I believed I’d finally found calm in this peaceful new place, but when my one and only companion disappeared—and the neighbors acted like it was normal—I realized this town hid things I might be better off not discovering.
Settling into the serene, fenced community felt like stepping into a fantasy—or so it seemed. Manicured bushes lined the roads, classic fences gleamed in the sun, and each home looked plucked from a designer catalog.
“This is it,” I murmured, fingers tight around the keys. “Time to begin again.”
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Inside, the home matched my every expectation—roomy, serene, and pristine. Sunbeams spilled in through the glass, casting amber ribbons on the polished wood. Still, as I settled in, a strange tension settled in my chest, like unseen eyes were tracking me.
“Pull it together, Clara,” I whispered, brushing the thought aside.
My curiosity stirred, and I parted the blinds. Opposite my house, a man lingered at his window, watching. Even as our gazes locked, he didn’t blink. His stare felt intrusive, almost like he could peer into my soul.
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“Seriously, who even does that?” I murmured, tugging the drapes closed.
The following morning, I ran into Victoria. Her cheerful tone sliced through the quiet as I juggled shopping bags.
“You must be a newcomer!” she chirped, heading my way.
“Yeah,” I answered, caught off guard.
“No need to fret,” she said with a warm grin. “I’m Victoria. Glad you’re here.”
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“Clara,” I said, taking her hand in mine.
“Let me guess,” she said with a sly grin. “Collin’s been spying again?”
I gave a small nod, and she let out a quiet chuckle.
“Don’t let him rattle you. He’s strange, but he won’t hurt a fly.”
Victoria quickly became my anchor—her easygoing nature and bright spirit were a comforting escape.
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Yet as our bond deepened, so did Collin’s fixation. He wasn’t just peering from behind curtains anymore. He hovered by my mailbox, wandered along the sidewalk, and loitered on his porch like he was waiting for something.
One night, unable to handle being alone while he lurked outside, I dialed Victoria. “Feel like coming over for dinner?”
“Absolutely! I’ll bring a bottle of wine.”
The moment she arrived, the tension eased. As we shared a meal, I finally found the nerve to open up.
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“So, what drew you to this neighborhood?” she asked, topping off our drinks.
“I’m leaving my husband. David. He’s controlling,” I confessed. “While the divorce moves along, I’m laying low here. Everyone thinks he’s wonderful, but nobody would believe the truth.”
“Oh, sweetheart…”
“No, I need you to see. This is him,” I said, pulling up a photo.
Victoria’s grip tightened around her glass. The light in her eyes flickered out.
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“Is everything alright?”
“He just seems familiar, that’s all.”
The evening carried a weird tension, though she pretended nothing was wrong.
“Relax, Clara,” she assured me. “Whatever you’re hiding, it’s safe with me.”
I wished I could trust her. For the first time in ages, a weight lifted off me.
But by sunrise, Victoria was gone. Across the street, Collin lingered on his porch, staring.
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No one mentioned Victoria, not even in passing. Her absence felt like a ripple that faded before it could touch the shore. It was unsettling, as if she’d never existed.
“Maybe that’s just how it is in small towns,” I murmured, observing Mrs. Peterson tending to her garden, utterly unbothered.
I wanted to ask her, to say Victoria’s name and see if she reacted, but I hesitated.
What if it makes me seem too curious? Or worse, like I’m probing?
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The eerie quiet surrounding her disappearance was unsettling. You’d think someone as vibrant and magnetic as Victoria would stir up some sort of mention. But there was nothing.
After wandering my living room aimlessly for what felt like an eternity, I came to a conclusion.
“I have to know,” I muttered, grabbing my jacket.
As twilight fell, I made my way to Victoria’s home. Her windows were covered, and the porch light buzzed weakly. Everything felt off. Too quiet, too lifeless. I paused at the door, then reached for the knob.
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“Just a quick peek. In and out.”
The door opened with a soft creak, as though it hadn’t been secured. A faint trace of her perfume hung in the air.
The living room remained undisturbed. Books were neatly arranged on the coffee table, and a teacup sat on the counter, its contents hardened into a dark ring. It felt as though she had disappeared in the middle of something.
My gaze shifted to a photo on the mantel: Victoria with a young boy, maybe eight, sporting a playful grin. There was something about his face that pulled at my memory.
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“Why does he seem so familiar?” I muttered, wiping the picture frame.
Before I could process it, the creak of the front door opening paralyzed me. My pulse raced as footsteps reverberated throughout the house.
In a rush, I bolted into a cramped closet, clutching my hands over my mouth to hold back the noise.
Through the slats, I caught sight of Victoria entering the room.
Why is she sneaking around her own place?
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The truth hit me when I saw who was standing with her.
David. My husband!
Seeing him there with Victoria made my stomach churn.
“She’s living next door,” Victoria said. “You need to handle this before she ruins everything.”
