Chapter 1

I took my best friend to court.

Because she stole three hundred thousand dollars from me, then turned around and called me cheap.

Twelve years of friendship, and all it came down to was a court summons.

It all started the night she called me crying for help.

"Nora, please help me. I honestly can't go on."

At 2:17 a.m., Rachel Holloway's call ripped me out of sleep.

She was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe, her voice raw and wrecked.

"The debt collectors are calling every single day. They tracked down my parents. My mom's blood pressure spiked—she's in the ER. If I can't pay this off, my whole family is done."

I propped myself up in bed with one hand, still half asleep.

"How much?"

"Three hundred thousand."

I didn't say anything.

Three hundred thousand dollars was not a small number. Even with a decent salary, that was months of saving scraped together.

But Rachel and I had known each other for twelve years.

All through college, when her family was strapped, I was the one who loaded her meal card. I covered her security deposit when she rented her first apartment after graduation. I paid her living expenses for the six months she spent job hunting.

Twelve years of friendship, and she'd never once asked to borrow anything close to this.

"Let me help you with half first. For the rest, see if your family can pitch in, or ask some other friends."

"Okay?"

Two seconds of silence on the other end.

"Nora, can you transfer it right now? The collectors are coming to the door tomorrow morning. I'm terrified."

"I can't send that much in the middle of the night. First thing tomorrow, I'll go to the bank."

"Then open Venmo—you can split it into a few transfers. Please."

She was pushing hard. It made me uncomfortable, but I opened Venmo anyway.

The moment I typed in my password, Rachel said—

"Actually, just give me your account and password. I know the fastest way to do it."

Her voice had steadied considerably. There was even a hint of entitlement in it.

I hesitated.

"I'll transfer it myself. Just send me your payment link."

"That's too slow! Just give me your password and I'll do it from my end. Two minutes, done."

I refused.

Fifteen minutes later, she showed up at my door.

Red, swollen eyes. Hair a mess. Still in pajamas. Shaking all over.

I caved. I let her in.

"Sit down, have some water. I'll send you one hundred and fifty thousand right now."

She took the glass, didn't drink, set it on the coffee table.

While I was looking down at my phone making the transfer, she suddenly leaned over and pointed at the screen—

"Nora, you entered the wrong account number."

Instinctively, I tilted the phone toward her so she could see.

That tilt was all it took. The phone never came back.

Her fingers flew across the screen. Before I could even register what was happening, three consecutive transfer notifications chimed.

One hundred thousand.

One hundred thousand.

One hundred thousand.

"Rachel!"

I lunged for the phone. She'd already stepped back, handing it to me, her face carrying the exhausted look of someone who'd been crying.

"Girl, it's just money—why are you being so weird about it? You make six figures. Helping me out is nothing. Don't be so cheap."

I stared at the transaction history in Venmo. Three hundred thousand dollars. Every last cent. All transferred to her account.

"I said I'd help you with half."

"What's the difference? You don't need the money anyway. I'll pay you back eventually once I get back on my feet."

She wasn't crying anymore. Her tone was as casual as if we were discussing what to have for dinner.

I gripped the phone, a weight pressing on my chest so heavy I couldn't breathe.

But I didn't blow up.

Twelve years. I knew Rachel. She really had been pushed to the edge. People do reckless things when they're desperate.

"Rachel, I won't rush you on the three hundred thousand, but you need to write me an IOU."

She blinked, then laughed.

"Us? An IOU? Come on, that's so formal."

"Three hundred thousand isn't three hundred. Write one. It gives us both peace of mind."

Reluctantly, she scrawled a few lines on the paper I handed her and signed it.

Date, amount, repayment deadline—one year.

She took a copy. I kept the original.

At the door, she looked back and said: "Nora, you're the best friend I've ever had. I'll never forget this as long as I live."

After the door closed, I sat in the living room for a long time.

Something felt off. I just couldn't put my finger on it.