When Chloe started college, her father—the CEO of a prominent firm in their county seat—rented an apartment for her well in advance. Eager to begin her independent life, Chloe arrived a few days before classes started to settle in and get her bearings. Her father had advised her to find a roommate, mostly to put his and her mother's minds at ease.
Chloe spent the first few days of orientation observing the other girls looking for housing, but none of them seemed right. They were all too polished, too self-assured. She wanted to find a simple girl from the country—someone shy and unassuming, someone who would make Chloe look like a queen by comparison and ensure all eyes stayed on her.
One afternoon, she saw a group of students gathered around a campus bulletin board. Among them was a petite, thin girl clutching a heavy suitcase. "Are you looking for a place?" Chloe asked, stepping up to her.
The girl nodded, but before she could get a word out, Chloe grabbed her arm and began leading her away.
"See that beautiful new building over there? It's so close to campus, right? Do you want to live with me? The apartment is great, so don't even think twice!" Chloe chattered away as if she and Natalie—for that was the stranger's name—were old childhood friends.
As they hauled the heavy suitcase toward the building, Chloe felt a sense of triumph. She had found exactly what she was looking for.
***
Natalie was from a small rural farming town, which meant she would likely handle the cooking and cleaning. Chloe wasn't used to domestic work. Ever since her mother had fallen ill, their family home had been run by a housekeeper who performed her duties flawlessly. Though her mother had often argued that Chloe should learn to work, her father adored his only child and simply tuned out his wife's concerns.
On the first day of classes, Natalie put on a modest suit she had sewn herself. Chloe spent the morning twirling in front of the mirror, cycling through outfits until she settled on an elegant red dress with a plunging neckline. she matched her lipstick to the dress, layered on her jewelry, and gave herself a satisfied smile. "Alright, we can go now!"
She paused for a moment, then pulled a brooch from her jewelry box. "Here, take this. I love giving gifts," she said. Seeing the surprise in Natalie's eyes, she pinned the brooch to the girl's handmade suit herself.
Despite Natalie coming from a low-income family with many children and Chloe being the wealthy only child of successful parents, they fell into a rhythm. Chloe only entered the kitchen to eat; Natalie did all the cooking. It was no burden for Natalie; by the third grade, she had been helping her mother make dumplings, cheese-stuffed crepes, and pancakes for breakfast. It was the fastest way to feed five hungry siblings. Beyond her schoolwork, she had always carried the weight of the household: feeding the little ones, teaching them to talk, rocking them to sleep, and changing diapers.
Natalie missed her brothers and sisters terribly. Whenever she went home for the weekend, she used her small scholarship fund to buy them modest gifts. Later, she would tell Chloe how they had showered her with kisses, and how her mother had begged her not to spend money on trinkets but to buy something for herself. Natalie would just hug her mother and say, "But Mom, life is made of these little things, isn't it?"
One day, Chloe asked, "I guess it's nice having siblings. But tell me, Natalie, how are your parents going to split the house between all of you?"
Natalie was taken aback; she had never even considered the question. "I think fate will sort things out. The main thing is that everyone stays healthy," she replied.
Chloe burst out laughing. "You actually believe in fate? I think we're the ones who control our destiny," she said, wiping tears of laughter from her eyes.
"I don't know," Natalie countered gently. "I just believe in it. Sometimes you plan one thing, and life happens exactly the way it was meant to."
***
Natalie noticed that Chloe often wrote in a thick notebook that clearly wasn't for class. She must be keeping a diary, Natalie guessed. One afternoon while Chloe was out, Natalie's curiosity got the better of her, and she peeked inside.
Every line surprised her. It turned out Chloe wasn't just going for walks; she was going on dates.
Her boyfriend's name was Ryan. He was tall with dark hair and a distinctive mole on his right cheek. According to the diary, he went for runs near their building wearing a black Adidas tracksuit and white sneakers. Chloe seemed head-over-heels in love, even writing lyrical poetry about him. Natalie began checking the diary secretly, never suspecting that Ryan was a complete work of fiction—a dream guy Chloe had invented.
