My boyfriend had a grotesque obsession—he was a devotee. The more broken or incomplete a person was, the deeper his love became. Before we dated, I had no idea he harbored this horrifying fetish. Not until he locked me in his home, sawed off one of my arms and a leg, and held a photo up to my mutilated body to compare. “Emily, I love you so much,” he said, his voice soft as he gently touched my face. His smile was that of a lunatic—a monster hiding behind a mask of charm. That’s when I looked at the photo and realized who it was. My twin sister. Her name was Emily. The next time I opened my eyes, I was back. Back to the moment right after I had started dating Zach. I sat on the couch for a moment, shaking my head as I tried to process the overwhelming dizziness. Slowly, it dawned on me—I’d been given a second chance. My memories of my previous life weren’t entirely clear, like fragments buried under layers of fog. But certain things stood out vividly, like scars burned into my mind. I remembered how I died. A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I knew before even checking who it was. It was Zach. Today was the day I had agreed to move in with him. Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and opened the door. “Claire, why’d it take you so long to open up?” Zach asked, his tone light and teasing. Zach was a doctor—bright, cheerful, and always polite. But his busy schedule made him seem distant at times. He shook the large bag in his hand and smiled. My stomach churned as I remembered what would happen if I went through with this move. If I moved in with him, it wouldn’t be long before his true nature came to light. The memory of what he did to me in my last life sent icy sweat trickling down my back. “Claire, are you okay?” Zach’s brows furrowed as he studied my face. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you? Don’t tell me you haven’t finished packing yet.” His concern sounded genuine, but I knew better now. “No, I’m ready,” I replied, keeping my voice steady. I had woken up in this body just this morning. Thankfully, the version of me from last night had already packed everything for the move. Zach led me to the couch and gently sat me down before heading off to load my things into his car. Watching him work, I struggled to reconcile the two versions of him in my mind. The perfect, caring boyfriend… and the sadistic monster he truly was. Zach had admitted it to me himself in my past life: he was a devotee. The more incomplete a person appeared—the more broken—the more he loved them. And as the pieces of my memory returned, I couldn’t help but suspect that my missing sister had something to do with him. I had a twin sister. When we were eight, our family was in a car accident. Both of our parents died, and my sister, Emily, lost an arm and a leg in the crash. I was luckier. Shielded by my mother, I escaped with only minor injuries. After the accident, we were separated. I was taken in by our grandfather, while Emily went to live with our maternal grandparents. The two families lived far apart, and as the years passed, Emily grew increasingly distant. She eventually stopped responding to my calls and messages altogether. A year ago, when I couldn’t reach her at all, I came to her city to search for her. Her grandparents told me she’d always been reclusive—not just with me, but with everyone. Even they rarely saw her. But now, recalling Zach’s preferences, I realized something chilling. Emily’s appearance—her missing arm and leg—was exactly what he desired. She fit his twisted obsession perfectly. So why had he pursued me? Was I just a replacement? And most importantly… what had he done to her? “Claire, everything’s ready. Let’s go,” Zach called cheerfully. I followed him to the car, sitting in the passenger seat as I tried to calm my racing thoughts. The moment I stepped into his car, I started noticing things I hadn’t before. The details were subtle, but unmistakable. The charm hanging from his rearview mirror? It was a cartoon version of Mickey Mouse, just like the one Emily had as her social media profile picture. The sticker on his steering wheel? It was of a celebrity my sister used to idolize. “Zach, you’re into him too?” I asked, motioning to the sticker. He glanced down at the steering wheel and chuckled. “Yeah, he’s so inspiring, isn’t he? Don’t you think he’s such a hard worker?” I didn’t respond. The celebrity in question had fallen from grace just last month after a massive scandal. Clearly, Zach wasn’t keeping up with the news. Which made his admiration for the guy seem even more bizarre. I sighed quietly, looking out the window. Knowing what I did about Zach, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Emily was already gone. But even if that were true, I wasn’t going to let her fate go unpunished. Whatever it took, I would find the evidence to prove what Zach had done. I would make him pay.
