I never imagined boredom could lead me down this path. Working from home had become so monotonous that I found myself spying on my neighbors. What started as harmless curiosity quickly turned into something much more intense as I uncovered secrets I was never meant to see.
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I watched as my wife, Caroline, got ready for work again. She put on her scrubs, tied her hair back, and grabbed her bag. Being a nurse meant she’d be gone all day, and I’d be here, alone, with nothing much to do. I work from home, but honestly, every day feels the same—just me and my computer.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“Maybe you could stay home today?” I asked Caroline.
“James, you know I can’t,” she said, looking at me. “Don’t you have something to do? You have your work too.”
“Yeah, but it only takes a few hours,” I replied. “I don’t feel like starting this new project yet. I’m putting it off.”
Caroline sighed. “Well, that’s why you should start it now. It’s a good time to get it done.”
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For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I shrugged. “Meh.”
She grabbed her bag. “I’ll text you when I’m on my way back,” she said, leaning in to kiss me. “Bye.”
“Bye, I’ll miss you,” I said, watching as she walked out the door.
I went back to my desk and opened my laptop, staring at the screen. The document was blank, and so was my mind. The desire to work was gone. I couldn’t bring myself to start.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
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So, instead, I made myself some lunch—macaroni and cheese. It wasn’t anything special, but it filled the time. Then, I cleaned the bathroom, not because it needed it, but because I had nothing better to do.
I scrolled through my phone, hoping for something interesting, but nothing caught my attention. I even called a friend, but he didn’t answer, leaving me in the silence of my empty house.
Reluctantly, I went back to my desk and tried to work again. But within seconds, I was spinning in my chair, humming a silly song about macaroni I had made up while cooking lunch.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
The rhythm of the song was ridiculous, but it made me smile. Suddenly, something outside caught my eye. I turned to the window and saw our neighbors, Cory and Angela, in the middle of a heated argument. I couldn’t hear them, but their expressions were intense. It was like watching a silent movie.
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Curiosity got the best of me. I remembered the binoculars my nephew had left behind last weekend. I grabbed them and moved closer to the window for a better look.
Cory was throwing things, his face red with anger. Angela was crying, yelling something at him, but I couldn’t make out the words. Then, she pulled something out of her bathrobe pocket and showed it to Cory. My heart skipped a beat when I saw what it was—a pregnancy test.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Pexels
Cory’s reaction was immediate. He knocked the test out of Angela’s hand and stormed out of the room, and out of the house. I quickly moved away from the window, my heart racing.
I didn’t want them to see me watching. It felt wrong, but I couldn’t help myself. What on earth was going on over there?
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That evening, when Caroline came home, I couldn’t wait to tell her what I’d seen. “Caroline, you won’t believe what happened today,” I said, eager to share.
She listened, then frowned. “James, don’t you think you’re meddling in their business?” she asked, her concern evident.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“I know, but I’m really curious how this will end. He hasn’t come back since she showed him the test. Do you think he’ll leave her?” I asked.
Caroline shook her head. “I don’t know, and I don’t want to know.”
“But aren’t you just a little curious?” I pressed, hoping she might share my interest.
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“No,” she said firmly. “But I am curious about something else. Did you finish any part of your project today?”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“Uh…” I hesitated, knowing I hadn’t done much.
“James! You can’t be so careless with your work. How will we pay the mortgage if you get fired?”
“No one’s going to fire me,” I said, trying to reassure her. “Everything will be fine. I’ll start the project tomorrow.”
“Promise me,” she insisted, her eyes serious.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
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“I promise,” I replied, trying to sound confident.
And I kept my promise. The next morning, I sat down at my desk, determined to focus on work. I opened my laptop, trying to dive into my project.
But as I was typing, something caught my attention outside the window. An unfamiliar man was walking up to Cory and Angela’s house. Curiosity got the better of me, so I grabbed the binoculars again and started watching.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Angela opened the door with a smile and warmly greeted the man. They went inside together, and I saw them head straight to the bedroom. My heart started racing.
They began kissing, and I knew I should stop watching. This wasn’t my business. But then Angela’s phone rang. She talked for a few minutes, seeming casual, then hung up and returned to the stranger like nothing had happened.
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I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed my phone and sent a quick message to Caroline: “Angela is cheating on Cory!!!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Caroline replied almost immediately: “Stop meddling in other people’s business.”
But I didn’t listen. My curiosity was too strong. I picked up the binoculars again, just in time to see Cory parking his car by the house. He got out with a young woman.
