Jack arrives home every night at 2 a.m., exhausted from working late. Without fail, he sees a woman standing by his window, waving at him. He can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong. When he finally decides to uncover the truth, what he discovers is far more shocking than he ever imagined.
I was tired when I got home from work.
It was 2:00 a.m. and my night shift had been long. As usual, I parked my car and walked to my apartment. That’s when I noticed her again.
A man walking on the sidewalk at night | Source: Pexels
Every night, without fail, this strange woman was there, standing by her window, waving at me. I never saw her during the day, and even on weekends when I stayed home, she was nowhere to be seen. I usually visit my parents on weekends, so I’m not there often.
Why is she always here at this hour? I wondered. I didn’t know her name, but she looked to be about thirty years old.
A woman looking out the window | Source: Midjourney
I have weird hours and usually get home at 2 a.m.
This strange routine had been going on for weeks, and I couldn’t help but wonder about her as I continued walking to my apartment. Was she lonely? Did she work nights like me? I tried to push the curiosity away, telling myself it was none of my business.
We had never spoken to each other, we had never exchanged a word. It was as if she only existed at night.
A scary woman looking out the window | Source: Midjourney
I walked into my apartment building, my thoughts still on the mysterious woman. Maybe she just had a strange habit of watching the parking lot at night, I thought.
On a rare day off, I decided to stay home and relax. It was midday and the sun was shining brightly. I went outside to get some fresh air and noticed a real estate agent showing the woman’s house to a couple. Curious, I approached them.
A couple with a male real estate agent | Source: Midjourney
“Excuse me,” I said, catching the real estate agent’s attention. “I noticed you were showing this house. Do you know the woman who lives here?”
The real estate agent looked puzzled. “A woman? I’m sorry, but no one has lived here for months. The previous owner passed away.”
I stared at him, puzzled. “Dead? But I see her every night, standing by the window, waving at me.”
A shocked man | Source: Midjourney
“I’m certain of it, sir. The house has been unoccupied since the death of the previous owner.
I didn’t believe in ghosts, so I was 100% sure I was seeing a real woman waving at me every night. It made no sense.
“There must be some mistake,” I said. “I see her every night at 2 a.m., waving at me from that window.”
Concrete building with glass windows | Source: Unsplash
The real estate agent frowned and glanced at the window I pointed to. “I don’t know what to tell you, sir. I’ve been looking after this property since it went on the market, and I can assure you that no one lives here.”
How is this possible? I was certain I’d seen a woman. She seemed so real, she waved at me every night. I thought the real estate agent must have made a mistake.
As I walked back to my apartment, I couldn’t help but feel unsettled. What the hell was going on? Was there really no one in that apartment?
A worried man | Source: Midjourney
My mind refused to accept the idea of ghosts. There had to be an explanation. I decided to keep my eyes open and see if I could figure out what was going on.
But that evening, I had to visit Mom, so I couldn’t solve the mystery. The next evening, when I came home from work, I was ready.
I parked my car and looked up at the window. But she wasn’t there. Determined to find answers, I walked to her apartment and knocked on the window.
Glass windows in a brick building | Source: Midjourney
“I know you’re here. Open the window!” I said loudly.
After a while, the window opened and the woman looked out, scared.
“What… what’s going on?” she asked, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry, do you need anything?”
A sad woman at the window | Source: Midjourney
“So I was right. Someone does live here. I spoke to a real estate agent yesterday. He told me the previous owner of this place died months ago. But I see you here every night. What’s going on? Why are you waving at me every night?”
The woman’s eyes widened, and she looked even more frightened. “I… I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’m so sorry. I’m waving because… it’s comforting,” she replied sadly. “It’s just… it makes me feel less alone. And I didn’t move. I live here.”
A sad-looking woman standing at the window | Source: Midjourney
“But he said the place was empty. People have been going around your apartment.”
“I see,” she sighs.
She looked around nervously, as if expecting someone to appear. “Please come in,” she said, her voice trembling. “It’s not safe to talk in here.”
I followed her inside. The apartment was tidy and minimalist, just as the real estate agent had said. We sat down, and she took a deep breath.
Inside a minimalist apartment | Source: Midjourney
“What’s your name?” I asked softly. “My name is Jack.”
“My name is Claire,” she replied. “I’m sorry for all the confusion. It must be my ex-boyfriend, Roger. He still has the key to my apartment.”
