Chapter 4

"Saturday at 3:00 PM. Our usual spot. Everyone show up, we need to talk."

Sienna sent the message to our group chat, tagging me.

I knew exactly what this was about.

Our usual spot was a local café near our old university campus. The five of us had been meeting there regularly ever since graduation.

Me, Chloe, Sienna, Phoebe, and Maya.

When I arrived, the other four were already seated.

Chloe sat in the corner. The bruise on her left eye was mostly gone, covered with heavy concealer, but you could still see the faint yellowing if you looked closely.

The moment she saw me, her eyes welled up with tears.

Sienna spoke first.

"Harper, we’ve heard bits and pieces about what’s going on between you and Chloe. Let’s lay it all out today. Let's not make a scene on social media. It looks bad for everyone."

"How much does Chloe actually owe you?"

"Thirty-eight thousand dollars."

Chloe snapped her head up. "No, I don't! I paid you back for the first two times!"

I looked at her.

"Which ones? When? Where are the bank transfer receipts?"

Her lips trembled.

"I gave you cash! Did you forget? You’re doing this on purpose!"

Phoebe chimed in. "Harper, is it possible she did pay you back and you just forgot? You know how hard things were for Chloe back then; she was borrowing survival money. Even if she hasn't paid it all back, you don't need to threaten her with a lawsuit. It’s so cold."

Maya didn't say anything, just quietly stirred her coffee.

Sienna cleared her throat.

"Harper, we think—since you and Chloe have been friends for so long, you should work this out. How about this? Chloe pays you back $150 a month, slowly. And you drop the legal stuff."

One hundred and fifty dollars.

A month.

To pay back thirty-eight thousand dollars, it would take her twenty-one years.

Chloe nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! I’ll pay monthly, I swear."

She grabbed my hand. Her fingernails dug into my skin.

"Harper, please. Just don't go to court. If this goes on my record, I won't even be able to get a car loan..."

I pulled my hand back, leaving a row of white marks on my knuckles.

"Chloe. You and Wyatt just bought a two-bedroom condo with a $70,000 down payment. And you want to pay me back $150 a month?"

The café went dead silent for three seconds.

Phoebe broke the silence. "What condo? Chloe, aren't you breaking up with Wyatt?"

Chloe’s face went white, but she recovered instantly.

"Wyatt forced me! He used the house to trap me. He beats me if I don't agree—"

"You signed the deed yourself. You both pooled the down payment. You looked pretty happy holding those keys in the agent’s post. No bruises at all."

I laid the printed screenshots on the table, one by one.

Chloe’s eyes darted between the screenshots and the faces of the other three girls.

Then, she started crying.

This time, it was real. Not from sadness, but from being cornered.

"Harper! Are you trying to destroy my life?!"

She slammed her hands on the table. Her coffee cup tipped over, spilling all over the wood.

"Fine! I borrowed your money and didn't pay it back! But do you have any idea what my life has been like?! Abused by Wyatt, insulted by his mother—who cared about me? Only you!"

"I thought you actually cared, but all you care about is your stupid money!"

She pointed a shaking, tear-stained finger at me, her voice cracking.

"How are you any different from a loan shark?!"

Other customers in the café turned to stare at us.

Sienna quickly pulled her back down into her seat.

Phoebe wiped the table with napkins, muttering, "Harper, you’re too much. We came here to talk, and you pull a stunt like this. Chloe is wrong, but your attitude is horrible. Friends are supposed to help each other out. Remember when we graduated and you couldn't afford rent? Chloe lent you $500. Did you forget that?"

Five hundred dollars.

She was comparing five hundred dollars to thirty-eight thousand.

Maya finally looked up.

"I have a question."

She looked at Chloe.

"Chloe, you borrowed $5,000 from me last month. You said it was for a retainer fee for a divorce lawyer. You never hired one, did you?"

Silence fell over the table again.

Chloe’s crying cut off instantly, like a paused video.

Sienna gasped. "Chloe borrowed money from you too, Maya?"

Maya nodded. "And another $3,000 last year. She said she had an emergency medical bill."

She looked at me. "Harper, did she tell you the same 'breakup and moving' story?"

Chloe’s lips parted, but no sound came out.

Then, she did the most shocking thing of the afternoon.

She turned to Maya and smiled.

"Maya, what is that supposed to mean? Are you teaming up with Harper to attack me?"

Maya hesitated. "I’m just stating the facts."

"Facts? Let me state a fact then."

Chloe wiped her tears, reached into her bag, and pulled out her phone.

She brought up a chat log. It was a very flirtatious conversation with a man.

I recognized the profile picture.

It was Maya's husband’s coworker.

"Maya, I really didn't want to bring this up." Chloe’s voice was suddenly sweet and gentle. "We all have secrets, don't we?"

Maya’s face drained of color instantly.

The air in the café froze.

Chloe put her phone back in her bag, picked up her half-empty cup, and took a slow sip.

"You see, Harper? Everyone has a skeleton in their closet. Don't push me too hard."

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