Chapter 2

2

Forget heartbreak. This was about survival. I often vented to Ethan about work, sharing my ideas, my struggles. Had he been feeding Olivia my concepts? It was possible. He'd been “out of town on business” for weeks. And he’d never let me near his phone. I had no concrete proof.

But this was a start. I sent Ethan the picture, told him we were over, and blocked him. I changed my locks, just in case. Then, I sat down to brainstorm a new video idea. This time, I’d be more careful.

To be safe, I went in a completely different direction. The “dark fantasy queen” look had been a departure from my usual soft, girly aesthetic. If that resonated, maybe something bolder would work even better.

Hours later, I had a script. Something truly unique. This couldn’t be copied.

Just to be extra cautious, I filmed and edited the entire thing at home, telling no one. The finished product was amazing. I was a genius!

Before posting, I commented on Olivia’s viral video from a burner account: “Can’t wait for your next video! Need more of this!”

Olivia replied quickly: “That video took a lot out of me, so it might be a while before my next one!”

I replied with a crying cat emoji and breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn't planning anything new. Clearly, she’d gotten the idea from Ethan and rushed to produce it. Two minds couldn’t possibly come up with the same intricate concept independently. Right?

I uploaded the video, wrote the caption, and was about to hit “Share.” Then, a notification popped up on my burner account. My blood ran cold.

Olivia had posted. She retweeted my comment, adding: “I was going to surprise you guys, but I heard someone might be copying this look, so I wanted to get it out there to protect myself. Wouldn’t want anyone stealing my ideas.”

I clicked on the video. And there it was. Identical to mine. Down to the second.

How? How was this possible?! I clutched my head. Even after being reborn, was I doomed to relive this nightmare? Was I going to be harassed and bullied into oblivion again?