They went inside together, and Angela and the stranger suddenly looked panicked. From where I was, I could see Cory and the woman kissing on the first floor.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
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It was like some bizarre, real-life drama unfolding right in front of me, and I couldn’t look away.
Then, Angela glanced out the window and saw me watching. My heart jumped, and I quickly ducked down, hoping she didn’t really see me.
When I peeked out again, Angela was holding up a note that read, “Help,” and she was pointing downstairs, where Cory was.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Not knowing what else to do, I left my house and walked over to the neighbors’ door. My heart was racing as I knocked. Cory opened it, looking annoyed.
“What do you want?” he asked, his tone sharp.
“I…uh…I need to borrow some salt,” I stammered, trying to sound casual.
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Cory sighed, clearly not in the mood. “Wait here,” he said, turning back into the house. A moment later, he returned with a small container of salt. “Anything else?” he asked, his patience thinning.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“Uh…” My mind raced for another excuse. Just then, I heard a loud thump from upstairs. “Some pepper too, if you don’t mind,” I blurted out. I could feel my face flush. What was I even saying? Cory looked at me like I was wasting his time, but he sighed again and went back inside.
While he was gone, I saw Angela’s stranger jump out of a window and take off running. What was going on?
Cory came back with the pepper just as the stranger froze, staring at us. Cory handed me the pepper, and I could see the stranger’s confusion growing.
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For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
“Angela! This guy doesn’t look like your father. Are you married?!” the stranger suddenly yelled.
“WHAT?!” came a woman’s voice from inside the house. The young woman who had come with Cory appeared at the door, her eyes wide.
“Cory, are you married?!” she demanded.
“What? No…married?” Cory stammered, trying to find the right words.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
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“Yes, I was just in the bedroom with his wife,” the stranger declared.
The young woman’s face twisted with anger. “Oh, you…!” She slapped Cory hard across the face and stormed off.
“I’m not married!” Cory yelled after her.
The stranger and the young woman left together without another word. “Angela!” Cory shouted, his voice echoing through the hallway.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I watched as Angela slowly came down the stairs, her face set in a frown.
“I thought we agreed that you wouldn’t bring anyone to our house!” Cory said, his voice rising with frustration.
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Angela crossed her arms. “I thought the same, but you brought someone here too!”
Cory shot back, “Only because you brought someone first!”
Angela’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t know that!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “Wait, so it doesn’t bother you that you’re cheating on each other?” I asked, completely confused by what was happening.
Cory turned to me with a look of disbelief. “Cheating? Dude, we’re divorced,” he said flatly.
Angela nodded, still glaring at Cory. “Yes, we’re divorced. Cory just refuses to let me have the house, so we’re stuck living together.”
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“Oh…” I said, realization dawning on me. “So, you’re not married?”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
Cory shook his head. “What made you think we were married?”
“Well, you live together and… the pregnancy test…” I started to explain, feeling a bit foolish now.
Cory’s expression changed. “Wait, how do you know about the pregnancy test?”
Angela suddenly turned her gaze on me, her eyes blazing. “Oh, I forgot to mention. This creep was spying on us through binoculars!”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
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“WHAT?!” Cory yelled, his anger now directed at me.
“It’s not what you think…” I tried to explain, but before I could finish, Cory’s fist connected with my face. The last thing I remember was the world going black as I hit the ground.
I came to at home, feeling a throbbing pain in my eye. Caroline was sitting next to me, holding an ice pack gently against my face.
“I told you not to meddle,” she said as soon as she saw I was awake. “I knew this would end badly.”
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
I groaned, feeling a mix of pain and frustration. “How about asking how I’m feeling? Maybe a ‘Sorry you got hit, James,’ or an ‘I love you, James,’ instead of an ‘I told you so’?” I grumbled.
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Caroline sighed but managed a small smile. “You’ll be fine. But now you see why I said not to meddle in other people’s lives.”
“Yeah, I get it,” I muttered.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
She looked at me seriously. “So, are you going to finish your project now?”
I nodded. “Yes, but I’m going to work somewhere else. Not at home.” I frowned, thinking about how much trouble my curiosity had caused.
“That sounds like a good idea,” Caroline said, leaning in to kiss me on the cheek.
“Ow, ow, ow,” I winced, the pain in my eye flaring up.
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“Sorry,” Caroline said, then she couldn’t help but laugh a little.
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
For illustration purposes only. | Source: Midjourney
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