One afternoon after Chloe had "left for a date," Natalie felt a bit lonely and decided to walk to the campus library. On her way, she saw a tall, athletic young man approaching with a large bouquet of roses. She froze. Where did she know him from?
Then it clicked. It was Ryan, Chloe's boyfriend! He was clearly rushing to meet her. But why did he look so devastated?
"Hello," Natalie blurted out before she could stop herself.
The young man stopped and looked at her in surprise. "Here, take these," he said, thrusting the bouquet toward her. "No sense letting something this beautiful go to waste. The person they were meant for... she cheated on me."
Natalie, usually so shy, stepped into his path. She was certain this was Chloe's mystery man. Her friend had described him so perfectly that she felt she already knew him. The wavy hair, the mole on his cheek, the Adidas tracksuit—it was all there.
"Chloe already left the house, she's been waiting for you!" Natalie said.
A bitter smile twisted the man's face. "You've got the wrong guy, kid. Not that it matters now. Look, I could use some company. Why don't I buy you a coffee? What's your name?"
"Natalie," she said, flustered. "And yours?"
"I'm Ryan."
Natalie felt as if she were in a trance. She forgot all about the library and timidly took his hand.
***
The soft music in the coffee shop helped Ryan relax. He opened up, telling her his story. He was from a small town, one of many children. He worked hard and had hoped to start a family with his girlfriend, but she had betrayed him with his best friend.
"Well, Natalie, life goes on," Ryan said with a small smile. "This music is too nice to be sad. Want to dance?"
Back at the apartment, Chloe was losing her patience. When Natalie finally rattled the key in the lock, Chloe snapped, "Where have you been?"
Natalie gave a sly smile. "On a chance date. With a handsome guy in an Adidas tracksuit with a mole on his cheek. His name is Ryan."
Chloe turned bright red, her lips trembling. "Are you mocking me? You've been reading my diary, haven't you? Answer me!"
She grabbed Natalie by her thin shoulders and shook her. Natalie didn't want to admit to the diary reading—at the end of the day, did it even matter? She was just as stunned by the coincidence as Chloe was. But she liked Ryan. And even though she knew he wasn't over his ex yet, she had agreed to see him again.
***
Eventually, Natalie told Ryan everything—how she had read her roommate's fantasies and believed them, and how seeing him felt like seeing an old friend. Ryan laughed heartily. "You're funny, Natalie. And you're... well, you're not like everyone else," he said, leaning in to kiss her.
Chloe was far from happy for her friend. On the contrary, the glowing smile on Natalie's face whenever she returned from a date drove her into a silent rage.
One day, Natalie found Chloe in tears. "What's wrong, Chloe?" she asked.
"What's wrong? How are we even friends?" Chloe hissed, moving into a full-blown hysterical fit. "Look at yourself, you pathetic country girl! Who would ever want you? Do you really think I believe you're with 'Ryan'? Why did I ever bring you here? I don't want to see your face! Get out!"
Natalie hesitated. She wanted to point out that she paid her share of the rent, did all the cleaning, and cooked every meal. What had she done wrong? But she chose peace over an argument. A few days later, she moved into a small place Ryan had helped her find.
With her pure heart and kindness, Natalie eventually won Ryan's soul completely. When she graduated, they were married. Ryan started his own business, and he found he needed a reliable, wise accountant—a role his wife filled perfectly.
***
Recently, in a small park where a fountain bubbled playfully, Natalie ran into Chloe. Chloe was exquisitely dressed in high heels with flawless makeup, but her eyes were hollow and sad.
"I'm sorry for what I called you," Chloe said, her voice barely a whisper. "After you left, I was lonely. I cried. I missed your cooking and your company. I see you're happy with Ryan... and you're expecting." She looked at Natalie's baby bump. "And I'm still alone. I have everything, I guess, but I actually have nothing."
In that moment, Natalie felt nothing but pity for the beautiful, lonely woman. An idea struck her.
"Would you be the godmother to our little girl? We're going to name her Chloe."
A warm smile finally broke across Chloe's face, and a stray tear rolled down her cheek. "Of course I will. Thank you, Natalie. Thank you."
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