My Twin's Crime, My Nightmare

Early in the morning, my neighbor from next door, Lily Monroe, suddenly tagged me in the building's group chat:

That whore from 1101! Have you no shame? Calling my husband to fix your pipes in the middle of the night---can't find somewhere else to throw yourself at men?

If you dare seduce my husband again, I'll kill you!

I was completely stunned.

I didn't even know her husband, had never spoken a single word to him!

I explained over and over, but she acted like she'd lost her mind, refusing to listen, just kept cursing at me.

I had no choice but to block her and ignore this lunatic.

But a few days later, she somehow snuck into my apartment.

The moment I opened my front door, she lunged out from behind it and stabbed a knife straight into my chest.

"This is all your fault! My husband doesn't want me anymore! You'll pay with your life!"

My vision grew blurrier and blurrier. Even as I died, I never understood when I'd ever stolen her husband.

When I opened my eyes again, I'd returned to the day she cursed at me in the group chat!

Looking at those vicious insults, I couldn't hold back anymore and fired right back:

"Stop your crazy rambling! Your husband ran off with his mistress three years ago!"

1

The notification sounds from the building's group chat suddenly went crazy. I opened it and my heart sank.

Lily Monroe from apartment 1101 next door was tagging me in the group chat, cursing at me hysterically.

"You whore from 1101! Get out here!"

"I've been married to my husband Lucas Gray for over ten years, and we love each other dearly! You slut, just because you don't have a husband, you try to steal someone else's, secretly seducing my husband!"

"Calling him to fix your pipes in the middle of the night---what are your intentions? Running out of places to spread your legs, so now you're trying to steal someone else's man!"

A few gossipy neighbors in the group immediately chimed in:

"How can our community have people like this? Shameless! So young and instead of behaving properly, she has to be a homewrecker and destroy other people's families!"

"People like this should be kicked out of the community. What a disgrace!"

Seeing people backing her up, Lily became even more smug, her insults growing more vicious, one filthy message after another flooding the screen:

"You slut who's been screwed by every random man, you think you're worthy of eyeing my husband?"

"Give my husband back right now, or I won't let you off!"

Looking at these twisted accusations on my screen, I felt nothing but absurdity.

My pipes were fine. Why would I call someone to fix them for no reason?

Let alone call her nonexistent husband.

But Lily gave me no chance to explain, just kept flooding the chat with curses:

"You bitch, let my husband come home! If anything happens to him, I'll drag you down with me!"

The neighbors who'd been cursing at me earlier joined in:

"Exactly! People need to have some moral boundaries. Let the woman's husband go home. Stop being so shameless!"

Looking at these accusations without any attempt to understand the truth, memories from my previous life suddenly came flooding back.

In my previous life, I explained repeatedly in the group that I didn't even know her husband, had never called him to fix anything.

But not a single person in the group believed me. They all thought I was making excuses.

Even more terrifying, Lily later snuck into my apartment while I was taking out the trash.

She ransacked my place, searching everywhere for her so-called husband, and of course found nothing.

Blinded by rage, she took it out on me, grabbed a knife from my kitchen, and stabbed me right in the chest.

"This is all your fault! My husband doesn't want me anymore! You'll pay with your life!"

Her screaming from my previous life, and the searing pain in my chest---even thinking about it now made my whole body run cold.

I died without ever understanding what I'd done wrong, why I had to suffer such an undeserved disaster.

Pulling my vision back from the memories, Lily's curses in the group chat continued.

This time, I couldn't hold back anymore. The anger and resentment bottled up inside me exploded instantly, and I sent a voice message directly to the group:

"Stop your crazy rambling! Your husband ran off with his mistress three years ago. Where's this husband you're talking about?!"

2

The moment I sent that message, the frantically jumping notifications in the group chat came to an abrupt halt.

I stared at the screen for half a minute. No new messages appeared, and Lily's stream of vile curses finally stopped.

Looks like I hit a nerve. I let out a breath of relief, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me.

The fear from my previous life mixed with the anger of this one, leaving me with no desire to look at my phone anymore.

I'd already said what needed to be said. Whether people believed me was their business. At least it was better than the last life where I explained myself to deaf ears.

I casually turned off my phone screen, got up to wash up and go to bed, just wanting to turn the page on this miserable day.

But just as I reached the bathroom door, a sharp, frantic roar suddenly came from outside, instantly shattering the silence of the night.

"Lucas Gray! Get out here! I know you're in this slut's apartment, stop hiding in there!"

It was Lily's voice!

She actually came to my door?

My heart skipped a beat. The terror from my previous life when she broke into my home and attacked me instantly surged up, making my hands and feet go cold.

"You won't even come home for this woman? You've really got some nerve!"

