Chapter 120 - Better Be
A Week Later
Jane started noticing subtle but strange changes in Karl’s behavior. He had been disappearing into the bathroom far more often than usual, always brushing off her questions with a sheepish grin and a flimsy excuse.
"It’s the winter apocalypse," he said one evening, laughing nervously. "The cold makes me... uh, go more often."
At first, Jane didn’t think much of it. Everyone coped with their circumstances differently, and Karl’s awkward humor wasn’t new. But as the days passed, her curiosity grew. There was something odd about how he avoided her gaze every time she asked, how he rushed out of the room whenever Layla walked by. It wasn’t like him—or at least, not the Karl she thought she knew.
One night, after he’d darted off to the bathroom yet again, Jane decided to investigate. She waited until the door clicked shut and the faint sound of running water started. Then, she quietly approached the door, pressing her ear against it. Nothing unusual—just Karl muttering to himself.
Still, something didn’t sit right. When Karl finally emerged, offering a mumbled excuse about drinking too much water, Jane slipped into the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She scanned the small, dimly lit space, searching for some clue that might explain his bizarre behavior.
It didn’t take long.
There, tucked in the corner behind the laundry basket, she spotted them: a pair of her own underwear and one of Layla’s, both crumpled as if they’d been hastily hidden. Jane froze, her breath catching in her throat. For a moment, she didn’t know what to think. Disgust? Shock? Or something else entirely?
Her first instinct was to storm out and confront him, but she hesitated. Instead, she grabbed the offending items, gripping them tightly as she returned to the room where Layla was lounging on the couch, scrolling through her phone.
"Layla," Jane whispered, her voice tense. "I need to show you something."
Layla frowned, lowering her phone. "What’s wrong?"