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

The sight of the condoms made me gag. I stumbled to the trash can and vomited until my head spun. Jane watched me in silence.

When I finally stopped, she turned away with a blank face. "Don't come here again. And don't fight me over Caleb. If you do, I won't go easy on you."

I stared at Jane's back, too shaken to move. I no longer had the courage to follow her.

Luckily, I didn't have class the next day. I texted Caleb that I was going home for a while, but instead of going there, I took a cab to the neighborhood I grew up in.

The place hadn't changed much over the years. After Kylie's sudden death from an illness, I'd cried so much that I made myself sick. I even fell into depression.

Desperate to give me a new start in a new environment, my parents decided to move to the city. Since then, our old apartment in the suburbs had been left to collect dust.

I pushed open the iron gate, and it gave a harsh screech. I was about to close the door when the one to the next unit cracked open.

A pair of dark eyes peered out through the crack in the door. A drunken man stared at me intently. After a long while, he asked uncertainly, "Are you Wendy Ziegler?"

I nodded. I recognized him as Mr. Jimmy Carter, the neighbor who used to buy candy for Kylie and me.

"Hi, Mr. Carter," I greeted him politely.

His face lit up, and he pulled the door wide open. "I haven't seen you in years. Come on in. What brings you back so late? Did you just feel like coming home?"

"I couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd have a look around here. I'll bring some food and drinks tomorrow so we can have a proper chat," I said, refusing politely.

Mr. Carter agreed right away. The next morning, he bought some fruit and set it out on the table. After taking a seat, I noticed a few pieces of candy on the coffee table.

"Do you remember these?" He smiled. "You and Ky loved them. It's just too bad she passed away from an illness. I still leave some on her grave every once in a while."

My eyes reddened. "I should've come back sooner to see you both."

Afraid that I was about to cry, Mr. Carter quickly changed the subject and asked about my life now. I answered all of his questions.

Suddenly, the door swung open. I turned around, only to meet Jane's eyes.

Her pupils dilated for a second, but she quickly composed herself and dropped the bag of groceries on the table. "Mr. Carter, who's this?"

"An old neighbor," Mr. Carter replied. "She's back to visit her friend."

I stood up and pretended we didn't know each other. "Hi, I'm Wendy Ziegler."

She snorted and pointed at the door. "Get out. I don't want strangers here."

"Don't be rude. Wendy rarely comes back. She's staying for lunch." Mr. Carter scolded Jane as he reached for the groceries. "I'll cook. You two wait. Don't leave, Wendy."

I nodded with a smile. The moment I turned my head, I met Jane's angry gaze.

She grabbed my arm and dragged me into the bedroom, slamming the door shut behind us. She was soaked in sweat, and her chest rose and fell as she struggled internally. I looked at her coldly.

She finally lifted her head. "You can't stay for lunch. You need to leave!"