dinner, once Sandra was gone.

“The food’s already on the table. I’ll just grab the juice,” I said.

A short while later, we were seated at the dining room table. I decided to make some small talk. “Nick, how was your day? I hope things are calming down now at the office.”

He glanced at me. “You chose to stay home and take care of the house. Why do you care about work now? It doesn’t concern you anymore.”

His words stung. He was my husband, and I thought I had the right to ask how his day was.

“I got you a gift,” I said, standing to go and get it.

“I don’t need anything,” he said with derision. “And why are you acting so desperate today?”

My heart sank. Had he forgotten our anniversary? Since when did he forget that, and since when did he talk to me like this? What had happened to my husband? He was becoming colder and more distant every day. I sat back down, feeling crushed.

“Come on, Nick. Olivia just misses you. She didn’t mean to annoy you,” Sandra chimed in.

What made her think I was annoying him? Was it because she was closer to him now than I was? Because they worked together constantly, forming a bond? That bond shouldn’t interfere with my marriage. Nick should still love me and treat me well. But that wasn’t the case anymore.

I watched them talk as if I wasn’t there. Nick smiled more at her, a gentleness in his demeanor that I hadn’t seen in a long time. My heart ached. That affection and gentleness was supposed to be for me.

At the end of dinner, I said, “I’ll clear the table. Are you both done?”

Nick didn’t even look at me. He just pushed his plate toward me, while remaining focused on Sandra. My hand went to my stomach, caressing it. Oh, baby, your dad’s not ready to hear about you yet. But I’ll tell him. I promise, and he’ll be so happy you’re finally here.

Before I left the room, Sandra said, “Oh, did you want me to help you clear the table?”

I didn’t answer, just picked up the plates and went to the kitchen. Once I placed them in the sink, I gripped the edge, taking deep breaths, trying to calm myself and hold back my tears.

Sandra followed me. “How does it feel, huh?” she asked, her tone smug.

I turned to face her, confused. “What are you talking about?”

She smirked, stepping closer to me. “Knowing that your husband doesn’t care about you anymore. Knowing that you’re losing him... to me.”

Her words sent a wave of anger through me. “Sandra, you—”

“Aaah, Olivia! What are you doing?” she screamed, throwing herself onto the ground.

I stood there, frozen, staring at her. What was I doing? What was she doing? That was the question.

Nick came rushing in, immediately going to her side as she started crying.

He glared at me. “What the hell did you do?”

“I... I didn’t do anything!” I stammered, completely perplexed. What was happening? This was obviously some kind of act on Sandra’s part.

“Nick... oh, Nick... there’s blood. I’m losing my baby!” Sandra sobbed.

I gasped. Baby? What baby?

Nick picked her up and rushed out with her in his arms. I followed them, but he turned to me, his face filled with enough hatred that I stopped in my tracks. “Isn’t what you’ve done to me enough? Now you go after her too? You better pray she doesn’t lose her baby, or I’ll make you pay for everything you’ve done!”

OLIVIA

Two Days Later

“Lock her up, and don’t let her see the sun ever again. She doesn’t deserve it!” Nick barked at the New Village Town police. His eyes were cold as ice, filled with hatred.

The officer roughly shoved me into the filthy, smelly cell before slamming the bars shut. I turned to look at Nick and Sandra. They stood together, looking like old friends... or lovers. She was why he had turned against me, though I didn’t understand what had motivated her.

We’d grown up together, did everything together. We’d watched each other’s backs. And now she stood beside my husband as he threw me into jail for something I didn’t do. A few hours ago, I was cooking dinner for my husband, waiting for him to come home from work. Even after the incident with Sandra in the kitchen, and even though things had changed between us since Sandra came back, I still had hope that we could fix things. Then this happened.

The way Nick had looked at me when he arrived with the police broke my heart, too. I’d never seen such hatred in his eyes. It seemed Sandra had wrecked my marriage and turned him against me, feeding him lies. And he had believed every word.

