Betrayed by My Best Friend and My Lover

Returning from a London business trip, I froze at the sight in my living room. My best friend Harper was lounging on my sofa while my boyfriend Sebastian carefully cracked snow crab legs, placing the meat in her bowl. His eyes held a deep, sweet adoration I had never seen him give me.

It reminded me of three months ago, when Harpers cheating ex left her with no alimony. I immediately moved her in, took her on trips, stayed up comforting her, and gave her an unlimited credit card. Whatever it took to make her smile, I did.

Sebastian had frowned and complained back then. He mocked her for taking Uber Black everywhere, wearing dresses once before discarding them, and needing her seafood shells cracked. He criticized her for eating only the heart of a watermelon and the tips of strawberries. He even asked if I was her lapdog, saying someone so high maintenance deserved to be left.

That was the first time I truly lost my temper with him. I told him Harper was my dearest friend and had always been there for me. I begged him to be patient, if only for my sake.

Soon after, I left for London. I video called Harper every day, watching her gradually step out of the shadows. She began job hunting and planning her new life. I really thought everything was getting better.

A suffocating, dead silence filled the living room. The only sound was the

canned laughter of a reality TV show playing on the flat screen.

Harper was the first to react. She scrambled off the sofa, her face draining of

all color as she stumbled toward me. "Stella... when did you get back? Why

didn't you text? We... I would have picked you up."

Sebastian stood quietly behind her. He didn't say a single word.

Harper forced a rigid, trembling smile. "You must be exhausted from the flight.

Let me get you some water." She spun around in a blind panic, grabbing a glass

from the coffee table. Her hands shook so violently she knocked over the heavy

glass pitcher, sending water spilling all over the expensive rug.

Sebastian frowned. He immediately grabbed a handful of napkins and knelt to

clean up the mess. "Stop trying to help. You don't know how to do these things."

His tone sounded like a scolding, but the profound, effortless intimacy wrapped

in his words was undeniable. The very last shred of naive hope in my chest

disintegrated into ash.

My grip on my suitcase handle tightened until the leather dug a painful trench

into my palm. "When did this start?"

Harper froze. She instinctively turned around to look at Sebastian. His

expression remained completely stoic. He reached out with a long arm, pulling

her safely behind his back. "This has nothing to do with her. It is all on me."

His voice was perfectly level. He sounded like he was discussing the weather.

Sebastian was naturally aloof. In the corporate world, he was known for being a

cold, ruthless shark. People always whispered that he was completely

unapproachable, and that Stella was the only person who could ever pull a real

emotion out of him. I used to believe I was his one and only exception.

Until this exact second. He was standing on the opposite side of the

battlefield, using his trademark coldness to completely sever me from his life.

Harper looked frantic. "No... Stella, please listen to me. Let me explain, we

aren't..."

I stood rooted to the spot, watching her stammer helplessly, unable to string a

single coherent sentence together. A bitter, self-deprecating laugh slipped past

my lips. "Can you really not even invent a decent lie to feed me right now?"

Harper turned deathly pale. Sebastian firmly grabbed her trembling hands, his

voice dropping into a low, soothing register. "Breathe. Let me handle this,

okay?"

He stepped forward and reached for my suitcase. "Stella, let us step outside to

talk."

I stared at his face. Three months. That was all it took for the man I loved to

become a complete stranger. I bit the inside of my cheek to fight back the

burning tears. My voice wavered. "Sebastian, this is my house. You are asking me

to leave?"

He paused for a fraction of a second. A hint of pleading crept into his tone.

"Stella, please. Do me this favor. She caught a chill yesterday and she is

fighting a cold. Let her get to bed early, alright?"

I pressed a hand hard against my chest. There was no physical wound, but the

agony was so severe I felt like I was bleeding out.

Sebastian picked up his designer coat from the back of the dining chair. He

turned to Harper, his voice dripping with gentle concern. "Be a good girl and go

to sleep. Leave the rest to me. I will stop by the deli on Pearl Avenue and

bring you that creamy crab bisque you love on my way back."

I threw the front door open and practically ran out of the house. I couldn't let

them see the pathetic, humiliating tears streaming down my face.

Inside a sterile hotel suite an hour later. Sebastian sat on the sofa furthest

away from me, maintaining a polite, icy distance. He smoked two cigarettes in

total silence before finally speaking.

"I take full responsibility. Ask for whatever compensation you want. I will

write the check." "I was the one who caught feelings first. Don't blame her."

