In the back seat of my car, my fiancée sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes. "Why is it so dark? Ethan, we’re in the middle of nowhere. Where are you taking me?" I gripped the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white. I didn’t answer. Chloe kept talking. "By the way, of all the wedding dresses I tried on this afternoon, which one did you like best?" "Ethan?" "Why are you ignoring me?" Because I didn't dare to look at her. My fiancée, Chloe, had been dead for six months. "You’re regretting it again. You want to call off the wedding, don’t you? I just don't get it. What is so good about that cheap little bitch? She does nothing but spend your money! You wouldn't have this company today if it weren't for me!" "Let me tell you something, Ethan. Over my dead body will you ever leave me!" Chloe’s voice kept ringing in my ears. I was paralyzed with fear. My foot slammed down on the gas pedal. I didn't dare to look in the rearview mirror, not even once. Ever since I got back from the Cascade Mountains, she had been in my car. Her voice grew louder, sharper, and more grating. The hair on my neck stood on end. It felt like her lips were pressed right against my ear. "Ethan, don't be like this. I won't yell at you anymore. Just talk to me, okay?" "Haha, are you still pretending?" "I know you can see me!" "Ethan... Ethan..." I couldn't take it anymore. I let out a terrified scream and floored the gas. If I could just make it through the last traffic light, I’d be in the crowded downtown area! But as I sped through the intersection, a blinding flash of light hit me from the side. There was no time to swerve. The impact sent my car spinning and flipping through the air. The airbag deployed with a deafening bang, pinning me to the seat and choking the air from my lungs. Behind me, Chloe was still whispering in my ear, laughing. "Are you coming to join me now?" "Hehe... I told you. Dead or alive, you’re staying with me!" Her face leaned in close. Her hair was matted with blood, her skin pale and rotting. My soul shivered with pure terror. Ignoring the agonizing pain in my body, I fumbled to unbuckle my seatbelt, crawled out of the shattered window, and scrambled on my hands and knees toward the other driver. "Help! Help me—" "Ethan Vance? Are you out of your mind?" "Who the hell runs a red light at midnight? Are you trying to get yourself killed?" The driver who hit me was my biggest business rival in Seattle, Marcus Sterling! But right now, my pride meant nothing. I pointed frantically at the back seat of my wrecked car. "Chloe... Chloe is in there—" Then, I froze. Inside my car, other than a smear of blood on the seat, there was absolutely no one. Marcus glared at me with pure disgust. "I’m warning you, Ethan. You were speeding and ran a red light. Don’t you dare try to pin this on me! And your missing fiancée has nothing to do with me. If you hire those internet trolls to spread rumors that I kidnapped her again, I’ll sue your ass into bankruptcy!" I couldn't speak. I just sat on the cold asphalt, trembling. With Chloe gone, the adrenaline began to fade. A searing, tearing pain ripped through my body. I looked down and realized I was covered in blood. Marcus called 911 and stood by his car, waiting. I forced myself to stand, ignoring the pain, and hobbled over to him. "Marcus... when you hit me, did you see... was there anyone else in my car?" Marcus spat on the ground. "Fuck off! For the last time, I didn't hit you, you ran into me. And did you hit your head too hard? You don’t even know if there was someone in your own car?" Suddenly, Marcus paused, his brows furrowing deep. "Wait a minute. Ethan, did you just say Chloe? Isn't she still missing? Did you find her?" Seeing Marcus’s genuine confusion, I realized what had just happened was likely a hallucination. I let out a shaky breath and lied, "No... still looking for her..." And I would never find her. Because she was dead. Buried in a place where no one would ever look.
