Chapter 1

My WhatsApp alt account suddenly started blowing up my phone, and it wouldn't stop for days.

I thought I was hallucinating, so I installed a camera at home in no time.

The alt account kept texting me every day, and when I checked the footage, it wasn't me sending those messages.

The alt account messaged me again. [Let's meet up tomorrow.]

I began to freak out.

*****

I checked the camera footage again. Clearly, it wasn't me sending those messages.

A chill ran down my spine. Someone must be playing a prank on me.

Jeffrey was my boyfriend. After I told him what happened, he gave me a gentle pat on the back to comfort me.

"Maybe you've been so stressed lately that you didn't realize when you sent those messages yourself," he said.

I was about to protest, but Jeffrey stopped me before I could say anything.

"Alright, get some rest. You've had a long day, and you need to get up early tomorrow," he said.

Without looking back, he rolled over and went straight to sleep.

Seeing how exhausted he was, I didn't want to bother him anymore, so I decided to handle this myself.

The next day, my WhatsApp alt account pinged me again. This time, it dropped an address and a note.

It read: [Claire, you have to come see me tomorrow. I've been waiting for you so long.]

Reading those words, I felt a chill run down my spine.

She'd been sending me that address for days, but I couldn't make myself go.

I had no idea what kind of scheme might be behind all this.

Even though I kept telling myself to stay cautious, curiosity was eating me alive. I wondered who she was and why she was messing with me like this.

Eventually, I mustered up the courage. I decided to sneak over to the address and plan to take a quick look from afar to figure out who was behind all this.

I followed the GPS to the address, but I didn't dare get any closer. Instead, I hid in a corner, scoping out the place from a distance.

Before heading out, I made sure to pack some pepper spray and a pocket knife. And with all these people around, it'd be hard for her to try anything funny.

I stayed hidden in my spot, watching the place, but it was empty. No one was there.

Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder. When I spun around, there was a girl I'd never seen before.

"Claire, you finally made it," she said.

I instinctively took a few steps back, startled by her words. Peering at her, I realized she looked eerily similar to the profile picture on my alt account.

"Are you upset to see me?" she asked, sounding a little disappointed.

When she saw my reaction, her expression instantly turned sour.

I hurried to mask my unease.

"No, not at all. But how do you know who I am?" I asked, trying to play it cool.

I started questioning her, hoping to get some answers.

But she gave me this innocent look, like she had no idea what was going on.

"I'm you," she said, like it was no big deal.

That was crazy talk. I was confused by her words. But as soon as I saw her face, my guard dropped.

She looked exactly like the girl in my alt account's profile picture. She didn't look like a bad person at all.

"What do you want with me?" I asked, cutting right to the chase.

She didn't answer my question. Instead, she gave me a friendly grin and asked me to join her for coffee.

She started talking about all these things only I would know, saying she'd learned them from our conversations online.

She even said she thought I was an interesting person.

I sat there, feeling nothing but shock as she went on and on.

She felt like my mirror image. She knew me better than Jeffrey did.

As we sipped our coffee and chatted, she finally told me her name.

Her name was Elisa Fletcher.

"Why does your name sound so much like mine?" I blurted out, caught off guard.

She smiled and took another sip of her coffee.

"I'm you," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Her words left me stunned.

Her smile had a familiar warmth that captivated me instantly. She looked like the friend I always saw in my dreams.

"I know you've been lonely, but it's alright. I'm here now. You don't have to message me on WhatsApp anymore. From now on, I'll always be with you," she said gently.

I wondered what she was getting at.

"Always be with me?" I repeated, still not sure I understood.

"Yeah. Didn't you always wish someone would stick by your side? Now I'm here. Aren't you happy?" Elisa said.

Elisa looked troubled, and when I stayed quiet, I could see the sadness in her eyes.

"Okay, I'll leave you alone," Elisa said, her voice barely above a whisper.

She started to walk away.

Seeing her about to leave, I quickly called out to her. "Don't go!"

I reached out and pulled her back.

I didn't know why, but after a few words with her, I suddenly felt this unexpected warmth toward her.

I'd always been alone, never had any friends. I'd always wished for someone who would always be there for me.

Jeffrey was my boyfriend, but he was always busy with work and never really paid attention to me.

Someone like Elisa finally appeared. I couldn't let her go.

I begged Elisa not to leave, doing everything I could to make her stay.

In the end, after I pleaded with her, she decided to stay.

"Elisa, where do you live?" I asked, my voice full of concern.

"I don't have anywhere to stay. I sleep on the streets," she replied.

On the streets? Seriously?

How could this happen? Elisa was so gorgeous and sweet. I couldn't let her live out on the dirty streets like that.

Without a second thought, I invited Elisa to stay at my place.

"Are you sure about that, Claire? Don't you have a boyfriend?" Elisa teased.