I Was Mistaken For Novels & Stories

“The man I met outside my office. Tall. Sandy-brown hair. Charming but kind of awkward?” He flashed me a confused look “The man I had dinner with”, I tried harder, maybe this will all just be a little misunderstanding “If you had dinner with him, then that’d be my assistant,” he said flatly. Everything hit me at once. I had flirted with the wrong man. I had invited the wrong man to dinner. And now I was sitting across from the real Ethan Reynolds. And he was not amused. “I… I think there’s been a mistake,” I said weakly.

Everywhere. By morning, my eyes are red and burning. I didn’t sleep at all. I check my phone. No missed calls. No messages. I laugh softly. “Not like I expected him to call,” I whisper, lying to myself. After a bath, I get dressed and head to the grocery store. Big mistake. Every man suddenly has his face. Tall man? Clinton. Short man? Clinton. Bald man? Somehow also Clinton. My brain short-circuits. A sales assistant is talking to me, but all I hear is…

They were engrossed in a heated conversation with Maxwell and my presence ended it. “Yes, yes. I thought I knew the person in the video. Turned out it was all a misunderstanding. Did you get anything new?” I asked, coming back to sit on the chair I had sat on before. “Not really. Why did you think you recognized the person? And what turned out to be wrong?” “It’s a friend of mine. The red cardigan, I thought it was the same as his but it’s different. I had to check his from a picture of him I had.”

But something about the way he was sitting there—easy, unguarded, *present*— Made the words slip out before I could stop them. “It’s just…” I started, my voice quieter now. “All my life…” I swallowed. “…all I’ve ever been made to feel is that I’m a mistake.” The words hung between us. Heavy. Unavoidable. I let out a small breath, forcing a faint smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes. “Job mistake. Studies mistake. Pack mistake,” I listed lightly, as though it didn’t matter. “Mate mistake.”

At first, I thought she was simply being friendly, but as the conversation continued, it became obvious that she had mistaken me for someone else. Clara mentioned places I had never visited and memories that clearly belonged to another person. Before I could fully explain, she became embarrassed and quiet, realizing that I was not the man she believed I was. The confusion happened because I closely resembled someone she once knew. According to her, the person had the same height, similar facial features, and even dressed in a style much like mine. She admitted that seeing me unexpectedly had shocked her, and she reacted before paying attention to the differences in my voice and mannerisms.

The tiniest, almost invisible attempt not to smile. Victory. I lowered my voice, softer this time. “Look, I know you’re scared. I would be too. New place, scary people, everything hurts…but we’re not here to trap you,” I said gently. “We’re here because someone out there ...” I jerked my thumb toward the door without looking back, "suddenly has a mate and is acting like a confused golden retriever who found his soulmate in a thunderstorm.” Vanessa blinked, glanced at the door, then back at me.

The day Lucas Sterling went bankrupt and fled, he abandoned me at the airport. With red-rimmed eyes, he shielded his adopted sister, Ivy Sterling, as he escorted her onto the plane. “Ivy can’t stay here. Gavin Blackwood will drive her to her death. But you’re different. Everyone knows you look just like his late wife. “He could never bring himself to hurt you.” The cabin door slammed shut in front of me. As the engine roared, I cried and asked the system what I was supposed to do now. But the cold mechanical voice suddenly sounded excited: “Host! Go straight to Gavin Blackwood and tell him that you’re the woman who deceived him into marriage three years ago, faked her death, and vanished… “

A message popped up out of nowhere in the old classmates' group chat. It was from Megan Watson, the class rep. Megan: [Let's get together next week at the Windsor Grand, since that's Rachel's family's place.] Megan: [I'll cover two hundred dollars and treat everyone to dinner, then we can all stay the night after!] Someone replied right away. [The Windsor Grand is Rachel's family's hotel? Then I want the best room there!] I hurried to explain. My family just ran a little diner selling sandwiches and soup. I only worked at the Windsor Grand. Megan sent back a rolling-eyes sticker, dead set on the idea that I was lying. That night, she started a sign-up thread in the chat. Megan: [I'm

The universe was making a joke of me because I was seeing my ex and his brother. I was hallucinating. My head was playing tricks with me again. This is not real. “I know this is hard to believe, but you are safe Maya,” the stranger spoke, “I’m sorry I couldn’t come to you sooner.” “Who are you?” I paused my voice groggy, “What happened?” I asked. I was knitting my eyebrows trying to pinch myself out of the illusion before I was back to reality. Me being raped, forced to have sex with various men or…

What I do know is I was caught red handed. "Great" I whisper under my breath, mentally smacking myself. I fixed my composure and looked out the window, sitting on the opposite side of Adria. Adam chuckled "there is no point in hiding the fact that you were staring at her like a creep, I caught you already." "I was just making sure she was ok" I said still not turning to look at him. Adam rolled his eyes "I think that's the dumbest excuse I have ever heard, I mean ever, from a guy who was caught checking out a girl"