I sat on the toilet, watching Linda argue and trade insults with strangers, tears streaming down my face.

I moved to New Jersey when I was eight. Linda was the first friend I made.

When my parents died, she stayed by my side day and night. When she got bullied at school, I was the one who stood up for her. From age eight to twenty-five, we were practically inseparable.

I never imagined this was how she really saw me.

More and more people were piling onto the post.

Most were defending me, but a small handful had started giving her advice.

[FFFYEP: Sweetie, look here! I've been there! Last year my sister got into a big company and I sent an anonymous email saying she was the ringleader of a school bullying incident—got her kicked out, easy. The photos were all faked but the company didn't bother fact-checking. DM me if you want a tutorial!]

[OP LLLIN: OMG! Babe! I love you, I'm coming right now!]

[trrdio: Same here! My best friend is applying for an exchange program in Japan. I want to be ready in advance.]

I thought back to freshman year of college, when I commissioned a custom tutu encrusted with five hundred Swarovski crystals just so Linda could enter a competition.

But after Linda got it, she didn't speak to me for two weeks. The dress was ripped to shreds and tossed in the dumpster outside her apartment.

When my parents died, they did leave me a substantial inheritance, enough that I'd never have to worry. Now I see Linda must've thought I was rubbing my comfortable upbringing in her face.

Over a decade of friendship, and it crumbled like paper in the face of jealousy.

When I came back to the living room, Linda was already carrying the strawberries toward the kitchen.

"It's getting warm. I'll chill these in the fridge—they taste better that way."

I nodded and said nothing.

Once she was in the kitchen, I picked up my phone again.

[OP LLLIN: Btw, how do I get her novels taken down? They're her main income source. I have to deal with that first.]

The post exploded with dozens of new replies, plenty of insults mixed with actual schemes.

[FFFYEP: Easy, sweetie! Do you know her pen name? Which sites does she write on? Read every single one of her novels—you'll definitely find something you can use.]

[OP LLLIN: I actually don't know! She's never let me read anything she's written!]

[FFFYEP: Hiding it like that means there's something to hide! Sweetheart, go read all her stuff. If you find anything good, send it to her company email. See if they still want her then!]

[OP LLLIN: DAMN, sweetheart you're savage! Two birds with one stone! I'll go find out her pen name right now!]

When my parents died in a car accident in high school, Linda stayed at my place the whole time. She wouldn't leave my side.

I treated Linda like the only family I had left.

I was a wreck back then, just drifting through life, and Linda was the one who pushed me to write. That's how I started writing novels, and I've been doing it for years.

The novels weren't just an outlet for everything I was feeling—they became my main source of income.

And now Linda wanted to destroy that.

Linda came back.

I quickly screenshotted the comments and closed the page.

She sat down beside me. The smell of her perfume made me want to throw up.

"Jessica, what's your pen name? Let me read your novels!"

There it was. She was fishing.

"What I write isn't anything worth showing off. You wouldn't like it."

Linda's face changed.

"Jessica, you're being so stingy."

"We're so close—what's there to hide from me?!"

"Oh! Don't tell me you wrote me in as the evil mean girl!"

I smiled and shook my head.

"Does your company know you write? What did HR say in the interview?"

"They said side jobs are fine, so I didn't bring it up."

"Got it. Did they tell you when you start?"

"Monday."

"That's wonderful, Jessica. Congrats."

"Linda, I'm your best friend, right?"

I stared into her eyes, hoping to spark even a sliver of the friendship we'd had.

"Of course! I'm so happy for you, getting a job like that."

She smiled.

But the post updated again.

[OP LLLIN: Girls! She starts Monday! Boost this post! I've got three days to ruin her!]

Fine. If she really didn't care about everything we'd been through, I wouldn't pull my punches either.

She wanted my pen name? I'd help her out.

[OP LLLIN: This bitch! She just won't tell me her pen name! Why is her mouth so damn tight?!]

[FFFYEP: Then think faster, you've got three days!]

My boyfriend Casey came home from work. The second he saw Linda on the couch, his eyes lit up.

"I picked up steaks to celebrate Jessica's offer. Linda, eat with us! The more the merrier."

"Don't mind if I do, Casey."

At dinner, Linda was unusually animated.

She kept toasting Casey, asking about funny stories from his job, eyes practically sparkling with admiration.

Under Linda's careful prodding, Casey ended up sharing all kinds of mundane details from our life together—including how I'd often jump up in the middle of the night when inspiration hit.

"Really? That sounds exhausting."

Linda rested her chin on her hand and gave Casey a wounded pout.

"I've been dying to read the great novelist's masterpieces, but Jessica's too stingy to share!"

It was almost funny. Casey ate up that pouty act every time.

Casey opened his mouth to speak. Before he could, I tapped my fork against his plate.

"Casey, can you grab the black pepper for me?"

"Oh, sure."

He got up and went to the kitchen.

