When Lily’s husband, Garrett, starts giving her tips for changing her look, she takes all of them, thinking that a new start will be good for her. But as time goes on and Garrett has molded her into the perfect image, she finds a photo of the woman that Garrett has changed her into. When Lily discovers who the woman is, everything changes.
From the moment I met Garrett, I knew that he was the one I wanted to be with. I was ready to spend my life with him. So, when we got married, I knew that it was going to be a good life.
A smiling couple holding their hands out | Source: Pexels
We’ve been together for five years, and recently, my husband started asking me to change up my appearance.
“I just think that you’d look incredible as a redhead,” he said, touching my hair. “And it will be something new, sure. But it’s a new chapter of our lives, isn’t it?”
“Sure,” I agreed. “Why not? We’ll get some hair dye when I go shopping later.”
An aisle in a supermarket | Source: Midjourney
Garrett smiled and nodded enthusiastically. I didn’t know when this new fascination with red hair had come about, but I was ready for something new.
“I don’t know if it’s going to look good on me,” I said. “But it’s worth the risk.”
My husband nodded again, and I couldn’t figure out what he was thinking.
A close-up of a smiling man | Source: Midjourney
I went to the supermarket while Garrett was watching baseball on TV.
“Please get me those corn chips, Lily,” he said as I was walking out of the house.
A man watching TV | Source: Unsplash
Later that evening, I stood in front of my bathroom mirror and dyed my hair while Garrett made dinner. I was on the phone with my sister, Elise, for moral support.
“Red hair, Lily?” she laughed. “How bold of you!”
“Garrett suggested it,” I said. “It’s something new, so I don’t mind it. And I can always let it fade out if I’m not happy.”
A woman showing off red hair | Source: Unsplash
“Why red? What fantasy does your husband have?” she chuckled. “And yes, I am drinking a glass of wine.”
After washing and drying my hair, I stood in the mirror and looked at my new self.
“Not bad,” I said to my reflection.
A woman drinking a glass of wine | Source: Unsplash
“Red really suits you, Lily,” Garrett said, admiring me from the doorway. “You look beautiful.”
Time passed, and soon Garrett was trying to make me wear colored contacts.
“I just think that a lighter brown would make a big difference,” my husband said, making us pancakes. “I’ll get you a pair, and you can see it for yourself.”
A close-up of brown eyes | Source: Unsplash
I allowed Garrett to convince me into trying it, and to my surprise, he was right.
“I actually do like this,” I admitted to him. “This looks beautiful.”
Just as I was settling into my new look, my husband did something else.
A smiling woman with red hair | Source: Pexels
“Darling,” he said, “seeing as the red hair looks stunning on you, here’s some red lipstick to go with it.”
He looked at me excitedly, expecting me to put it on.
If Garrett were anyone else in the world, I would have refused. But because he was my best friend, I went with it.
Red lipstick on a white table | Source: Unsplash
“Look, it’s sweet,” I told my sister on the phone.
“Really?” Elise asked. “It’s like he’s trying to change who you are.”
“No, sis,” I said. “He just seems so happy whenever I do these things. And he’s been accurate about it! This new look really suits me.”
A woman talking on the phone | Source: Pexels
“If you’re happy with it, then I’m happy,” Elise said. “But just don’t become someone that even you can’t recognize in the process.”
“Of course,” I said. “I know what I’m doing.”
A smiling woman | Source: Pexels
But then, the other day, I stumbled upon something that made me question everything.
I found this old photo of a woman in Garrett’s drawer underneath his socks. At first, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
There she was, a woman with red hair, brown eyes, and wearing a deep red lipstick.
A wardrobe with clothes hanging | Source: Pexels
The lipstick was the exact shade that my husband had been buying for me.
“What the heck is this?” I whispered to the empty room.
I flipped the photo over, hoping to find some form of information about this mystery woman.
Melissa Thompson, 1980-2005.
A close-up of a young woman | Source: Midjourney
The last name was the same as Garrett’s.
“Was he married before?” I asked myself, lying flat.
And if he was, he never told me about her.
A woman lying down | Source: Pexels
I paced around the house, trying to make sense of this new finding.
“Hi, Lily,” my boss said. “You’re supposed to log onto work. Is everything okay?”
