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My Best Friend's Stand-In: The Other Woman Chapter 10
"One of the clients said that Caleb's tongue was useless. He suggested we just cut it out."Mr. Carter hummed in acknowledgment.The cellar door shut, and moments later, a scream tore through the air.Months passed, and leaves budded fresh green again. News broke that the three missing guys had been found in an abandoned shed on the outskirts of town. Around the same time, Mr. Carter had hung himself in his own home.On paper, "Jane" was his only relative, so she inherited the modest savings he'd left behind.She and I continued to see each other in private just like we used to when we were kids. But to the outside world, there was nothing between us.Then came my birthday.I took a big cake over to celebrate with Kylie, but she was already drunk. She clung to me and slurred nonstop."You knew it was me the very first time you helped me carry my luggage, didn't you?""No.""Then why did you slip your phone into my desk drawer and pretend you'd lost it?"I froze.She gave a
My Best Friend's Stand-In: The Other Woman Chapter 9
Jane nodded instinctively before she realized I was baiting her.The weight I'd carried for years finally lifted off my chest. The best friend I'd mourned for years wasn't dead.Jane was Kylie.No one would go that far to get vengeance—not unless they were the victim themselves.I didn't bother asking how she'd faked her death or why she hadn't gone straight for Mr. Carter. But Mr. Carter's reaction surprised me. It seemed like he already knew the reason. Smiling bitterly at me, he said, "Think of it as me atoning for my sins."Kylie glared at him before turning away. "You could've ignored it again like you did years ago. Why help me now?""Because I've lived in regret every day since you disappeared."That stormy night, I'd hidden in the corner and watched as the man I'd once respected showed his true nature and forced himself on Kylie. I could still hear his ragged breathing, rendering my legs useless.Kylie reached a trembling hand toward me as she silently begged for my h
My Best Friend's Stand-In: The Other Woman Chapter 8
While I was lost in thought, Caleb crashed his lips against mine. At the same time, I felt him fumbling with his belt and lowering his pants. "Babe, I've missed you so much. Help me out," he whispered.That was when it hit me—that awful, yet familiar stench. It came from between his legs.I knew exactly how Jane planned to get back at them.But could someone really go that far for another person?Before I could react, Caleb scrambled to fasten his belt. "Babe, you don't look well, so let's forget it. We'll wait until your period's over."Then, he bolted out the door without hesitation.I stood in silence and watched him run off, then quietly snapped a photo and sent it to Jane.Her reply came quickly. "Why are you still with him? He's already betrayed you! We've been sleeping together for a while!"Her fury was palpable even through the screen.It reminded me of how my previous best friends used to talk. We used to point out each other's boyfriends' flaws and urge each other t
My Best Friend's Stand-In: The Other Woman Chapter 7
"Wendy, didn't you say you were going home? What are you doing in a place like this?"The moment my eyes locked with Caleb's, a horrifying suspicion clawed its way into my mind.I tried to speak, but it felt as if someone had closed their hand around my throat. I couldn't say a word.Caleb stepped closer, his stare boring into me with suspicion. "Wendy, I asked you a question."That finally snapped me back to reality. I stammered out some nonsense about my hometown being close by.Cassie's face lit up in surprise, and she grabbed my hand. "So you're Caleb's girlfriend! Look at you, all soaked. Don't be shy and change into some dry clothes. I'll make you some coffee."I nodded mechanically, unable to process a word she said. Instead, what she'd said earlier echoed relentlessly in my ears."There were three of them."Kylie had been raped by three guys.My thoughts snapped back to the night I'd sent that message in Caleb's group chat with his friends. That group chat had three me
My Best Friend's Stand-In: The Other Woman Chapter 6
Mr. Carter offered to go look for Kylie. Dad immediately reached for an umbrella, saying, "Jimmy, let me go with you.""It's Wendy's birthday today. If you come with me, she'll be left all alone. You three should be together as a family. I'll go look for Kylie myself," he replied.Hearing that, Dad gave in. They had no idea that I was upstairs in my room, clutching the phone Kylie had given me. I called her repeatedly, but no one ever answered.A heavy sense of unease settled over me.While Mom and Dad were busy in the kitchen, I slipped out with an umbrella and quietly disappeared into the storm.That stormy night had haunted me for years. It felt like a nightmare that I could never wake from.Lost in thought, I didn't even realize I was walking in the rain without an umbrella. By the time I snapped back to reality, I was standing right where it had all happened.But the street wasn't the same anymore. Now, vendors lined both sides, scrambling to save their drenched goods.O
My Best Friend's Stand-In: The Other Woman Chapter 5
Jane had snapped without thinking, but she quickly caught herself. Turning away, she rephrased her sentence. "This is my house. I don't want you here.""I don't recall Mr. Carter having any relatives your age," I shot back.When we were kids, Kylie and I were always at Mr. Carter's place. It was always stocked with toys and dolls. He even left the front door unlocked so we could come and go as we pleased.All the neighborhood kids adored him, but he was always alone.Mom once told me that he'd never married. People tried to set him up with someone, but he always just brushed them off politely. I'd never seen any relatives visit him either.I stepped closer to Jane and grabbed her wrist. "Who are you really?"My eyes drifted up to her hair, which was pulled back with a plain elastic today. Last night, however, I'd seen it clearly with the dim light of my phone. She'd been wearing the hair tie Kylie and I made."What's your connection to Kylie?"Jane let out a sharp laugh. Half