Zach’s job kept him busy, and he never let me visit him at the hospital. Even when I occasionally offered to pick him up after work, he insisted I wait for him in the parking lot. If Zach had really been involved with my sister, I figured someone at his workplace must have seen her. Today, I had the perfect excuse to find out. With school on break, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I prepared a homemade lunch, packed it neatly, and made my way to Zach’s office, asking for directions as I went. The moment Zach saw me standing at his door, he froze. Then, with a practiced smile, he grabbed my hand and quickly ushered me toward the stairwell. “Claire, what are you doing here?” I lifted the lunchbox, the explanation obvious. “Claire, the hospital has a cafeteria. You didn’t need to bring me lunch,” he said, his voice calm but his grip on my hand tightening. “Cafeteria food isn’t as good as mine,” I replied with a sweet smile. “I was worried you weren’t eating well. Besides, I had the day off.” Zach accepted the lunchbox, his expression softening with a grin. “You’re so thoughtful, Claire. But I’ve got a surgery coming up soon—I don’t have time to sit with you. Maybe you should go home or do some shopping until I’m done.” He sounded kind, but I could tell he was trying to get rid of me. When he’d opened the door to his office earlier, one of his colleagues had glanced at me with obvious surprise. I’d caught the look, even if Zach pretended not to notice. “Zach, do you not like it when I visit you?” I asked, tilting my head. He reached up to gently pat my hair, his tone soft and reassuring. “Of course not, but a hospital isn’t exactly a relaxing place to visit, and I’m so busy I wouldn’t be able to give you any attention. Be good, okay? Go home, and I’ll see you after work.” His words were sweet, but his actions betrayed him. He guided me firmly toward the stairs, practically pushing me down. When I glanced back at him, he was still smiling, even waving goodbye as if nothing was wrong. I stopped at the corner of the next floor, waiting until I heard his footsteps fade into the distance. Then, retracing my steps, I returned to his department and leaned against the wall near his office. The colleague who’d looked surprised earlier caught my attention—his name tag read Dr. Noah Hale. Of all the people I’d seen here, he was the only one who seemed to know something. I spent the next hour walking around the hospital, paying close attention to everyone I passed. But no one else reacted to me the way Dr. Hale had. Back in my car, I pulled out my phone and searched his name along with the hospital’s directory. His profile showed his consultation schedule: next Friday morning, he had clinic hours. As for Zach, he wouldn’t be seeing patients that day, which meant he’d likely be in the inpatient ward. If I timed it right, I could speak to Dr. Hale without Zach knowing. In my previous life, I hadn’t known much about Zach’s friends. I knew he played online games with a group of college buddies, but he never introduced me to anyone local. When I asked him about it, he’d always shrugged and said, “Doctors are busy people. No one has time for meetups. I don’t either—don’t I always come straight home after work?” At the time, his words had reassured me. I’d thought Zach was a homebody, someone who valued his time with me. But now, I wasn’t so sure. If Dr. Hale had met my sister, it meant he and Zach were closer than Zach had ever let on. I couldn’t approach him recklessly. He was Zach’s colleague and possibly his friend. If I made the wrong move, he might tell Zach everything, which would tip him off and ruin my plan. On Friday morning, I left the house with Zach as usual. He dropped me off at the school gates, unaware that I’d already arranged for the day off. Once his car was out of sight, I slipped away and headed straight for the hospital. After registering at the reception desk, I waited in line outside Dr. Hale’s clinic. Through the open door, I caught a glimpse of him. Unlike Zach, who radiated warmth with his sunny smile and charming dimples, Dr. Hale had a colder, more serious demeanor. He seemed sharp, calculating. Given their similar ages and the fact that they worked in the same department, it wasn’t hard to imagine they were on good terms. “Next,” a nurse called. I stepped inside and closed the door behind me. The sound of the latch clicking made Dr. Hale pause. He looked up from the file he’d been writing in, his expression briefly puzzled. Then, with a subtle lift of his brow, he studied me.
