I was standing in the kitchen when Alice burst out of her sisters flat, breathless.
Are you pregnant? I asked, surprised, as Jane emerged from the bathroom, wiping water from her hair. Why are you here?
Did anyone ever tell you you cant take other peoples things without asking? Jane snapped, slamming her laptop shut and fixing Alice with a hard stare.
Alice realised it would be wiser to retreat to another room. That night she decided the best thing was to get out of that flat altogether, because Jane was hunting for a recipe shed promised Alice.
At twentythree, Alice met the love of her life on a London street. A stranger approached, handed her a white rose on a long stem, and introduced himself.
He looked completely ordinary, yet he had a magnetic charm, and he turned out to be incredibly caring and attentive.
A month later Alice confessed that life without James seemed unimaginable. He felt the same, and another month on she moved into his twobedroom flat, leaving her rented room behind.
Six months after that, James proposed.
Hes hes Alice struggled to find the right words for her older sister, Jane. In short, I adore him and he feels the same.
Congratulations, Jane replied flatly.
Alice ignored the tone. Shed always had a strained relationship with Jane, but after their mothers death she had no one else.
Thanks, she sighed. Only problem is James is off on a threemonth assignment to earn extra money for our honeymoon.
Right, Janes voice remained emotionless.
Ill let you know when the weddings set. Youre definitely invited.
Sure.
Thats how it always was: Alice gentle, impressionable, delicate and vulnerable; Jane serious, tough, independent.
Alice even feared introducing James to Jane, worried she might not like him.
James called from the road, Love, its only eight hundred miles. Ill come home on weekends, or you can visit me.
But they only managed one meeting a month because his work kept him busy. The faster they set everything up, the sooner hed return. Alice was ready to wait forever James was trying for both of them, and her modest assistantaccountant salary could hardly help their future family.
Strange messages began arriving in the second month of Jamess stint first texts, then voice notes. A robotic voice warned Alice not to do anything that might upset him, insisting she should fear the wedding because it would bring trouble.
The voice sent shivers down Alices spine. The number was odd, and calling back was impossible. The messages vanished after a few hours. She told no one, though the fear lingered.
One evening she discovered at her front door a voodoo doll with long chestnut hair, a face cut from a photograph, a large needle through its chest, and a scrap of paper bearing threats identical to those in the messages.
Alice felt sick instantly; her sensitive nature reacted to the horror. She called in sick, claiming a fever, but didnt complain to anyone else. Only James could have understood, yet she didnt want to bother him while he was trying to earn money. Silly jokes, she told herself, though she wasnt sure whose.
She figured someone connected to James was stirring trouble. When James gets back well sort this out, she muttered, trying to push the thoughts away.
Two days later, as she left the courtyard, a motorcyclist hurtled toward her. He swerved at the last moment, missing her by inches. Startled, Alice lunged sideways, caught the curb with her heel and slammed headfirst onto the pavement.
A passerby, despite her protests, called an ambulance. In hospital she was diagnosed with a mild concussion, a few bruises, andsurprisinglya pregnancy.
She refused to stay in the hospital, blamed the fall on herself, and realized she couldnt go back to Jamess flat. Someone was clearly out to get her, aggressively so.
Can I stay with you for a few days? she asked Jane, her only remaining relative.
Whats happened? Jane replied, annoyed. Did your boyfriend kick you out?
James is on assignment and
Oh right. Come over, well talk.
Alice poured out everything: the messages, the doll, the nearaccident.
I dont want to distract James, she sighed, and I need to tell him about the baby myself.
She smiled wistfully. He loves things presented nicely.
There isnt a hostel here, Jane said, bringing her back down to earth, but you can stay a couple of weeks, no more.
That was a relief. James had mentioned a shortterm leave, so hed be back soon and theyd clear everything up.
Since their mothers death theyd sold the family house and split the money. Jane, with a steady job and good salary, took out a mortgage; Alice could only afford a tiny studio still under construction. The development was supposed to finish six months ago, but it hadnt.
So Alice had nowhere else to go. She tried not to be in Janes way, buying groceries, cooking, keeping the flat tidy, yet she could feel Janes irritation whenever she was around.
Ten days later her phone froze and died while she was searching urgently for a medication online.
Jane, can I borrow your laptop? she shouted from the bathroom, opening the machine before Jane could answer.
By sheer coincidence the first letters she typed triggered a search for pregnancy termination and a slew of related brew recipes.
Youre pregnant? Alice asked, stunned as Jane reappeared from the bathroom. Why are you here?
Did anyone ever tell you not to take someone elses stuff without asking? Jane snapped again, slamming the laptop shut.
Alice fled to another room, and that night she decided the flat was no longer safe Jane was looking up a recipe for her, for Alice.
She slipped out in the early morning, telling herself that James would be back in a few days and she could survive until then. She had so much to tell him, including the fact shed been staying with her sister, which shed kept quiet to avoid bothering him.
Fortunately James finally managed to break free from his assignment. He arrived, looking sour, and almost demanded to know who the babys father was.
Of course its you! What are you thinking? Alice cried, genuinely frightened. How do you even know?
He stared at her for a minute, then lunged forward, gripping her tightly.
Sorry! I nearly lost it when I got that weird message from an unknown number. Im an idiot! he whispered.
Alice broke down in tears, then, once calm, recounted the last months ordeal to him. His face shifted from shock to pallor to embarrassment several times.
Sorry, he whispered again after she finished. I should have told you everything from the start.
Alices eyes flickered between tears and disbelief.
James confessed that three months before meeting Alice hed been seeing Jane. Shed hinted at a wedding, but something held him back.
I drove Jane to meet you, asked her to introduce usshes my sister, after all but she refused, he said. I didnt leave that night, I saw you, and I knew Id fallen for you, not for her.
Silence hung.
The next day I told Jane we were done and set a trap for you so we could finally meet. The rest you already know.
Alices trembling hand dialed Jane.
Is this true? Is it you? she asked, voice steady.
Did you think you could steal my fiancé so easily? Jane replied after a pause. By the way, I was pregnant with him and had an abortion. Who knows what else
Fine, what does it matter now?
I didnt know
Of course you didnt! I still hoped hed ditch you, but nowedding, baby, the whole lot. What makes you any better than me?
Alice pressed reset, staring at the wall with dry eyes.
They married a month and a half later, no big ceremony, and their daughter was born on schedule. Alice never spoke to Jane again.
