Supernatural thriller | Rising fashion influencer Rhea is gearing up for her runway debut, but her perfect world is upended when she finds herself haunted by a ghostly doppelganger.
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Twenty-four-year-old Rhea Patel has it all-the career in fash...
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I tidied my makeup and hair using the camera on my phone, rolling my eyes at the live image it captured and reflected. I much preferred my professional makeup artist and his skills. My comfort zone involved coordinating outfits, picking suitable accessories, and otherwise sticking to the fashions. In other words, it meant staying in my lane.
Ready, I logged into UpTube, surprising my followers with a live stream. As the number of fans quickly rose into the tens of thousands, I smiled, putting on my welcome-to-my-wonderful-life face. My almond-shaped brown eyes and the expertly placed eyelashes grabbed my attention much like they've done the masses.
Beyond the forced smile and the intact veneer, I was aware of something bubbling beneath the surface. I couldn't put my finger on it, but a part of me didn't want to dig deeper in fear of discovering a harsh truth I wasn't ready to face.
Luck was on my side, especially since meeting Nolan fresh out of graduate school with a degree in business management. Luck was him seeing potential in me, taking a chance on what I offered, and putting all his skills into catapulting my career. Luck was falling in love with such a stunning, intelligent, boss-type who looked out for my best interests despite the ten-year age gap. What right did I have to complain when so many people would die to be in my position?
The comb of my hair extension dug into my scalp and I ignored it and widened my grin. "Hey, guys. It's Rhea here." My bright teeth lightened up the screen even if it was by slim contrast. "I just wanna pop in to say sorry for missing the live stream earlier. Let me tell you, fashion week is such a super big week for me and I'm doing everything to prepare and bring you all such amazing looks. I was so fortunate to have Nolan here to fill in for me earlier." I angled the phone to allow Nolan to lean into the frame. "Don't know what I'd do without him."
"Hey, guys!" His grin made me smile wider.
I watched the hundreds of messages scroll by in the chat. Most of the comments were different variations of the same thing.
"You're beautiful."
"She's so pretty."
"I heart Rhea and Nolan."
"Rhea and Nolan forever."
"Stunning."
"#Couple Goals."
Only a few messages dared to ask, "How are you feeling? Are you okay?"
"Aw, thanks, guys. Uh, I'm actually feeling..." I shook my head, absentmindedly rubbing my temple until I noticed and stopped. Portions of my dream replayed in my head—thick blood-red hair floating around the woman's head like tentacles—and I questioned how honest or cryptic I should be. I leaned forward, getting comfortable on the sofa. "Have any of you ever experienced something so unbelievable it made you second guess yourself?" Instead of searching the comments for answers, I continued. "I mean, you believe you have a good head on your shoulders. You're a smart person, right? You know you're making the right decisions, but it's like a guilty conscious or something that's keeping you from seeing what's right in front of your eyes? Well, maybe you see it, and you know it's there, but you doubt it, and feel like it's best to ignore it and move on?"
