Chapter 3: The Roommate Who Knew Too Much
For a few seconds, nobody moved.
Not because we didn't understand the name.
Because we did.
Jasmine Carter.
My roommate.
My friend.
The person who knew where I kept my spare keys.
The person who had eaten dinner at my apartment more times than I could count.
The person who had sat on my couch and listened when I complained about everything going wrong.
And apparently, the person whose name was now sitting on my lease file.
"I don't understand," I said.
My voice sounded strange.
Like it belonged to someone else.
Marlene looked at me carefully.
"Are you saying you did not authorize this request?""
"No.""
I shook my head.
"No. I didn't.""
Dale leaned against the edge of the desk.
"When was it submitted?""
Marlene clicked through the records.
"Yesterday afternoon.""
My stomach dropped.
Yesterday.
I remembered yesterday.
I remembered leaving work early because I had a headache.
I remembered Jasmine sitting at the kitchen table when I got home.
She had been acting normal.
Too normal.
"Can we see the request?"" Dale asked.
Marlene hesitated.
"Only the account holder can request certain records.""
I looked at her.
"I am the account holder.""
She nodded.
"Then I can pull it up.""
Her fingers moved across the keyboard.
The printer beside her started humming.
A few seconds later, a stack of papers appeared.
Marlene picked them up.
She handed them to me.
The first page looked harmless.
My name.
My apartment number.
My lease information.
Then I saw the signature section.
My name was typed.
But beneath it was a digital signature.
A line of text.
"Submitted by: Jasmine Carter.""
I stared at it.
"She couldn't do this.""
Dale looked at me.
"Why?""
Because I didn't have an answer.
Because saying someone couldn't betray you didn't mean they wouldn't.
"Because she's my friend.""
Dale's expression didn't change.
"That's not the same as saying she didn't.""
The words hurt because they were practical.
Not cruel.
Not angry.
Just true.
My mom reached for my hand.
"Kendra, when did she move in?""
I looked at her.
"Eight months ago.""
"And she has access to your email?""
"Only when I needed help.""
My mom exchanged a glance with Dale.
I noticed.
"What?""
Neither answered.
"What?""
Dale looked at me.
"Did Jasmine know about the guarantor?""
I swallowed.
"Yes.""
"How?""
I looked down.
"Because we talked about rent.""
"How much did you tell her?""
I didn't answer.
Because suddenly I remembered every conversation.
Every casual comment.
Every complaint.
"I hate feeling like I'm depending on people.""
"I wish I could prove I can do this alone.""
"I can't wait until I don't need anyone's help.""
At the time, those words had just been frustration.
But maybe someone else heard them differently.
Maybe someone used them.
Marlene placed another page on the desk.
"There is something else.""
I looked up.
"What?""
"The request wasn't just to remove Mr. Dawson.""
She pointed at the paper.
"It also included a statement about changing the payment responsibility.""
My eyebrows pulled together.
"What does that mean?""
Marlene looked uncomfortable.
"It means whoever submitted this wanted future rent obligations reviewed.""
Dale straightened.
"Reviewed how?""
She looked at the screen.
"They requested the account be updated based on current household income.""
I frowned.
"My income?""
Marlene nodded.
"Yes.""
A cold feeling moved through me.
"Why would Jasmine do that?""
Nobody answered.
Then my mom quietly said:
"Maybe she wanted something.""
I looked at her.
"Like what?""
My mom didn't say anything.
She didn't need to.
The answer came to me.
The apartment.
My apartment.
The one everyone had been calling mine for two years.
The one with the cheap rent because I had signed before prices increased.
The one near downtown that people were now struggling to find.
Jasmine had moved in because she needed somewhere affordable.
But after eight months, she knew exactly what it was worth.
I grabbed my phone.
"I need to call her.""
Dale looked at me.
"Right now?""
"Yes.""
My hands were already shaking as I opened my contacts.
Jasmine answered after two rings.
"Hey! What's up?""
Her voice was cheerful.
Too cheerful.
I stepped away from everyone.
"Jasmine, where are you?""
A pause.
"I'm at home. Why?""
"Did you contact my leasing office?""
Another pause.
Small.
Almost invisible.
But I heard it.
"What?""
"Did you send a request about my lease?""
"Kendra, what are you talking about?""
Her voice changed.
Not much.
Just enough.
"I know a request was submitted.""
Silence.
Then she laughed.
A nervous laugh.
"Okay, wait. You're making this sound like I hacked your account or something.""
I looked through the glass office door.
Dale was watching me.
