Chapter 13

“There are people who look alike in this world. Some even look like twins, when in fact, they have nothing to do with each other. Perhaps, somewhere in this world, there’s a young woman who looks exactly like you,” Officer Konstantin said kindly.

“But he…He…” She searched for the most accurate words to express herself, “He’s tried to get close to me. He asked for my phone number and tried to hit on me. Then, he tried to get me into his car. Please don’t think that I’m imagining things. I can sense it.”

Officer Konstantin burst into laughter. “Miss Carraway, you’re a beautiful woman. Haven’t many men hit on you whenever you walk along the streets?”

His answer was clear. Even if such a man existed and he did try to get to know her, it was merely a normal act of flirtation with a member of the opposite sex.

Vivian could not dispute this. She was very pretty, and boys had always pursued her since her elementary school days. Her favorable popularity among members of the opposite sex continued to this very day. It was likely that even if she kept her wedding ring on after getting married, she would not deter their enthusiasm.

Officer Konstantin watched her silence with a smile. “Don’t overthink it. Forget the past.”

Recent developments of the situation seemed to prove that her anxiety and panic simply stemmed from lingering trauma from her past. Vivian was now beginning to suspect herself. She pursed her lips and considered this, then she turned to Officer Konstantin to ask her final question, “Could you do me a favor?”

“What is it?” he asked in a non-committal manner.

She pulled a piece of paper out from her handbag, wrote Edward’s full name, birth date, and current address down on it. Then, she handed it to Officer Konstantin. “These are the details of the man I’ve mentioned. Could you help verify them? See if this is all real?”

Officer Konstantin glanced at the piece of paper. “You remember all of this?” he exclaimed in surprise.

“He showed me his identity card. I only managed to glance at it. I couldn’t memorize his I.D. number.”

Officer Konstantin laughed again. “You managed to memorize this much at a glance? You’ve certainly got a good memory.”

It was true that she had a great memory. Otherwise, she would not have had such a profound memory of that fateful night. His face, his voice, the way he looked at her…All of this was on replay in her nightmares.

‘Stop thinking about that,’ she reminded herself and stared pitifully at Officer Konstantin. “Will that be alright? Can you do me this favor?”

Men usually found it difficult to reject the plea of a beautiful lady. Officer Konstantin smiled and put the piece of paper in his notebook. “Alright. I’ll check this out when I have the chance.”

Ever the helpful man, he contacted Vivian in less than a few days.

“Miss Carraway, I’ve done a thorough check as you’ve asked. Edward Levin does exist. The information on his identity card checks out too. How do I put this?” He paused and smiled. “I don’t blame you for feeling frightened. I was shocked when I saw his picture too. However, when I compared his picture with that convict’s, I could see the difference. They are two different people.”

Vivian felt as if a huge burden was lifted from her shoulders. “Thank you, officer. Thank you very much,” she said gratefully.

“Has that man contacted you again?” Officer Konstantin asked her.

“No.”

“Heh. Maybe the kid simply wanted to get a beautiful lady. He’s probably confused. I mean, he’s clearly good-looking. Why would a girl treat him like a thug?” said Officer Konstantin jokingly. “Vivian, leave the past in the past. Enjoy your life!” he advised her encouragingly.

She was truly grateful to this police officer, so she thanked him again.

“Come to me if you run into any trouble next time. No need to be modest.” Officer Konstantin smiled, then he finally said, “I can even help you out if that kid continues harassing you!”

To be fair, the last two instances could not be considered harassment. After confirming that Edward Levin and Sean Jackson were completely unrelated, Vivian became much more rational about the situation and understood that she was the problem. That was why she had become paranoid.

…

Edward Levin did not contact her again.

Once, she bumped into that female colleague from the administration office. Her colleague dejectedly told her that Edward never came back. She called him and he answered, but he did not show up. Instead, another man came to the school to pick up the application form. He was tall, brawny, fierce, and ugly. Based on her description, Vivian knew that it was the man who had driven Edward Levin around during their last meeting. He seemed to be his bodyguard.