“Are you here… for a consultation?” I raised the registration slip in my hand and sat down across from him. “You know, if you’re here for a doctor, why didn’t you just go to Zach? Aren’t you his sister-in-law?” Sister-in-law? So that’s how Zach had introduced me last time. That confirmed it—Noah knew my sister. “You’ve met Emily, haven’t you?” I asked cautiously. “Emily? Who’s that?” His expression was unreadable, but he didn’t seem to be lying. My brow furrowed. Something wasn’t adding up. “Zach’s girlfriend—Emily,” I clarified. “Oh, you mean her. I didn’t know her name. I’ve seen her a few times before, that’s all.” “Where? When? What was the situation?” He looked at me curiously, remaining silent, as if trying to gauge my intentions. My throat felt dry as I swallowed nervously. It had been a year since I came to this city. A full year of searching with nothing to show for it. Aside from one fleeting clue from a former landlord, I hadn’t been able to find any trace of my sister. It was as if she’d vanished into thin air, her existence slowly being erased. I hadn’t anticipated things reaching this point. I scrambled to come up with an excuse, but Noah’s sharp, calculating gaze made me falter. I wasn’t smart enough to lie convincingly. He’d see through me in an instant. “How long have you known Zach?” I asked instead, deflecting. He hesitated for a moment before answering, his tone cold. “We were college classmates.” So they’d known each other for years. No wonder their bond seemed so strong. Coming here to question Noah, I realized, was a risk I couldn’t hide from Zach for long. If Zach found out I was searching for my sister, it might push him to act sooner. He could lock me away at any moment, just as he had in my previous life. But I had already died once. If it came to that, I could die again. “Dr. Hale, I need to ask you for a favor,” I said, lowering my voice. Noah didn’t respond, but the slight lift of his chin told me to continue. Taking a deep breath, I tried to sound sincere. “Please don’t tell Zach I came to see you. And… if possible, could we meet privately? I have something important to discuss, but now isn’t the right time.” I glanced back at the door, where the sound of impatient patients waiting in line was growing louder. “You don’t want Zach to know about the meeting either?” he asked, his tone skeptical. I nodded, meeting his eyes with as much honesty as I could muster. He studied me for a long moment before finally pulling out a business card and sliding it across the desk. “I don’t know what’s so important that you’d come to me, but you look serious. I have an hour for lunch later. Call me then, and I’ll hear you out.” Clutching the card like it was a lifeline, I left the hospital and found a small restaurant nearby. I booked a private room and spent the next few hours rehearsing what I wanted to say. Noah arrived on time. The moment he sat down, I didn’t waste a second. “Dr. Hale, my sister went missing a year ago. I moved here to find her, but I’ve found nothing. Last spring, I ran into Zach by accident—literally spilled his coffee backstage at a kids’ recital. That’s how we met. He pursued me after that, and now I’m his girlfriend.” Noah’s brow furrowed so deeply it looked like it could crush a fly. He wanted to interrupt, but he stayed quiet, letting me continue. “It was only recently that I realized my sister was involved with him before me. But he’s never mentioned her—not once. We’re identical twins. The moment you saw me, you recognized me, didn’t you? There’s no way Zach wouldn’t have recognized me too.” “So, what exactly are you saying?” Noah asked, his tone defensive. “Are you implying Zach is hiding something because he’s connected to your sister’s disappearance?” His reaction was expected. They were old friends, after all. Of course he’d instinctively defend Zach. “I wouldn’t make this accusation without reason,” I said firmly. “Zach has a serious… condition. He’s a devotee. He’s obsessed with people who are physically incomplete.” Noah’s expression hardened instantly. “What the hell are you talking about? Zach doesn’t have anything like that.” For the first time, I began hearing a different version of Zach’s story—one I’d never imagined.
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