Weeks turned into months, and Rachel’s life settled into an almost surreal calm. The police had combed through every possible lead on Victor but came up with nothing.
They’d searched relentlessly, leaving no stone unturned, yet he seemed to have vanished without a trace.
Rachel found herself wondering: Did Victor get hit by a bus somewhere? Did those people he owed money finally catch up with him?
The possibilities ran dark and twisted through her mind. Maybe he couldn’t handle the weight of his own shame and took his own life. Poison, maybe? Or something worse?
But she received no mysterious notes, no late-night calls, nothing to hint at where he might be or what had become of him. It was as if he had never existed.
Then came the day that changed everything. Rachel hadn’t been fe
