The Terrifying 3 AM Call: My Best Friend's Desperate SOS & The Shocking Truth I Uncovered

“I’m going on a business trip for a month. Could you feed my cat at my place? Oh, and the mango juice in the fridge is about to expire.”

It was two in the morning, and the vibration of my phone jolted me awake.

I picked up my phone and saw it was a message from my best friend.

The next second, all my sleepiness vanished. A cold sweat broke out.

First, she’s a freelancer. “Business trips” aren’t really her thing. Second, she doesn’t own a cat. Third, she’s allergic to mangoes.

“Aubrey, I’m going on a business trip for a month. Could you feed my cat at my place? Oh, and the mango juice in the fridge is about to expire.”

It was two in the morning, and the vibration of my phone jolted me awake.

I grabbed the phone from my nightstand. It was a message from my best friend, Chloe.

I’m a light sleeper. No exaggeration, a needle dropping on the floor at night would wake me up instantly. Chloe knew this, which was why she never messaged me in the middle of the night.

The next second, a realization hit me. All my sleepiness vanished, replaced by a cold sweat.

Chloe and I had been friends for over a decade. She was my closest friend, and no one knew her better than me.

First, she’s a freelancer. “Business trips” aren’t really her thing. Second, she doesn’t own a cat. Third, she’s allergic to mangoes.

A while ago, Chloe and I watched a thriller about the safety of women living alone. There was a scene where two best friends agreed on a secret code word to alert each other if they were in danger.

“Aubrey, if I ever send you a weird message, you have to come save me.”

My heart pounded with panic. My first instinct was to call Chloe.

But then it hit me. If she was using these bizarre messages to hint at something, instead of just telling me what was going on, it could only mean one thing: the attacker was right there, watching her every move.

It was two-thirty in the morning. Outside, the power seemed to be out; everything was pitch black.

In the darkness, it felt like countless eyes were secretly watching me. My heart hammered against my ribs, the rapid thumping echoing clearly in my ears, as if it would burst out of my chest.

I quickly pulled out my medication from the drawer and dry-swallowed two pills. It took a while for me to calm down.

Once I had my composure, I called Asher first, then the police.

Asher is my boyfriend. He’s incredibly smart and tall.

Whether it was facing the police or going to find Chloe, having him by my side always made me feel safer.

The moment I saw Asher, I threw myself into his arms and started crying, completely ungracefully.

“Don’t be scared, Aubrey. I’m here. No one’s going to hurt you anymore,” Asher whispered, gently patting my back.

Breathing in his subtle scent, my fear slowly dissipated.

Thank goodness, I still had Asher.

About five minutes later, the police arrived.

I sat on the sofa, listening to Asher talk to them.

“Aubrey Jiang?” a slightly surprised voice from the police rang out.

I finally looked up, toward the doorway, and saw the familiar face of the lead officer. I was surprised too.

It was Devin.

Funny enough, Devin and I were old acquaintances. We were middle school classmates. If you really went back, he was even my first love.

However, the way we broke up was quite brutal, something I’ve never forgotten to this day.

Back then, we were young and naive. That kind of childish, pretend-play romance wasn’t meant to be serious. Still, seeing Devin in this situation made me feel strangely awkward.

Devin, however, was professional. He had no intention of reminiscing.

He stated matter-of-factly, “We understand the situation. We’re heading to Chloe’s place now.”

“I’m coming with you,” I said, mustering my courage.

Devin shot me a disapproving glance, as if he thought I’d just be in the way.

Asher also tried to persuade me, “I know you’re worried about Chloe, but it’s better to let the police handle this.”

I bit my lip, stubbornly insisting, “Chloe is my best friend. I have to see her safe with my own eyes to rest easy. Plus, I have her house key. I can help.”

Seeing my persistence, Asher and Devin had no choice but to compromise.

They knew how stubborn I was, that I’d always stick to something once I’d made up my mind.

Left with no other option, Devin brought Asher and me along.