23March
Im writing this down because the past few weeks have unfolded like a badly written soapopera, and I need to make sense of it all. My younger sister, Emily, burst out of our flat in Manchester this morning, eyes wide, clutching a cheap laptop.
Are you pregnant? I asked, genuinely surprised as she stepped out of the bathroom, her hair still damp.
She stared at me, then said, Why are you even here?
Sophie, our older sister, slammed her laptop shut and snapped, Did anyone ever tell you you cant take other peoples things without asking? She gave Emily a look that could have frozen water.
Seeing the tension, Emily slipped into the spare bedroom. That night she decided the only sensible thing was to leave the flat altogether Sophie was digging through her things for a recipe meant for Emily, and the atmosphere was getting poisonous.
Emilys love story began when she was twentythree, on a rainy evening on Deansgate. A stranger approached, handed her a single white rose with a long stem, and said, May I introduce myself? He was plainlooking, but there was an unmistakable charm about him, and he proved to be caring and attentive.
A month later Emily confessed that life without James seemed unimaginable. He felt the same, and within another month she moved into his twobed flat, leaving her cramped rented room behind. Six months after that, James proposed.
Shesshes Emily stammered, trying to describe me to Sophie. In short, I adore him and he feels the same.
Sincere congratulations, Sophie replied, her tone as dry as a summer biscuit.
Emily paid it no mind. Since Moms death, the only family Emily had left was Sophie.
Thanks, Emily sighed. Only problem is James is off on a threemonth workplacement to earn extra cash for our honeymoon.
Right, Sophie said, emotionless as ever. Ill let you know when the wedding date is set. Youre invited, of course.
Sure.
Its always been that way: Emily, the delicate, sensitive soul; Sophie, the stern, selfsufficient one. Emily feared introducing James to Sophie, worrying the older sister might not like him.
James called, Love, its only 500 miles away. Ill be back on weekends, or you can come to me. Their meetings were rareonce a month at bestbecause his job swallowed his time. The faster they set up the new flat, the sooner he could return, and Emily was willing to wait forever, knowing James was doing his best for both of them. She earned a modest sum as an assistant accountant, hardly enough to contribute much to their future.
In the second month of Jamess assignment, strange messages began arriving on Emilys phonefirst texts, then odd voice notes from a robotic-sounding number, warning her not to do anything that might upset him. The tone made her skin crawl. The number was untraceable, and the messages vanished after a few hours. She kept it to herself, though the dread lingered.
One evening a wooden doll appeared on her doorstep, fashioned with long chestnut hair and a face cut from a photographher face. The dolls chest was pierced with a large needle, and a scrap of paper was tied to it, bearing threats identical to those in the messages. Emilys heart raced; she felt faint and convinced herself she was ill, calling in sick to work. She didnt tell anyone, not even James, who was busy earning money. She brushed it off as a prank.
The next day, as she left the flat, a motorcyclist swerved dangerously close, almost clipping her. He seemed to aim for her, but stopped at the last second. Frightened, Emily jerked sideways, tangled her heel on a curb, and went crashing onto the pavement, hitting her head hard. A passerby, despite her protests, called an ambulance.
At the hospital doctors diagnosed a mild concussion, a couple of bruises, andsurprisinglypregnancy. Emily refused to stay in the hospital, claiming shed slipped on her own, and when she got home she realised she couldnt return to Jamess flat. Someone was clearly out to get her, and now she was carrying his child, so she had to protect it.
Can I crash at your place for a few days? she asked Sophie, who responded with a sigh, What happened? Did your beloved kick you out?
James is on a job, and
Fine, come over. Tell me everything.
Emily poured out the whole story: the cryptic messages, the doll, the nearaccident.
I dont want to distract James, she said, and I want to tell him about the baby in a proper wayhe likes things neat and tidy.
Sophie, realizing Emilys desperate state, permitted her to stay a couple of weeks, not more.
James had mentioned hed been granted two days off, promising to sort everything out when he returned. The siblings had sold the family house after Mum passed, splitting the proceeds. Sophie, with a stable job, took out a mortgage; Emily could only afford a small studio that was still under construction. The building was supposed to be completed six months ago, but it still wasnt. With nowhere else to go, Emily tried to keep a low profile, buying groceries, cooking, tidying up, but she could feel Sophies irritation each time she entered the flat.
Ten days later, Emilys phone froze and shut down while she was desperately searching for a medication online. Sophie, can I borrow your laptop? she shouted from the bathroom. She opened the laptop, and, as if fate were mocking her, the first letters she typed led the browser to a page titled Pregnancy Termination. The search history was full of queries about herbal concoctions and other dubious remedies.
Are you pregnant? Sophie asked, eyebrows raised as Emily reentered the room.
Emilys answer was a mixture of fear and defiance.
That night Emily slipped out early, thinking James would be back in a few days and she could survive until then. She had a million things to tell him, including her stay with Sophie, which she kept secret for fear of worrying him.
When James finally arrived, his face was stormy. He demanded to know who the childs father was.
Obviously you, Emily whispered, trembling. How did you know?
He stared at her for a minute, then lunged forward, grabbing her tightly. Im sorry, he muttered. I almost lost my mind when I got that mysterious message from an unknown number. Im a fool!
Emily burst into tears, then, once steadied, recounted the past months horrors. Jamess expression shifted from shock to pallor to embarrassment as she spoke.
I should have told you everything from the start, he said, voice breaking.
Emily listened as James revealed that three months before meeting her, he had been involved with Sophie. She had hinted at marriage, but something held him back. He confessed that he had driven Sophie to their first meeting, hoping to introduce her to Emily, but Sophie had refused. Hed then decided to pursue Emily outright.
Silence hung heavy.
Was it you all along? Emily asked, voice shaking.
Sophie, who had been watching from the doorway, answered coldly, Did you think you could steal my fiancé that easily? I was pregnant with him once and had an abortion. I didnt expect you to walk in on my plans.
James tried to explain, but the damage was done. Emily, eyes dry, swallowed her pride.
They married a month and a half later, with no fanfare, and their daughter was born on schedule. Emily cut off all contact with Sophie.
Looking back, I realise that secrets, no matter how wellconcealed, have a way of surfacing. The lesson I take from all this is that honesty, however painful, is always the better path; otherwise, the truth will find you in the most unsettling of ways.
