She Took My Place

Part 1

Eden Frost adjusted the sleeves of her fluffy cashmere sweater while walking into the office. She prided herself on being different from most cold and calculated CEOs. She delighted in knowing her employees by name and checking in on their families. Most importantly, she wanted to feel human.

After all, being the CEO of the biggest tech company in the U.S. was no easy task.

A sudden movement caught her attention.

She looked to her left and noticed that one of her engineers—Margaret Pointe, one of the new hires—looked tense. She was perched on the edge of her chair, eyes locked on the screen, slumped over her keyboard.

“Margaret, is everything okay?”

Margaret barely looked up. “Yes,” she murmured, giving Eden a tired smile. “I’m just having trouble with this report. I want it to be perfect for my first meeting here at the company.”

Eden studied Margaret carefully.

She looked drained, as if she’d been sitting in front of that screen all night. Judging by the six empty coffee cups cluttering her desk, she probably had.

Eden crossed her arms. “Take the day off. You need to take a breath, recoup, and come back tomorrow.”

Margaret started to protest but quickly reconsidered.

“Thank you, Ms. Frost.”

She quickly gathered her things as Eden stepped into the elevator, ascending to the 50th floor.

“Good morning, Ms. Frost, and congratulations on the new launch!”

Jonah’s usual enthusiasm was in full force.

“I heard that it went exceptionally well—and it should have, given how much time, planning, and mon—”

“Jonah, please.” Eden pinched the bridge of her nose. “You’re rambling again. We’ve talked about this.”

“Yes, yes, we have, Ms. Frost.” Jonah sighed, clearly embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”

He quickly recovered. “But this letter came for you this morning.”

Eden took the envelope, glanced at it briefly, then confidently strode into her office.

She turned the envelope over in her hands.

Blank.

No return address.

That’s strange.

She hesitated but tore it open.

Her stomach tightened as she read the words.

Don’t forget what you did.

For a brief moment, dread pooled in her stomach.

Then—she scoffed.

Just another scare tactic.

She crumpled the letter and tossed it into the trash. “Sparks Enterprises is going to have to do a lot better than that.”

Shaking off the unease, she sat down at her desk and began logging into her computer.

Her phone vibrated.

She glanced at the screen.

Home Security Alert: FRONT DOOR OPEN.

A chill snaked up Eden’s spine.

Part 2

The lump in Eden’s throat rose as she reached for her phone again.

Her fingers trembled as she logged into her home security system.

Her heart plummeted.

There—standing in the middle of her foyer—was a woman.

Tall. Dark hair.

The woman slowly turned toward the camera.

Eden’s breath caught in her throat.

She knew that woman.

She knew that face.

It was her twin sister.

This was bad.

Eden shot up from her chair, pacing her office.

“There’s no way this is happening. It simply isn’t possible.”

Images of the last time she saw her sister flickered through her mind—moments frozen in time.

But her sister was dead.

So how the hell was she standing in her foyer?

Eden rushed back to her desk, frantically refreshing the security footage.

Her stomach twisted.

Her sister was gone.

FOYER CAMERA: CLEAR

KITCHEN: CLEAR

DINING ROOM: CLEAR

LIVING ROOM: CLEAR

HOME OFFICE: CLEAR

ALL BEDROOMS: CLEAR

Eden scrolled through the footage again, and again.

Nothing.

She grabbed her phone, dialing building security.

“Benny—I need you to walk through my house.” Eden’s voice was tight, forced, level.

“Well, sure, Ms. Frost. Is everything okay?”

Her patience snapped.

“WHY ARE YOU ASKING SO MANY QUESTIONS? I’M YOUR BOSS! YOU DON’T QUESTION ME!”

Silence.

“Y-Yes, Ms. Frost, right away.”

She slammed the phone down, her pulse hammering in her ears.

The horror clawed at her, but she had to act quickly.

“I worked too hard to get where I am to let her mess this up for me.”

Her mind flashed back—the image burned into her memory.

Her sister, slumped in the driver’s seat of her car.

Lifeless.

Motionless.

A body left to rot.

The doors to her office burst open.

Eden spun around, pulse spiking.

Her mother’s voice cut through the tension.

“Oh, darling, it’s so good to see you!”

Mrs. Frost rushed forward, pulling Eden into the tightest hug she had felt in years.

Eden’s jaw clenched.

“Mom—Dad. It’s… so good to see you.”

“Well, Sweetie, it’s not like you answer our calls very often, and we’ve been dying to see you,” Mr. Frost chimed in, his voice light, casual.

“You’ll always be our little girl, whether you’re thirty-two or ninety-two.”

He and Mrs. Frost laughed.

Eden forced a smile.

“Come out with us for lunch, honey,” her mother continued. “We know you’re busy with the company, but we really do miss you.”

Eden hesitated.

The sincerity in her mother’s voice threw her off balance.

“Of course. I’ll go to lunch with you guys. I miss you both as well.”

She turned, walking toward the coat rack, flashing them a perfect, effortless smile.

But inside—the dreadful feeling in her stomach wouldn’t leave.

Part 3

Eden and her parents pulled up in front of the restaurant.

