My Best Friend's Stand-In: The Other Woman

The next morning, I went to class with Caleb as though nothing had happened. We'd just reached the lecture hall doors when Jane blocked our path.

"Caleb slept with me! Do you still think you're his girlfriend? Do us all a favor and step aside, or I'll have his baby and dump it on you!" she announced.

Students who'd been rushing to class stopped in their tracks, watching the scene unfold before them. My face flushed.

Caleb rushed to explain himself. "Babe, don't listen to her! You know what kind of reputation she has around here!"

A few of our classmates chimed in to defend him.

"Yeah, Caleb's crazy about you. Everyone knows that."

"That Jane chick's always stealing stuff, and now she's trying to be a homewrecker? She should take a look in the mirror. As if Caleb would ever go for her."

Their insults didn't faze Jane. She glared at Caleb. "I've got proof that we slept together. If you don't dump her, I'll post the video online and let the whole world see what you really are."

A cold sweat broke out across Caleb's forehead. His lips trembled, but he couldn't utter a word.

I, on the other hand, stayed calm.

I studied Jane. She looked the same as she had the first time we met. She was short and plump with acne scars pitted across her face.

Then I thought of Kylie. She'd always been a natural beauty and managed to make countless boys in school fall for her, even without makeup. On top of that, she'd also had curves that made even me envy her.

I was sure that she and Jane were not the same person.

But how did Jane end up with that hair tie then?

I pushed my unease aside and walked right up to her in front of everyone. "I believe in Caleb," I said. "And I'm not breaking up with him because of you."

Jane's eyes widened as she stared at me in disbelief.

Caleb looked relieved, but deep down, he was terrified. What he'd done with her last night was real, and the thought of the evidence in her hands scared him.

That night, he slipped out again with some excuse about meeting the guys at a cybercafe.

I followed him.

He led me to an old housing block. The streets were pitch-black, and there were no surveillance cameras in sight. I glanced at my phone, which showed that it was 11:57 pm.

I was about to follow him into the apartment building when a hand landed on my shoulder. I held my breath, but then a wave of heat hit me, carrying a thick, foul stench.

"What are you doing here?" A girl's voice echoed in my ear.

I spun around and shook her hand off. Jane stood before me with a trash bag in hand. I clamped my hand over my nose to block out the stench.

Jane tilted her head down and chuckled. Then, she looked at me, her eyes filled with mockery. "Disgusted, huh? You think you're better than me? Last night, your boyfriend was begging for me. You should've seen how hard he held on to me at the end. I could barely breathe."

With that, she aimed the trash bag at my face and loosened her grip on it.

Inside was a tangle of used condoms.