Marrying my father's friend, in love with my best friend

Back home, in the silence of her room, Ivy kept on playing with the card given to her. Her answer, which was of certainty few minutes ago, wasn't that much anymore. The more she thought about it, the more appealing it was. Marrying her idol didn't sound bad. If not love, at least there would be mutual respect between them. The only issue that really kept her from saying yes was why did he want to marry her?

Why Alexander Smith?

Laying flat on her bed, stomach against bed, she looked at the card she was holding deep in thoughts. Pondering whether to call or not.

Marriage. Those words brought her to Liam. She had only envisioned herself getting married to him, no one else but there she was, considering marrying someone else. Her life was a joke.

She would have mocked herself if not for her own lack of control of the situation. There were nothing she could do to change her situation. He could never be hers, not anymore. She was barren, how could she let herself be with him in such a situation? How could she be with anyone else? She couldn't take away the pleasure of being parents from anyone. Not her love. Shirley, you won.

Her eyes moist, no tear fell. Her frustration apparent, but she had no control over the situation, they wasn't much she could do but accept her defeat. She has been defeated.

She laughed, turning on her back. Who was she fooling. She lost long ago. It had nothing to do with her situation, even without, Shirley had won. She was the love of the life of Liam, not her. Not her.

"Ivy!" her name was shouted from outside her room getting her alert. She first thought to she heard things but at the second call, she got out of bed.

"Ivy!" The person called again. The voice getting closer. The voice was familiar. She recognized it but she couldn't believe it.

"Come here and face me if you are that sure of yourself!" Ivy walked out of her room, and ran to the stairs.

As expected, beyond reaching the stairs, looking down, standing at the far end was Shirley, and beside her stood Bella. Surrounding them was the guards and her men, who didn't dare to approach them knowing their status but was still stopping them from climbing up stairs.

Ivy raised an eyebrow at the mess. Surprised it was Shirley, as she thought. Why was she calling her and asking for a confrontation.

"Face you? Do you think yourself as a worthy opponent of mine? Don't be delusional Shirley," she spoke up, getting her presence known. They all looked upstairs, watching her walking to them.

"Perhaps I'm not but your continuous defeat show you aren't that superior as you make yourself believe," Shirley spoke back.

Answering back? Ivy was rather surprised to see such a version of Shirley. Shirley was the one to take in all her words, never standing up for herself. What got into her?

"Sorry Miss, we couldn't stop them," the butler was fast to apologized.

Ivy nodded, understanding their powerlessness. Standing against them was standing against the Black and the Anderson heirs. They did good.

Her eyes left them and focused on the fearing Bella. Securely standing a distance away from Shirley, as if wanting to make herself invisible.

Their gaze made, and Bella was fast to look away. Shirley saw it and came in front of her, blocking Ivy's view. Another shocking action coming from her.

"Don't pull her in this. She is only accompanying me, nothing more," Shirley said.

Ivy crossed her arms, " Want to confront me yet fearful to the point you couldn't even come here on your own. Pathetic."

"Please State the reason of your unwanted presence and leave. I saw enough of you already." there were no one for her to act. No Liam, no Andy. She could fully express her true feelings towards her. It was pleasant not to fake.

"Standing above us, wanting to feel high and almighty," Shirley said as Ivy didn't meet them down but stopped midway on the stairs. They had to raise their head to look at her.

"Keep luring yourself in that act of yours but we both know your true value. Zero. That's how valuable you are Ivy."

Now she had Ivy pissed off. She saw red. Narrowing her eyes at the pathetic woman in front of her. Shirley had no idea what she had provoked.

"How much lower are you going to fall? How far would be your decline? Your fall from grace?" Shirley asked making Ivy confused, having no idea of what she was talking about.

"I used to think of you as someone superior, but you are just a whore with no self esteem. Aren't you tired of running after a man who would never be yours Ivy? And you call me pathetic? Pathetic is the girl who keeps chasing a man who is taken with no shame. Here I thought you change after you helped me, but it was only a facet. What dirty game are you playing with Liam? One time you ignore him and the next you cuddle with him? What? Are you that desperate for his attention? How pitiful of you."