The Arbor.

Great. Just great.

Of all the days, of all the restaurants in the city, they had to choose this one.

“We thought this would be a great place to spend the day with you,” Mrs. Frost beamed. “Considering that you and Eleanor loved this place when you were younger.”

That name.

Like nails on a chalkboard.

A sharp, searing heat burned in Eden’s chest.

She hated that name.

Every syllable of it.

Her face contorted into a glare before she quickly caught herself.

Instead, she broke.

“I know, Mother. T-this was our favorite.”

Her sobs grew louder, messier—uncontrollable.

She collapsed into her mother’s shoulder. “I-I don’t think I can do this here. There are just too many memories.”

Mrs. Frost rubbed slow, soothing circles on Eden’s back. “I know the anniversary of her death is coming up. This must be a really hard time for you.”

You have no idea.

Mr. Frost’s voice grew low and somber as he wrapped his arms around them.

“We’re sorry, Sweetie. We thought enough time had passed that we could celebrate her memory here. We didn’t mean to upset you.”

Fake grief. The perfect shield.

The perfect cover.

She knew how to play the role.

Eden’s phone buzzed in her coat pocket.

Benny.

She wiped her tears and turned away.

“Mom, Dad, will you excuse me for a moment?”

They nodded.

Eden walked around the corner of the restaurant. The moment she was out of sight, her expression hardened.

“Did you find anything?” she hissed into the phone.

“No, Ms. Frost. Everything looks fine here.”

Eden exhaled a breath she didn’t realize she was holding. “Thank you for checking. And… I’m sorry for my outburst earlier.”

“It’s no problem, Ms. Frost. I understand you’re under a lot of stress running Astra. It’s no big deal.”

Benny. Sweet, oblivious Benny.

A sharp stab of guilt twisted in her stomach, but guilt wouldn’t help her.

“Anyway, I have to go. Thanks for your help.”

She ended the call and walked back to her parents.

“I think I’m ready to go in now.”

She smiled.

The perfect smile.

Eden and her parents walked into the restaurant, leaving her worries behind—for now.

The restaurant was just how she remembered it.

Dim lighting. Soft jazz humming through the air. The warm scent of basil and butter weaving through the space.

The hostess led them to a familiar table by the window.

Her table.

“Your waiter will be with you shortly,” she said, placing menus in front of them before walking away.

Mr. Frost’s voice was soft. “Sweetheart, I think they still have your favorite.”

Eden didn’t hear him.

His voice faded into the background.

I don’t understand how she could have been in my house.

The EMTs confirmed she was dead.

We literally cremated her.

Her mother’s voice cut through the fog.

“Eden, darling, are you alright?”

Eden snapped back to reality.

“Yes. Yes, I’m fine.”

Mrs. Frost smiled. “Well, darling, tell Lucas what you’d like to order.”

Lucas.

Eden’s body stiffened.

He was standing at the head of the table, holding a notepad.

Lucas Calloway. A friend from high school.

A friend of both hers and Eleanor’s.

He was at Eleanor’s funeral but never spoke to her parents.

In fact, he never spoke to Eden again.

Until now.

“What can I get for you, Eleanor—oh, sorry. I mean, Eden, of course.”

Eden’s blood turned to ice.

“I always think about Eleanor in May, especially with her passing on the 21st.”

He smiled, but his eyes were unreadable.

“It must be hard celebrating your birthday alone, especially the day after your sister’s death.”

Eden clenched her jaw tighter and tighter with every word.

Who does this prick think he is?

Her hands twitched beneath the table, but she forced herself to remain still.

Can’t raise suspicion.

Instead, she let her eyes well up.

She turned away from his gaze.

“Yes, it’s extremely difficult, but I’ve been doing my best to pull through.”

She paused, pretending to pull herself together.

“I’ll have the grilled chicken breast with asparagus, carrots, and potatoes, please.”

She forced a tight-lipped smile.

Lucas stared at her for a moment.

Then nodded. “Okay. I’ll put that in right away.”

And then, he walked away.

Ten minutes of forced polite conversation passed before their food arrived.

A different waiter brought out the entrees.

He placed Mr. and Mrs. Frost’s meals in front of them.

Then, Eden’s plate.

Her stomach twisted.

She stared at her food.

Pan-seared trout. Garlic mashed potatoes. Honey-glazed carrots.

Eleanor’s favorite meal.

Her grip on the table tightened.

“Where the hell is Lucas?” she snapped.

The young waiter, barely nineteen, flinched.

“I—I don’t know, ma’am. He left a few minutes ago.”

Eden’s pulse spiked.

“Where’d he go?”

“I don’t know, ma’am.”

The boy swallowed hard. “He might still be in the staff parking lot.”

Eden shoved her chair back.

She was already moving.

She dashed out of the restaurant, her heels clicking against the pavement.

Rounding the building, she sprinted into the staff parking lot.

No Lucas.

No sign of him.

But on the ground—just a few feet away—

A familiar white envelope.

Eden’s breath hitched.

Her hands shook as she slowly reached down, picking it up.

Her entire body trembled uncontrollably.

She anxiously tore it open.

You tell what you did, or I will.