Chapter 4

The nightmares started soon after.

Vivid, terrifying.

I was Ashley King, the original one.

Mean, cruel, cornered.

The scenes were straight from the "Lakeside High" novels, the ones where Ashley finally got her punishment.

And Ethan was there, watching.

His face cold, impassive, as I was dragged away, screaming.

No, not impassive. There was a hint of satisfaction in his eyes.

The satisfaction of justice served.

I woke up gasping, drenched in sweat, my heart pounding.

Ethan stirred beside me. "Ava? You okay? Bad dream?"

His voice was soft, concerned. The voice of the loving husband I thought I had.

But now I saw the calculation behind it.

The superficial concern.

He reached for me, and I flinched.

"Just a nightmare," I managed, pulling away.

He frowned, a flicker of something – annoyance? Or was it his "monitoring" kicking in?

"You' ve been having a lot of these lately," he said, his tone shifting subtly. "Anything you want to talk about?"

As if he didn't know. As if his journal wasn't a blueprint for my terror.

"I'm fine," I lied, turning my back to him.

I could feel his eyes on me.

His journal' s words echoed in my head: "I must remain vigilant. The old Ashley could resurface at any moment."

He wasn' t worried about me.

He was worried about Ashley.

The monster he believed me to be, lurking beneath the surface.

The fear was a constant companion now, a cold dread that settled deep in my bones.

I was trapped.

Trapped in a life built on lies, with a man who saw me as a threat.