Her voice grew closer and closer, filled with hysterical madness.

"You think I can't find you just because you're hiding in here? Open the door! Open this door right now!"

Then came the sound of pounding on my door---"bang bang bang"---so forceful it seemed like she wanted to tear the door off its hinges.

The commotion woke up the surrounding neighbors. Soon, chaotic footsteps and whispers came from outside.

"What's going on? Why all this noise in the middle of the night?"

"Looks like Lily from 1101 is banging on Mia Watson's door in 1102?"

"Didn't the group chat say Mia was seducing her husband? Is he really hiding in there?"

Several nosy neighbors had already gathered at my door, craning their necks in the hallway light, their gossiping becoming more direct.

"I bet it's true. Otherwise why would Lily be this worked up? That cheating bastard and homewrecker must be hiding inside, too scared to come out!"

"Absolutely shameless, hiding someone else's husband in her apartment in the middle of the night!"

"Got the guts to do it but not the guts to open the door? What a disgrace!"

These words pierced my heart like needles, identical to the accusations in the group chat from my previous life.

I clenched my fists, nails digging deep into my palms, anger overwhelming fear.

Lily kept pounding on the door, her screams growing more shrill:

"Mia Watson! You bitch, stealing my husband---I'll kill you! I'll skin you alive today!"

Her voice was especially bone-chilling in the quiet early morning, every word dripping with murderous intent.

My mind instantly flashed to the searing pain of being stabbed in the chest in my previous life, her twisted face at that moment, and my body began trembling uncontrollably.

But the next second, a nameless rage suddenly rose in my heart.

What right did she have?

What right did she have to divorce three years ago but still imagine a husband to slander me with?

What right did she have to take my life in the previous life and still come to ruin my life in this one?

"Screw off!"

I couldn't hold back anymore and yanked the door open.

The hallway light flooded in. Lily was raising her fist, ready to pound on the door again. Seeing me suddenly open it, she froze for a moment, her eyes full of hostility.

I didn't give her a chance to react. I raised my hand and slapped her hard across the face.

The crisp smack echoed through the hallway.

The surrounding chatter instantly stopped. The neighbors were all stunned, not expecting the usually quiet me to suddenly strike.

Lily's head jerked to the side from the slap, a clear red mark immediately appearing on her face.

She was dazed for a few seconds, then like a lit firecracker, lunged at me with claws out:

"You dare hit me? I'll kill you!"

I was already prepared. I quickly dodged into my apartment and stuck out my foot lightly.

Lily, already out of her mind with rage, lost her footing and fell hard to the ground with a heavy thud.

Looking at her sprawled on the floor, the hatred from being stabbed to death in my previous life surged up instantly, rage consuming me.

I quickly stepped forward, sat down hard on her back, pinned down her struggling body, then grabbed her hair and yanked it in opposite directions.

"This is for your screaming! This is for banging on my door! This is for slandering me!"

I roared with red eyes, the pent-up grievances and anger from both lives erupting completely in this moment.

"Let's see what you've got! Today I'll show you what happens when you slander people!"

"Ahhh---! Mia Watson, you shameless homewrecker! There's no justice! I'm calling the police! I'll have them arrest you!"

Lily, pinned under me and unable to move, could only tilt her head back and scream shrilly, her voice full of venom and unwillingness.

The surrounding neighbors finally snapped out of it and rushed over to pull me off:

"Stop it! Stop it! Let's talk this out!"

"Why are you hitting people? Someone's going to get hurt if this continues!"

"I already called property management. They're coming to handle this!"

Some grabbed my arms, others tried to pull me off Lily.

I stared at Lily still cursing from the floor, my chest heaving violently.

In my previous life, this lunatic stabbed me to death in my own home based purely on her delusions, leaving me to die without understanding why.

In this life, she wanted to pull the same trick again. How could I possibly let her succeed?

After the neighbors pulled me away, I continued glaring at Lily, but those neighbors turned around and started scolding me instead.

"Mia Watson, you're in the wrong here. Even if Lily said harsh things, you can't hit people!"

"Being a homewrecker and still so self-righteous, even attacking people---you're too vicious!"

"This can't just end here. If property management can't handle it, we're calling the police to sort this out!"

Call the police?

I let out a cold laugh.

Of course we should call the police.

Even if they didn't, I would.

I shook off the neighbors holding me and, right in front of everyone, pulled out my phone and dialed 91

"Hello, police? I need to report something. There's a mentally unstable person making a scene at my door, and she keeps threatening to kill me. Please come handle this right away."

3

Hearing that I'd called the police, Lily suddenly broke free from the neighbors holding her and lunged at me like a madwoman, slapping me twice across the face.

The crisp, loud slaps echoed through the hallway. My face immediately swelled up.

