Accidental Surrogate

"I regret to inform you that your loan application has been denied, Ms. Parker." The loan officer's voice was clinical, devoid of any real sympathy. "Your credit history simply doesn't meet our requirements."

Valerie blinked, trying to process the words that seemed to hover in the air between them. "There must be some mistake," she said, keeping her voice steady despite the panic rising in her chest. "This is my first loan application ever. I've maintained my account with you since I aged out of the foster system three years ago."

The officer's expression hardened as he shuffled through papers on his desk. "According to our verification process, you currently have outstanding loans and credit card debt with two other financial institutions. You're significantly behind on payments and have multiple overdrafts." He looked up, his eyes cold. "The credit report is quite clear, Ms. Parker."

"That's impossible," Valerie insisted, leaning forward. "Unless someone has stolen my identity, none of that information is accurate."

The man sighed with thinly veiled impatience. "Look, I suggest you consult an attorney. The other banks will be contacting you soon about these delinquencies." He pulled several documents from a folder and thrust them toward her. "Here's the information from your credit report. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other appointments."

Valerie took the papers with trembling hands. "Thank you for this, at least," she managed to say before gathering her belongings and walking out of the office.

The bright California sunshine outside the bank felt like a mockery. At twenty-one, Valerie Parker had already weathered more storms than most people face in a lifetime. Abandoned as a newborn at a Glendale fire station, she'd grown up in the state system with only her foster sister Jessica and later her boyfriend Ryan as constants in her life. Now, this bizarre financial nightmare was unfolding on what was already a spectacularly terrible day.

Her ancient Honda had refused to start that morning, forcing her to take public transportation. Then her supervisor at the hotel had called about a shift change, throwing her carefully balanced schedule into chaos. And now this identity theft situation threatened to derail her plans for college.

Valerie checked her phone as she walked toward the bus stop. No missed calls from Ryan, and Jessica wasn't answering her texts. She scrolled through her contacts and paused at Jade's name, her finger hovering over the call button. Her coworker had become a good friend over the past year, but Valerie hesitated to burden her with this mess.

The bus arrived, and she found a seat near the back, spreading the credit report papers across her lap. Her stomach dropped as she examined the documents. The most disturbing detail wasn't the amounts owed or the multiple accounts—it was her signature on every single page. Either this was an elaborate forgery, or something far more sinister was happening.

Her phone vibrated with an incoming call. "Jade," she answered, relief evident in her voice.

"Hey, mermaid girl!" Jade's cheerful voice came through the speaker, using the nickname she'd given Valerie because of her copper-red hair. "Good news—boss lady changed her mind about the schedule switch. You're back on regular hours tomorrow."

Valerie exhaled slowly. "That's the first decent thing to happen today."

"You sound stressed. Everything okay?"

"Not really," Valerie admitted. "But it's complicated. I'll tell you about it tomorrow."

"You know I'm here if you need anything, right? Day or night."

"I know. Thanks, Jade."

After hanging up, Valerie noticed the newspaper held by the passenger beside her. The headline caught her eye: "Payne Enterprises CEO Eiden Payne Finalizes Acquisition of Premier Hotel Chain." She couldn't read the full article, but the implications were clear enough—more corporate consolidation in the hospitality industry, which rarely meant good things for employees like her.

Twenty minutes later, Valerie was climbing the stairs to her second-floor apartment, hoping Ryan might be home early. They needed to talk about their future anyway—things had been strained between them lately, with his increasing absences and vague explanations.

The apartment door was unlocked, which was unusual. Valerie stepped inside, immediately noticing a woman's jacket draped over a chair—not hers. She froze, listening. The sound of muffled voices came from the bedroom, punctuated by a feminine giggle she recognized all too well.

Her body moved on autopilot, carrying her down the hallway. The bedroom door was slightly ajar, and through the gap, she could see movement on the bed—her bed. The sheets she'd washed just yesterday were rumpled beneath two intertwined bodies.

"You're so much better than frigid Val," Ryan's voice drifted through the crack in the door.

The responding laugh was unmistakably Jessica's.

Something inside Valerie shattered. Her foster sister and her boyfriend. The two people she trusted most in the world. She pushed the door open fully, unable to stop herself from witnessing the complete destruction of her world.

They didn't notice her at first, too engrossed in each other. Jessica's red lingerie was tangled around her waist as Ryan moved above her with an enthusiasm he'd never shown with Valerie. They kissed passionately, whispering endearments between breaths.

Valerie stood frozen, tears streaming silently down her face. Every memory, every shared secret, every promise—all of it poisoned in an instant.

Ryan spotted her first. His eyes widened in shock, and he jerked away from Jessica.

"Val! I can explain—"

Jessica scrambled to cover herself, her face a mask of guilt rather than shame. "Valerie, wait—"

The spell of immobility broke, and Valerie backed away, bumping into the hallway wall. The credit report papers fell from her hand, scattering across the floor.

"How long?" The question escaped her lips in a whisper.

"It's not what you think," Ryan started, pulling on his jeans.

"Don't insult me," Valerie snapped, finding strength in her anger. "How. Long?"

Jessica and Ryan exchanged a look that told Valerie everything she needed to know. This wasn't a one-time mistake. This was an ongoing betrayal.

"Six months," Jessica finally admitted, clutching a sheet to her chest.

Six months. Half a year of lies. All those times they'd gone shopping together. All those evenings when Ryan was "working late" and Jessica was "visiting friends." All the whispered conversations that stopped when she entered a room.

Jessica bent down to gather the scattered papers, her eyes widening as she scanned the contents. She shot Ryan a panicked look.

That silent exchange ignited something primal in Valerie. "Get out," she said, her voice dangerously quiet. "Both of you. Now."

"Val, be reasonable," Ryan started. "I need to get my things—"

"GET OUT!" Valerie grabbed a decorative vase from the hallway table and hurled it against the wall, where it shattered spectacularly. "Your things can burn for all I care!"

Jessica grabbed Ryan's arm. "Let's go. She's serious."

"You'll regret this," Ryan muttered as they edged past her toward the door.

"The only thing I regret is ever trusting either of you," Valerie replied, her voice breaking.

When the door closed behind them, Valerie collapsed to the floor, her body wracked with sobs. Her entire life had imploded in a single afternoon. She fumbled for her phone and dialed Jade's number with trembling fingers.

"Jade," she choked out when her friend answered. "Everything's gone. I've lost everything."

"I'm on my way," Jade responded without hesitation. "Just breathe, mermaid. Just breathe."

Valerie curled into herself on the floor, surrounded by the scattered evidence of both betrayals—financial and emotional—wondering how she would ever find the strength to stand again.