"No, I don't." Chloe started screaming about trust and respect. Victoria refused to take another test. I pulled out my phone and did a reverse image search on a hunch.
The exact same pregnancy-test photo showed up on a pregnancy forum from 2019. "You screenshotted this from the internet," I said, showing everyone my phone. Silence. Victoria grabbed her bags and stormed out.
Chloe trailed behind her, still trying to defend her friend's honor. Saturday morning, Victoria's mom, Sharon, called me. Not to apologize for her daughter's behavior. Oh no.
To demand I pay Victoria three months' rent for illegal eviction and emotional damages. "She's heartbroken and homeless because of you," Sharon said. "A real man would take responsibility." "Your daughter cheated on me, lied about being pregnant, and tried to manipulate me."
"She's getting nothing." "She gave you three years of her life." "And I gave her free housing for 18 months. We're more than even."
Sharon threatened legal action. I welcomed it, considering I had text proof of Victoria admitting to the affair. But the real drama started Sunday when Victoria decided to take her story public.
Update Two.
Victoria went on a rampage trying to control the narrative. But not on social media like you'd expect. She did something worse. She showed up at my parents' house during Sunday dinner.
My mom called me, confused. "Victoria is here crying. She says you threw her out after she was sexually assaulted." I drove over immediately.
I found Victoria in my childhood home, on my parents' couch, spinning some insane story about how Garrett had coerced her. That she was practically assaulted and that I'd abandoned her in her time of need. My dad, bless him, was suspicious. "If you were assaulted, why didn't you go to the police?"
Victoria's story kept changing. First, Garrett forced her. Then he manipulated her. Then he promised to leave his wife.
Then she didn't know he was married. I pulled my parents into the kitchen and showed them the texts Victoria had sent me just days earlier, including gems like, "Garrett makes me feel alive in ways you never could. The sex is incredible. He actually knows what he's doing."
"I've been faking it with you for years." My mom read them, her face getting harder with each message. She walked back into the living room. "Get out of my house," she told Victoria.
Now, Victoria tried to cry harder, but my mom wasn't having it. "You cheated on my son, and now you're lying about it. Leave before I call the police." Monday, I got a call from my building's management office.
Victoria had called them claiming she was an illegal subtenant being evicted without proper notice. Problem was, she was never on the lease and had explicitly agreed in writing, I had texts, that she was a guest, not a tenant. The building manager laughed it off but warned me to change my locks. Tuesday was when Garrett finally entered the picture directly.
He showed up at my apartment. "We need to talk man-to-man," he said. "No, we don't. You need to talk to my sister about why you've been screwing around. Again."
"Look, Victoria's crazy. She's threatening to tell my boss, my clients. She says she'll ruin me if I don't leave Natalie." "Sounds like a you problem." "Can't you control your woman?"
"She's not my woman. She's your problem now." He actually tried to bro-code me. "Come on, we're family. Help me out here."