The Fake Ambulance Took My Fiancé

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I was halfway through a work trip when a message suddenly popped up in the condo owners group chat:

My kids have finals this week. Could the unit above us please keep it down? And for Gods sake, stop playing that Daddy game.

Another neighbor chimed in: Seriously. Daddy this, Daddy that, day and night. Are they that desperate for attention?

But I had been out of town for over a month and a half.

Who was playing games in my apartment?

I tried to check the CCTV on my security camera, but the connection kept failing.

After several attempts, I called my fianc, Holden Blackwood, hoping he could swing by and check the setup. No answer.

I tried to rationalize it. The soundproofing in our building, The Heights, was notoriously bad. Maybe the noise was traveling from another unit, and the downstairs neighbor, Carol Perkins, had just misidentified the source.

I quickly messaged the group: There is no one home in my unit. You should check elsewhere for the source of the noise.

The group chat fell silent.

I tried to focus on my itinerary, but a low, insidious anxiety had begun to coil in my stomach. Even if Holden had been busy when I called, he should have at least texted me back. He never did.

I scrolled through our message history. The screen was a long ribbon of my vibrant green bubblesphotos of local cuisine, complaints about bizarre clients, and long, detailed inquiries about his day, his meals, his schedule. Sandwiched between my effusive paragraphs were his clipped, blue replies:

K.

Got it.

Fine.

I know!

I hesitated for a moment, then sent another text: Are you busy right now? Could you swing by the apartment? I cant connect to the camera. Im worried its unplugged or broken.

As soon as I hit send, I regretted it.

Holden's research lab at the university was demanding. When Id told him this current work trip would last nearly three months, hed packed a duffel bag and moved straight into the campus dorm.

Tracy, hed said, using my first name, "youre going to be gone. Its a waste of time and gas to commute back and forth every day.

The day I left, wed walked out of the apartment building at the same time. Id expected him to offer me a ride to the airport. Instead, he simply got into the SUVthe one my parents had bought for meand peeled out, leaving me standing alone with my luggage.

I hailed a rideshare, trying to soothe the stinging feeling. Hes just a classic academic, a genius with no social skills, I told myself. His mind is only on his thesis. Were looking at houses. Were getting married. Its fine. Its fine.

But over the past six weeks, he hadn't initiated a single call or text. Everyone said three days of silence was the end of a relationship. How many three-day stretches had we blown past?

That night, back at the hotel, I had just finished reporting to headquarters and was settling in for the night when my phone vibrated. The group chat again.

It was Carol Perkins, the same downstairs owner. This time, she posted a video.

It was recorded from her balcony, and you could clearly hear a man and a woman laughing. The wind distortion made the audio scratchy, but the words were horrifyingly clear.

The mans voice, a low chuckle: Got you. Call me Daddy.

Then the womans cooing, theatrical voice: Daddy, Daddy, Daddy

What followed was a sharp, drawn-out shriek, then a series of breathless, unmistakable sounds. The video cut off abruptly with the sound of Carol screaming an obscenity.

The group chat exploded.

[CarolPerkins]: Still going to tell me no one is home? Whats this, then? A ghost?

[Mr.Singh]: Kids these days are wild.

[BrodieJ]: I've heard this for days! Its driving me nuts! So obsessed with being a "Daddy"? Go adopt ten kids from a foster home!

[Mrs.Kim]: Call the police. Say someones running an illegal business up there. Let the cops teach them a lesson.

Defeated, I posted my live location to the group, adding: I promise, I am still out of town. Im having a friend check the unit immediately.

That seemed to calm the other owners, but Carol was still furious. If I find out who you are, Im putting this on YouTube. Ill make you famous.

I called my best friend, Kira Ashford. Kira, can you do me a favor? Can you check my apartment? See if Holden is there.

Kira sounded winded, probably out on one of her late-night runs. Sure, Ill head over now. What is this, a post-mortem check? Worried Holdens cheating?

I didn't know how to answer. I couldn't say it aloud.

Kira paused, then laughed. Relax. Ill keep an eye on him. Dont worry.

Half an hour later, Kira called back. Holdens definitely not there. But, Tracy, does your downstairs neighbor have a screw loose? When I was leaving, she was practically glued to your front door, trying to look through the peephole. She scared the hell out of me.

She scoffed. She even muttered something at mecalled me some kind of cheap tramp. Honestly, people are insane. Watch out for her, Tracy. Shes unhinged.