"You bitch! Stealing my husband and you dare call the police? I think you're tired of living!"

She glared at me through gritted teeth, eyes full of poison.

The slaps left my head ringing. I raised my hand to hit back, but just as I lifted my arm, two nosy neighbors grabbed my wrists tightly.

"You want to hit back?!"

One neighbor gripped my arm hard:

"No matter what she said, you can't hit first. Now you want to keep hitting? Can't you just behave?"

Another woman chimed in:

"Exactly! You're a homewrecker who hit first. This is outrageous."

Seeing me restrained, Lily became even more arrogant, standing in front of me with her hands on her hips, cursing even more viciously---her language was absolutely vile.

The surrounding neighbors also joined in condemning me, saying I'd destroyed someone's family, caused a disturbance in the middle of the night, and had no sense of public decency.

"I didn't!"

I struggled to break free from their hold, stubbornly retorting:

"I've explained so many times---I'm the only person in my apartment! I don't even know her husband. How could I have seduced him?"

I looked around at the watching neighbors, sweeping my gaze across their faces, raising my voice:

"Besides, she says her husband is in my apartment. My door is wide open right now. Look inside---do you see anyone?"

At those words, the previously chattering hallway instantly quieted down somewhat.

Several neighbors instinctively craned their necks to look into my empty living room, doubt gradually creeping into their eyes.

That's right. The door was wide open, the inside completely visible. Forget a man---there wasn't even an extra shadow.

Seeing this, Lily immediately shrieked in defense:

"He must have just run away! He was still inside when I was banging on the door. He must have heard we were calling the police and snuck out the back door or window!"

I let out a cold laugh, struggling against the hands restraining me:

"We're on the 11th floor. How could anyone climb out a window? They'd have a death wish! Besides, there are only a few apartments on our floor. If someone ran out of my place, wouldn't you all have heard something?"

Everyone froze, exchanging glances.

The commotion from Lily banging on my door earlier had been so loud, and they'd all been gathered in the hallway. If someone had actually run out of my apartment, it would have been impossible for no one to notice.

One man muttered to himself:

"True, I was standing at the hallway corner the whole time. Didn't hear any doors opening or closing."

Hearing this, people finally calmed down a bit.

Just then, two police officers in uniform walked into the hallway:

"Who called the police? What happened here?"

I immediately broke free from the neighbors' hands, stepped forward, and pointed at the still-panting Lily:

"Officers, I called. This woman, the resident of apartment 1101, Lily Monroe---without any evidence, she accused me of seducing her husband, claiming I was having an affair with him in my apartment. She not only verbally abused me in our building's group chat but came to my door and banged on it, and just now she hit me."

I pointed to my swollen cheek where the five-finger mark was still clearly visible.

Lily, who had been so aggressive moments before, suddenly deflated the instant she saw the police, actually falling silent and lowering her head.

The officer looked at Lily and asked:

"Ma'am, is what she said true? Why would you slander her?"

Lily was silent for a long while before reluctantly raising her head and muttering:

"Never mind, officers. My husband Lucas Gray already ran away. What's the point of you coming now!"

"Ran away?"

I immediately seized on that, my sharp gaze fixed on her.

"I think you're just feeling guilty, aren't you? I've lived in this building for five years. Three years ago, I saw with my own eyes your husband Lucas Gray fighting with you, dragging you through a divorce, and I haven't seen him since!"

"You're lying!"

Lily's head shot up, her eyes excited as she glared at me, suddenly stepping forward and grabbing my arm tightly.

"You keep saying you have nothing to do with my husband. I'm asking you---if I have evidence proving you're having an affair with my husband, what will you say?"

Her grip was strong, her nails almost digging into my flesh.

I endured the pain, looking straight into her eyes, saying firmly:

"If you can produce evidence proving I'm having an improper relationship with your so-called husband, I'll move out of this building immediately and promise never to set foot here again or seduce your husband ever again!"

"Good! Those are your words!"

Lily immediately turned to the watching neighbors:

"Everyone heard that, right? This is Mia Watson's own promise. Don't try to back out later!"

The neighbors all nodded, whispering to each other.

Lily grabbed my arm and dragged me toward her apartment:

"Fine, I'll let you see with your own eyes whether I have evidence or not!"

I didn't resist, letting her pull me forward.

The curious neighbors followed behind, wanting to see what evidence she could possibly have.

As soon as I stepped into Lily's apartment, a warm, homey atmosphere hit me in the face.

Men's slippers sat on the shoe rack by the door.

A freshly washed suit jacket hung on the balcony.

The bathroom and kitchen items were all matching couples' sets. Even the bedroom bed clearly showed signs of two people sleeping in it.

Most eye-catching was the wedding photo hanging on the wall.

