After a fun night of speed dating, I showed my mom a picture of the guy I met. She freaked out and immediately called 911. I was shocked, but what I found out the next day, when things spiraled out of control, took my breath away.
My hands were sweating as I smoothed down my dress for the umpteenth time. The dim lighting of the restaurant couldn’t hide the anxiety radiating from the other speed-dating couples around me. At thirty, I never thought I’d be here, but my best friend Lily’s persistent nagging had finally worn me down.
Woman waiting in a restaurant | Source: Pexels
“You’ve got it, Selena,” I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath. The bitter aroma of the wine and the soft clinking of the glasses filled the air, but they did nothing to calm my nerves.
The bell rang with a shrill sound that made me jump. It signaled the start of our first round.
I flashed my best smile when a tall, dark-haired man sat down across from me. My breath caught in my throat when our eyes met.
Smiling woman | Source: Pexels
“Hi, I’m Robin.”
I felt an instant spark, like electricity coursing through my veins. “Selena. Nice to meet you.”
I found myself leaning towards him as we chatted, captivated by his stories and wit. He spoke of his work as a software engineer, his love of climbing, and his dreams of traveling the world.
With each word, I felt myself falling deeper under his spell.
A couple in a restaurant | Source: Pexels
When the doorbell rang again, Robin stood up, his eyes wide with doubt, clutching the back of the chair.
“Listen, I know this is unconventional, but would you like to grab a coffee after this? I’d love to continue our conversation.”
My cheeks flushed and my heart raced. “I’d love to. Tomorrow?” I said, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks as he kissed the back of my hand.
“Sure! I’ll wait for you at the café downtown.”
As we left the restaurant that night, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my life was about to change forever.
A man kisses a woman’s hand | Source: Pexels
The following afternoon, I couldn’t stop smiling as I recounted my evening to my mother, Daisy.
“It sounds wonderful, darling,” she said, her eyes crinkling with happiness. “It’s been years since I’ve seen you so excited about someone.”
“I know, Mom. There’s just something about Robin. It’s like… like I’ve known him my whole life.”
A woman holding roses | Source: Pexels
“Well, don’t get ahead of yourself. But I’m happy for you. Do you have a picture?”
“Oh! Yes, we took a selfie.” I pulled out my phone and swiped to find the photo. My heart skipped a beat when I saw Robin’s smiling face. “Here it is!”
As soon as I turned the screen towards her, Mom’s face went pale.
A woman holding a smartphone | Source: Unsplash
“Mom? What’s wrong?” I got scared.
Her eyes were wide with panic, fixed on the phone screen. “Selena, oh my God… it’s HIM. The man who robbed my friend Janet! CALL THE POLICE RIGHT NOW!”
“What? No, it can’t be.” I shook my head, confusion and disbelief battling inside me.
An elderly woman with her mouth agape | Source: Midjourney
“I’m telling you it’s him! He swindled Janet out of her life savings. He promised to marry her, took every last penny she had, and then disappeared! We need to call the police right now, honey.”
My stomach churned, a cold dread seeped into my bones. “Are you sure?” I asked, desperately hoping she was wrong.
“Absolutely. Janet showed me his picture hundreds of times when we were trying to track him down. I’ll never forget that face.”
A woman in shock | Source: Pexels
I stared at Robin’s smiling face on my phone, feeling sick. The warm brown eyes that had seemed so kind now looked calculating. The charming smile now seemed sinister. How could I have been so blind?
Mom picked up the phone and her fingers trembled as she started dialing 911. Without thinking, I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “Mom, wait!”
“What do you mean, wait? We have to deliver it.”
An elderly woman calling 911 | Source: Midjourney
“If we call now, he might get scared and disappear again,” I said slowly, a plan forming in my mind. “But what if we set a trap?”
Mom raised her eyebrows. “What are you thinking?”
“I have a date with him tomorrow night. What if I go, act normal, and you call the police to meet us there?”
She hesitated, worry etched on her forehead. “I don’t like the idea of you being alone with him. It’s dangerous, Selena.”
An angry older woman | Source: Midjourney
“It’ll be in a public place, Mom,” I assured her, though my heart raced at the thought. “And think about it. It could be our only chance to catch him. To do justice for Janet and who knows how many others.”
After a long moment, she nodded, fear still present in her eyes.
When we started to draw up our plan, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was walking a tightrope. One wrong move and everything could fall apart.
Close-up of a worried woman’s eyes | Source: Midjourney
The following evening, I sat across from Robin in a cozy café, my nerves on edge. He looked as handsome as ever, wearing a blue shirt that made his eyes stand out.
But now, her enchanting smile gave me goosebumps. Every compliment and every gentle touch of her hand on mine seemed unreal.
“You look beautiful!” Robin said, extending her hand to me across the table.
I forced myself not to move away, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace. “Thank you. You look very handsome too.”
A couple in a cafe | Source: Pexels
When she started telling me about her day, I discreetly sent a message to Mom under the table: “Now!”
