Chapter 5: The Woman Before Me
I met Laura the next morning.
She chose a small park away from crowds.
Away from cameras.
Away from people who might recognize Megan’s name.
The first thing she said when she saw me was:
“I’m sorry.””
I sat across from her.
“Why?””
“Because I know what it feels like to realize your best friend wasn’t your friend.””
Those words hit me harder than I expected.
Laura looked down.
“Megan and I were close for years.””
“Like me.””
She nodded.
“Exactly like you.””
I waited.
“What happened?””
Laura took a deep breath.
“She became obsessed with my husband.””
My stomach tightened.
“Did she sit on his lap too?””
Laura looked surprised.
Then she nodded slowly.
“Yes.””
The world felt smaller.
“How many times?””
“Enough.””
She showed me messages.
Megan sending jokes.
Megan flirting.
Megan pretending everything was innocent.
Then Laura showed me the final message.
The one that ended their friendship.
It said:
*“Some women don’t appreciate what they have. Someone else should.””*
I stared at the screen.
The same pattern.
The same words.
The same game.
“She does this every time,” Laura said.
“What does she want?””
Laura looked at me.
“She wants to prove she can take something from another woman.””
I felt sick.
“She doesn’t even want the men?””
“Sometimes she does.””
“Sometimes?””
Laura nodded.
“Sometimes she just wants to win.””
I thought about Ryan.
About Daniel.
About myself.
Megan wasn’t chasing love.
She was chasing power.
When I got home, Daniel was waiting.
“We need to talk.””
His voice sounded different.
Serious.
“What happened?””
He handed me his phone.
“There’s something else.””
I looked at the screen.
A message thread.
From Megan.
To Daniel.
My hands started shaking.
The first message was from three months ago.
*Megan: One day she’ll see you don’t belong with her.*
The second:
*Megan: I’m just waiting for the right moment.*
The third message was sent the night of Ryan’s birthday.
Only minutes before she sat on his lap.
I read it.
And every piece of the puzzle fell into place.
*Megan: Tonight she finally sees what happens when someone stops pretending.*
I looked up at Daniel.
“She planned all of this.””
He nodded.
Then my phone buzzed.
A message from Megan.
One sentence.
No explanation.
No apology.
May you like
Just a warning.
*“You should really ask Daniel who he was talking to after midnight last night.””*
