After my sole buddy disappeared and everyone pretended nothing had happened, I realized that my new neighborhood had secrets, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to find them.
I felt as though I had entered a dream when I moved into the peaceful, gated community. White picket fences, immaculate hedges, and homes that looked like they belonged in a lifestyle magazine lined the streets.
I gripped the keys and muttered, “This is it.”
“A new beginning.”
Inside, the house was vast, peaceful, and pristine—everything I had hoped for. Golden streaks appeared on the wooden floors as sunlight poured in through the windows. However, as I unpacked, I began to feel nervous, like if someone was watching me.
I shook my head and muttered, “Get a grip, Clara.”
I peered through the blinds because I was so curious. A man stood at his window across the street, gazing.
Even when our gazes locked, he didn’t turn away. His stare was intrusive, as if he could look right through me.
“Who does that?” I drew the drapes and murmured.
I met Victoria the following day. As I struggled with supermarket bags, her voice disturbed the quiet.
“You must be new!” she exclaimed as she approached me.
Startled, I said, “I am.”
She grinned and replied, “Don’t worry.” “My name is Victoria.
Greetings from the neighborhood.
I shook her hand and said, “Clara.”
She grinned and said, “Let me guess.” “Collin has been observing?”
She chuckled quietly when I nodded.
Victoria’s warmth and charm became a wonderful diversion, and she became a lifeline.
But Collin’s interest developed along with our connection. He was no longer merely observing from his window. He paced the pavement, stayed close to my mailbox, and appeared to be waiting on his porch.
I contacted Victoria one evening because I couldn’t stand being by myself with him out there. Would you want to join us for dinner?
I felt instantly at ease in her presence. I had the guts to talk about it over dinner.
She refilled our glasses and asked, “So, why this neighborhood?”
“I’m divorcing my spouse. David.
I acknowledged that he was a despot. “I’m hiding here while the divorce is being processed. No one would trust me, even if everyone believes he is flawless.
“No, I must clarify.
I showed her a picture and said, “This is him.”
Victoria gripped her glass more tightly. Her eyes lost their warmth.
“It’s just that he looks familiar.”
She attempted to ignore it, but the remainder of the evening felt tense.
“Clara, don’t worry,” she said. “I’ll keep your secrets safe.”
I wanted to take her word for it.
I felt lighter for the first time in months.
However, Victoria vanished the following morning. Collin was watching from his porch across the street.
Nobody mentioned Victoria, not even in passing.
Her absence was like a ripple that disappeared before it could reach the coast. It felt unsettling, like if she had been obliterated.
I remarked, “Maybe that’s just how people are in small towns,” as I saw Mrs.
Unconcerned, Peterson watered her flowers.
I wanted to ask her, say Victoria’s name, and see if she would respond, but I refrained.
I found it odd that there was silence regarding her disappearance. From someone as vibrant and endearing as Victoria, you would anticipate at least a remark.
However, nothing was present.
After pacing my living room for what seemed like hours one evening, I came to a decision.
I grabbed my coat and murmured, “I need answers.”
As I got closer to Victoria’s residence, the sun had just set. The porch light flickered faintly, and her curtains were drawn. Everything didn’t feel right.
Too empty, too still. At the door, I stopped before grabbing the handle.
As if it hadn’t been locked, the door creaked open with ease.
The slight smell of her perfume stayed inside.
The living room appeared unaltered. A teacup with its contents dried into a dark stain was on the counter, and books were on the sofa table.
She seemed to have disappeared in the middle of the day.
A picture of Victoria and a young kid, perhaps eight years old, with a cheeky smile caught my attention on the mantel. His visage reminded me of something.
“Why does he seem familiar?” I brushed the frame and whispered.
The sound of the front door creaking open stopped me in my tracks before I could continue to contemplate. The sound of footsteps reverberated throughout the house, making my heart race.
I ran into a small closet in a panic, covering my lips with my hands to keep quiet.
I watched Victoria enter the room through the slats.
When I noticed who was accompanying her, I knew the answer.
I felt sick to my stomach when I saw him with Victoria.
Victoria remarked, “She lives next door.” “You must address this before she destroys everything.”
David nodded, his expression calculating and dark—the same expression I had witnessed numerous times in private.
My chest constricted. My friend and my spouse, plotting together. And I was the target of their plot.
I could feel the closet’s walls becoming closer. Each of my shallow, rapid breaths was sharper than the last. I felt suffocated by the blackness all around me.
