Today was different. Olivia had finally seen her mistake. «Chloe, I have so much to tell you,» she said.

«I’m all ears,» Chloe replied, placing two steaming mugs of coffee on the small table.

Olivia recounted every detail of the past day. Chloe listened intently, sipping her coffee. «Now I’m completely at a loss,» Olivia finished. «I have no idea where to find the dashcam, and I can’t figure out why Mark isn’t eligible for disability.»

«I have a theory about your husband,» Chloe said thoughtfully.

«What?» Olivia asked eagerly.

«I think he recovered from his injuries a long time ago,» Chloe stated calmly. «And I think he’s been able to walk this whole time.»

«If that’s true, why would he pretend with me?» The thought had never even crossed Olivia’s mind.

«There are plenty of reasons,» Chloe shrugged. «Remember how, before the accident, Mark was always complaining about how much he hated his job and wanted to quit?»

«Yeah, vaguely,» Olivia said, trying to recall. «We fought about it because in the three years we’ve been married, he’s had seven different jobs.»

«Exactly. You were pressuring him to stick with this one,» Chloe nodded. «This way, he gets to quit the job he hates and live off of you.»

«God, I am such an idiot,» Olivia whispered. «When Mark quit, it never even occurred to me that he did it willingly. He told me they let him go because they didn’t need a disabled employee.»

«Olivia, stop beating yourself up,» Chloe said, standing and taking her friend’s hand. «Your mind was occupied with other things. The Thompsons took advantage of your guilt. The important thing is that you’ve finally realized it.»

«I never thought I’d say this, but I have Ben to thank for it,» Olivia chuckled humorlessly. «I was blaming him for all my problems, but it turns out…»

«Find that dashcam, and you’ll be even,» Chloe smiled. She was so relieved her friend was finally seeing Mark for who he truly was.

«If only I knew where to look,» Olivia sighed. «And it’s in Carol’s room, and she’s always home.»

«Searching with her there would be impossible. We need to find a way to get her and Mark out of the house,» Chloe mused. «At least Ryan is at work during the day, so that’s one less person to worry about.»

«True,» Olivia shuddered at the thought of Ryan. She had never liked him and had recently noticed him staring at her in a way that made her skin crawl.

«Okay, my friend, let’s get to work,» Chloe sighed. «We have our annual evaluations coming up.»

«Right,» Olivia had completely forgotten about preparing for her performance review.

By the end of the day, Olivia was exhausted but satisfied. She had been incredibly productive, and the work had kept her mind off Mark and his mother. Suddenly, Chloe burst into her studio, a triumphant grin on her face.

«Olivia, look what I got!» she said, handing her a pair of glossy brochures.

«What are these?» Olivia asked, confused.

«Two all-inclusive vouchers for a weekend at a countryside spa resort,» Chloe announced proudly. «For your husband and his mother.»

«Where did you get these?» Olivia was stunned.

«That’s not important,» Chloe grinned, happy to be able to help.

«But this must have been so expensive,» Olivia whispered. «I don’t have the money to pay you back.»

«Pay me back when you can,» Chloe waved it off. «Consider it a gift from me.»

«I can’t accept this,» Olivia protested.

«Friend, you know this is pocket change for my family,» Chloe said firmly. «When I told Alex about your situation, he took care of it.»

«You involved your husband?» Olivia felt a pang of shame that another man was solving her problems.

«Stop being so dramatic,» Chloe advised. «You know Alex adores you. He’s always said you’re the only one of my friends with any sense.» Olivia sighed. She knew the story of how Chloe had fallen in with a bad crowd as a teenager. Thanks to their friendship, Olivia had helped her get out of that destructive lifestyle. If it hadn’t been for Olivia, Chloe might never have met Alex. He was eternally grateful to Olivia for his wife and was always willing to help her in any way he could.

«Please thank your husband for me,» Olivia said gratefully, tears welling in her eyes. «I will pay you back every penny.»

«I know you will,» Chloe smiled, pulling her into a hug. «If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have Alex or our little Olivia.» «I owe you my life.»

«Now we just have to wait for your in-laws to leave for their spa weekend,» Chloe grinned. «Then Carol’s room is all ours.»

«Too bad Ryan isn’t going anywhere.»

«Listen, I’ll help you search,» Chloe offered. «Two heads are better than one, and if Ryan comes home early, I can distract him.»

«Chloe, you’re the best!» Olivia hugged her again.

That evening, Olivia presented the vouchers to Carol and Mark. «Where did you get the money for this?» Carol asked suspiciously, her eyes narrowed.

«From the employee assistance fund at work, for Mark’s rehabilitation,» Olivia smiled, carefully schooling her features.