I was speechless. “What? Why does he have a key?”
A man talking to a woman | Source: Midjourney
“We broke up because he turned out to be a horrible person,” she explained. “He never returned the key, and I didn’t bother contacting him again. I thought it was over.”
“But why is he showing your apartment?” I asked, still trying to take it all in.
A couple chatting at home | Source: Midjourney
“Roger knows my schedule,” she said, looking down. “While I’m at work, he poses as a real estate agent and shows my apartment. He scams couples into paying a deposit and then disappears. Because I keep my apartment tidy, it looks unoccupied. I only discovered this recently.”
“So he’s using the apartment to scam people?”
Claire nods. “Yes. I didn’t know he did that.”
A woman looking upset | Source: Midjourney
“We need to call the police,” I suggested. “We need to arrest Roger, Claire.”
Claire looked scared. “I don’t know if I can do it. I’m really scared of him.”
I placed a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll be with you. We can do this together.”
Claire finally agreed, and we came up with a plan.
A woman with her partner at home | Source: Midjourney
The next day, Claire took the day off work and stayed home. I joined her for support. We waited anxiously, hoping our plan would work. Around noon, we heard the lock turn. Roger came in with a couple for a mock viewing.
When he saw us, his eyes widened in terror. He clearly hadn’t expected us to be here. “Claire, I… I can explain,” he began, knowing he’d been caught red-handed.
Shocked man with wide eyes | Source: Midjourney
Claire took a deep breath, but I could see her hands shaking. She looked at me for reassurance, and I nodded. “What are you doing in my apartment, Roger?” she fumed, her voice slightly hesitant. “Oh, let me tell you! You’ve been scamming people by showing my apartment as if it were for rent, haven’t you? Give me my key back, now!”
The couple quickly realized this wasn’t a place they wanted to rent and awkwardly left, whispering to each other.
An angry woman | Source: Midjourney
Roger, now alone with us, tried to defend himself. “Claire, I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. I just needed money.”
Claire’s eyes blazed with fury, but her voice was still shaking. “I SAID to return the key and destroy all the copies you made, or else!”
Roger sneered, “Or what?”
Claire took a deep breath and pointed at me. I took a step forward, standing up straight. “Or my new boyfriend will take care of you!”
Angry woman talking to male real estate agent | Source: Midjourney
I wasn’t Claire’s boyfriend, but to show Roger she wasn’t alone, I had to play along. “You heard her, Roger,” I said. “Give me the key.”
Roger, seeing that he was outnumbered and defeated, reluctantly took the key out of his pocket and handed it to Claire. “All right, here. Leave me alone.”
Claire took the key and stared at him. “If I find out you’ve been making copies, I won’t hesitate to call the police.”
Two police officers | Source: Pexels
Roger left, muttering under his breath. The key finally returned to Claire’s hands.
“You handled that very well,” I said, turning to her.
Claire smiled, relief evident on her face. “Thank you, Jack. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
A cute couple looking into each other’s eyes | Source: Midjourney
I hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath. “So, how about we go out together sometime? I promise, no matter what, I’ll never steal your key!”
Claire started laughing, the first genuine laugh I’d heard from her. “I wish, Jack. Thanks for everything.”
A few days later, Claire and I had our first date at a cozy local cafe.
A couple on a date | Source: Freepik
“You know,” I said, chuckling, “I thought you were creepy, waving at me at night with that harsh light shining on your face.”
Claire’s eyes widened in surprise. “Oh! It must be the laptop. I use it by the window until late at night, so I always see you coming home. I thought you were cute, so I was happy to wave. Damn, did I really look like a scary ghost?!”
A couple looking at a phone screen | Source: Midjourney
I took out my phone and showed her a photo I’d taken one evening. Claire jumped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Oh no, no wonder you thought I was a ghost! You’re so brave to knock on my window. What if I really do turn out to be a ghost?”
“In that case, I’d ask a ghost to join me for coffee,” I said, and we both laughed. “But on a more serious note, I guess it all worked out in the end.”
A couple enjoying each other’s company | Source: Freepik
Claire nodded, her eyes sparkling. “It’s true. And I’m happy about it. Here’s to new beginnings.”
A woman playing with a child | Source: Pexels
Read also: I Married My High School Teacher – What Happened on Our First Night Shocked Me to the Core
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding the accuracy of events or character portrayals and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and all opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the opinions of the author or publisher.
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