Chapter 12: The Woman Who Became Me
The message stayed on my screen.
*Someone has been impersonating Emily Carter for months.*
I felt like the floor disappeared beneath me.
I looked at Brandon.
"You knew.""
He shook his head.
"No.""
But this time, I watched carefully.
His reaction was different.
Not fear.
Confusion.
Real confusion.
Rachel stepped closer.
"Wait.""
Everyone looked at her.
"What?""
She stared at the message.
"Months?""
I nodded.
"That's what it says.""
Rachel looked toward Linda.
"Who had access to Emily's documents?""
Linda looked uncomfortable.
"Many people.""
"Names.""
Linda hesitated.
Then:
"Brandon.""
She looked at him.
"Me.""
Then she looked at Rachel.
"And Rachel.""
Rachel shook her head.
"I never used them.""
I believed her.
Not because I trusted her completely.
Because unlike everyone else, Rachel had spent years losing everything because of Brandon.
She had no reason to protect him.
Detective Harris called.
I answered.
"Tell me what you found.""
His voice was serious.
"We traced the fake identity applications.""
"And?""
"The requests came from three different locations.""
My heart raced.
"Which locations?""
"The first was Brandon's office.""
No surprise.
"The second was Vanessa's apartment.""
Again.
"And the third...""
He paused.
"The third was your home.""
I looked around.
"What?""
"Mrs. Carter, someone inside your house submitted the final application.""
My eyes moved around the room.
Someone here.
Someone had been helping.
"Can you identify them?""
A pause.
"Not yet.""
I closed my eyes.
Then I heard something.
A small sound.
A vibration.
Not my phone.
Something else.
I looked toward the dresser.
There was a second phone hidden behind the mirror.
I walked toward it slowly.
Nobody spoke.
I picked it up.
The screen was unlocked.
And there were dozens of messages.
All from one person.
To one person.
The contact name was:
*Emily*
My hands went cold.
I opened the messages.
The latest one was from yesterday.
*She still doesn't suspect us.*
My breathing stopped.
Another message.
*Once Brandon gets the house, we move to phase two.*
Another.
*She will never know she was replaced.*
I dropped the phone.
Rachel picked it up.
Her face changed as she read.
Linda covered her mouth.
Brandon whispered:
"No.""
I looked at him.
"You really didn't know.""
For once, I believed him.
He looked terrified.
"Who has been using that phone?""
Nobody answered.
Then Rachel scrolled further.
She stopped.
"Emily.""
I looked at her.
"What?""
She turned the phone around.
There was a photo.
A recent photo.
Of me.
Except it wasn't me.
It was someone standing outside my house.
Someone wearing my coat.
Someone carrying my bag.
Someone who looked enough like me to fool strangers.
My stomach dropped.
Rachel whispered:
"She has been pretending to be you.""
I stared at the image.
Then I noticed something.
A detail everyone else missed.
The ring.
The woman in the photo was wearing my wedding ring.
The ring Brandon gave me twelve years ago.
The ring I took off after finding him with Vanessa.
The ring I locked away yesterday.
But in the photo...
it was on her finger.
My phone rang.
Unknown number.
I answered.
No one spoke.
Then a woman whispered:
"Emily.""
My blood ran cold.
Because the voice sounded exactly like mine.
"I think it's time we met.""
The call ended.
And seconds later, my front door opened.
A woman stepped inside.
Wearing my coat.
Carrying my bag.
And smiling with my face.
"Hello, Emily.""
She looked around the room.
"Or should I say...""
May you like
She smiled.
"...hello, original?""