When the police arrived, Marcus blamed the entire accident on me. I didn't have the energy to fight him. I admitted to everything, wanting nothing more than to get bandaged up and go home. As I was being loaded into the ambulance, Marcus blocked the door, looking suspicious. "Ethan, did you take the wrong meds today? Usually, you'd use any excuse to ruin my reputation. Now you’re half-dead, and you just take the blame without a fight?" Marcus and I had been at each other's throats for three years. We had used every dirty trick in the book to sabotage each other. But right now, I was too exhausted to care. I snarled, "Fuck off," and slammed the ambulance doors shut. By the time the hospital finished stitching me up, it was 3:00 AM. I refused to be admitted and called Hailey to pick me up. "Ethan! Oh my god, what happened to you?" "Chloe is missing. Just let the cops handle it! Why are you running around in the middle of the night for her?" Hailey’s eyes welled with tears. Her fragile, helpless look made my heart ache. I pulled her close and whispered softly, "Shh, it's okay. You know I only love you. Honestly, I hope she never comes back." "But everyone knows I built my career on her back. If I don't put on a show of looking for her, people will call me heartless. It'll ruin my reputation and the company. How else am I going to give you the life you deserve?" Hailey parked the car by the curb and wept in my arms, deeply moved. Feeling her young, soft body against mine, my frayed nerves finally began to calm down. Hailey was a college student I had sponsored through my charity foundation. She was young and beautiful, but more importantly, she was obedient and highly capable—miles ahead of Chloe. As long as I could be with her, any amount of stress was worth it. In time, people would forget about Chloe... "Mr. Vance, Miss Miller embezzled another $200,000 from the purchasing department! When Chloe was managing things, she never took a single dime from the company." Hearing my secretary, Leo, mention Chloe again made my head throb. "I don't care. Why are you making a big deal out of it? I'll talk to Hailey in private." Leo looked troubled. "When business was good, we could overlook these things. But ever since Chloe vanished, the company’s financials have been—" "Enough!" I cut him off, annoyed. "I said I’ll handle it!" Leo lowered his head. "There's one more thing. Chloe’s parents are sick with worry because they can't find her. Her father was hospitalized, and they came to the office asking if you could help with the medical bills..." I waved my hand dismissively. "Tell them the company is struggling and we don't have the cash." "What?" Leo looked at me in disbelief. "Mr. Vance, Chloe gave everything to this company. Her parents are sick, and you’re just going to ignore them?" My patience snapped. "What kind of bullshit are you talking? Chloe was just a manager, she didn't own shares. Now that she's gone, why the hell should I take care of her parents? If every senior employee went missing, would I have to support their entire families?" "But Mr. Vance, Chloe only transferred her shares to you because you two were engaged—" I grabbed my coffee mug and hurled it at him. "Get the fuck out! Just do what I told you to do!" If Leo hadn't been incredibly loyal to me—even refusing a massive bribe from Marcus to defect—I would have fired this blind idiot on the spot. Once he left, I immediately called Hailey to my office under the guise of work to soothe my growing anxiety. Another week passed, and Chloe didn't appear again. I thought my mental state was improving, that life was returning to normal. But then, the unthinkable happened. The dead woman didn't just reappear. She came back to my house. Wearing an apron, cooking dinner for me.
I opened the front door. Through the darkness, I saw Chloe carrying a steaming plate of food from the kitchen to the dining table. My skin crawled, and my limbs went completely numb. I tried to flip the light switch, but the power was out. I pressed it repeatedly, but nothing happened. I pulled out my phone. No service. "Ethan, you’re home. Why are you standing at the door?" "Go wash your hands. I made all your favorites." Was I having another hallucination? But her voice, the smell of the food... it was all so incredibly real. I pinched my thigh hard. The pain was real, but the scene before me didn't change. Chloe kept talking. "Oh, silly me. Ethan, I forgot to get your slippers. Hold on, I'll grab them for you—" She set the plate down and began walking toward me, step by step, through the pitch blackness. A freezing chill ran up my spine. My legs turned to jelly, but I forced myself to turn around and run toward the elevator. For the first time in my life, the elevator felt like it was taking an eternity. Footsteps echoed down the dark hallway behind me, getting closer and closer. Chloe’s voice trailed right behind me. "Sweetheart, we haven't eaten dinner, and we aren't married yet. Why are you in such a rush to leave?" "Did you forget? When you begged me to sleep with those clients and sacrifice my dignity to save your business, you swore you’d marry me. When I was hospitalized with alcohol poisoning, you held my hand and told me I was the only one you'd ever love." "Oh? Are you scared? Why are you shaking so much?" "Hehe... you must remember now! You said if you ever betrayed me, you'd lose everything and suffer a fate worse than death. I’m just here to help you keep your promise..." I leaned against the wall to keep from collapsing, my body shaking violently as I frantically mashed the elevator button. Finally, just as I was about to scream, the elevator doors slid open. The hallway flooded with bright light, and Hailey’s beautiful face appeared before me. I threw myself into the elevator, grabbing her, trembling. "Go! Get us out of here! She's coming—" "Who?" Hailey worriedly touched my forehead, then peeked out into the hallway. "Ethan, there’s nobody out there. Are you sick?" Nobody? I took a deep breath and forced myself to look. The hallway was empty. Chloe was gone. The building’s lights were back on, and my phone suddenly had full service again. Hailey held my hand as we walked back to my apartment. "Ethan, is work stressing you out too much? Maybe you should see a doctor." I shook my head, unable to speak, my mind a chaotic mess. Was it really just a hallucination? But my mind had felt perfectly fine lately! Soon, I realized it wasn't a hallucination at all. Because on my dining table sat a fresh, hot dinner. Hailey giggled and gave me a playful shove. "Oh, stop it! Ethan, did you scare me on purpose just to surprise me with this dinner?" "It smells amazing. You’re such a good cook!"