“Tell me more about your family,” I said, desperate to keep the conversation going.
A shadow seemed to pass so quickly across Robin’s face that I almost missed it. “It’s complicated,” she said after a moment.
Before I could investigate further, I saw two uniformed officers enter the cafeteria.
A couple talking | Source: Pexels
They approached our table, and Robin’s easy smile faltered. “Is there a problem, officers?” he asked, his eyes moving between them and me.
One of them stepped forward, his hand resting on his belt. “Sir, we need you to come with us for questioning.”
“Selena, what’s wrong?”
“I’m sorry, Robin. But we know what you did to Janet. And probably to countless other women.”
I thought it was over. But what happened next left me stunned.
A police officer | Source: Midjourney
After a tense conversation with the officers, during which Robin vehemently denied knowing any Janet, they released him. And he returned to our table.
“Selena, I don’t understand. Who is Janet? What’s this all about?”
I blinked, completely lost. It wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was supposed to take him away in handcuffs, not be here looking at me like I’d betrayed him.
A man in handcuffs | Source: Pexels
“The woman you swindled. My mother’s friend. You… took everything from her.”
Robin shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “I’ve never met anyone named Janet in my life. But wait a minute, I think I know what’s happened here.”
He pulled out his phone and his fingers flew across the screen. After a moment, he turned it toward me. I gasped, bringing my hand to my mouth.
A man with a smartphone in his hand | Source: Pexels
The photo showed two identical men: Robin and another who could have been his clone. The same eyes, the same smile, everything the same.
But while Robin looked relaxed and happy in the photo, his double had an edge, a hardness in his eyes that sent a chill down my spine.
“He’s my twin brother, Adrian,” Robin revealed. “We haven’t spoken in over six months. He’s been in trouble with the law. I’ve tried to help him, but he’s disappeared. I think he might be the one you’re looking for.”
A man looking at a woman | Source: Pexels
I felt the blood trickle down my face, and shame and horror washed over me in equal measure. “Oh my God. Robin, I’m so sorry. I thought…”
He raised a hand, cutting me off. “It’s okay. I understand. Anyone would have done the same in your place.”
But I could see the pain in his eyes. I had accused him of being a criminal and had the police come after him. Would he ever forgive me?
A woman staring at a man | Source: Pexels
As if nothing had happened, Mom burst into the cafeteria, her eyes wide, as she paced the room. When she saw us, she ran towards it and stopped dead in her tracks when she saw that Robin was still sitting there.
“What’s going on? Why isn’t he under arrest?”
I stood up and put a hand on her arm. “Mom, we’ve made a mistake. A very big one.”
A shocked elderly woman | Source: Midjourney
Robin also stood up and offered his hand to my mother. “Ma’am…?”
“Daisy,” said Mom, frowning.
“Mrs. Daisy, I understand there has been a misunderstanding. I am not the man who hurt your friend. But I believe I might know who did.”
He showed her the photo and I saw the same astonishment that I had felt appear on Mom’s face.
A man sitting on a bench with a phone in his hand | Source: Pexels
“I can’t believe it,” she murmured, looking between Robin and the photo of her brother. “They’re identical.”
“Adrian and I… we’ve always been very close. Or we used to be. But lately he’s been making bad decisions. I’ve tried to help him, but he disappeared a few months ago. I’ve been very worried.”
I reached out and touched her arm before she could stop me. “I’m so sorry I put you through this, Robin. I feel terrible.”
A woman and a man hold hands | Source: Pexels
She gave me a small smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Don’t do it. You were trying to do the right thing. To protect others from being hurt.”
Mom shook her head, sinking into a chair. “I can’t imagine how hard it must be for you, dealing with your brother’s actions.”
Robin’s smile vanished completely. “It’s been a challenge. But I’m not going to give up on it. I can’t.”
A smiling couple | Source: Pexels
An awkward silence fell over the table. I fiddled with my napkin, trying to find the right words to fix the mess I’d made.
How can you apologize for accusing someone of being a criminal? For turning the police against an innocent man?
Finally, I took a deep breath and mustered my courage. “Robin, I know this isn’t how either of us imagined tonight would turn out. And I completely understand that you don’t want to see me again. But, if you’re willing, I’d love to start over. Perhaps we could try another date? One without police involvement or mistaken identities?!”
A couple sitting face to face | Source: Pexels
She looked at me for a long moment. My heart raced as I waited for her answer. Finally, she gave me a genuine smile, and warmth returned to her eyes.
“I would like that, Selena. I would like that very much.”
As we left the cafe, walking into the fresh night air, I couldn’t help but feel that, despite all the chaos and misunderstandings, this could be the beginning of something wonderful.
And terrifying. Because now, somewhere out there, there was a man who looked exactly like the one beside me. A man who was everything I had feared Robin would be.
A couple embracing | Source: Pexels
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This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher do not guarantee the accuracy of events or character portrayals, and are not responsible for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and the opinions expressed are those of the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
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