I dug my fingernails mercilessly into my own skin. I took a deep, shuddering

breath. "Why?"

Sebastian lit a third cigarette. He pinched the bridge of his nose, looking

exhausted. "Stella, you are brilliant. You are calculating, and you are entirely

self-sufficient. But Harper is different. If I leave her, she will literally not

survive."

Looking at his handsome face illuminated by the glowing cherry of his cigarette,

I found the entire situation absolutely hilarious.

A few months ago, Sebastian couldn't stand the sight of my best friend. He

called her a toxic drama queen, completely out of touch with reality. He said

she was a useless parasite who only knew how to feed off other people's bank

accounts.

When I was forced to take the London project three months ago, I practically had

to beg him on my knees to occasionally check in on her. He had acted like a

stubborn child back then, playfully biting my cheek. "Stella, I haven't even put

a ring on your finger yet, and you already have me doing your family chores. You

are dumping a massive headache on my lap. You owe me big time for this."

I had stood on my tiptoes, kissing him softly, promising him that the second

this London project wrapped up, we would finally get married.

Three months. That was all it took for my entire universe to rot away.

Sebastian stood up. He pressed his lips together, his expression complicated. "I

know I did you dirty. For the joint development projects we currently share, I

will surrender twenty percent of my profits to you. If you ever need a favor in

the industry, my door is open." "But I have one demand. You mean the world to

Harper. She does not want to lose you as a friend."

I looked up at him. It felt like I was listening to the punchline of a sick,

twisted joke. I actually laughed so hard fresh tears spilled over my eyelashes.

Three months ago, I used the exact same excuse to beg him to take care of my

best friend. Three months later, I was the one being ordered to tolerate the

betrayal so she wouldn't feel guilty.

My voice trembled with raw, unadulterated anger. "Sebastian, do you two honestly

not realize how completely psychotic you sound right now?" "What makes you think

I deserve to be treated like garbage? I am going to expose every single filthy

thing you both did. If you have the guts to screw my best friend, you better

have the guts to own it in public."

Sebastian took a step back. His eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Stella,

stop throwing a tantrum. You built your company from the ground up. You crawled

through hell to get where you are. Do not ruin your own career over a petty

emotional outburst."

The thinly veiled threat in his voice sent a violent chill down my spine. He

stood tall, looking down at me with the absolute arrogance of an apex predator.

People always told me Sebastian was ruthless and completely devoid of human

empathy. I always defended him. Now, staring into his cold eyes, I realized the

rumors were perfectly accurate. He just used to reserve all his warmth for me.

Now, he was giving it to someone else.

"I am heading back. If I am gone too long, she won't be able to sleep." "I will

pack her things and move her out tomorrow. Sorry to make you sleep in a hotel

tonight."

The heavy hotel door clicked shut. I finally collapsed onto the pillows,

screaming and crying until my lungs burned.

Outside the window, the city lights glittered like diamonds. I had flown

thousands of miles, completely exhausted, desperate to sleep in my own bed.

Instead, I was discarded in a freezing hotel room. Just a few blocks away, the

two most important people in my entire life were tangled in my sheets, sleeping

in my bed. It was pure, suffocating irony.

The next morning, I put on a pair of oversized sunglasses to hide my swollen

eyes. I parked my car outside a trendy artisan bakery downtown.

Harper was wearing a cute pastel apron. When she saw me walk through the door,

her eyes lit up with hope for a split second, but she quickly lowered her head

in shame.

She brought a cup of black coffee to my table and sat across from me. She forced

a pathetic smile, her voice timid and careful. "Stella, I know you are furious

with me. I am so sorry. I know you treated me better than anyone. I owe you my

life..." "But look at me now! I have a real job. I promise I will pay you back

every single cent I owe you..."

I let out a harsh, mocking laugh. I stared at her. She was working as a junior

baker, yet she was wearing a Cartier necklace that cost more than this entire

storefront.

"Pay me back? On a baker's minimum wage?"

Harper flinched. She had married rich right out of college and spent years

living as a pampered housewife. Her ex-husband treated her like a princess,

catering to her every insane demand. Combined with my unconditional, protective

friendship, Harper had cruised through life on easy mode.

Until six months ago, when her husband was caught sleeping with his secretary.

Within two months, his lawyers legally butchered her. She was kicked to the curb

with zero assets. If I hadn't swooped in to rescue her, she would have literally

starved on the streets.

