Chapter One

Cheyanne.

A week ago.

Choosing between Chinese takeout or pizza and coke had always been one of my biggest indecisive choices.

My phone pings.

Gia: why not just order something aside from those two. Something more fancy.

Just as I began to type in a response to her, an email notification pops up on the top screen of my phone.

I rolled my eyes realizing it’s from work before tapping on it.

I jumped out from my lazy couch as I read the message over and over again to be sure I wasn’t seeing things.

I immediately dialed Gia, who picked up before the first ring finished.

“Code red, babe. You need to be here ASAP!!” She responds almost immediately, “on my way!”.

In less than twenty minutes, a knock sounded behind my door. I sucked in a deep breath and walked over to open up for my best friend.

“What happened? Are you okay?” She asked, looking pretty concerned with her jacket worn inside out.

“I got it.” I muttered with a half-cry, half-smile face.

“What do you mean you got it, omg you have an STD?”

“Uhh, no.” I squeezed my forehead. “You’re looking at the new manager of the creative and innovative department!” I say spinning around.

“What!!”

“Girl, don’t joke with me!” She barked.

I whipped out my phone and turned the screen of the email towards her. She clapped both hands over her mouth as her eyes scanned the email. The Gia I know would have screamed immediately but I was surprised when she wrapped her arms around me pulling me into a warm embrace.

“You finally got it babe. I’m so happy for you.”

Funny of me to think I wasn’t going to shed a tear. I bawled out my eyes into Gia’s shoulders.

“Yes, I finally did it.”

She pulls herself away, “ you know what?” She nodded. “We’re having steak.”

“Absofuckinglutely!” I chimed in.

“With some expensive red wine. On me.” She smiles.

***

The weekend had ended and I finally pulled up to the tall glass building of my work company. About to step in with my newly acquired position.

“Shit, my coffee. I ran back to my Mazda to pick up my drink but as I turned to lock the door of my car, a black van pulled up right in front of me and two masked men pulled me into the van, one of the men clamped his palm over my mouth before I could scream, my coffee hit the ground, the hot liquid splashing across my shoes. I kicked, scratched, tried to bite. But I only earned a curse. A rough cloth covered my eyes, leaving me only with the chance of breathing.

By the time I woke up, I was in a freaking huge room, I mean, king sized bed, huge vanity,

Soft rays of sunlight through the cracked opening of the window—the rich CEO’s daughter’s type of bedroom. Then it dawned on me, I fell into a sullen state of mind and my mouth turned sour. I crawled out of the bed, almost tripping as I ran over to the door.

“Somebody!! I promise you have the wrong person,” I screamed as I banged on it.

“Please, let me out.”

After much pleading and crying with no answer, I sat on the cold tiles, bawling my eyes into my knees. Then the door finally opened, revealing an older woman looking around her early fifties.

My throat hurt from all the screaming, so I just waited for her to speak first.

“Wow, you look just like her. No difference.” She stated with a slight smile that didn't reach her eyes.

“Let me out of here, you have the wrong person. I’ve not done anything wrong.” I cried, fumbling over my words.

“You can’t just keep me here, I have work, my friends— “

“Oh about that…” She picks up the remote from the nearby table and turns the TV screen on. It had been paired to my phone and a series of messages from Gia asking where I was popped up on the screen but the response horrified me. They had impersonated me and sent her a response saying, I wanted to leave the country for a while, saying I’m tired of living and needed space.

Gia had responded with all sorts of messages and the only one I read was ‘you’re being weird Cheyanne, please call me’

Then she opened my emails, there was a well written email— a resignation letter, saying I wasn’t cut out for the job. It went on and on, even one to my landlord telling him I had moved out.

They just deleted my life and whole existence in a day. Something I had taken years to build.

It felt like something out of a horror movie. A nightmare of perhaps me in another universe where everything seemed to go wrong about me.

“Why?” I only managed to say. I thought I was out of tears but hot fresh ones streamed out this time.

“I don’t deserve any of this.”

“I worked hard to build that, all for what?”

Even if I managed to escape, where do I start from?

“I’m Dr Elena Vaughn, and I’m sorry all these had to happen but you kind of have a long history with this family. But I’ll see to it that you’re properly cared for.”

“W—w—hat family?” I stammered. “I don’t even know you.” I snapped.

“Yes darling, I know.” She smiled again.

I’ve always heard of the devil, but I never knew I would come face to face with it one day.

“And if you think you’re not going to comply,” she mutters coldly, her face rid of any emotion. She turned the screen to what seemed like a real time video of Gia in a bar.

Dr Elena sighed. “Look, I would hate it if something happened to your friend.”

Fear enveloped me. “Don’t hurt her, I’ll do whatever you want but leave her out of this!”

“I’m not a monster, I know you’d comply. All you have to do is answer to the name; Ivy.”

I nodded. Forcing my lips shut. I didn’t have the power here.

“God, you look just like her, same eyes, same hair… It's almost frightening.”

She turns to walk out, “And lastly, Ivy darling. You need to eat.”