Grace sat alone in her apartment, her eyes puffy and red from crying. The disbelief and hurt that Adrian had chosen to believe Sarah over her cut deeper than she could have imagined. She replayed the confrontation over and over in her mind, each moment twisting the knife of betrayal further into her heart.
"How could he?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling. "After everything we've been through… how could he not trust me?"
Her phone buzzed on the table. It was Adrian, calling again. She stared at the screen, her emotions torn between answering and letting it ring out. Finally, she picked up, her voice cold.
"What do you want, Adrian?"
"Grace, please. We need to talk," Adrian said, his tone firm but not apologetic. "I don't like how things ended earlier."
Grace let out a bitter laugh. "You don't like how things ended? Try being the one accused and slapped in front of your fiancé, only for him to take the side of the woman who's been trying to destroy her."
"Grace, that's not fair," Adrian argued. "You're asking me to believe that Sarah, someone I've known since childhood, is capable of all these things. It's a lot to process."
"And I'm just someone you've been through hell and back with, right? Someone who stood by you when the entire world thought you were a failure. But sure, go ahead and trust your precious childhood friend over me," Grace snapped, tears brimming in her eyes again.
Adrian sighed. "Grace, I'm not saying I don't trust you. I just need time to figure this out. Sarah's been in my life for so long—"
"That's exactly the problem, Adrian!" Grace interrupted. "You're so blinded by your history with her that you can't see what she's doing right in front of you. And honestly, if you can't believe in me after everything, then what's the point of us?"
"Don't say that," Adrian said, his voice softening. "You know how much I care about you. I just… I can't accuse Sarah without proof."
Grace's chest tightened. "Proof? You need proof to believe me? The woman who's been by your side, who fought for you when no one else did? If you can't trust me now, you never will."
Adrian was silent on the other end, the weight of her words sinking in.
"I think you need to figure out where your priorities lie," Grace continued, her voice steady despite the pain. "Because I can't keep fighting for us alone."
She hung up before he could respond, her hands trembling as she placed the phone down.
Meanwhile, Adrian sat in his office, staring at the phone in his hand. He ran his fingers through his hair, frustration etched across his face.
"She's overreacting," he muttered to himself. But deep down, he knew Grace wasn't. Her words replayed in his mind, making him question everything.
Later that evening, Adrian met with Sarah in his private office. She entered with her usual air of innocence, a soft smile on her lips.
"Adrian, I'm so sorry you're caught up in all this," Sarah said, sitting across from him. "I hate seeing you and Grace fight because of me."
Adrian leaned back in his chair, scrutinizing her. "Sarah, Grace is convinced you're trying to sabotage our relationship. She even said you faked your kidnapping."
Sarah gasped, her hand flying to her chest. "Faked my kidnapping? Adrian, you can't believe that! You know me. I've been nothing but supportive of you."
Adrian rubbed his temples. "That's what makes this so hard. I don't know who to believe. Grace has never lied to me, but the things she's accusing you of…"
Sarah leaned forward, her voice soft and pleading. "Adrian, I would never hurt you like that. Grace is just insecure. She's not used to your world, to people like us. Maybe she's making things up because she feels threatened."
Adrian frowned, doubt creeping into his expression. "I don't know, Sarah. I need to think."
Sarah reached out, placing a hand on his. "Take all the time you need. I'm here for you, always."
As Adrian nodded absently, Sarah's lips curled into a small, triumphant smile when he wasn't looking.
Grace, meanwhile, decided she couldn't wait for Adrian to see the truth. She began digging into Sarah's past, determined to find the proof Adrian claimed he needed.
"If he won't fight for us," she murmured to herself, "then I'll do it on my own."
Grace sat at her laptop, her determination outweighing the heartbreak that had consumed her for days. She knew Adrian deserved to know the truth, but it was up to her to uncover the evidence. If he needed proof, she would deliver it.