She claimed she wanted a fresh start. But after years of being completely

detached from the real world, she couldn't handle a normal corporate job.

Because she used to bake cupcakes for fun in her massive suburban kitchen, she

somehow landed a job at this high-end bakery.

I didn't say a word. I just raised my hand. The bakery manager immediately

rushed over, bowing respectfully. "Ms. Davis, it is an honor to have you visit."

All the blood drained from Harper's face. Her eyes widened in absolute horror.

I took off my sunglasses, my voice dead and hollow. "After your divorce, you

were suicidal. You finally told me you wanted a job to feel normal again."

"Harper, you are not stupid. Did you really never wonder why every single place

rejected you, but this specific elite bakery miraculously hired a woman with

zero professional culinary experience?" "I gave you my entire heart. I funded

your life. And this is how you repay me?"

Harper's eyelashes fluttered wildly. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Her voice

shook violently. "I didn't know... Stella, I swear I didn't know..."

She lunged across the table, desperately grabbing my hands. "But he is so good

to me! He actually loves me! Stella, you are a powerhouse. You are successful,

you are beautiful, you can survive without anyone. But I can't." "You always

told me you would share anything you had with me. I don't want your money

anymore. I just want him. Please, Stella, let me have him."

I sat perfectly still, staring at the woman I had known since we were three

years old. A quarter of a century of sisterhood had mutated into something

absolutely grotesque.

"Growing up, I gave you anything you ever asked for." "But Harper, taking what

isn't yours behind my back... that makes you a thief."

When Sebastian stormed into the bakery, he found Harper practically kneeling at

my feet, sobbing hysterically.

His expression turned lethal. He closed the distance in three massive strides,

violently pulling her up and shoving her safely behind him. He glared at me, his

jaw clenched tight enough to shatter teeth. "Stella, I told you to come at me.

Stop terrorizing her." "Add up every single dollar she spent on your credit

cards. Give me the final number, and I will wire it to your account right now."

I looked at him, letting out a barrage of cold, bitter laughter. "Wow. It must

be nice to throw your money around, Sebastian. But the debt you two owe me can't

be paid off in this lifetime."

Sebastian's eyes darkened. He opened his mouth to fire back a vicious insult.

Suddenly, Harper screamed at the top of her lungs. "Enough!"

Her entire body was shaking, but she forced herself to look me in the eye.

"Stella, this is what you owe me. I don't care if you resent me or hate my guts.

I am not letting him go. From this day forward, our friendship is officially

dead. We are even."

She ripped off her pastel apron, grabbed Sebastian's hand, and dragged him

toward the door. They walked out without looking back.

I sat alone by the window. Outside on the sidewalk, two teenage girls in high

school uniforms were laughing brightly, sharing a single ice cream cone. I felt

something cold drop onto my hand. I reached up and realized my face was

completely soaked with tears.

Harper and I had known each other since preschool. We were inseparable through

elementary, middle, high school, and college.

As far back as I could remember, my parents did nothing but scream and throw

things at each other. They only stayed married because neither of them wanted

the burden of keeping a child. Every time they destroyed our living room in a

screaming match, Harper would quietly slip through the front door. She would

help me sweep up the broken glass, grab my hand, and drag me to her house for

dinner.

The year we graduated high school, Harper secretly pawned her grandmother's

vintage gold locket to pay my college tuition. I remember her licking an ice

cream cone, acting like it was no big deal. "Hey, my grades are garbage anyway.

But you are a genius. It would be a crime if you didn't go to a top university."

"Stop crying, Stella. I know you are going to be a massive CEO one day. When you

strike it rich, just buy me ten Cartier bracelets to make up for it."

In the dark, lonely years of my youth, Harper was my very first hero. She was

the most important piece of my soul.

By the time I drove back to my house, every trace of them had been scrubbed

clean. I stood in the center of the massive, empty living room, feeling

completely untethered.

When I first bought this multi-million dollar property, I specifically reserved

a master guest suite entirely for Harper. Sebastian had been incredibly annoyed

about it. I just smiled at him and told him it was a promise I made a long time

ago.

At Harper's wedding, I was her Maid of Honor. When I caught the bouquet, I

hugged her tight and swore that as long as I was breathing, she would always

have a home with me. Now, I was the one left without a home.

The house was still haunted by the things Sebastian left behind. Our framed

certificates from university business competitions. Photos from our vacations to

the Amalfi Coast. His toothbrush sitting in the master bathroom. The cashmere

blanket he left tangled on the sofa, and a half-read novel resting on the coffee

table.

