Fallen 15

Fallen 15 Summary

Meadow returns to the apartment she left three days ago, expecting to come back with her husband, but finds everything changed. The apartment now belongs to her twin sister Juniper and her boyfriend Tyler. Despite the shock, Meadow still has a key and refuses to be shut out of what was once her home. As she enters, she is hit by a wave of painful déjà vu when she hears intimate noises coming from the living room.

 

She discovers Juniper and Tyler together, with Juniper wearing Meadow’s favorite dress. Unlike before, Meadow feels anger rather than heartbreak. Juniper smirks knowingly, clearly aware of Meadow’s presence and intent on humiliating her. Tyler seems confused and embarrassed, apparently unaware Meadow was coming. Juniper taunts Meadow about interrupting their “celebration sex” after Tyler’s promotion, trying to provoke jealousy or shame.

 

Meadow’s belongings are thrown in boxes, treated carelessly, and Juniper mocks her for still wearing her wedding ring. The tension escalates as Juniper accuses Meadow of running away because she couldn’t handle the truth. Tyler, acting sluggish and disinterested, reveals a disturbing side Meadow hadn’t fully seen before. Juniper dismisses Meadow, telling her to go back to a motel or a friend’s apartment.

 

The confrontation reaches a breaking point when Juniper insults Meadow, claiming Tyler says she is “tighter” than her. In a burst of anger, Meadow slaps Juniper hard, surprising everyone. For a moment, Meadow feels proud of standing up for herself, but Juniper quickly recovers and lunges at her, setting the stage for a physical fight.

CHAPTER 0015

Meadow’s Perspective:

The entire elevator ride up to Tyler’s floor was filled with a restless swirl of doubt and unease. I kept asking myself over and over—had I made a terrible mistake by coming here? The more I thought about it, the more it seemed like I had.

I was headed back to an apartment I’d left just three days earlier, fully expecting to return with my husband by my side. But now, everything had changed. That apartment no longer felt like mine—it belonged to my twin sister, Juniper, and her boyfriend.

On the bright side, I did come back with a husband. Just not the one I’d imagined I’d marry.

As the elevator doors slid open, my heart pounded painfully against my ribs. I stepped out and began walking down the familiar hallway, the same one I’d learned to call home over a year ago. Tyler and I had moved in together quickly; I was head over heels for him, convinced our bond was something extraordinary.

Looking back now, I couldn’t believe how foolish I’d been.

I stopped at the door, exhaling sharply, and for a fleeting moment, I actually considered knocking. My hand hovered just inches from the door, clenched into a fist, before I caught myself.

No.

I still had a key.

Tyler and Juniper couldn’t humiliate me and then shut me out of what had been my home—not when my name was still on the lease. Not when it was my closet they’d crammed into boxes, as if I were the one who’d betrayed someone.

My fingers trembled slightly as I slid the key into the lock. That faint ‘click’ sent a jolt through my chest. I pushed the door open cautiously, and the moment I stepped inside, a sickening wave of déjà vu slammed into me like a punch to the gut.

There were half-muffled, rhythmic moans. Breathless, desperate groans.

A thick lump formed in my throat.

No. Not this again.

I moved further into the apartment, passing down the short hallway, past the kitchen island, and stopped at the entrance to the living room.

There they were.

Tyler, lying beneath someone, his head thrown back.

Juniper faced away from him, hands gripping his knees, her back arching dramatically as she bounced on him. Her movements were even faster than the last time I caught them.

And she was wearing my dress—a pink, short, flowery sundress that used to be my favorite.

But this time, my heart didn’t feel like it was being ripped out. I didn’t feel tears welling up or the urge to beg or plead.

Instead, a fierce surge of anger clenched my chest tightly. Juniper knew I was here. And she had a smirk on her face as she moved her hips faster.

I threw the keys onto the counter with a sharp clatter that cut through their moans, but Juniper didn’t pause.

She glanced over her shoulder, locking eyes with me like she’d been waiting for this moment.

Then her lips curled into a cruel grin. “Hey, sis. Feeling a little déjà vu?”

My hands curled into fists at my sides.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” I said, my voice flat as I stepped further into the room.

Tyler blinked up at me slowly, like his mind was lagging behind. Maybe he was drunk… or high.

“Meadow?” he asked, confused.

So, he didn’t know I was coming.

He looked genuinely embarrassed as Juniper lifted herself off him, rubbing his hands down his face.

At least they were clothed this time.

“Ugh,” he groaned, his voice thick with grogginess. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Yeah, Meadow,” Juniper said, raising her eyebrows and folding her arms. “Why are you here? You’re interrupting our celebration sex. You see,” she stopped in front of me, lowering her voice to a taunt, “Tyler got a big promotion at work today. Isn’t that amazing?”

There was something twisted in her eyes. I couldn’t tell if she was trying to make me jealous or just humiliate me again. Either way, I didn’t care.

Not like she expected.

“Right,” I replied dryly. “Congratulations. I hope you both rot together.”

Turning toward the hallway, I spotted the boxes she’d mentioned. My clothes were spilling out, thrown in carelessly, wrinkled and crumpled as if to spite me.

Before I could move forward, Juniper stepped in front of me again.

“Oh, come on, don’t be such a prude,” she sneered. “You’re still walking around like you’ve got something I don’t.” Her eyes flicked to my hand. “What’s that? A ring?”

My heart jumped into my throat.

Shit. I’d forgotten I was still wearing it.

Juniper reached for my hand, but I jerked away sharply. “Don’t touch me.”

“Oh please,” she said, narrowing her eyes. “Still acting like you’re better than me? Like you didn’t run away because you couldn’t handle the truth?”

“I left because I’m done letting you treat me like garbage,” I snapped back.

“Juni, come on,” Tyler groaned from the couch. “I’m fucking horny.”

I risked a sideways glance just in time to see him pulling his dick out of his pants, stroking himself lazily while his head lolled back over the couch.

What the hell had Juniper given him to make him act so out of character?

Or maybe this was just the pathetic junkie he always was, and I’d been too blinded by love and admiration to notice.

“You heard him,” Juniper said with a smirk. “We’re busy. You should get back to whatever shitty motel you’re hiding in. Or Nova’s crappy apartment. That works too.”

My jaw twitched. I wanted to tell her—oh my god, I wanted to brag about Alaric, to rub it in—but I held my tongue.

Juniper leaned in close, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Tyler says I’m tighter than you.”

Crack!

Without thinking, I slapped her hard. The sharp sound echoed through the living room.

Tyler sluggishly sat up on the couch. “Jesus, Meadow.”

Juniper staggered back a step, her eyes wide with genuine shock for the first time.

And the best part?

I felt proud of myself.

But that pride only lasted seconds before Juniper’s expression twisted into something ugly and bitter.

For a moment, it was hard to believe this person could look exactly like me.

Before I could catch my breath or say a word, Juniper lunged at me.