After a night of speed dating, I showed my mom a picture of the man I’d met. She panicked and immediately called 911. What I discovered the next day, when things got really crazy, left me breathless.
My palms were sweating as I smoothed out my dress for the hundredth time. The dim lighting of the restaurant didn’t hide the anxiety emanating from the other speed daters around me. At 30, I never thought I’d end up here, but my best friend Lily’s persistent harassment had finally worn me down.
A woman waiting for someone in a restaurant | Source: Pexels
“You’ll make it, Selena,” I whispered to myself, taking a deep breath. The bitter smell of wine and the soft clinking of glasses filled the air, doing little to calm my nerves.
The bell rang with a shrill sound that made me jump. This was the start of our first round.
I put on my best smile as a tall, dark-haired man slid into the seat opposite me. My breath caught when our eyes met.
A smiling woman | Source: Pexels
“Hello, my name is Robin.”
I felt an instant spark, like electricity in my veins. “Selena. Nice to meet you.”
I found myself leaning into him as we chatted, captivated by his stories and wit. He talked about his work as a software engineer, his love of rock climbing, and his dreams of traveling the world.
With every word, I felt myself falling deeper under his spell.
A couple in a restaurant | Source: Pexels
When the bell rang again, Robin stood up, hesitation brimming in his eyes as he gripped the back of the chair.
“Look, I know this is unconventional, but would you like to have 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 in my cheeks as he kissed the back of my hand.
“Sure! I’ll wait for you at the cafe downtown!”
As we left the restaurant later that evening, I couldn’t shake the feeling that my life was about to change forever.
A man kissing a woman on her hand | Source: Pexels
The next afternoon, I couldn’t help but smile as I told my mother, Daisy, about my evening.
“He looks wonderful, darling,” she said, her eyes crinkling with happiness. “I haven’t seen you this excited about someone in years.”
“I know, Mom. There’s just something about Robin. It’s like… like I’ve known him forever.”
A delighted woman holding roses | Source: Pexels
“Well, don’t get your hopes up too much. But I’m happy for you. Do you have a picture?”
“Oh! Yes, we took a selfie.” I pulled out my phone, swiping to find the picture. My heart pounded when I looked at Robin’s smiling face. “There it is!”
The moment I turned the screen towards her, Mom’s face went pale.
A woman holding a smartphone | Source: Unsplash
“Mom? What’s wrong?” I panicked.
Her eyes were wide with panic, fixed on the phone screen. “Selena, oh my God… it’s HIM. The man who stole my friend Janet! CALL THE POLICE RIGHT NOW!”
“What? No, that’s not possible.” I shook my head, confusion and disbelief warring within me.
An elderly woman gapes in shock | Source: Midjourney
“I’m telling you, it’s him! He swindled Janet out of her life savings. He promised to marry her, took every penny she had, and then vanished! You need to call the police right away, darling!”
My stomach dropped, cold fear seeping into my bones. “Are you sure?” I asked, desperately hoping she was wrong.
“Affirmative. Janet showed me his picture a hundred times when we were trying to find him. I’ll never forget that face.”
A shocked woman | 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 looked sinister. How could I have been so blind?
Mom grabbed her phone, her fingers trembling as she began to dial 911. Without thinking, I grabbed her wrist, stopping her. “Mom, wait!”
“What do you mean, wait? We have to report him!”
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’s eyebrows raised. “What are you thinking?”
“I have a meeting with him tomorrow night. What if I go, act normal, and you call the police to meet us there?”
She hesitates, worry etching lines across her forehead. “I don’t like the idea of you being alone with him. He’s dangerous, Selena.”
An anxious elderly woman | Source: Midjourney
“It’ll be in a public place, Mom,” I assured her, even though my heart was racing at the thought. “And think about it. It might be our only chance to catch him. To get justice for Janet and who knows how many other people.”
After a long moment, she nodded, fear still lingering in her eyes.
As we began to formulate our plan, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was on a knife’s edge. One false step and everything could come crashing down.
Close-up of a worried woman’s eyes | Source: Midjourney
The next evening, I sat across from Robin in a cozy cafe, my nerves on edge. He looked as handsome as ever in a blue shirt that brought out his eyes.
But now his charming smile gave me goosebumps. Every compliment and every gentle touch of his hand on mine felt like a lie.
“You look beautiful!” Robin said, holding out his hand to me across the table.
I forced myself not to flinch, plastering on a smile that was more of a grimace. “Thank you. You look good too.”
A couple in a cafe | Source: Pexels
As he launched into his day, I discreetly texted Mom under the table: “Now!”
“So, tell me a little more about your family,” I said, desperate to keep the conversation going.
A shadow seemed to pass across Robin’s face so quickly that I almost missed it. “It’s complicated,” he said after a moment.
