The officer said, "Amber has been dead for nine days."

I froze. By the time I came back to my senses, the police had already left.

My back was drenched in cold sweat. In hindsight, Amber's behavior that night didn't seem like that of a living person at all.

For the rest of the day, I felt distracted and uneasy. Just as I was wrapping up my shift, Amber came looking for me again.

"Hello, Dr. Cantrell," she said with a smile. "I'd like to have a check-up."

I stared at her, my palms damp with sweat.

There had to be a connection between her and Kaylee—perhaps they knew one another.

To get to the truth, I took her blood pressure and heart rate.

Strangely, what the police had said didn't seem to be true. Amber appeared completely healthy, with no abnormalities in her vitals.

"I don't know what your connection to Kaylee is, but she's a good person," I said. "I hope you won't hurt her."

My words seemed to land heavily on Amber, and she stared at me in silence for a long moment.

Finally, she gave a faint smile. "Things aren't always what they seem. We'll meet again, Dr. Cantrell."

With that, she walked away. Only then did I notice the goosebumps covering my skin.

As I was packing up to go home, I spotted an empty syringe on the floor. The wear on the needle made it obvious it had been used before.

Still, the strange green liquid inside didn't match anything stocked in the emergency department.

The moment I recognized the label on the syringe, every hair on my body stood on end. A cold wave surged from my feet to the top of my head.

NECH nerve-blocking agent—this was a powerful drug with serious side effects, used specifically for treating neuropathic pain.

Only one possibility remained—Amber was the one who had left it there.

…

The police officers came to see me.

"Dr. Cantrell, we've reviewed the surveillance footage from the night you met Amber," the young officer said with a confused look. "It shows you were alone in your office the entire time. You never moved."

"That's impossible."

My eyes widened. I quickly brought out Amber's medical record from Halloween night, along with the used syringe.

"After that night, Amber came to see me again. Oddly enough, I had deliberately checked her pulse and blood pressure, and everything was normal. But she did leave this drug behind."

The officer's expression tightened as he picked up the empty syringe. "What drug is this?"

"NECH nerve-blocking agent. It's a medication used to treat neuropathic pain."

The young officer watched me for a long moment. Finally, he said, "Thank you for your cooperation, Dr. Cantrell. We'll need to take this evidence back for further investigation. Is that alright?"

I quickly nodded. "Of course."

I made my way home after leaving the hospital. As I opened the door, the smell of alcohol hit me. Neither Kaylee nor I drank, so where could it be coming from?

Seeing the high heels at the entrance, I knew Kaylee was in the bedroom. From the day things suddenly became strained between us, she hadn't spoken to me once.

It felt as if we were no more than silent roommates, sharing a house while living completely separate lives.

But while I was washing up in the bathroom, Kaylee suddenly appeared behind me. Her arms slid around my waist, pulling me close.

"Beau, I'm so sorry about that day," she said softly. "Things at work have been rough recently, and it had affected my mood. It's all resolved now. I hope you're not still mad at me."

My heart skipped a beat. Whenever she uttered those words, it meant our silent standoff had come to an end.

After drying my hands, I reached down and grasped her hands at my waist.

"Of course, I'm not mad at you. If work gets stressful next time, you can tell me. You don't have to carry it all by yourself."

I turned around and looked Kaylee in the eyes. Her cheeks were tinged with a rosy flush. Standing so close, I could smell the alcohol on her breath.

I was surprised. "Have you been drinking? I thought you never touched alcohol."

Kaylee lowered her head slightly, resting it against my chest. In a soft voice, she said, "I got everything at work settled, and I was just feeling happy tonight. Please forgive me, okay? How about we go out for some barbecue?"

She suddenly raised her head. Her eyes gleamed as they met mine.

I was really tired, but since we'd just reconciled, I couldn't bring myself to spoil her good mood. "Sure."

Kaylee couldn't wait any longer and tugged me out the door. Instead of driving like we normally did, she unexpectedly chose to walk with me.

"Why are we walking? It's over half an hour away." My legs ached, and it felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on my back.

Kaylee tilted her head up, smiled at me, and blinked her eyes. "It's been a long time since we've taken a stroll like this. Just keep me company, okay? I'll give you a massage when we get home tonight."

I nodded.

Half an hour later, we finally arrived at the barbecue joint.

Kaylee went to the restroom to touch up her makeup, leaving me sitting alone at a table by the street.

My phone suddenly rang. Seeing the familiar number on the screen, I tapped the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Don't go home tonight. Your girlfriend is planning to kill you."

"I don't care who you are or how you got my number. This isn't funny. Don't ever call again."

The voice on the other end was a woman's—one that sounded somewhat similar to Amber's.

Panicked, I quickly hung up and tried to steady my breathing.

I ordered the usual skewers that Kaylee and I liked, but as the dishes gradually came out, she still hadn't returned.

"Sir, where is the restroom?"

The owner of the barbecue joint pointed me toward one a few hundred yards away. I remembered Kaylee had walked in that same direction.

I headed toward the public restroom and pushed the door open. The men's restroom was on the left, and the women's was on the right. In the middle of the corridor was a sink and a long rectangular mirror.

I looked at my reflection and splashed water over my face. I had been staying up too much lately, and dark circles had formed under my eyes.

Out of nowhere, I noticed a figure in the mirror—someone standing on the other side of the road. It was a woman.

It looked like she knew I was watching her; she even raised her phone and waved it at me. That was when it struck me—she was the one who had just called.

She then brought the phone to her ear. A second later, my phone rang. Sure enough, it was her.

"Hey, Dr. Cantrell. Would you like to head to your house with me right now?"

I frowned at the woman across the street. After a brief hesitation, I gritted my teeth and made up my mind—I needed to deal with her immediately.

I hung up the phone and called toward the restroom, "Kaylee, head back to the restaurant and wait for me. I need to take care of something. I'll be back soon!"

With that, I walked toward the woman. The moment her face came into view, a wave of goosebumps swept over my entire body.

"Amber?"

She was dressed in a long black dress, her face completely drained of color.

"Dr. Cantrell, I'm glad you still remember me."

Was she human or a ghost? Seeing her shadow on the ground, I felt somewhat relieved.

"How do you know where I live?" I asked.

What she said next, however, made my blood run cold.

"Because I was at your place just a moment ago."