Panic tore at my chest, threatening to tear me apart.
I clenched my jaw, attempting to remain motionless and silent.
I gripped the edge of the closet door with shaking fingers, waiting for the ideal opportunity.
At last, the sound of their footsteps heading to another room took the place of their voices.
“Now,” I muttered to myself, mustering all of my last bravery.
As quietly as possible, I slid out of the closet.
It seemed like a lifetime passed with each step approaching the rear door. I took hold of the doorknob, turned it slowly, and pushed the door open just enough for me to pass through.
I didn’t have time to enjoy the cold night air before it hit me like a slap.
I moved closer to freedom.
And my arm was clamped down by a hand.
“You got it,” a voice growled.
As I whirled around, my stomach fell.
“Shh, keep quiet. In the darkness, a voice hurriedly murmured, “Come with me.”
Then, surprised, I turned to see my weird, uncomfortable neighbor, Collin, just a few feet away.
He gripped my arm and whispered, “Move.”
“Now.”
I was hesitant, but there was something in his tone that made disagreement impossible. He guided me into his yard through a small, concealed opening in the fence, and I followed.
Collin shut the door and flipped the lock once he was inside his home.
He moved quickly and deliberately. He gave me a drink of water.
He pointed to a chair and said, “Sit.”
My legs could hardly support me as I slid into it. As I took a sip, the glass shook in my hands. As I tried to piece together what had just transpired, my mind was racing.
He peered out his window and remarked, “You have to stay here for the time being.” “Your spouse and Victoria are on their way to your home.”
He stopped me with a raised hand. “I’ll explain, but take a breath first.
You appear to be on the verge of passing out.
I inhaled nervously, but it didn’t really help. “Why are you assisting me?”
“Because Victoria is my ex-wife,” he stated bluntly, as though that clarified everything.
Collin went on, “She made my life hell for years,” in a calm yet resentful tone.
“I stayed for our son’s sake, but she made him into… her.”
He hesitated, a hint of regret flaring in his gaze. “Controlling and manipulative.”
A miniature replica of herself
I gazed at him. “What do you mean?”
He gave me a pitying glance. “Your David is that boy.”
His mother is Victoria.
The space whirled. I felt as though the floor was collapsing beneath me, so I clutched the chair’s edge.
His eyes narrowed as though he was recalling something.
“I became concerned when I watched you become friends with Victoria. My former spouse does not form friendships merely for the purpose of doing so.
I felt there has to be more to it because she constantly plays an angle.
I blinked as I tried to take in what he had said. “You’ve been observing me, then?”
Without even the slightest apologies, he nodded. “Yes.
There is never a valid reason for Victoria to get involved with someone. What she wanted from you was unclear to me. I knew something wasn’t right when I saw you breaking into her home.
“Obviously, I noticed you,” he remarked in a stern yet polite tone.
“I trailed behind you. Then I heard them. David came because of you, because of his wife!
However, how did Victoria discover the bond between David and you?
Collin scowled. “I understand. I was unable to let you return to your home by yourself because of this.
Clara, Victoria poses a threat. She is brutal and cunning. She is aiming for you.
With my heart thumping in my ears, I gazed at him.
He spoke things that made too much sense. Despite Victoria’s warmth and charm, she saw it all as a game. His comments weighed heavily on me, making it difficult for me to breathe.
“Now what can I do? This is where I got away from David. But he was able to locate me because of Victoria. With tears in my eyes, I finally whispered.
“Don’t be concerned. I’ve already made a police call. They will arrive shortly.
And believe me, David won’t harm you ever again.
Even though his comedy was ridiculous, it managed to overcome my dread.
I managed a feeble smile while wiping my face and said, “You’re taking this awfully lightly.”
“Experience,” he remarked, arching an eyebrow. After surviving Victoria, you either develop a sense of humor or lose your mind.
I went with a bit of each.
I let out a startlingly loud laugh. Laughing in the midst of turmoil felt weird. However, Collin’s peculiar combination of warmth and skepticism was just what I needed.
Collin stood and pointed to the door as the sirens grew louder. “Well, it’s time to face it.”
I got up on wobbly legs and nodded. “Yes.
It’s time to confront it.
I straightened my shoulders, inhaled deeply, and went outdoors. For the first time in what seemed like an eternity, I felt prepared to face my history and move on from it as the flashing red and blue lights filled the night sky.