CHAPTER EIGHT: THE PRISON OF LOVE AND LIES.

The mansion felt colder that night.

I stood in front of the mirror, brushing my hair, lost in thought. The past few months had been a dream—Leon was loving, caring, and always by my side. But something had changed. He no longer shared my bed at night. At first, I told myself it was nothing, but deep inside, unease crept in.

Then, I saw it.

A reflection that didn't belong to me.

She stood behind me, her arms crossed, her expression dark and twisted with rage. My breath caught in my throat. My hands trembled as I reached for the mirror, thinking it was a hallucination.

She smirked.

"Poor little bitch… enjoying my wealth, my husband, my life."

I turned around in horror, my heart pounding.

She was real.

She looked exactly like me—but colder, sharper, more terrifying.

I screamed, stumbling backward, but in the blink of an eye, she was gone.

Leon, his mother, his father, and his sister burst into the room.

Tears streamed down my face as I clutched my chest. "I saw her! She was me—she looked like me! Was it my spirit?"

Leon's expression darkened as he pulled me into his arms. "Shh, my love. Your mind is playing tricks on you again."

His voice was soothing, but something in his eyes sent a chill through me.

His mother nodded solemnly. "It's your mental health, dear. You need rest."

I didn't argue.

I couldn't.

Because for the first time, I realized something—they knew.

They weren't surprised.

And that terrified me.

The next morning, the doctor arrived as usual.

Leon stayed beside me as I sat on the bed, my hands trembling.

"You'll be okay," Leon whispered, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

The doctor handed me my pills. "These will help you feel better."

I took them without hesitation.

Leon smiled in satisfaction.

The doctor left, and Leon stroked my hair before heading out.

As soon as the door shut, I rushed to the bathroom, forcing myself to spit the pills out.

I stared at the small white tablets resting in my palm.

A realization struck me like lightning—Leon wasn't trying to help me.

He was trying to erase me.

I felt the room spin as panic clawed at my chest.

Something was wrong in this house.

And I was going to figure out exactly what it was.

I spent the next few days pretending.

Pretending to take my pills.

Pretending to trust Leon.

Pretending to believe I was sick.

But I was watching.

I noticed how Leon's mother and father exchanged glances whenever I spoke about my hallucinations.

How Leon's sister always seemed nervous around me.

How the staff avoided eye contact.

They were hiding something.

And at night, I swore I could hear whispers through the walls—muffled voices, laughter, a woman's voice that sounded too much like mine.

Elena was real.

And I was going to prove it.

One night, I heard something unusual.

The sound of a door creaking open.

Leon was asleep beside me, his breathing steady. Carefully, I slipped out of bed, tiptoeing toward the hallway.

The mansion was silent, but I followed the sound.

Then I saw it—at the end of the hallway, a door slightly ajar.

A door I had never seen open before.

My heart pounded as I approached it, my fingers trembling as I pushed it wider.

Inside was a dimly lit room.

And there, sitting in front of a vanity, was her.

Elena.

Dressed in my clothes.

Wearing my perfume.

Fixing her makeup as if she belonged.

Her cold eyes met mine through the mirror, and this time, she didn't disappear.

She smirked.

"Took you long enough, darling."

My breath hitched, but I forced myself to stay silent.

Elena continued fixing her makeup, humming softly to herself.

I shrank into the shadows, watching her.

She moved with confidence—with ownership.

She wasn't just pretending to be me.

She believed she was me.

She picked up a brush and ran it through her hair, tilting her head slightly as if admiring her reflection.

"You should be grateful, you know," she muttered, though no one else was in the room. "Leon was kind enough to let you stay."

I swallowed hard.

Leon knew about her.

He wasn't just keeping secrets—he was protecting her.

A wave of nausea hit me, but I stayed frozen in place.

Elena stood up, stretching as if she had all the time in the world. Then, slowly, she walked toward the door.

I pressed myself against the wall, barely daring to breathe.

She stopped for a moment, glanced back at the mirror, and smiled.

"Enjoy your little game while it lasts," she whispered.

Then she left.

I exhaled shakily, my mind racing.

Leon had been drugging me to forget.

His entire family was in on the lie.

And Elena was real.

I wasn't losing my mind.

But now, I had to figure out how to survive before she decided I was no longer needed.