«Well, at least your job is good for something,» Carol muttered, clutching the vouchers as if someone might try to snatch them away.

Olivia breathed a sigh of relief. Now, all she had to do was wait for the apartment to be empty.

Saturday morning arrived, and Olivia could barely contain her impatience for Carol and Mark to leave.

«Now, you listen to me,» Carol said sternly, standing by the waiting taxi. «While we’re gone, I want you to do a deep clean of the entire apartment. But you are not to go into my room.»

«How am I supposed to clean the whole apartment then?» Olivia asked, feigning surprise. She had no intention of cleaning anything. Even if she didn’t find the evidence, she was done being a servant to this family.

«I know how clumsy you are,» Carol waved dismissively. «You’ll just break my things. You haven’t learned a single useful thing in your life except how to bang on that piano. What did your grandmother teach you?»

«Don’t you dare speak ill of my Grandma Rose,» Olivia warned, her voice dangerously low. She would tear anyone apart for her grandmother. Olivia’s parents, both geologists, had often been away on long expeditions. Margaret Evans had raised her, instilling in her the kindness and compassion that now, she was realizing, the world so easily exploited.

«What’s gotten into you?» Carol muttered, taking a cautious step back.

«Alright, we’re going,» Mark mumbled. He hadn’t wanted to go on this trip; he’d planned on telling Olivia a friend had invited him fishing, when in reality, he was meeting his ex-girlfriend, Jessica, for a romantic getaway in another city. Since the accident, Jessica had been a frequent visitor at the Thompson house. At first, their conversations were innocent, but old feelings soon reignited. Jessica was growing tired of being the other woman and was demanding that Mark leave his «piano teacher.» Mark was torn. On one hand, there was the passionate, beautiful Jessica; on the other, there was the convenient, quiet Olivia who supported his entire family.

Ryan helped Mark into the taxi and then walked away without a word, which suited Olivia just fine. After waving goodbye to her husband and mother-in-law, she returned to the apartment and immediately called Chloe.

«Hello, Chloe? It’s all clear,» Olivia smiled. «The apartment is ours.»

«I’ll be right over,» Chloe replied.

Olivia went to the kitchen to put on the kettle, her hands trembling slightly. If she and Chloe were lucky, she would be free of the Thompsons by the end of the day. Not wanting to waste a moment, she grabbed the vacuum cleaner and headed for Carol’s room, deciding to start her search immediately. Inside the room, she looked around. «Okay, where to begin?» she whispered to herself. She opened a large wardrobe and began scanning the shelves.

«What are you doing in here?» a voice from behind her made her jump. Olivia’s blood ran cold. She turned to see Ryan standing in the doorway.

«I… I was going to clean,» she stammered, cursing herself for not hearing him come in.

«Mom told you not to touch her room,» Ryan reminded her, stepping into the room, his eyes fixed on her.

«Right, I forgot,» Olivia said, slapping her forehead. «I’ll just go to my and Mark’s room.»

«No,» Ryan shook his head. «I’ve waited too long for this moment to let it slip away.»

Olivia looked at him, terrified. She grabbed the vacuum cleaner, intending to use it as a shield as she tried to get past him.

«Where do you think you’re going?» Ryan asked quietly, blocking her path. His voice sent a chill down her spine. «To my room,» Olivia stammered, wishing with all her might that she had waited for Chloe.

«Your room?» Ryan sneered. «You don’t have anything here anymore. You’re only in this house because my brother allows it.»

«That’s between me and Mark,» Olivia said quickly.

«Why bother with my brother when you’re right here? You know, everything in this life has a price.» Ryan was toying with her, relishing her fear.

«What do you want?» Olivia asked, playing dumb to stall for time.

«What do you think?» Ryan ran a hand down her face. Olivia flinched. «Don’t be stupid! I’ll tell my husband!» she threatened, backing away.

«Seriously?» Ryan laughed. «You think he’s going to rush to your defense? You’re just free labor to him, a walking ATM.»

«What are you talking about?» Olivia frowned.

«Your precious husband isn’t disabled,» Ryan blurted out. «He fully recovered from the accident months ago.»

«Recovered?» Olivia was shocked. How could she have been so blind?

«The hospital records are in this room. I can show you,» Ryan said, advancing slowly. «Plus, our dear Mark has rekindled his romance with Jessica.»

«What Jessica?» Olivia repeated, though she knew exactly who he meant.

«Don’t play dumb,» Ryan snapped. He lunged forward, yanking the vacuum from her hands and tossing it aside. He grabbed her tightly, pinning her against the wall. Olivia screamed. Ryan tried to cover her mouth, but she jerked her head away. He lost his balance and stumbled, giving her a chance to scramble onto the sofa. «Help! Help!» she screamed, hoping the neighbors would hear.