In the photo, Lily wore a white wedding dress, nestled in Lucas Gray's arms, smiling blissfully.

Seeing all this, my heart couldn't help but skip a beat, a trace of doubt creeping in.

Could she really not be divorced?

Had my memories from my previous life been wrong?

Seeing me freeze, a triumphant smile appeared on Lily's face. She turned and pulled out a stack of photos from a drawer, throwing them viciously in front of me:

"Take a good look! Is that you and my husband in these photos!"

I looked down at the drawer, my pupils contracting sharply, instantly falling silent.

"Everyone saw that, right?"

Lily raised her chin smugly, addressing the watching neighbors.

"This is the evidence! She still dares to say she didn't seduce my husband? Now that the proof is ironclad, Mia Watson, you should keep your promise and get out of this building!"

The neighbors looked at the photos, their eyes full of contempt and certainty:

"So it really happened. You really can't judge a book by its cover."

"Never thought Mia Watson, who seems so quiet, would actually be a homewrecker."

"Having someone like this in our building is disgraceful."

Even the police frowned, looking at me disapprovingly.

Feeling these strange looks, I took a deep breath, pulled out the divorce papers from the drawer, and threw them hard in front of Lily.

"You take a good look at this. What is this?"

4

Lily's gaze locked onto that divorce certificate, the smugness on her face instantly freezing.

Her mouth hung open, the curses she'd prepared stuck in her throat. Her expression shifted from triumph to shock, then to panic.

The surrounding neighbors also stopped their chatter, all eyes focusing on that suddenly appearing divorce certificate. The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

"What... what is this?"

Lily muttered to herself, as if unable to believe her eyes.

I didn't speak, just stared at her coldly.

The next second, she suddenly scrambled up from the floor, snatched up that divorce certificate, then threw it violently to the ground like it was something dirty.

"Fake! This is definitely fake! Mia Watson, to clear your name, you actually fabricated that Lucas and I got divorced!"

She shrieked.

"Lucas and I never got divorced! We have a great relationship. You had someone forge this certificate!"

While shouting, she suddenly rushed over and slapped me again.

Smack---this one was even harder than before. My other cheek instantly burned with pain, and I even tasted blood at the corner of my mouth.

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't seduced him, why would he have asked me for a divorce! It's all your fault! You destroyed my family!"

This slap completely ignited the emotions of the watching neighbors.

Those who had shown some doubt moments ago now seemed to have found an outlet, all pointing and criticizing me.

"Exactly, Mia Watson. You must have lured away her husband. Lily is already so miserable, and you're still trying to blame her!"

"You said it yourself---if there's evidence, you'd move out of the building. Now the proof is ironclad. Don't try to weasel out!"

"Just move out. Our building can't tolerate someone like you who destroys families!"

The condemnations came one after another. They looked at me with contempt and disgust, as if I really were that unforgivable homewrecker.

I rubbed my swollen cheek and a cold smile curved my lips.

"To catch an affair, you need to catch both parties. You all keep saying I stole her husband---so where is her husband, Lucas Gray?"

I looked around at the surrounding neighbors, my voice clear and firm.

"This is a society governed by law. Everything requires evidence. And this divorce certificate has the government seal and a registration number. If you don't believe it, you can verify it!"

"Stop making excuses!"

A middle-aged woman shouted with her hands on her hips.

"Lily's apartment is full of her husband's things, and their wedding photo is still hanging on the wall. How could they be divorced? You must have done something!"

"Exactly! So stubborn!"

Another neighbor chimed in.

"Lily, quick, call your husband and have him come confront her. Let's see how she weasels out then!"

Everyone echoed this sentiment, all urging Lily to make the call.

Lily's eyes flickered, a trace of hesitation crossing her face, her earlier arrogance diminished by half.

She clutched her phone, her finger hovering over the screen, hesitating to press down.

"I can't... I can't call..."

She said in a low voice:

"Lucas is busy right now. I can't disturb him, or he'll get angry and be even less willing to come home..."

At these words, the surrounding chatter immediately quieted down.

A female neighbor in a red jacket frowned, stepped forward, and looked at Lily with disappointment:

"What are you doing this for? He already cheated on you, and you're still trying so hard to win him back? This kind of man isn't worth it!"

"Exactly. You can't force love. Why torture yourself like this? What's the point?"

Another neighbor also tried to persuade her.

Lily's eyes reddened, but she still stubbornly shook her head:

"You don't understand. Lucas still has feelings for me. It's all because of this woman that he was confused for a moment..."

She spoke, then glared viciously at me again.

I took a deep breath, stepped forward, and looked calmly at Lily and the surrounding neighbors:

"Since you won't have him come here, then I'll just have to take you all there."