Before I could probe further, I saw two uniformed officers enter the cafe.
A couple talking | Source: Pexels
They approached our table, and Robin’s easy smile faltered. “Is there a problem, officers?” he asked, his eyes darting between them and me.
One of them stepped forward, his hand on his belt. “Sir, we need you to come with us for questioning.”
“Selena, what’s going on?”
“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 speechless.
A police officer | Source: Midjourney
After a tense conversation with the officers, during which Robin vehemently denied knowing Janet at all, they released him. And he returned to our table.
“Selena, I don’t understand. Who is Janet? What is this about?”
I blinked, completely lost. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. He was supposed to be taken away in handcuffs, not stand there staring at me like I’d betrayed him.
A man in handcuffs | Source: Pexels
“The woman you swindled. My mother’s friend. You… you took everything from her.”
Robin shakes her head, running a hand through her hair. “I’ve never met anyone named Janet in my life. But, wait a minute, I think I know what happened here.”
He took out his phone, his fingers flying across the screen. After a moment, he turned it towards me. I jumped, my hand going to my mouth.
A man holding a smartphone | Source: Pexels
The photo showed two identical men—Robin, and another who could have been his clone. Same eyes, same smile, and everything else.
But while Robin looked relaxed and happy in the photo, his double had a certain something extra, a hardness in his eyes that sent shivers down my spine.
“This is my twin brother, Adrian,” Robin revealed. “We haven’t spoken in over six months. He’s been in trouble with the law. I tried to help him, but he disappeared. I think he might be the one you’re looking for.”
A man looking at a woman | Source: Pexels
I felt the blood drain from my face, shame and horror enveloping me in equal measure. “Oh my God. Robin, I’m so sorry. I thought…”
He raised his hand, cutting me off. “It’s okay. I understand. Anyone would have done the same thing in your position.”
But I could see the hurt in his eyes. I had accused him of being a criminal and asked the police to prosecute him. Would he ever forgive me?
A woman staring at a man | Source: Pexels
As if out of the blue, Mom burst into the cafe, her wild eyes scanning the room. When she spotted us, she rushed over, stopping dead in her tracks when she saw Robin still sitting there.
“What’s going on? Why isn’t he in custody?”
I stood up, placing a hand on her arm. “Mom, we made a mistake. A big one.”
Shocked elderly woman | Source: Midjourney
Robin stood up as well, extending his hand to my mother. “Mrs….?”
“Daisy,” Mom said, frowning.
“Miss Daisy, I understand there was a misunderstanding. I’m not the man who hurt your friend. But I think I know who did.”
He showed her the picture, and I looked at the same shock I’d felt on Mom’s face.
A man sitting on a bench and holding a phone | Source: Pexels
“I can’t believe it,” she whispered, looking between Robin and her brother’s picture. “They’re identical.”
“Adrian and I… we’ve always been close. Or we were. But lately, he’s been making some bad choices. I tried to help him, but he disappeared a few months ago. I worried sick.”
I reached out, touching his arm before I could stop myself. “I’m so sorry I put you through this, Robin. I feel terrible.”
A woman holding a man’s hand | Source: Pexels
He gave me a small smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Don’t. You were trying to do the right thing. To protect others from getting hurt.”
Mom shook her head, sinking into a chair. “I can’t imagine how difficult this must be for you, dealing with your brother’s actions.”
Robin’s smile faded completely. “It’s a real challenge. But I’m not giving up on it. I can’t.”
A smiling couple | Source: Pexels
An awkward silence fell around the table. I fiddled with my napkin, trying to find the right words to fix the mess I had created.
How do you apologize for accusing someone of being a criminal? For calling the police to an innocent man?
Finally, I took a deep breath, forcing myself. “Robin, I know this isn’t how either of us imagined this evening going. And I completely understand if you never want to see me again. But, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to start over. Maybe we could try another date? One without police intervention or mistaken identity?!”
A couple sitting opposite each other | Source: Pexels
He stared at me for a long moment. My heart raced as I waited for his answer. Finally, he broke into a genuine smile, the warmth returning to his eyes.
“I would love to, Selena. I would love to!”
As we left the cafe, walking into the cool night air, I couldn’t help but think that despite all the chaos and misunderstandings, this might just be the beginning of something wonderful.
And terrifying. Because now, somewhere out there, there was a man who looked exactly like the one standing next to me. A man who was everything I had feared Robin would be.
A couple hugging | Source: Pexels
If you enjoyed this story, consider reading this one : When my husband said our daughter wasn’t “European” enough, I knew I had to take action. I hatched a plan to teach her a lesson, but as I watched her world crumble, I wondered if I’d gone too far.
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 story. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or to actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher make no claims regarding 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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