I had tried to plead with him, tried to make him see reason. “Nick, please! I didn’t do this. Sandra is lying. I don’t know why. Please, believe me! I didn’t push her, I didn’t kill her baby, and I didn’t steal from you. You know I could never do something like that,” I had insisted, but he hadn’t listened. Instead, he had come back from the hospital the next day with the police, accusing me of stealing from him.

I didn’t know when things had gotten so bad between us that he stopped trusting me. We were happy once, making plans for our future. Then I let a snake into my home, and it turned on me.

I had to tried to plead with Sandra too. “Sandra, please. Tell him the truth. Tell him I didn’t do this. I don’t know why you turned on me like this. Why would you lie to him like this? You know I could never do any these things. I didn’t push you, and I didn’t even know you were pregnant. Why would you do this? Tell the truth!”

Instead of coming clean, Sandra had teared up and said, “Olivia, you’re so cruel. Even now, you blame me for what you did. What did I ever do to deserve this from you? I was your friend, and I loved you. But you never cared about me. You knew I was pregnant. Yet you still pushed me. I didn’t even tell Nick about it when you started stealing from him! I kept your secrets, and this is how you repay me?”

I felt all hope drain from me then. None of that was true, yet Nick had believed her.

Sandra cried and turned to him. “I shouldn’t have told you anything about what she’s been up to. It’s my fault she’s acting like this. Forget everything I said and listen to your wife.”

She turned to me and smirked without him seeing. “Olivia, I’ll leave. I’ll go back abroad. I’m sorry I ruined your marriage. I forgive you for everything, and I know you didn’t mean to push me. But you should come clean about all the money you stole. I’m sure Nick will forgive you, and you can fix things.”

Nick’s eyes softened when he looked at Sandra. He believed all the nonsense she was spewing, and my heart broke when I saw him look at her that way. That softness used to be reserved for me, his wife.

“Don’t be sad, Sandra. You aren’t the cruel one who’s been cheating, stealing, and plotting behind my back,” Nick said coldly. “You didn’t tell her to take those pills to avoid having my baby. You didn’t push her down the stairs.” Then he turned to me and said, “I promise you, Olivia, you’ll pay for everything. For as long as I live, you’ll never have peace.”

The temperature dropped a few degrees, sending cold shivers down my spine, knowing he meant every word. I never thought he could do something like this to me or utter such hateful words, and I couldn’t stop the tears from falling.

OLIVIA

As I stood in the cell, my thoughts went to my grandma. What would happen to her now that I was locked up? My chest tightened as I thought of her and her fragile health. Hearing about my arrest might kill her.

Nick turned to the officer. “She’s to have no visitors and isn’t allowed outside. Let her rot in this cell. She can die here for all I care!”

My heart shattered into a million pieces. I felt hot and struggled to breathe. How was my grandmother going to know that I was all right if I couldn’t have visitors? This would kill her! My throat felt like it was closing, threatening to cut off my air supply. I wanted to give up so badly. But then I looked at the satisfied gleam in Sandra’s eyes. Determination flooded back into me. I wasn’t going to let that witch win.

By then, I was drenched in sweat, my eyes wide as saucers. I was sure I looked pale as a white sheet.

The nice policeman looked terrified. “Sir, she can’t breathe. Should I call the doctor?”

Maybe I should tell Nick I’m carrying his baby? “Nick, actually—”

“Why would you call a doctor?” Nick asked, snapping at the officer. “She’s faking to manipulate me—she’s a master at doing that.”

Tears continued to stream down my face. This was the man who once couldn’t stand to see me hurt, and now he was the one causing me the most pain.

What did Sandra do to my husband to change him so much? I wished I knew what she used and how, considering she had Nick eating out of the palm of her hand within six months.

I should have never have asked her to stay with us when she returned from abroad. I should’ve helped her find her own place to rent. If I had known her true intentions, I would’ve kept my distance. But I had thought I was helping my best friend. I had even begged Nick to give her a job at his company.