After Kira hung up, I realized Id forgotten to ask her to check the camera plug.

Still, my work was going well, and I was going to be home ten days early. I decided not to bother her again.

Holden and Kira had always had a tense relationship. Early in my courtship with Holden, he'd stood me up a few times for lab emergencies. I had complained to Kira, and she, fiery and protective, had tracked Holden down and ripped into him. It caused a huge fight. Since then, Holden would scowl whenever I mentioned her name, so I learned to keep them separate.

Perhaps I shouldn't have asked Kira to go over tonight. What if they had run into each other and fought again?

But the audio recording... Call me Daddy. Who was that? That voice sounded terrifyingly familiar.

Tossing and turning, unable to sleep, my phone buzzed again. A private message request in the owners group. It was Carol Perkins. She was persistent.

The second I accepted the request, she aggressively sent me several clips from the elevator security footage.

It is you! I checked the building security. Dont try to deny it. Youre messing with my sons education, and Im going to ruin you.

You said no one was home. Then what is this?

Youre the only unit on the eleventh floor right now, right?

In the grainy footage, a man and a woman hit the eleventh-floor button, then immediately began to embrace, their hands already exploring.

The video quality was poor, but I knew those bodies. I knew that slouch.

It was Holden. And Kira.

I took a deep, shaky breath, then started a video call.

Carol answered immediately. She looked at my face and gasped, eyes wide. Oh, my. It really isn't you! Who... who are those people? How do you not know who is in your own apartment?

My voice tasted like metal. Thats my fianc and my best friend.

Oh, honey. Oh, no. I am so sorry. What are you going to do?

Carol, I said, forcing a calm I didn't feel. Help me. Keep an eye on them. Im rushing back home now.

She immediately dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. You want to bust them? Done. The minute they show their faces, Ill text you.

I threw myself out of bed, called my partner, requested two days of emergency leave, and booked the first flight home.

My partner looked at my pale face and offered a final warning as he drove me to the airport. Tracy, whatever it is, think about the consequences. Dont do anything that will create more trouble for yourself.

Just before boarding, I called Holden. It rang for a long time before he finally picked up.

Where are you? Im coming home a few days early. Can you pick me up at the airport?

The lab is swamped. Ill see what I can do. His voice was flat, distant.

Okay. You focus on your work then.

He waited, likely for me to coax him, to sweet-talk him into it. When I didn't, he simply hummed and hung up.

I stared out the window at the black night sky. My reflection stared back, my mouth a downturned arc of misery. I covered my face with my hands.

When did it start?

According to Carol, Holden and Kira had been playing the "Daddy" game in my apartment for nearly a month. Sometimes, even during the day.

They were moving in and out together. With winter coats on and a lack of neighborhood interaction, the building staff and guards had simply assumed Kira was me. Holden wasnt on the deed or in the group chat, so he had no idea the entire building was gossiping about him.

I never would have known that the quiet, hyper-intellectual Holden was into role-play. I certainly never would have guessed that the rough-and-tumble tomboy, Kira, would be cooing Daddy in that sickeningly sweet voice.

As the plane lifted off, I leaned back, pulling my sunglasses down. I was afraid I might start crying, and I didn't want the flight attendant to see.

When did they get together? How could they do this to me?

I met Holden during freshman orientation. He was two years ahead of metall, lean, and classically handsome, with an intense, quiet demeanor.

He helped me haul my suitcases, got me my meal card, and helped me with all the orientation paperwork. I wanted to thank him with dinner, but he politely refused and rushed off.

Later that evening, while eating with Kira and my other new roommates, I saw him againworking a shift at the campus cafeteria. Even in his simple uniform, his bookish air was unmistakable. A lock of hair fell over his clean, defined features, reminding me of a French New Wave actor, all silent longing.

My heart pounded. In that single moment, I fell for him.

I pursued Holden for two years, my crush a campus-wide joke. After graduation, he stayed for his Masters. Everyone said he stayed for me.

But Holden remained aloof. He was always busy with his research, always hustling to earn money. I couldnt feel the love everyone else insisted he felt for me. He simply didn't reject me. He didn't refuse the movie tickets, the meals I brought him, or the clothes I bought.

Feeling defeated, I broke up with him just before graduation. I told him I was moving back home. My parents had set up a job for me.

