Chapter 1

My boyfriend had a grotesque obsession—he was a devotee. The more broken or incomplete a person was, the deeper his love became.

Before we dated, I had no idea he harbored this horrifying fetish.

Not until he locked me in his home, sawed off one of my arms and a leg, and held a photo up to my mutilated body to compare.

“Emily, I love you so much,” he said, his voice soft as he gently touched my face. His smile was that of a lunatic—a monster hiding behind a mask of charm.

That’s when I looked at the photo and realized who it was.

My twin sister. Her name was Emily.

The next time I opened my eyes, I was back.

Back to the moment right after I had started dating Zach.

I sat on the couch for a moment, shaking my head as I tried to process the overwhelming dizziness. Slowly, it dawned on me—I’d been given a second chance.

My memories of my previous life weren’t entirely clear, like fragments buried under layers of fog. But certain things stood out vividly, like scars burned into my mind.

I remembered how I died.

A knock on the door pulled me out of my thoughts. I knew before even checking who it was.

It was Zach.

Today was the day I had agreed to move in with him.

Taking a deep breath, I steadied myself and opened the door.

“Claire, why’d it take you so long to open up?” Zach asked, his tone light and teasing.

Zach was a doctor—bright, cheerful, and always polite. But his busy schedule made him seem distant at times.

He shook the large bag in his hand and smiled. My stomach churned as I remembered what would happen if I went through with this move.

If I moved in with him, it wouldn’t be long before his true nature came to light.

The memory of what he did to me in my last life sent icy sweat trickling down my back.

“Claire, are you okay?” Zach’s brows furrowed as he studied my face. “You’re not having second thoughts, are you? Don’t tell me you haven’t finished packing yet.”

His concern sounded genuine, but I knew better now.

“No, I’m ready,” I replied, keeping my voice steady.

I had woken up in this body just this morning. Thankfully, the version of me from last night had already packed everything for the move.

Zach led me to the couch and gently sat me down before heading off to load my things into his car.

Watching him work, I struggled to reconcile the two versions of him in my mind. The perfect, caring boyfriend… and the sadistic monster he truly was.

Zach had admitted it to me himself in my past life: he was a devotee. The more incomplete a person appeared—the more broken—the more he loved them.

And as the pieces of my memory returned, I couldn’t help but suspect that my missing sister had something to do with him.

I had a twin sister.

When we were eight, our family was in a car accident. Both of our parents died, and my sister, Emily, lost an arm and a leg in the crash.

I was luckier. Shielded by my mother, I escaped with only minor injuries.

After the accident, we were separated. I was taken in by our grandfather, while Emily went to live with our maternal grandparents.

The two families lived far apart, and as the years passed, Emily grew increasingly distant. She eventually stopped responding to my calls and messages altogether.

A year ago, when I couldn’t reach her at all, I came to her city to search for her.

Her grandparents told me she’d always been reclusive—not just with me, but with everyone. Even they rarely saw her.

But now, recalling Zach’s preferences, I realized something chilling.

Emily’s appearance—her missing arm and leg—was exactly what he desired. She fit his twisted obsession perfectly.

So why had he pursued me? Was I just a replacement?

And most importantly… what had he done to her?

“Claire, everything’s ready. Let’s go,” Zach called cheerfully.

I followed him to the car, sitting in the passenger seat as I tried to calm my racing thoughts.

The moment I stepped into his car, I started noticing things I hadn’t before.

The details were subtle, but unmistakable.

The charm hanging from his rearview mirror? It was a cartoon version of Mickey Mouse, just like the one Emily had as her social media profile picture.

The sticker on his steering wheel? It was of a celebrity my sister used to idolize.

“Zach, you’re into him too?” I asked, motioning to the sticker.

He glanced down at the steering wheel and chuckled. “Yeah, he’s so inspiring, isn’t he? Don’t you think he’s such a hard worker?”

I didn’t respond.

The celebrity in question had fallen from grace just last month after a massive scandal. Clearly, Zach wasn’t keeping up with the news.

Which made his admiration for the guy seem even more bizarre.

I sighed quietly, looking out the window.

Knowing what I did about Zach, I couldn’t shake the feeling that Emily was already gone.

But even if that were true, I wasn’t going to let her fate go unpunished.

Whatever it took, I would find the evidence to prove what Zach had done.

I would make him pay.