He eventually caved and put her a job in the finance department. Working there, she managed to make it look like I had stolen from my husband, and he had believed her.

“Sandra?” I said, wanting to plead with her, once again, to tell the truth.

Nick turned to me, shielding her with his body, further piercing my heart. He was so protective of her already.

“Didn’t I tell you to shut up?” He tilted his head to the side, daring me to say another word. I swallowed the words trying to escape. “You’ve hurt this woman enough. You have no right to speak to her now. And I swear to God, Olivia, I’ll make you pay for this.”

I wanted to speak, to beg him to hear me out. I wanted to ask him to not to tell my grandmother about this, to lie and say I was traveling or something. He knew how delicate her health was, and this was going to kill her.

Suddenly, the music on the radio at the guard’s station stopped, and a reporter’s voice came on. After a brief introduction, I heard words that made it feel like my world was truly spinning out of control. “The wife of the owner of Jones Enterprises was arrested this evening. The missus of the Jones family and former Financial Manager of the company is accused of stealing millions. Sources say that Mr. Jones called the police and had her arrested. We’ll bring you more as the story develops.”

“No! Nick, please, no! My grandmother will hear this! I don’t want her getting sick again. You know how fragile she is. Please, Nick please, go and see her. Make up something—tell her it’s all lies. Tell her I’m okay.”

My heart was breaking. My grandmother was all I had now that I’d lost him. I couldn’t let her to die; I still needed her.

“You love to run that mouth of yours, don’t you?” Nick sneered. “Say one more word, and I’ll personally make sure that your precious grandmother learns firsthand what it’s like to have a thief for a granddaughter. I’ll show you both a side of me you’ve never seen before.”

I opened and closed my mouth, too afraid to speak. Instead, I opted to let my eyes do the pleading, But Nick merely spun around and walked away.

I watched until he turned the corner and then broke into a choking sob, a lump in my throat making it hard to breathe. The man who had been my everything, who couldn’t go an hour without checking on me, was now my tormentor. It felt like I was dying—maybe I was and I just didn’t know it.

The officer noticed and rushed over with some water. I couldn’t understand why he was helping me, but I was grateful. I needed it.

“I don’t know what you did to cross a man like that,” he said, handing me the bottle, “but it seems you’ve made a big mistake.”

With trembling hands, I accepted his offer, then gulped the water down. My hands shook so hard that the water spilled down my chin, soaking my chest. I gave the officer a sad smile. “What I did was to help my best friend,” I said, “and she turned him against me. If I’d known she was going to do that, I never would have helped her.”

I laughed bitterly. I was no longer the protected and loved wife of the Jones family. Now, I was the laughingstock of New Village, the wife who was sent to jail by her own husband for stealing millions. I was pitiful, indeed.

My laughter turned into sobs once more.

“Oh, miss,” the officer said, “People can be cruel. I’m sorry you’re learning that the hard way.”

Someone clapped, and the officer turned to look. Sandra stood there, smirking.

“You’re good, Olivia,” she said. “I’ll give you that. Now you’ve managed to convince this idiot that you’re the victim. What did you promise him? A roll in the hay? Because we both know you’ve lost everything. Your body’s all you have left.”

Hearing her voice made me want to reach out and strangle her. “I’m not like you,” I spat.

The officer left, giving us privacy I didn’t want.

“Oh, you still think you’re better than me? Even after everything I’ve taken from you?” She cackled, clearly enjoying my misery.

Why hadn’t I seen her for who she truly was? “You’re vile,” I said, “and this isn’t going to last. I’ll get out of here, clear my name, and then I’ll come after you with everything I’ve got.”

She stopped laughing, her expression hardening in a way that shook me to my core. “Listen here, Olivia. This isn’t high school or college. I’ve grown up, lived, and seen things. I’m not the same Sandra from back then. I’ve changed. And I swear, if you dare come after me, I’ll do more than just frame you for theft. I’ll kill you.”