Chapter 2: A Stranger's Face

I figured he was just being polite. Maybe even joking. Until I joined his company as his secretary.

The next morning, I replayed the conversation a dozen times, searching for a hint of warmth. I kept wondering if I’d imagined something in his eyes. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I couldn’t give up. Not yet.

He hadn’t hired female secretaries in years, probably to avoid workplace rumors. But my dad was the biggest shareholder, so he couldn’t really say no to my request to intern.

I could tell he didn’t like it—his jaw tightened when my father insisted. The office buzzed with whispers as I settled in. I ignored the stares. I was determined to prove myself.

Three days after I started, I learned the truth: Ethan already had a girlfriend named Lily Hart, who looked exactly like me.

I’d heard rumors, but nothing prepared me for the shock. It was like being hit by a cold wave. The world tilted beneath my feet.

Our meeting was accidental. During a busy lunch hour, I exited a crowded elevator with a stack of files and collided with her. Papers scattered everywhere. As I apologized and bent to pick them up, I heard Ethan’s gentle, familiar voice—but he was speaking to Lily: “You okay? Did you get hurt?”

The air in the lobby seemed to freeze. I looked up, heart hammering, and saw her—Lily. She knelt beside me; she looked just like me. Ethan hovered protectively, his concern obvious. The way he touched her arm, the softness in his voice—it was all too familiar, like watching a scene from my old life, only I was on the outside looking in.

I hesitated, then looked up. Lily’s face was a mirror of my own. Ethan half-embraced her, checking where I’d bumped her. When she shook her head, he turned his cold gaze to me, his voice detached: “Watch where you’re going next time.”

I bit my lip, fighting the urge to snap back. His eyes, once so gentle, were now distant. Almost cold. It hurt, sharp and immediate, but I forced myself to gather the papers, blinking back tears.

I didn’t recover until they left. My hands shook as I gathered the scattered papers. I noticed a cut on my hand, bleeding. For the first time, I believed he truly had a new girlfriend—a girlfriend who looked exactly like me.

I stared at the blood welling on my palm, the sting oddly grounding. In the past, Ethan would have fussed over me, pulling out a bandage from his wallet, scolding me for being careless. Now, I was invisible.

Ethan was always logical. Why would he pick someone who looked just like me? If he’d moved on to someone else, I could have accepted it as human nature. But a substitute? I felt angry, unwilling, even disgusted.

I pressed my hand against my chest, trying to slow my racing heart.

Was I so easy to replace?

Back then, I would’ve shown him my cut, just for a little attention. He would have fussed over me, carefully bandaging my hand. Now, I could only stare at my injury, comforting myself as he walked away with someone else.

I wrapped my hand in a tissue, blinking back tears. The ache in my chest hurt more than the cut ever could.

Autumn, it’s alright, I told myself. This is five years later. He doesn’t know you. It’s normal for him to be cold. Still, my heart throbbed with a dull ache.

I tried to reason with myself, but logic is no match for longing. I kept my head down, avoiding everyone’s gaze as I slipped into the restroom to clean my wound.

The silence there was a small comfort.

Five years after my death, his new girlfriend had my face. It made me so mad I could barely breathe.

I slammed my fist against the sink, letting the pain ground me. The reflection in the mirror was Savannah’s, but the anger in my eyes was all mine.

I asked my colleague Amy about Ethan and Lily. My intentions were obvious—everyone in the company knew why I was there. Amy gossiped: “Lily Hart, Mr. Maddox’s girlfriend. They’ve been together over four years. She’s mute, can’t speak, but I heard she looks just like his late girlfriend—the classic ‘white moonlight.’ You know, ‘all the women after you are just your shadows.’”