Now, Ivy understood where her rage came from. She was told what went on between the two of them at lunch, by whom? She wanted to know. What was weird in the situation was, it wasn't the first time and Shirley knew it, why the sudden outburst?

"What next? Kiss him? Sleep with him? Try all you want but he is mine and would never be yours. At the end of the day, he is going home to me. He is going to marry me while you would only have your eyes to cry. You are his best man right? Right place to watch me take the man you love for so many years but was took away from you in a second. Even then, you fool yourself into thinking you are superior. At least, not to Liam. He chose me, not you. Accept it and get over it."

"Superior to me you say?" Ivy spoke through her gritted teeth.

"I wonder who is the delusional one between us. In front of me, you are invisible."

How she long she wished it was true in Liam's eyes but it has never been the case. Now that she gave up on Liam, Shirley had no way she could compete with her and expect to win. She was superior, that was for fact.

"Want to verify that? Between us, who do you think Liam would choose? I'm confident it did be me, what about you?"

Hearing the same thing she once said to Bella but with the lack of certainty, she panicked. Tore between the two of them, who would Liam choose?

"Hiding behind a man? Have no self respect? No self worth? What merits do you have if all have is a man love. Don't boost out of it. Don't be more pitiful and pathetic than you already are. If a man love is all you have, you have nothing. Don't compare yourself to me, you are degrading my worth with the mere thought you can stand by my side. Be my rival. Deplorable." Ivy shook her head. Having your identity all around man was something she couldn't take and was sorry to see. Many times she felt sorry for Shirley. When jealousy let her see something else.

"A man love you battle all your life to have. Not lure yourself Ivy, you are smarter than that."

"I can make him hate you if I want. You tried to separate us many times, I never said anything not to put him in a delicate situation so don't push me Ivy. I had enough of you!"

"Are you warning me? Is that a threat?" Ivy asked amused. Who would have thought such words would have ever been said by Shirley? Not her.

"Take it as you wish Ivy but I'm serious, stay away from us and go find your grandpa with and leave us alone. Or even them didn't want you? Not surprising, who would love someone like you?"

"Last warning Ivy, stay away from Liam!" Shirley said, eyes piercing in Ivy's. Hate. Anger. Murderous desire. Most importantly pain was reflecting in Ivy eyes as she watched Shirley walking out of her house, haven completed her mission.

Eyes moist, grip strong on the stairs railing, clenched teeth, she muster all her will power not to cry and shout. Not to breakdown and sit on the stairs, not in front of so many eyes.

"What are you still doing here? Go back to work!" She commanded. They all disappear at her order, leaving no other soul except hers.

Eyes strong, filled with murderous desire, she stared at the door. Had one wish, kill her off. She had to come and do this, exactly when she took the decision to leave them alone, to let them be happy, she came to rub her wound. She won't let this go. This humiliation won't go forgiven.

She turned and ran to her room. Closing the door with a strong slap, she went to her drawer, and took out the file in it. In her hand stood two files, and one in particular she never opened.

After her orders to her men to make a complete background check up of Shirley and Leila, few days after, she had their results on her table. A complete information on Leila and Shirley life. That day, she decided to only read Leila and leave Shirley in peace. For Liam sake but now, after such a provocation and her courage to threat her. She wasn't Ivy Stone if she let her be.

She putted back Leila file in the drawer. She sat on her chair and read Shirley's, all her attention at every detail but after hours of reading, nothing relevant came out of it. In frustration, she pushed it off the table, having the paper scatter on the floor.

Angry, she stood up, walking back and fro in her room. Brainstorming to find an idea. What could she do? Then it occurred to her! Her father! If she could prove his involvement in human trafficking, their status and image would come to dust. It would be the destruction of her family. Her time in wealth would be brought to an end.

She nodded to herself, it was the perfect revenge and already knew who to call for help. Who could help her. She immediately took her phone and called the person who would help her destroy Shirley Finn.