Harriet bolts out of her sisters flat.
Are you pregnant? Poppy asks, stepping out of the bathroom, eyes wide. Why are you here?
You never learned that you cant take other peoples things without asking! Poppy snaps, slamming her laptop shut and glaring at Harriet.
Harriet decides its best to retreat to another room. Later that night she realises she must get out of the flat altogether, because Poppy is searching for a recipe that she thinks will help Harriet.
At twentythree, Harriet meets the love of her life on the streets of Manchester. A stranger rides up, hands her a longstemmed white rose, and asks to introduce himself.
He looks perfectly ordinary, yet he radiates charisma, and he is undeniably caring and attentive.
A month later Harriet cant imagine life without James. He feels the same, and in another month she moves into his twobedroom flat, leaving her rented studio behind.
Six months on, James proposes.
Hes hes Harriet struggles for words, trying to describe her fiancé to her older sister. I adore him, and he loves me.
Congratulations, Poppy replies dryly.
Harriet ignores the tone. Their relationship has always been a little tense, but after their mothers death Harriet has no close family left except Poppy.
Thanks! she exhales. Only problem is James is away for three months, earning extra cash for our honeymoon.
I see, Poppys voice remains flat.
Ill tell you the wedding date later. Youre invited, of course.
Sure.
Its always been like this: Harriet is gentle, impressionable, delicate and vulnerable; Poppy is serious, tough, independent. Harriet even fears introducing James to Poppy, worried he might not like her.
James calls: Love, its only about 500 miles away. Ill be back on weekends or you can come over.
They manage to meet only once a month because Jamess workload is huge. The faster they set up everything, the sooner hell return. Harriet is willing to wait indefinitelyshe earns a modest wage as an assistant accountant and cant contribute much to their future.
Strange messages start arriving in the second month of Jamess assignmentfirst texts, then voice notes from a roboticsounding number. The voice warns Harriet not to do anything that might upset him, saying the upcoming wedding could bring terrible trouble.
Harriet feels a chill run down her spine. The number is untraceable, and the messages disappear after a few hours. She tells no one, though she is terrified.
One morning she finds a voodoolike doll on her doorstep, its long chestnut hair matching hers, its face cut from a photograph. A large needle pierces the dolls chest, and a paper with threatsidentical to the messagestacked to it.
The sight makes Harriet physically ill; her sensitive nature reacts instantly. She skips work, claiming a fever that isnt real, yet she doesnt complain to anyone. Only James could comfort her, but she hesitates to bother him while hes busy earning money. Silly jokes, she tells herself, though she cant tell whose.
She assumes someone connected to James is stirring trouble. When James returns, well get to the bottom of this, she decides, trying to clear her mind.
Two days later, as she leaves the courtyard, a motorcyclist nearly runs her down, swerving at the last second. Startled, Harriet stumbles, catches her heel on the curb, and crashes headfirst onto the pavement. A passerby, despite her protests, calls an ambulance.
In the hospital she discovers a mild concussion, a few bruisesand a pregnancy. She refuses admission, tells no one about the motorcyclist, and when she steps outside she realises she cant return to Jamess flat.
Someone is clearly targeting her, aggressively so. She cant take any more risks; shes carrying Jamess child and must protect it.
Can I stay with you for a few days? she asks Poppy, who answers irritatedly, What happened? Did your boyfriend throw you out?
James is on assignment and
Oh right, come over, well talk.
Harriet tells Poppy everything: the messages, the doll, the nearaccident.
I dont want to distract James, she sighs. I need to tell him about the baby myself.
She wants to present it beautifullyJames loves things done with flair.
Honestly, I dont run a hostel, Poppy says, pulling Harriet back to reality, but seeing her exhausted face she relents, Okay, a couple of weeks, no more than that.
That works. James mentioned hed get a twoday leave soon, so theyll sort everything out then.
Harriet feels awkward imposing on Poppy. After their mothers death they sold the family house, splitting the proceeds. Poppy, with a steady job and good salary, took out a mortgage; Harriet could only afford a tiny studio thats still under construction. The house was supposed to be handed over six months ago, but it isnt yet.
With nowhere else to go, Harriet tries to stay out of Poppys way, buying groceries, cooking, keeping the flat tidy, yet she senses Poppys irritation.
Ten days later she urgently needs a medication online, but her phone freezes and dies.
Poppy, can I have your laptop? she shouts from the bathroom, snatching it before Poppy answers.
By chance the browser suggests termination of pregnancy when she types the first letters of her search. The history shows countless queries about abortions and herbal concoctions.
Are you pregnant? Poppy asks, genuinely surprised when she emerges from the bathroom. Why are you here?
You never learned you cant take other peoples stuff without permission! Poppy repeats, slamming the laptop shut.
Harriet retreats to another room, and that night she decides to leave the flat quietly at dawn. She tells herself James will be back in a few days, and shell get through the time.
She has so much to tell him, including her stay with Poppy, which she kept quiet to avoid bothering him.
Fortunately James finally breaks free from his assignment, but he arrives looking angry, demanding to know who the babys father is.
Of course its you! What did you think? How would you know? Harriet panics.
He stares at her for a minute, then lunges forward, gripping her tightly.
Sorry! I almost lost my mind after that unknownnumber message. Im sorry! Im a fool!
Harriet bursts into tears, then, once calm, she recounts her monthlong adventures.
Jamess expression shifts repeatedlyastonishment, pallor, flushing.
Sorry, he repeats after she finishes. I should have told you everything from the start.
Harriets face flickers between pallor, gasps, and wiping tears.
James admits that three months before meeting Harriet he was seeing Poppy, and she was already hinting at marriageshe was pushy, but something held him back.
I drove Poppy to meet you, even asked her to introduce usshes my sister, after allbut she refused.
I didnt leave then, I saw you, Harriet I fell in love straight away. Youre my woman, not my sister.
A heavy silence follows.
The very next day I told Poppy we were over and set a trap to meet you. The rest is obvious.
Harriet, trembling, calls Poppy.
Is this true? Is it you? she asks, voice steady.
Did you think you could steal my fiancé so easily? Poppy replies after a pause. By the way, I was pregnant with him and had an abortion. Who knows what else?
Whatever, Harriet mutters. I didnt know
Of course not! I hoped hed dump you too, but nowedding, baby, everything. What makes you better than me?
Harriet presses reset on her phone and stares at the wall, eyes dry.
They marry a month and a half later without any ceremony, and their daughter is born on schedule. Harriet no longer speaks to Poppy at all.