David nodded, his expression dark and calculating—the same cold look I’d seen too often behind closed doors.
My heart clenched. My husband and my friend, plotting together. And the target of their scheme… was me.
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I could feel the walls of the closet pressing in. My breaths quickened, each one more ragged than the last. The darkness wrapped around me, suffocating.
Fear scraped at my chest, threatening to tear me apart. I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to stay still, to remain silent.
I can’t stay here.
My fingers shook as I gripped the closet door, waiting for the right chance.
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At last, their voices dwindled, replaced by the faint sound of footsteps heading to another room.
“Now’s my chance,” I whispered, gathering every last bit of courage I could muster.
I eased out of the closet as quietly as possible. Each step toward the back door felt like an endless journey. Gripping the doorknob, I twisted it carefully and pushed the door open just wide enough to slip through.
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The chilly night breeze hit me like a jolt, but there was no time to appreciate it. I moved one step toward escape…
And then a hand gripped my arm.
“Gotcha,” a voice whispered.
My stomach sank as I whirled around.
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“Shh, stay quiet. Come with me,” a voice hissed urgently from the shadows.
I spun around, shocked to see Collin—my odd, unsettling neighbor—standing just inches away.
“Collin?”
“Move,” he muttered, tightening his grip on my arm. “Now.”
I hesitated, but his tone left no room for hesitation. I followed him as he guided me through a narrow, concealed gap in the fence and into his yard.
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Once inside his home, Collin slammed the door shut and engaged the lock. His actions were swift and purposeful. He handed me a glass of water.
“Sit,” he instructed, pointing to a chair.
I lowered myself into it, my legs weak and unsteady. The glass shook in my hands as I took a sip. My mind raced, struggling to make sense of everything that had just occurred.
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“You need to stay put for now,” he said, glancing out the window. “Victoria and your husband are on their way to your place.”
“Why… why would they…”
He held up a hand to silence me. “I’ll tell you, but first, take a breath. You look like you’re about to collapse.”
I inhaled unsteadily, but it didn’t do much to calm me. “Why are you helping me?”
“Because Victoria is my ex-wife,” he replied without emotion, as if that cleared up everything.
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“What?!”
“She made my life miserable for years,” Collin said, his voice steady but laced with bitterness. “I stayed for our son, but she turned him into… her.”
He stopped, his gaze flashing with what looked like regret. “Deceptive. Overbearing. A little clone of herself.”
I stared at him. “What are you implying?”
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He gazed at me with sympathy. “That boy… is your David. Victoria is his mother.”
The world tilted. I grabbed the chair’s arm, feeling as if the floor was slipping away.
“No. That’s impossible.”
He paused, his eyes sharpening as though recalling something.
“When I saw you growing close to Victoria, I got suspicious. My ex doesn’t make friends for no reason. She’s always scheming, and I knew something else was going on.”
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I blinked, struggling to absorb what he said. “So, you’ve been keeping an eye on me?”
He gave a brief nod, no remorse in his expression. “Yeah. Whenever Victoria gets close to someone, it’s never for a good reason. I didn’t know what she was after with you. When I saw you slipping into her house, I knew something wasn’t right.”
“You saw me?”
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“Of course I saw you,” he said, his voice firm but not harsh. “I followed you. Then I heard them. David came because of his wife, because of you! But how did Victoria figure out the link between you and David?”
“David’s photo… I showed it to Victoria. That’s why she vanished!”
Collin’s expression darkened. “I understand now. That’s why I couldn’t let you go back to your place alone. Victoria’s dangerous, Clara. She’s manipulative and cutthroat. You’re a target for her.”
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I stared at him, my heartbeat deafening in my ears. His words made too much sense. Victoria had seemed so warm, so charming, but it was all part of her game. The heaviness of what he said crushed me, making it hard to breathe.
“What do I do now? I got away from David here. But thanks to Victoria, he could track me down.” I finally murmured, tears stinging my eyes.
“Don’t worry. I’ve already called the police. They’ll be here soon. And trust me, David won’t hurt you again.”
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His humor, as ridiculous as it was, somehow cut through my fear.
“You’re acting like this is no big deal,” I said, forcing a faint smile as I wiped my face.
“Experience,” he replied, arching an eyebrow. “When you’ve lived through Victoria, you either develop a sense of humor or lose your mind. I went with a mix of both.”
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A laugh escaped me, louder than I expected. It felt odd, laughing amidst all the chaos. But Collin’s mix of cynicism and unexpected kindness was exactly what I needed.
As the sound of sirens grew closer, Collin stood up and motioned to the door. “Guess it’s time to face it, huh?”
I nodded, pushing myself up on unsteady legs. “Yeah. Time to face it.”
I squared my shoulders, drew in a steadying breath, and stepped outside. The red and blue lights flashed across the night, and for the first time in what felt like ages, I was ready to confront my past and leave it behind.
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