My husband secretly left our daughter with another woman. I went to her apartment expecting a confrontation—but her first question changed what I thought I was looking for.

Oliver and I had been married seven years, and until then,n I would’ve said we were happy.

We had a two-year-old daughter, Daisy, a comfortable home, and a marriage where I believed we shared everything.

The only person who made me uneasy lived across from us.

Charlotte was twenty-nine, always dressed in black, with heavy eyeliner, silver piercings, and tattooed arms. She rarely spoke to anyone.

I’ll admit it—I found her a little intimidating.

Oliver disliked her even more.

“She gives me the creeps,” he once said.

“You’ve spoken to her?”

“No. That’s the point. Normal people say hello.”

“That is a weird standard.”