Part 1Wanted: A Spouse

Two in the morning, and the community group chat exploded.

【Wife wanted. With love.】

【This is the lady from apartment 1202. I have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and I can't bear to leave my husband and son alone. Therefore, I am arranging a new marriage for my husband.】

【Requirements for the woman: Age 20-25, height 5'6" or taller, slim build, earns $10k+ a month. Must be an only child from a local family, and must be child-free by choice.】

【A test of true love awaits. Qualified neighbors, please contact me directly.】

I stared at my phone, completely floored. You really see all kinds of crazy on the internet these days.

A second later, my phone started vibrating like a jackhammer.

Leah had tagged me. Three times.

【Ava from 1302, can't you tell I'm talking to you?】

* * *

I was baffled.

My parents bought this apartment for me. I’d only been living here a month, and I’d already run into a lunatic like this.

The other night owls in the group started chiming in:

1501: 【What is this, some kind of performance art?】

803: 【This is why you shouldn't stay up late. I've scrolled straight into the twilight zone.】

702: 【Dream on! Maybe if you wish hard enough when you go to sleep.】

1502: 【Is this for real? Even with a terminal illness, that's no excuse for this kind of delusion. A princess isn't going to marry a toad.】

…

Someone quietly added: 【Has anyone checked who posted this?】

But it was too late.

Leah started tagging everyone in a frenzy.

【I have no idea what you mean by 'performance art'! I'm a faithful wife, so don't project your own dirty thoughts onto me!】

【My soul is going to heaven, so what do you mean 'twilight zone'? Are you cursing me? I hope your whole family gets hemorrhoids!】

【What I do in my sleep is none of your business! You're just bitter my husband didn't choose you!】

【Do you think a terminal illness is a joke?】

【You people aren't just unhelpful, you're vile and abusive! A bunch of animals!】

The people who had commented were verbally bludgeoned into silence.

I watched it all unfold, determined to stay out of it.

But Leah was like a rabid dog, sinking her teeth into me and refusing to let go. She sent me a dozen friend requests through the group chat.

【Ava, accept it! Now!】

【I'm a sick person! I can't stay up late! Have you no compassion?!】

【Don't play dead. I know you're awake.】

【You leave for work at 8 AM and get home at 10 PM. You just got out of the shower! I know your routine.】

【ACCEPT IT!】

A wave of goosebumps washed over me as the notifications flooded my screen.

Was this woman insane?

Had she been spying on me?

Annoyed, I swiped to dismiss the notification but accidentally tapped "Accept."

Instantly, a massive wall of text appeared in the chat box, as if it had been waiting to strike.

【Ava, once you're with my husband, you'll have to quit your job.】

【Our Leo wakes up at 8:30 for preschool and gets picked up at 3:30. Your current schedule won't work for school runs.】

【And getting home at ten to cook is way too late. My husband has a sensitive stomach; he can't go hungry.】

【Of course, your new job can't pay any less than $10k a month. Otherwise, you won't be able to support my family properly.】

I laughed out loud.

【With demands like that, what's the dowry?】

She flew into a rage. 【What dowry? Did you even read my post!】

【I am a SICK WOMAN! This is a matchmaking service out of CHARITY! There is no dowry!】

…

I couldn't be bothered with her meltdown. I clicked on her social media profile.

She posted at least ten times a day, all pictures of her husband and son.

The most recent post was a photo of a cancer diagnosis.

The caption read: 【My darlings, even from heaven, Mommy will always be watching over you.】

It was an early-stage cancer with a very high cure rate.

Instead of seeking treatment, she was busy finding her husband's next wife?

Summoning what little kindness I had left, I tried to reason with her.

"Ma'am, your priority right now should be getting treatment."

For her body and her mind.

But I must have hit a nerve.

She completely lost it. A 60-second voice memo landed in my inbox, a piercing shriek that nearly shattered my eardrum.

"Ava! I'm not dead yet! You don't get to tell me what to do!"

"As long as I'm alive, you'll always be the other woman! The mistress! A dirty little secret that can't see the light of day!"

"Even after I'm gone, my son will only ever call you 'Auntie'!"

"If you get any funny ideas, I'll haunt you from beyond the grave!"

I rolled my eyes.

Right. Never try to reason with crazy.

Block. Delete.