Emily bolted out of her sisters flat.
Are you pregnant? Charlotte, fresh from the bathroom, asked, eyes wide. Why are you here?
You never heard that you cant just take other peoples stuff without asking? Charlotte snapped, slamming her laptop shut and fixing Emily with a sharp stare.
Emily realised it was best to retreat to another room. That night she decided shed probably be better off ditching the flat altogether Charlotte was busy hunting down some recipe for her, for Emily!
When Emily was 23, she met the love of her life right on the high street. A stranger walked up to her, handed her a white rose on a long stem and said hello.
He looked completely ordinary, but hed got that unmistakable charisma and turned out to be incredibly caring and attentive.
A month later Emily confessed she couldnt picture life without James. He felt the same, and another month on shed moved in with him, swapping her rented room for his twobed flat.
Six months after that James popped the question.
Shesshes Emily stammered, trying to find the right words for her older sister Charlotte. I adore him, and he adores me.
Congratulations, Charlotte said, dry as ever.
Emily didnt mind the tone. She and Charlotte had always been a bit strained, but after Mums death, Charlotte was the only family Emily had left.
Thanks! she exhaled. Only thing is James is off for three months, earning extra cash for our honeymoon.
Right, Charlotte replied, her voice still emotionless. Ill let you know the wedding date. Youre invited, of course.
Sure, Emily said.
Thats how it always was: Emily gentle, impressionable, delicate and vulnerable; Charlotte serious, tough, independent.
Emily even hesitated to introduce James to Charlotte, fearing she might not like him.
James called: Love, its only about 500 miles away. Ill be back on weekends or you can come over. But they only managed one meetup a month because his workload was huge.
The faster they got everything set up and connected, the sooner hed return. Emily was ready to wait forever after all, James was doing his best for both of them, and her modest assistantaccountant salary didnt help the future family much.
Strange messages started popping up first texts, then voice notes once Jamess second month on the road began. A robotic voice warned Emily not to do anything that might upset him, insisting she should stay on guard because the wedding could bring terrible trouble.
The voice sent shivers down Emilys spine. The number was odd, impossible to call back, and the messages vanished after a few hours. She kept it to herself, though she was genuinely frightened.
Then she found a voodoolike doll on her doorstep, with long chestnut hair and a face cut out of a photo basically her likeness. The dolls chest was pierced with a large needle, and a scrap of paper with threats was tied to it, mimicking the earlier messages.
Emily felt sick instantly; her sensitive nature reacted at once. She called in sick, claiming a fever that didnt exist, but didnt tell anyone else.
Only James could have felt sorry for her, but she didnt want to bother him while he was busy making money. Silly stuff, stupid jokes, she told herself. Who was behind it? She had no friends, no enemies, so maybe someone on Jamess side was stirring the pot.
Once James is back well sort everything out, she thought, trying to shake the bad thoughts away.
Two days later, as she was leaving the courtyard, a motorcyclist nearly ran her down. He swerved at the last second, missing her, but the scare made Emily jump, catch her heel on the curb and tumble hard onto the pavement, bruising her head.
A passerby, despite her protests, called an ambulance and she ended up in the hospital. They found a mild concussion, a couple of bruises and she was pregnant.
She refused to be admitted, blamed the fall on herself, and once home realised she couldnt go back to Jamess flat.
Someone was clearly out to get her, aggressively so. She couldnt risk anything now she was carrying Jamess child and needed to protect it.
Could I stay with you for a few days? Emily begged Charlotte. Whats happened? Charlotte answered, annoyed. Did your boyfriend throw you out?
James is on a work trip and Emily trailed off.
Right, come over and tell me everything, Charlotte said.
Emily spilled the whole mess the messages, the doll, the nearmiss with the bike. I dont want to distract James, she sighed. I want to tell him about the baby in person, make it beautiful he loves that.
Charlotte softened a bit, I dont have a hostel, but a couple of weeks wont hurt. That was a relief. James had mentioned getting a couple of days off soon, so things would settle when he was back.
Emily felt guilty for imposing. After Mum died theyd sold the family house and split the money. Charlotte landed a mortgage thanks to her stable job and decent salary, while Emily could only afford a tiny studio that was still a shell.
The house was supposed to be handed over six months ago, but that still hadnt happened, so Emily really had nowhere else to go. She tried not to be in Charlottes way, bought groceries, cooked, kept the flat tidy, yet she could feel Charlottes irritation.
Ten days later her phone froze and died while she was searching desperately for a medication online. Charlotte, can I borrow your laptop? she shouted from the bathroom, slamming the laptop open.
Coincidentally, the first letters she typed triggered a search result for pregnancy termination. The page was full of dubious remedies.
Thats when the whole thing looped back: Are you pregnant? Charlotte asked, fresh from the bathroom. Why are you here?
You never learned you cant just take someone elses stuff without asking? Charlotte snapped, closing the laptop.
Emily decided it was better to leave the flat early the next morning. James would be back in a few days and shed manage.
She had so much to tell him including her stay with Charlotte, which shed kept quiet to avoid bothering him. Luckily James finally broke free from work, but he arrived looking angry, demanding to know who the babys father was.
Of course its you! What are you thinking? Emily panicked. How do you even know?
He stared at her for a minute, then lunged forward, gripping her tightly. Im sorry! I almost lost it when that unknown number messaged me. Im such a
Emily burst into tears, then calmed down and recounted her monthlong adventures. Jamess expression shifted repeatedly surprise, pallor, embarrassment.
Sorry, he breathed again after she finished. I shouldve told you everything from the start.
Emily went from pale to stunned, wiping tears away. James admitted that three months before they met, hed been seeing Charlotte. Shed even hinted at marriage, but something held him back.
I drove Charlotte to meet you, asked her to set us up shes my sister, after all but she said no. I didnt leave right away; I saw you and fell for you instantly. Youre my woman, not my sister
A heavy silence fell.
The next day I told Charlotte it was over and set a trap to meet you. Everything after that you already know.
Emily, shaking, called Charlotte. Is this true? Was it you?
Did you think you could just steal my fiancé? Charlotte replied after a pause. I was actually pregnant with him, had an abortion. Who knows what else
Whatever, Emily whispered. I didnt know
Of course not! I hoped youd both get dumped, but now its wedding, baby, everything. How are you better than me?
Emily pressed reset, stared at the wall with dry eyes.
They married a month and a half later, without any big ceremony, and their daughter arrived on schedule. Emily cut all ties with Charlotte.
