Wicked Witch of The West

Laila took a deep breath as she explained her concerns to the members of her staff and asked the questions on her mind. "I don't know why, but lately I have started to suffer a bit from selective memory loss. At least, I think I must be, because for the life of me I can't remember why I am friends with someone like Olivia Smith. I can clearly tell that she can't be trusted after spending just one day with her and would like to know why I have allowed her in my life and why I put up with her behaviour towards myself and towards you guys. If possible, I would like you to tell me about my relationship with her and if you can tell me anything else you know about what she is scheming, I would be very grateful. Any help I can get to get rid of someone like her from my life and neutralize any danger they might pose to me and the people I care about, would be something I would be forever grateful for."

After putting Laila through a moment of anxious silence, Giselle said, "Finally! The time to get rid of that b***h has come. I for one am more than willing to help you defeat that Wicked Witch of The West and I know plenty of people who are equally willing. Especially those that have lost their jobs because of that awful woman." This was the first time Laila had seen Giselle this kind of excited. She never expected her to be one to swear but she certainly didn't mind this type of Giselle. In fact, for this kind of task, a not so friendly Giselle was exactly what she needed. Seeing Giselle so willing to spill what she knew about Olivia, the others became more willing as well to open their mouths and help Laila discover more about the people in her current life.

"Well where should I start..." Giselle told Laila that Olivia had always had her eyes focussed on Noah ever since she had met her. From the people she was in contact with that worked in the Smith manor, her home, Giselle had learned that Olivia wasn't exactly very secretive about her interest in Noah at home either. Though she knew this, she couldn't bring it up to Laila until now. Because even though Olivia was far from being subtle, since she was the first friend Laila had made after moving to this new town, she couldn't see it herself. Not the scheming, nor the woman's flaws and she would forgive her for almost anything. After a while she began to resemble her and she trusted Olivia's every word, which caused Laila to distance herself from the staff and behave like how she thought a rich lady should behave in order to not be looked down upon.

Because of Olivia's toxic whispers and her way of finding fault with the staff with her impossible standards and expectations, even when there was no fault to begin with, Laila had fired multiple of their colleagues and friends. This in turn caused the rest of the staff to be on their guard around Laila as well and distance themselves whenever possible. Slowly, what had started out as a wonderful workplace, turned into any other rich man's home. Until today. Today they got a glimpse of how life was before Olivia had entered it and they saw the light at the end of the tunnel once more. The tunnel that would lead them to a place they enjoyed working at.

After Giselle had told Laila all that she knew, the others that had worked there longer than Giselle, began to tell their stories. They told her about how Olivia was apparently someone she knew from high school. Something which Laila had expected and feared at the same time. They said Olivia came to visit on the second day after Laila had moved here after finding out who she was through her parents who lived next door. She hugged Laila upon meeting her here, like she was her long lost sister that she had met for the first time after a decade.

After she had left after a visit that seemed to last forever, Laila had told them that she and Olivia had never been that close in the past. That she had simply been a girl that was in the friend group of her ex-boyfriend but Olivia didn't seem to think the same. She saw meeting Laila here again as a fateful encounter. Therefore, she was determined to be the best of friends with Laila, regardless of how she viewed the idea of a friendship with her. And perhaps in the beginning Olivia's intentions were pure. For back then, Olivia was a completely different person. She looked more meek and was no way near as beautiful as she was now. At first she was just a regular rich girl snob, who didn't seem to have many friends, making meeting an old 'friend' a blessing she had to make the most of.

Since Laila had also just moved to an unfamiliar place, she was more open to the idea of being friends with Olivia then she would have been, had they met back at their home town. So, despite not being very fond of her in the past, as she seemed like an untrustworthy person and one who tended to cause drama wherever she went, Laila decided to give her a second chance. She had hoped that Olivia was a changed woman and that aging had given her some maturity as well. And in the beginning this thought seemed to hold true. Olivia was showing Laila kindness in whichever way she could. Giving her advice, bringing her food and gifts. There was nothing for Laila to dislike except it feeling a bit excessive and forced. But nothing to reject her friendship for. So, just like that, from their first meeting until now, Olivia had become a regular visitor at her home. Only to become a predator shortly after a budding friendship had formed. Because just two weeks after Laila and Noah's move to their current home, her behaviour and their opinion of Olivia worsened.