I thought I was just doing my neighbor a favor by interrupting her dinner, but as I watched from the window, everything changed. What I saw that night wasn’t just a family squabble — it was a betrayal that would destroy everything she thought she knew.
You know how people say time flies when you’re not paying attention? That’s exactly how the last five years of my life have felt since I moved into this quiet neighborhood.
After my messy divorce, I needed a place where I could just be, somewhere I could settle into my own company.
I wasn’t expecting to make close friends, but then Hazel moved in next door with her husband, Sebastian, and things changed. We hit it off almost instantly. She was one of those rare people who made you feel seen and understood — like you could tell her anything.
Our friendship grew quickly, from casual chats over the fence to morning coffee sessions in our kitchens.
Sebastian was always there in the background, the kind of guy who never caused any drama. Their marriage seemed perfect, at least on the surface.
But lately, Hazel wasn’t herself. She’d been more on edge, throwing out cryptic comments about how things were “getting weird” at home, especially with her mother-in-law, Donna.
Hazel said Donna was stirring up drama behind the scenes, spreading lies about her, and making life unnecessarily hard.
At first, I thought she was exaggerating. I mean, how bad could it really be, right? I’d met Donna a few times; she seemed like your typical overbearing MIL, but nothing out of the ordinary.
Then, yesterday, Hazel called me with this strange request.
She asked me, out of the blue, to interrupt their family dinner.
“Seven sharp,” she said. No other details, just this urgency in her voice that made me agree without pushing her for more.
I figured maybe she was just trying to escape another awkward family moment. But what happened next… well, let’s just say I wasn’t ready for it.
So, there I was, at 7 p.m., standing at Hazel’s door.
I knocked twice before Sebastian answered with his usual warm smile.
“Addison! What a surprise. Come in,” he said, stepping aside to let me in.
But before I could even respond, Hazel came rushing into the hallway, practically shoving past him. Her hand grabbed mine in a tight grip, and I barely had time to process it before she dragged me outside again.
“Hazel,” I whispered urgently, “forget about Donna for a second. Look over there…”
“Hazel, what’s going on?” I asked, my heart racing as she led me across the yard and into my own house.
“Why did you just pull me out of there? You need to explain what’s happening.”
“Just… come with me,” Hazel said, her voice low and trembling. “You’ll see in a second, I promise.
We’ve got the perfect view from your upstairs window.”
I followed her, still confused but too curious to refuse. She led me up the stairs and into the guest room, pushing open the door.
We both crouched by the window that overlooked her dining room. The view was perfect, just like she said.
I could see straight into her kitchen where Sebastian and Donna were finishing up dinner preparations.
“What are we doing here, Hazel?” I whispered, my breath shallow. I was nervous, and I didn’t even know why yet.
She didn’t answer. Instead, she pointed toward her MIL.
That’s when I saw Donna hovering over the food, glancing around as if she were trying to make sure no one was watching. I leaned closer, my eyes narrowing. Was she sprinkling something into the food?
I turned to Hazel, my mind spinning.
“Is she… Is she poisoning the food?” My voice came out in a horrified whisper.
Hazel shook her head. “Not poison, but close enough. She’s been sabotaging me for months, Addison.
She adds too much salt, burns things on purpose, then sits back and watches as everyone complains about how terrible my cooking is.”
My jaw dropped. “She’s been doing that on purpose? Why?”
“I don’t know,” Hazel admitted, her voice thick with frustration.
“She wants to make me look incompetent in front of Sebastian. Every time something goes wrong, it’s like she gets this twisted satisfaction out of it.”
I was about to say something when a movement from the corner of my eye made my stomach flip. I froze, my eyes widening.
“Hazel,” I whispered urgently, “forget about Donna for a second.
Look over there…”
My heart sank as I stared down from the window, barely able to believe what I was seeing. There, just inches apart, were Sebastian and Hazel’s sister, Zoey. His hand brushed against her arm, lingering for far too long.
Then, it happened. They kissed. And it wasn’t some accidental, fleeting peck either; it was long, slow, and intentional.
My stomach twisted.
This wasn’t just some misunderstanding. It was betrayal — raw and real. Hazel had been worried about her mother-in-law, Donna, but this?
This was something else entirely.
Beside me, Hazel froze, her face draining of color as she processed what was unfolding right in front of her. Her body trembled as if she could barely keep herself together.
“No… no way,” she whispered, her voice shaking, barely above a breath. “Not my sister.”
I reached for her hand, but she pulled away, her eyes fixed on the scene below.
The fury bubbling inside her was almost tangible. I didn’t dare speak.
“This,” she said, her voice barely controlled, “this ends tonight.” Her eyes snapped to me, a fierce determination replacing the initial shock. “I’m not letting this slide.
The story doesn’t end here — it continues on the next page.
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