As she delved deeper into Sarah's past, Grace found snippets of information that painted a much darker picture than the sweet and supportive image Sarah presented. She found old forum threads from her high school alumni page, where former students discussed the torment they endured at the hands of a girl who sounded eerily familiar.
"Sarah W. was the worst bully in school. She made my life miserable for years. I hope karma catches up with her someday."
"She was manipulative and cruel, especially to anyone she thought was competition."
Grace scrolled through post after post, her disbelief mounting. She found old photos from a yearbook website and matched them to Sarah. There was no doubt—it was her.
One post in particular caught Grace's attention.
"Does anyone remember how Sarah tormented that girl who was dating her crush? She spread all those lies and got her suspended from school."
Grace's heart sank. It was clear Sarah hadn't changed at all; she was using the same tactics now to come between her and Adrian.
Grace decided to take her investigation a step further. She reached out to some of the people who had posted about Sarah. One woman, Emily, responded eagerly.
"I remember Sarah all too well," Emily said during their video call. "She was vicious. If you were in her way, she'd stop at nothing to ruin you. Why are you asking about her?"
Grace hesitated before replying, "She's causing problems in my life now, and I need to prove what she's capable of. Do you have any proof of what she did back then?"
Emily nodded grimly. "Oh, I do. I still have some emails and messages she sent me when we were in school. She didn't think twice about threatening people. I'll forward them to you."
Within days, Grace had compiled a damning file of evidence against Sarah. It included testimonials, screenshots of old messages, and photos from Sarah's school days that revealed her true nature.
"She's always been this way," Grace muttered to herself. "Adrian has to see this."
But Grace knew that simply presenting the evidence might not be enough. Sarah was cunning and would likely try to talk her way out of it. Grace needed to confront her directly and catch her off guard.
A week later, Grace made her move. She arrived unannounced at Adrian's office, her file of evidence in hand. Adrian looked surprised but ushered her in.
"Grace, what are you doing here?" Adrian asked, his tone wary.
"We need to talk," Grace said firmly. "And Sarah needs to be here too."
Adrian frowned. "Why Sarah?"
"You'll see," Grace replied, her voice steady.
Adrian called Sarah, who arrived moments later, her expression smug. "Grace, how nice of you to visit," Sarah said sweetly, though her eyes were cold.
"This isn't a social call," Grace shot back. She placed the file on Adrian's desk. "I've been digging into Sarah's past, and what I found is disturbing."
Sarah's smile faltered. "What are you talking about?"
Grace opened the file, showing Adrian the screenshots and testimonials. "Sarah has a history of bullying, manipulation, and destroying anyone she sees as competition. It's all here. This is who she really is."
Adrian stared at the documents, his brow furrowing as he read. Sarah, however, quickly recovered her composure.
"Grace, this is absurd," Sarah said with a laugh. "You're really digging up ancient history to make me look bad? Everyone makes mistakes when they're young. This doesn't prove anything about who I am now."
"Doesn't it?" Grace countered. "You're doing the same thing now, Sarah. Faking your kidnapping, blaming me for it, and trying to turn Adrian against me. It's the same playbook you've been using your whole life."
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "You have no proof of that."
Grace took a deep breath. "I don't, but I have this," she said, pulling out her phone and playing a recording of her conversation with Emily, who detailed Sarah's past actions.
Adrian's face darkened as he listened. He turned to Sarah. "Is this true?"
Sarah's facade finally cracked. "Adrian, I—this is ridiculous! You're going to believe some ancient rumors over me?"
Adrian shook his head, disappointment clear in his eyes. "I trusted you, Sarah. But Grace wouldn't make this up, and this evidence is hard to ignore."
Sarah's voice turned desperate. "Adrian, please! She's trying to turn you against me because she's insecure about us being close."
Grace stepped forward. "You've had your fun, Sarah. But it's over. Adrian knows the truth now."
Sarah glared at Grace, her anger boiling over. Without warning, she raised her hand and slapped Grace across the face.