Chapter 1 CONSPIRACY AND BETRAYAL

Imagine the shock that washed over Emma like a tidal wave as she stepped into the dimly lit bedroom after a long, exhausting day. Her heart raced when she saw her fiancé of three years, Vick, tangled in the sheets with another woman-naked and entangled in a passionate embrace. But it wasn't just any woman; it was her best friend, Mia. The betrayal cut deeper than any knife could.

A whirlwind of emotions surged through Emma-hurt, confusion, and a nagging doubt about where she had gone wrong in her role as a girlfriend. She had always considered herself a proud and strong-willed woman who would not tolerate betrayal or nonsense. But this? This was a whole new level of treachery.

"Emma, wait! It's not what it looks like!" Vick stammered, fumbling to pull on his trousers, his eyes wild with panic. He sounded desperate, like a cornered animal.

"Oh really, Vick?" Mia chimed in, a smug smile playing on her lips. "You're going with that excuse? I seduced you? Are you sure about that?"

"Will you shut the hell up?" Vick barked at her, frustration spilling over as he turned back to Emma, his expression one of pleading.

Before he could finish his sentence, Emma's palm struck his cheek with a sharp crack, the sound echoing in the heavy silence of the room. Vick stood there, his eyes wide with shock- Emma had never before laid a hand on him in anger.

"Tell me, how long has she been seducing you to get you to this point? Were you too drunk to recall?" Emma's voice was icy, her eyes blazing with fury.

"Good question, Emma. Maybe you should ask him," Mia interjected, her tone dripping with sarcasm. Vick opened his mouth to respond, but no words came, leaving him in a stunned silence. Emma turned her furious gaze to Mia, her best friend of 15 years, now turned rival.

"Wow, Mia. You think you're clever? You thought this was cute? You went after my fiancé just because he chose me? How pathetic. You've destroyed our friendship for what? A scumbag like him?" Emma spat the words like poison, disgust flooding her voice.

"No, Emma, you're the one who disgusts me!" Mia shot back, her face twisting in anger. "You were never a true friend! Do you remember that day when we first met him at that eatery? I told you I was interested in him, and you still went after him a year later. You didn't care about my feelings, so why should I care about yours?"

Emma shook her head, laughter tinged with pain escaping her lips as she turned back to Vick. "I've never cheated on you, Vick! I've dedicated myself to this relationship. I've sacrificed time and energy to help grow your company. I just landed a significant deal with our top investor, and I came here to celebrate- only to find you in bed with my best friend! How could you betray me so easily?"

Vick interrupted, frustration surging through him. "It wasn't just hearsay, Emma. There's evidence. You cheated on me, too!"

"What are you talking about?" Emma's heart raced as he tossed a stack of photos at her, the images fluttering to the ground like fallen leaves.

"See this?" Vick shouted, his emotions boiling over. "Someone sent these to me anonymously. That's you, caught in the act with another man!" Emma's eyes widened as she studied the first image- a blurry face capturing a moment of intimacy, followed by another of her about to enter a hotel room, with hands all over her.

The last photo brought tears to her eyes-there, in the unforgiving light of reality, she was seen sleeping in a bed, hickey marks across her skin, proof of a night she had thought was a haze of fun. Her mind struggled to piece it all together.

That night flooded back to her- a month ago, she had closed a lucrative deal and felt the urge to celebrate. Mia had persuaded her to join her at Blissful Club, an upscale venue filled with the affluent of Akwa Ibom, Nigeria. They danced, lost in the rhythm of the music, but it wasn't long before the drinks took over. Emma had returned from the washroom, feeling tipsy after consuming a cocktail too delicious to resist, only to find herself swaying towards Vick. A passionate kiss ignited between them, leading them to a hotel room that night. Now she realizes, it m ight not have been Vick that night...

Emma suddenly spoke, but almost in a whisper, "Mia!" She suddenly realized, her voice trembling with the weight of betrayal. "You set me up! You spiked my drink!"

Mia strolled to her and spoke in a whisper, "Have you finally connected the dots?" Mia responded, her tone indifferent, as if all of this was mere entertainment rather than the wreckage of lives.

"I spiked your drink and set you up with a stranger, what will you do about it, Hun?" She smirked

Emma was too shocked to say a word; she instinctively pushed away, and Mia pretended to fall...

"Mia," Vicky went to pick her up. "Emma, was that necessary?"...

Emma's eyes glistened with unshed tears, cascading down her cheeks as her mouth parted in shock. "Y-you? You did this to me... You set me up with a stranger... Vick," she cried, her voice trembling as she turned to face him. "She set me up... I would never betray you like this... she was with me that night..."

Vick's expression hardened, his eyes narrowing. "You're lying... Mia wasn't with you. She was with me," he countered, his voice laced with anger and disbelief. "When I got back that evening, I tried calling you, but your number wouldn't connect. I reached out to her to ask about you, and she told me you came to see her but left hurriedly after answering a phone call. Later, she came to me that night, and..." His voice grew cold, "You know what happens when two adults are alone together. I thought maybe you went home. But then, the next morning, I received those photos at my office... So stop lying about her, you bitch."

Emma's palm struck his cheek with a sharp slap, the sound echoing in the silence between them.

As he winced and looked back at her, she implored, "Vick, open your eyes and see... this is her true form. I'm not lying to you! She set me up! I wouldn't stoop so low."

With that, she fished a crumpled ticket from her purse, holding it out in front of him.

"Look! I still have the tickets from that night... Her name is right here!" The ticket, creased and worn, bore witness to the truth she was fighting to reveal.