I saw Janet today.
She was sitting outside a cafe. She had her hands wrapped around her cup, as if she was trying to keep them warm.
I could see her clearly from where I was sitting, but she didn't see me. I don't think she would have said anything to me even if she did. It's been years. Four, actually. Four years since everything happened. Four years since I took what she thought was hers.
You can call me evil if you want. I have actually heard worse than that.
If anyone shoud turn back time, I would do the same thing I did, again.
Janet and I grew up together.
She was the kind of person that everyone liked after meeting her.
She was both smart and beautiful. People always smiled when they see her, including the ones she did not know.
I thought Janet and I were one of the same kind of girl, until I finally understood that she was all the things people usually notices and I wasn't. I was just the friend. The "other" girl. The one they invite because they know Janet would attend if I do.
When we got older, she got even more perfect. Perfect skin. Perfect teeth. Perfect smile. Perfect everything. There were times I would watch her, and ask myself "what is it like to be that person everyone loved?". Some people are just born with that effortless glow that draws everything good towards them.
One evening, while walking ou of the cinema together, she told me about her boyfriend. Eli.
She was enthusiastic discussing him. Her talk about him was almost over the top, as if he were the best thing that had happened in her life. I smiled and nodded and laughed as appropriate, but i was feeling otherwise.
She showed me his picture. And I won't lie, he was beautiful. He seemed exactly like the type of man who should have been mine. She said they had not yet met in person, and had only spoken on phone. Long distance, she said. That's when I knew I could get him. It didn't even take effort. She mentioned his social media handle once and I found him. I sent him a message.
"Hey."
"Sorry, wrong person."
And then he replied with, "No worries." That's how it started.
At first, we talked casually. About music, about movies, about random things that didn't matter. He enjoyed talking and I was a good listener. Soon, he started talking to me about more personal things.
Eli spoke to me about how Janet does not always respond to him on time, and often act nonchalant with him.
I told him that perhaps Janet was not as serious as he thought. I planted just a little seed of doubt. He took it from there.
Men are that feeble. All it took was a soft voice and a little attention. He started calling me more often. Then came the compliments.
"You are special."
"Janet doesn't get me like you do."
"I feel good whenever I talk to you."
I feigned putting up a resistance at first, saying things like, "Don't say that, you're dating my best friend." But deep down, I was happy. Every word he said made me feel like I was finally the one someone saw first. It became a routine after that, our late night calls, our secret chats and the gifts he sent. The guilt? It did come sometimes but never enough to stop me. I would stare at Janet talk about how sweet Eli was and how lucky she felt. I would smile, even though I know that I was just with him last night.
Janet would text me to ask what she could do to make Eli happy. Can you believe that?
She would say, "Flourish, you're good with words, tell me what I should text him?" I would always help her come up with something cute to say to Eli. While he was texting me even cuter things.
After two months, I got tired of hiding. I told Eli to end things with her but without exposing us. I didn't want drama, just freedom. But of course, men are unreliable with secrets. He told her everything.
After Eli told her everything, Janet marched to my house. Her eyes were swollen.
"Is what Eli saying the truth?" She said
I could only stare at her.
"Why, Flourish?" Her voice cracked. "You are aware that I loved him so much"
Well... I could not stop myself from smiling before saying, "Yeah. But he loves me."
She was even more angry now. I just stood there, staring at her before adding, "You should have held him tighter."
That was the last time I saw her - until today.
Eli and I have been married for three years now. We live in a quiet place with white walls and two dogs. He still brings me coffee in bed. We laugh together so many times. Every time he looks at me like I'm the best thing that's ever happened to him, the feeling of certainty overtakes me - as in, yep, I made the right decision.
People who are aware of went on between Janet and I, call me heartless. Maybe I am. But life doesn't hand out prizes for being the better person. Janet had everything - the attention, the admiration, the kindness and many more. I just took the one thing I could from her. And sitting there, watching her from across the street as she stirs her coffee alone, I didn't feel sorry. Not even a little.
I took what I wanted.
And I'd do it again.
This is fiction 🙃
Image was generated using META AI.
Posted Using INLEO
