Chapter 1

My husband finally came home after being stationed abroad for ten long years.

I should have been thrilled. But the exact moment he stepped through the door, every single hair on my arms stood on end.

Ten years. And he hadn't aged a single day.

At first, I tried to calm myself down. I told myself he just had great genetics, or maybe a really expensive skincare routine. But as the days went on, the red flags started piling up.

Ten years ago, my husband was sickly. He would get winded just walking to the mailbox, and he suffered from chronic, agonizing stomach ulcers.

But this man standing in my kitchen? His skin was glowing with health. He could carry giant, sixty-pound bags of dog food and heavy garage equipment up to our attic without even breaking a sweat.

Even worse, he had become terrifyingly smart. He spoke with a cold, calculated precision that felt entirely foreign. He was a completely different person.

Creeped out and desperate for answers, I secretly went down to the local police precinct.

The officer at the front desk tapped away at his keyboard for what felt like hours. Finally, he looked up at me. "His Social Security number is active. There’s no death certificate, and his passport registry is clean. On paper, your husband is very much alive."

I couldn't take it anymore. I spilled everything—every weird detail, every creepy change.

The officer went dead silent. Slowly, he stood up, his entire demeanor changing.

"I think I know what's going on here."

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