Linda's expression flipped. She ducked her head and started typing under the table at lightning speed.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, when I went to the kitchen for water, I checked my backup phone. The post had a new reply.

[OP LLLIN: God, I'm so pissed! Her boyfriend was THIS close to spilling and she cut him off!]

[FFFYEP: Don't sweat it, you're just getting started. The more nervous she gets, the more it means she's hiding something dirty. Keep working on the boyfriend. Men are easy—a little wine, a few compliments, they'll spill anything.]

[Y: Yeah sweetheart, from what you said her boyfriend sounds pretty nice? Is he hot?]

[OP LLLIN: HOT! Tall, great body, makes good money. That bitch doesn't deserve him!]

[FFFYEP: Whoa! Then go for it sweetheart! Steal her man! Win the career AND the man, see her face then!]

[OP LLLIN: Good point!]

When I got back to the dining room, Linda was leaning forward to pour Casey wine, top button open just enough to put on a show.

Casey smiled politely and leaned back a little. But I could see his eyes were halfway down her shirt—he just wasn't going to be obvious with me sitting there.

In my head, I started shipping the two of them. Honestly, they were a perfect match. Trash boyfriend, snake girlfriend—a match made in hell.

"Linda, you seem a little tipsy. Casey has an early meeting tomorrow, he can't drink any more."

"Oh come on, this is barely anything."

Linda's cheeks were flushed, but her eyes were perfectly sharp.

"Don't be a buzzkill, Jessica. Casey and I are having such a nice time. Right, Casey?"

Casey set down his wine glass.

"Jessica's right. Maybe let's call it a night."

Linda swayed as she stood up. She pressed a hand to her forehead, voice slurred.

"I'm so dizzy... I think I really do need to crash here tonight. Can you help me to the guest room, Jessica?"

"Sure. Come on, I'll get you settled."

I went over and took her arm.

Casey and I cleaned up the kitchen and dining room. The whole time I kept an ear on the guest room.

About an hour later, the door opened.

Linda saw us and gave us an apologetic smile.

"I've sobered up. I'll head home and let you two have your space."

"It's late, you shouldn't go alone. Let me drive you—"

Casey started.

"No, no, it's fine."

Linda waved him off and grabbed her purse.

"I called a friend, they're already downstairs. Jessica, let's catch up another time."

I walked her to the door. Watched her step into the elevator with that excited little expression on her face. The doors slid shut.

She'd taken the bait.

I rushed back to the living room and grabbed my phone.

[OP LLLIN: HAHAHA! God is on my side! I know her pen name now!!!]

[FFFYEP: Beautiful! Go search it! See what she's written!]

[Y: Sweetheart!! How'd you find it so fast?! Go dig up her dirt!]

I walked into the guest room and looked over the shelves.

The shelves were lined with custom mugs and merchandise from various publishing platforms. None of them had my pen name printed openly.

I glanced toward the back. A limited-edition figurine had been moved out of place. On the bottom of its base, in gold foil lettering: J. Nova.

I'd taken that figurine from my study and planted it in the guest room earlier, while Linda and Casey were busy toasting each other.

Linda hadn't just found it. She'd photographed it and posted it in the group.

I opened my phone and saw the latest reply.

[OP LLLIN: Found it! Turns out she's actually a pretty famous author! Ha—she NEVER bragged about being this big!]

[FFFYEP: Move fast! Check her novels, see what we can use!]

A few minutes later, Linda updated again, practically vibrating with glee.

[OP LLLIN: Got it! She's got this thriller from a few years back where the main character takes revenge for a girl who jumped to her death. The MC steals corporate secrets and basically destroys the company!]

[Y: Beautiful! Say she wrote this with intent—she's joining the company to steal information!]

[OP LLLIN: Yes! And I can pull passages where she describes how to get around internal audits, bundle them up, send the whole thing anonymously to HR! Let's see her start that job now!]

[OP LLLIN: I'm sending the email the morning she starts. Getting fired your first day has gotta hurt more than just not getting the job, right?]

[FFFYEP: SAVAGE. Twist the knife.]

[OP LLLIN: Not just that. I'm gonna wait outside her office for her to come out crying. Follow me, I'll livestream her sobbing her eyes out.]

The replies erupted in cheers. Lots of people said they couldn't wait.

Honestly, I was a little curious too—how many more tricks did she have up her sleeve, all in the name of taking me down?

Casey came over and pulled me close.

"Jessica, what's wrong? You don't look good."

"I'm fine, Casey. Can I borrow your phone for a sec?"

I needed to use Casey's phone to screen-record every comment under the post.

"Of course, baby."

Casey handed me his phone and kissed my forehead.

"I'll get you some water. You've just been working too hard."

Casey left. I unlocked his phone, and a single message stopped me dead.

[There's a figurine with Jessica's pen name on the base. Either in the study or the guest room. Why do you need it? Don't tell her I told you.]