He broke down. He held me and cried. Tracy, please. Can you stay here, for me?

That day, he told me everythingabout his difficult childhood, the father who abandoned him and his sick mother, and how his mother died in poverty. He talked about how he relied on charity to get through college.

Tracy, I have nothing. Ive been afraid to accept your pursuit, he choked out. But the thought of you leaving me... I cant bear it. Please, stay. For me.

Looking at his tear-drenched, pleading eyes, I made a terrible decision. I kissed him.

I wasnt all that different from him. I had an absent biological father, too. But I was lucky. My mother was an independent, successful woman, and my current father was wonderful.

I convinced my parents to let me stay. They bought me an apartment. A good foundation gives you leverage, Tracy. If you two separate, youll always have your own space.

My mother had urged caution. She didn't want me to repeat her mistakes.

Even though Im happy now, healing from that separation nearly destroyed me. They say men who cant empathize with their mothers carry a certain type of damage, Tracy. That toxicity... it can be hereditary.

I had been so sure. I argued that Holden was nothing like his father. He would be loyal. I believed true love conquered all, and I wouldn't follow my mother's path.

Only a few years later, Holden had cheated with my best friend, using my apartment while I was away.

My face was burning with shame. I had been blind. I had misjudged Holden and misjudged Kira. I had trusted them, giving them the perfect privacy to plot against me.

Holden knew how much I despised my birth father. My mothers experience had taught me a harsh lesson: cut your losses quickly. Dragging it out only causes more pain.

I clenched my fists. A double betrayal. I would make them pay tenfold.

When the plane landed, dawn hadn't fully broken. Snow was beginning to fall. I quickly checked in with Carol Perkins while waiting for a taxi.

Realizing I wouldnt find a cab in this weather, I stopped a large, black car that had just pulled up to the curb.

A tall, impeccably dressed man was putting luggage into the trunk, looking at me with an air of sophisticated curiosity.

I looked up at him and pleaded, Could you give me a ride? Im rushing to catch a cheating fianc.

Excuse me?

The mans driver, a friendly-looking guy named Dustin, jumped out. Busting a cheater? Get in, get in! Where are we going? Ill take you.

The tall man, Leland Shaw, let out a soft tsk, took my suitcase, loaded it, and then opened the passenger door, gesturing for me to sit in the front.

I mumbled my thanks, embarrassed but grateful, and climbed in.

Dustin started the car. Dont you worry, sweetie. I got you. You need me to swing a punch? You wanna key his car? Ill be your brother-in-arms.

Leland coughed from the back. Dustin scoffed. Lee, whats with the cough? Look at this city girl. Her eyes are red. Shes heartbroken. Dont worry, sweetie, Im your witness.

I couldnt help but smile slightly. Thank you, but Im not married yet.

I gave them the highly condensed version of the story.

Dustin was furious. He turned to Leland in the back. Lee, you gonna let her get pushed around like this?

Look, sweetie, you trust me, Ill help you teach him a lesson. You point, I hit.

Leland let out a soft, amused laugh from the back seat. My cheeks flushed.

I hadn't just stopped any car. I had screened my targets. The value of the Rolls-Royce, Lelands cashmere coat, the high-end luggagea man this wealthy wasn't likely to be a scammer. I was using them, and they were treating it like a piece of high-stakes entertainment. A mutually beneficial transaction.

The goal wasn't just to catch them. It was to ensure Holden and Kira suffered total public humiliationsocial death. The thought of them playing that game, chasing each other in my space, made me physically ill.

One of them destroyed my love, the other destroyed my trust. I wouldn't stop until I had stripped them bare.

The car pulled up to my building. I spotted Carol Perkins waiting in the lobby. Dustin grabbed my small carry-on bag, and Leland followed, hands deep in the pockets of his coat.

Carol rushed over and nodded at me, eyes wide.

Leland glanced at me, a slight, knowing smile on his lips.

I pulled out my phone and called Holden. Unsurprisingly, no answer.

I called Kira. It rang for ages. When she finally answered, her voice was slurred, thick with sleep.

Kira, where are you? Can you come over to my place right now?

Im asleep at home. Why would I come over this early? Whats going on?

Holdens cheating. I brought people back to catch him. Get over here and help me.

A strangled yelp came over the line. What?! Youre back? Is this for real?

Im here. Just got off the elevator. Hurry up.

Hurry up and hide. Dont waste the chance Im giving you.