"I didn't say that.""
"But you're thinking it.""
I closed my eyes.
"Jasmine.""
"What?""
"Why is your name on a lease request?""
Another pause.
Longer this time.
"I was trying to help you.""
The answer shocked me.
"What?""
"I was trying to help.""
My grip tightened around the phone.
"How is removing my guarantor helping me?""
"Because you always complain about Dale.""
My eyebrows pulled together.
"What?""
"You literally say all the time that you hate owing him.""
I felt my face get hot.
"I never asked you to remove him.""
"I know.""
"Then why?""
Her voice became softer.
"Because you need to stand on your own.""
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"You don't get to decide that.""
"Kendra—"
"No.""
I walked farther away.
"You don't get to go behind my back and change my lease because you think you know what's best for me.""
She sighed.
"I wasn't trying to hurt you.""
"Then why didn't you tell me?""
No answer.
That was the answer.
"Jasmine.""
"What?""
"Did you sign my name?""
Her breathing changed.
Just slightly.
But enough.
I felt my stomach twist.
"Jasmine?""
"I used the portal.""
"That's not what I asked.""
Silence.
Then:
"I used your saved information.""
I stopped walking.
The hallway suddenly felt colder.
"You used my saved information?""
"You left your account open before.""
My voice dropped.
"You signed my name.""
"I didn't think it would matter.""
The sentence hit harder than anything else.
It wouldn't matter.
To her.
Not to me.
Not to Dale.
Not to the person whose name she erased.
I whispered:
"You didn't think it would matter.""
"Kendra, calm down.""
"No.""
I looked back at Dale.
He was no longer watching me.
He was looking at the floor.
Like he already knew.
"I need you to tell me something.""
"What?""
"Did you remove Dale because I asked you to?""
"No.""
"Did you remove Dale because I told you I didn't want him involved?""
"No.""
"Then why?""
The silence stretched.
Finally, Jasmine answered.
"Because I wanted the apartment.""
The world went quiet.
"What?""
"I didn't know how else to say it.""
My heart started pounding.
"You wanted my apartment?""
"I didn't mean it like that.""
"Then how did you mean it?""
She sighed.
"You pay way less than anything else around here. Your lease is almost impossible to get now. I thought if Dale wasn't attached, maybe you wouldn't renew.""
I couldn't speak.
Because suddenly everything made sense.
The weird questions.
The comments.
The way she had asked how much my rent was.
The way she had joked that I was lucky.
She wasn't just curious.
She was calculating.
"Kendra?""
I didn't answer.
"Kendra, say something.""
I looked through the office window.
Dale stood beside my mom.
The man who had guaranteed my home for two years.
The man I had reduced to a signature.
And now I was realizing someone else had looked at that same signature and seen an opportunity.
I ended the call.
When I walked back into the office, Dale looked at my face.
He didn't ask.
He already knew.
My mom stood.
"What happened?""
I looked at Dale.
Then at the blank guarantor line.
"She wanted the apartment.""
Dale's expression tightened.
"Kendra...""
"I know.""
For the first time that morning, I wasn't angry.
I wasn't defensive.
I wasn't trying to prove I was right.
I just felt embarrassed.
Because the person I trusted had tried to take something from me.
And the person I dismissed had been the one protecting me.
Marlene gathered the paperwork.
"I need to freeze the renewal request until this is resolved.""
I nodded.
"Okay.""
Dale picked up his pen from the counter.
The same pen he had placed down.
For a second, I thought he might sign.
I wanted him to.
More than I wanted to admit.
But he only put it back in his pocket.
Not yet.
Outside, the rain continued falling against the windows.
Then Marlene's computer made a notification sound.
She looked at the screen.
Her face changed.
Again.
"What now?"" my mom asked.
Marlene slowly turned the monitor toward us.
"There is one more document attached.""
Dale frowned.
"What document?""
Marlene clicked it open.
"It was uploaded after the guarantor removal request.""
I stepped closer.
"What is it?""
Marlene looked at the page.
Then at me.
"It's a roommate agreement.""
My stomach tightened.
"Between who?""
She looked back at the screen.
And read the names at the top.
"Kendra Dawson...""
A pause.
"And Jasmine Carter.""
Then she added quietly:
"But this agreement says something neither of you mentioned.""
I stared at her.
"What?""
Marlene turned the page around.
The first sentence was highlighted.
And it changed everything.
"Jasmine isn't listed as your roommate.""
I looked at the paper.
Then at Dale.
May you like
Then back at Marlene.
"Then what is she listed as?""
