Id just stepped out of my sisters flat when she popped her head out of the bathroom, eyes wide.
Are you pregnant? she blurted, surprised. Why are you even here?
Did anyone ever tell you you cant just take other peoples things without asking? Rebecca snapped, slamming the laptop shut and giving me a hard stare.
I realised it was best to retreat to the other bedroom. That night I decided the only sensible thing was to get out of that flat altogether Rebecca was hunting for a recipe for me, for Emily!
Emily, my younger sister, had met the love of her life at twentythree, right on the high street. A stranger walked up to her, handed her a white rose on a long stem and asked if shed like to be introduced.
He was unremarkable looking, but there was a quiet charisma about him, and he turned out to be incredibly caring and attentive.
A month later Emily confessed that she couldnt imagine life without James. He felt the same, and within another month shed moved into his twobed flat from her cramped rented room.
Six months on, the fellow popped the question.
Shesshes, Emily stammered, trying to describe her fiancé to her elder sister Rebecca. In short, I adore him and he feels the same.
Congratulations, Rebecca said dryly.
Emily brushed off the tone. She and Rebecca had always been a bit strained, but after Mums death Emily had no close family left except her sister.
Thanks! she sighed. Only problem is James is off on a threemonth assignment to earn extra money for our honeymoon.
I see, Rebecca replied, voice flat as ever.
Ill let you know when the weddings set. Youre, of course, invited.
Right.
It was always like that: Emily gentle, impressionable, delicate, and easily hurt; Rebecca serious, hardheaded, and fiercely independent.
Emily even feared introducing James to Rebecca, worrying he might not like her.
James called her one evening: Love, its only about 500 miles away. Ill be back for weekends, or you can come over.
But they could only meet once a month because his work kept him busy. The quicker they set everything up, the sooner hed return. Emily was prepared to wait forever she earned barely enough as an assistant accountant to help their future family.
Two weeks into Jamess stint, strange messages started appearing on Emilys phone first texts, then voiced recordings from a robotic tone warning her not to do anything that might upset him. The messages vanished after a few hours, and the caller ID was a bizarre number that couldnt be called back.
She kept quiet, though the threats sent a chill down her spine. Then, one morning, she found a voodoolike doll on her doorstep: long chestnut hair, a face cut from a photo, a needle stabbed through its chest, and a slip of paper with threats matching the messages.
The sight made Emily feel sick; her sensitive nature reacted instantly. She called in sick, citing a fever that didnt exist, and didnt tell anyone. The only person who might have felt sorry for her was James, but she didnt want to bother him while he was earning money. Just silly jokes, she told herself.
She had no friends and no enemies, so perhaps someone on Jamess side was trying to stir trouble. When James gets back well sort this out, she thought, trying to push the bad thoughts away.
Two days later, as she stepped out of the courtyard, a motorcyclist swerved terrifyingly close, almost knocking her down. He seemed to aim the bike at her, braking at the last instant. Startled, Emily leapt to the side, caught her heel on the curb and tumbled headfirst onto the pavement.
A passerby, despite her protests, called an ambulance. In hospital she learned shed suffered a mild concussion, a few bruises and was pregnant. She refused admission, said shed slipped on her own, and when she got home realised she couldnt go back to Jamess flat.
Someone was clearly out to get her, and she couldnt afford to take any more risks she was now carrying Jamess child.
Can I crash at your place for a few days? she begged Rebecca over the phone.
What happened? Rebecca asked, irritated. Did your boyfriend throw you out?
James is on a work trip and
Right, fine. Come over, well talk.
Emily spilled everything: the messages, the doll, the nearaccident.
I dont want to distract James, she sighed, and I want to tell him about the baby myself.
Honestly, I dont run a hostel, Rebecca said, bringing Emily back down to earth, but softened when she saw how ragged Emily looked. A couple of weeks, no more than that.
That was a relief. James had mentioned hed be granted two days off soon, so theyd sort everything out then.
It felt awkward to lean on Rebecca. After Mums death theyd sold the family house, splitting the proceeds. Rebecca, with a steady job and good salary, took out a mortgage; Emily could only afford a modest studio that was still under construction. The developers were supposed to hand over the keys six months ago, but nothing had happened.
So Emily had nowhere else to go. She tried to stay out of Rebeccas sight, bought groceries, cooked, kept the flat tidy, but she could feel her sisters irritation.
Ten days later her phone froze and died while she was desperately searching for a medication online.
Rebecca, can I borrow your laptop? she shouted from the bathroom, ripping it open before anyone could answer.
It was a coincidence that the first letters she typed brought up a search for pregnancy termination, with a flood of related queries and homebrew concoctions.
Are you pregnant? Rebecca asked, eyes widening as she emerged from the bathroom. Why are you here?
Did anyone ever tell you you cant take other peoples stuff without asking? Rebecca snapped again, slamming the laptop shut.
Emily realised she should retreat to another room. That night she decided the only way out was to leave the flat quietly at dawn. In a few days James would be back, and shed survive until then.
There was so much she needed to tell him including her brief stay with Rebecca, which shed kept quiet to avoid burdening her.
Fortunately James finally broke free from his assignment, but he arrived looking sour, demanding to know who the babys father was.
Of course its you! Emily snapped, genuinely frightened. How do you even know?
He stared at her for a minute, then lunged forward and wrapped his arms around her.
I’m sorry! I nearly lost it when that unknownnumber message came through. Im an idiot! he blurted.
Emily burst into tears, then, once calm, recounted the past months bizarre events. Jamess expression flickered from shock to pallor to embarrassment.
Sorry, he said again after she finished. I should have told you everything from the start.
Emilys face shifted between pale, stunned, and wiping away tears.
James confessed that three months before meeting Emily hed been seeing Rebecca. Shed even hinted at marriage a pushy girl, he admitted but something held him back.
I drove Rebecca to meet you and asked her to set us up, he said. She refused.
I didnt leave the room then, but James went on, I never left, I saw you, Emily I fell for you straight away. It wasnt about your sister at all.
A heavy silence fell.
The very next day I told Rebecca we were done. I set a trap for you so we could finally meet.
Emilys trembling hand dialed Rebecca.
Is this true? Is it you? she asked, voice steady.
Did you think you could snatch my fiancé away? Rebecca replied after a pause. I was pregnant with him once, had an abortion, and now whats left?
Emilys eyes welled, but she pressed send and stared at the wall, dryeyed.
They married a month and a half later with no fanfare, and a daughter was born on schedule. Emily no longer speaks to Rebecca at all.
