Revenge: I Married His Best Friend

“Get out!” The man barked even louder. Leila watched as the handcuffs got fastened to her hands. The events from moments ago, quietly reeling in her mind. Her Ex husband, Andrew Grayson, filed a restraining order against her. But she intentionally broke it, hoping to get some answers from him. She wanted to know why he suddenly ended their three year marriage. ‘You always chose material things over me, Lei. I gave you my love, but your greed got the best of you. I'm sorry, but I can't continue like this, I'm on the verge of bankruptcy!’ That was his filthy excuse. Leila let out a bitter chuckle. “If you were going to make up an excuse to throw me out, you could have at least done better.” Indeed Leila had helped Andrew secure a multimillion dollar deal—But when they finalised the project, he saw it as an opportunity to throw her out, now blaming their divorce on her. Andrew glared at the officer. “Do I have to teach you idiots, how to do your job?” His tone, cold and venomous. He was fed up with them. One of the officers gripped her hands tightly. “Ma'am, don't make this difficult for both of us. Just walk away with me.” Leila hesitantly agreed, fighting the tears that begged to spill. She sat at the back of the cruiser, her vision blurred with tears. So this was it? She thought. This was how he chose to repay her, after sacrificing everything for him. Suddenly, the familiar ringtone of her iphone brought her back from her reverie. It was her father, Mr Winston. His voice was shaky. “Leila dear, you need to come home immediately.” Her father, known to have a strong resolve, was sounding broken. “Dad, what happened?!” She asked, her voice breaking. “I can't say much right now, but when you come home, I'll explain everything to you. I'm really sorry, Leila,” his tension was palpable. The officer could see the lines forming on her forehead. He let out a deep sigh and said. “I'll let this off as a warning,” his tone, dismissive as he unlocked the handcuffs, “I won't be so kind next time.” “Thank you Officer,” Leila mumbled, massaging her wrist. Upon reaching her family's house, Leila noticed a black SUV parked outside. She could tell something was wrong. She exhaled deeply and wiped her tears dry, trying to regain her composure. “Thank goodness you're here, honey,” Her stepmother, Mrs Winston said. “Some men in suits came in here and accused your father of a crime.” Leila's eyebrows deepened. “Let me handle it.” If her family was known for one thing, it was their honesty when it came to business deals. She couldn't believe her ears. She got there and noticed her father sitting opposite two men, his fingers fidgeting as he grew more tense. She could notice the relief in his eyes when he saw her. One of the men in suits jerked as he saw Leila. Then, he suddenly cleared his throat. “I wasn't expecting you to be home so soon, Miss Leila Winston.” It was Andrew's lawyer. Leila sat beside her father, her hands nestled in his. “Can we proceed now, what's the issue?” She couldn't help but wonder if he knew about her encounter with Andrew, hence his words. “Very well then,” he noted, opening a suitcase and handing her a document. “I'm sure you're aware that your father, Mr Richard Winston, has been in charge of the company’s building projects for the past two years.” Leila narrowed her eyes. “I’m well aware.” She secured a position for her father in Andrew’s company, a year after they got married. He had played a significant role since then. The lawyer gave a cold smirk. “Well, I'm sorry to break it to you, but this same man was caught by one of our staff embezzling funds from the project's account,” he passed another paper to her. Leila gritted her teeth. “This could also be a rumor, you don't have any solid evidence backing this.” She knew this was all Andrew's idea, he's literally selling her family out. First it was when he divorced her, and now he's setting up her father! Mr Winston pleaded. “I didn't do anything, Leila dear,” He swallowed hard, “You have to trust me. All my years of working as a contractor, I haven't done anything to bring shame to our family.” Leila tightened her grip on his hands, giving a slight nod of approval. But that ended when the lawyer passed another document. “Then how do you explain this?” He scoffed, his voice calm. It was a document containing real transfers from the project's account to one of her father's personal accounts. It was legit, and anyone could definitely fall for it. Her panic grew evident—she had run out of options. She tried to open her mouth to speak but her words failed her. He gave a cold chuckle. “I thought as much. Your ex husband was so kind to let this matter die on a sub level. You know how it is when authorities get involved.” Was that a threat? She thought. He straightened up while jogging the documents together. “We'll send the resignation letter tomorrow morning.” “And one more thing,” he said, standing before them. “As much as I'm not a fan of any of this, you don't belong here, Miss Leila Winston. Take it as a word of advice.” After his cold remark, he left. Leila couldn't help but dwell on his words. Her father who noticed her emotionless expression resumed his pleading, he feared she might have doubted him. The air was thick, and the tension in the room grew heavy. Fortunately, a shocking gasp broke the atmosphere. “You won't believe this!” Mrs Winston said, covering her mouth in disbelief. Mr Winston was clearly annoyed. “Vanessa! Can't you read the room—” Another shocking gasp cut him off, this time coming from Leila. She stared deeply at her phone, her grip tightened against it. It was a news headline, not just any news. ‘Forever Starts Now: Celebrating The Union Of Andrew Grayson And Camila Douglas.’ ‘Andrew Grayson: Every love story is beautiful, but ours is my favorite, Camila Grayson.’ “This should not be happening,” Leila muttered slowly. The tears she's been fighting back, now flowing freely. Mrs Winston rushed to her side, trying to console her. “Camila was my best friend, and she betrayed me with… Andrew.” She let out a bitter chuckle.