Every time I closed my eyes, my brain forced me to visualize the two of them

rolling around together on that very sofa. I slapped a hand over my mouth,

sprinting to the bathroom sink. I dry-heaved violently until my throat bled,

feeling like I needed to vomit my own organs out to feel clean again.

I looked up at my reflection in the mirror. I looked haggard and completely

unrecognizable.

Sebastian was my senior in college. We were partners in the national startup

championship. The night he confessed his feelings to me, his usually icy face

was flushed red. "Stella, you are the most brilliant, resilient woman I have

ever met. Please give me the honor of taking care of you."

After graduation, I gained experience at a tech giant before catching a market

trend and launching my own firm. Sebastian was my rock. He guided me through the

darkest days of the startup grind. He was my partner in battle, and the love of

my life. Because of him, I actually started healing from my childhood trauma. I

started believing that I could actually build a healthy family. I truly planned

to spend the rest of my life with him.

I stared into the mirror, my fingernails digging painfully into my palms.

They were the reasons I wanted to live. They were the ultimate goals of all my

blood, sweat, and tears. And they rewarded me by driving a knife directly into

my spine. Why should they get away with this?

I pulled out my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in a very long time.

Three days after I made that phone call, Sebastian barged into my executive

office. He slammed the heavy glass door so hard the walls vibrated.

"Stella, did you call Harper's parents?!" "Her mother called her last night and

screamed at her for a solid hour! She called Harper an ungrateful snake and said

she was dead to the family! Harper cried so hard she almost passed out. Are you

happy now?!"

I let out a sharp laugh. "If you two had the guts to do it, why are you so

terrified of people finding out?"

But beneath my cold exterior, a sharp ache hit my chest. I never forgot how kind

the Davis family was to me when I was a neglected kid. When my company took off,

I repaid their kindness ten times over. I bought them cars and paid for their

luxury vacations. Mrs. Davis had called me in tears, apologizing profusely for

her daughter's sins. Yet the person who actually owed me an apology hadn't

offered a single word of remorse.

Sebastian took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. "Stella, this is

your absolute last warning. You are going to march over there and apologize to

Harper right now. If you do, I will pretend this entire incident never

happened."

I looked at him like he had lost his mind. "Apologize? I am pretty sure I am the

last person in this room who needs to apologize."

His face hardened into pure ice. "Starting today, I am permanently terminating

all corporate partnerships with your firm. You are currently leading the

Eastside Development project. The primary investors happen to be my people. You

know perfectly well that without my backing, that project will implode." "I am

giving you three days to think this over. Stella, you have been a brilliant

strategist your entire life. Do not commit professional suicide over petty

jealousy."

Hearing his chilling ultimatum, the very last trace of affection I held for him

vanished. When Sebastian loved someone, he would lay the entire world at their

feet. But the second he turned on you, he was a merciless monster.

He stayed true to his threat. Overnight, the Eastside investors pulled their

funding. The project ground to a halt, and panic spread through my company like

wildfire.

But I refused to beg. Ten years ago, I was a broke orphan who bit down on my own

tongue and clawed my way to the top of the food chain. Ten years later, I could

easily carve a bloody path out of this mess on my own.

A month later, I received a text from Harper. [Stella, Sebastian and I are

getting married next month. You are the most important person in my life. I want

your blessing. I know I betrayed you, but please, just this one last time. Can

you forgive me?]

I glanced at the message, locked my phone, and went back to my boardroom

meeting. I didn't reply.

On the day of their wedding, I arrived exactly on time.

Harper looked like a delicate little bird, clinging tightly to Sebastian's arm.

Her eyes were swimming with toxic, artificial sweetness. The moment they saw me

walking down the aisle, the color drained from both of their faces.

The crowded ballroom fell completely silent. My high-profile relationship with

the ruthless Sebastian Lockwood was common knowledge in our elite circle. Yet

somehow, within six months, the bride had miraculously changed.

Sebastian instinctively stepped in front of Harper, staring at me with

hyper-vigilant hostility.

Harper looked at me, tears welling up in her eyes. "Stella... I..."

I looked at the two of them and offered a bright, serene smile. "Relax. I

promised you years ago that I would never miss the most important day of your

life." "I am just here to drop off my wedding gift."

Behind them, the massive screen playing their sickly sweet wedding montage

suddenly went pitch black.