Hailey sat down, picking up a fork. Suddenly, my brain kicked into gear. I lunged forward, grabbed the plates, and threw everything into the trash can. "Don't eat that!" "I... I didn't make this." Hailey blinked, confused. "Then who did? Only Chloe cooks this well. Ethan... did Chloe come back?" She stood up and wrapped her arms around me. "Is she... really back?" Seeing the strange, testing look in Hailey’s eyes, my body went rigid. I pushed her away. "Chloe lost her mind, screamed at me, and ran away. Who knows if she's ever coming back?" I couldn't let anyone know Chloe was dead. Not even Hailey. I kept up the lie that we had a fight and she ran away. To cover my tracks, I had dropped hints to the police that Marcus Sterling was behind her disappearance, which threw off their investigation. No one should have been able to find her. I should have been safe. But... The horror of the car crash and tonight's feast kept looping in my head. I dug my fingernails into my palms to keep myself calm and took Hailey out to a restaurant. I was too terrified to be alone, so I didn't go back to my place. I stayed at the apartment I had bought for Hailey. But that night, I dreamed of Chloe again and woke up drenched in cold sweat. I couldn't keep running. The dinner on the table proved that these occurrences weren't in my head. My sanity was intact. "Chloe" was back. She wanted revenge. She wanted to punish me. She wanted to strip me of everything and torture me. On top of the psychological horror, my company was suddenly facing aggressive, expensive attacks from a rival, causing our stocks to plummet. The next day, I gathered my courage and went back to my apartment alone. I didn't turn on the lights. I just sat on the sofa in the pitch black, waiting. As expected, she came. The front door creaked open. Then came Chloe’s voice. "Sweetheart, didn't we agree to take our wedding photos today? Why are you sitting in the dark?" My heart leaped into my throat. Controlling my terror with every ounce of strength, I secretly sent a text to Hailey. "Gosh, ignoring me again..." Chloe’s melancholic voice seemed to echo from every corner of the room, swallowing me whole. Her footsteps sounded clearly behind me, drawing closer. Suddenly! A cold hand touched my shoulder. The icy temperature sent goosebumps breaking out all over my skin. "Sweetheart, it's me. Why are you shaking?" "Hehe, what are you afraid of?" In a split second, I grabbed her wrist and snarled through gritted teeth, "Stop playing games! You’re not Chloe! You’re her best friend, the one she helped study abroad, aren't you?" "Did you think getting plastic surgery to look like her would fool me?" Staring at her pale face, I wrapped my other hand around her throat. "Tell me! What the fuck do you want?!" She squinted, looking confused. "Sweetheart, what are you talking about? I’m your fiancée." "Still playing dumb?" I squeezed harder. "The night of the crash, why did Marcus Sterling just happen to be there? Because he’s my rival! He’s the only one who would help you!" "He helped you act, pretending he couldn't see you. He’s the one funding the attack on my company to make me think Chloe’s ghost is coming for me!" Hearing the front door unlock, I let out a vicious laugh. "Hailey is here. You worthless bitch, let’s see how long you can keep up this act!" The door swung open, and Hailey stepped in. I yelled immediately, "Hailey! Call the cops! Catch this fucking imposter!" But Hailey didn't move. After a few seconds of silence, she shrank into the corner, trembling. "Ethan... stop scaring me! There's no one else in here but us!" Then, Chloe began to laugh, a chilling, high-pitched giggle. "Sweetheart, looks like your little mistress can't see me either~"
My hand, still wrapped around Chloe's throat, began to shake uncontrollably. Her laughter grew louder and sharper, piercing straight into my skull. "Hehe... Sweetheart, you’re even more terrified now." "But what are you afraid of? You promised to marry me, to be with me forever. How could you bring your little mistress into our home right in front of my face?" She raised her icy hand and easily broke my grip. Her fingernails grazed my cheek, slowly tracing down to my neck. The sheer terror paralyzed me; I was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered. I used every bit of energy in my lungs to squeeze out a raspy scream. "Get out! Get the fuck away from me!" "You're not real!" "Chloe, I'm not afraid of you! I'm not!" In my panic, I didn't notice Hailey approaching. Only when her shaking arms wrapped around me did I realize she was there. "Ethan, what's wrong with you? Who are you talking to?" I couldn't answer. Chloe was standing right in front of her, yet Hailey couldn't see a thing, even as Chloe leaned in and blew cold air onto my neck. At that moment, fear overcame everything. I shoved Hailey away. "Go! Get out of here!" My concern for Hailey temporarily overpowered my fear. No matter what, I couldn't let Hailey get hurt. But my action enraged Chloe. She suddenly grabbed my throat, her voice turning wild and malicious. "You care about this little bitch that much?!" "I gave you everything! I sacrificed my body, my dignity, and you threw me away for this whore!" "Die!" "Just die!—" Her sharp nails sunk into the flesh of my neck. The pain and terror overwhelmed me, and my vision went black. When I opened my eyes, it was morning. I was lying in my own bed, sunlight streaming through the window. Hailey, her eyes red from crying, was sitting beside me. Seeing me wake up, she threw herself into my arms, sobbing. "Ethan, you scared me to death!" "Last night, you started choking yourself and then just collapsed." "What is happening to you..." Dazed, I touched my neck. My fingers came away stained with dried blood. Marcus could have been lying to me, but Hailey would never lie to me. "Hailey." "Do you... do you know any spiritual mediums? Anyone who deals with the occult?"
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