“Yes, I’ve just been having connectivity issues,” I lied. “I’ll log on soon.”
But even as I logged onto work, my mind was racing. I couldn’t concentrate.
A woman using her laptop | Source: Pexels
“Why is Garrett molding me into another woman?” I asked my reflection in my laptop.
Eventually, I couldn’t sit on this information any longer. I needed to get to the bottom of it.
“I’m sorry, Cheryl,” I told my boss two hours later. “I’m just not feeling well and I need to get to a doctor.”
A woman on the phone | Source: Unsplash
I got into the car and went to my mother-in-law’s house. If anyone knew who this woman was, it would be Maggie.
“Maggie,” I asked as she let me in. “I have to show you something.”
“Come sit down, Lily,” she said, leading me to the kitchen.
A woman opening a door | Source: Midjourney
Maggie poured me some lemonade and cut a slice of orange cake for me.
“Now, tell me. What’s on your mind?” she asked, sitting down.
I opened my bag and gave her the photo.
Lemonade and a slice of cake on a table | Source: Midjourney
Immediately, her eyes softened.
“Oh, darling,” she said. “This is Melissa, Garrett’s late sister.”
“What?” I gasped. “I didn’t know that he had a sister! And we’ve been together for five years.”
She nodded, her expression filled with sorrow.
A close-up of a sad old woman | Source: Midjourney
“We had a daughter,” Maggie said. “But she passed away years ago. Garrett and Melissa were very close. But she died in a tragic accident when we were on a family vacation.”
“What do you mean? Tell me more!” I said, shocked.
“We all went to a cabin in the mountains because we just wanted to unplug. And it was just the four of us. Garrett and Melissa went on a hike and Mel slipped and fell.”
A cabin in the woods | Source: Midjourney
We were both silent for a moment.
“Garrett always blamed himself for what happened,” Maggie said.
I felt my stomach churn.
“Why didn’t he ever tell me about this?” I asked.
A close-up of a woman | Source: Midjourney
“Darling, Lily,” she said slowly. “He doesn’t talk about it at all. I always assumed that it would have come up with you. I think it’s just too painful for him. He still believes that he should have gone onto that ledge first.”
I hugged my mother-in-law and went home, my mind spinning.
The first thing I did was dye my hair back to its natural color. I wanted to erase every trace of Melissa from my appearance.
A woman with brown hair | Source: Midjourney
When Garrett came home, he immediately noticed the change.
“Lily, what happened?” he asked, his eyes wide with confusion. “Your hair?”
“I know everything, Garrett,” I said, my voice trembling. “I found the photo of Melissa.”
His face went pale.
A shocked man | Source: Midjourney
“How? You went through my things?”
“Yes!” I snapped. “And I spoke to your mother. Why didn’t you tell me about her?”
He looked down, shame written all over his face.
“I couldn’t, Lily. You just won’t understand. It hurts too much.”
“So, you decided to turn me into her instead?” I demanded. “Do you even realize how twisted that is?”
“Lily, please,” he pleaded, stepping closer. “I just… I missed her so much. Seeing you look like her, it made me feel close to her again.”
I shook my head, tears streaming down my face.
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A crying woman | Source: Pexels
“Do you even hear yourself? You married me because I had the potential to look like your dead sister!”
He reached out to touch me, but I pulled away.
“I didn’t want to replace her,” he said. “I love you, Lily.”
“I can’t do this,” I said. “I can’t be what you want me to be. This isn’t normal, Garrett. This isn’t healthy.”
He slumped, defeated.
An upset man holding his face | Source: Midjourney
“I never meant to hurt you. I’m sorry.”
“I can’t stay in this marriage,” I said, my voice breaking. “I need to get out. I need to find myself again.”
My husband looked devastated, but I couldn’t let that stop me. I knew what I had to do for my own sanity and well-being.
As I packed my things, Garrett sat on the bed, silent and broken.
A woman packing a suitcase | Source: Pexels
“Lily, please,” he whispered one last time.
But I couldn’t. I had to be strong. As I had driven home from Maggie’s house, I knew I needed to leave. My heart had skipped the sympathy and had gone to feeling that I was stuck in some twisted story.
I needed to get out.
But now, I need to know: Was I wrong to leave?
A woman with a suitcase | Source: Pexels
If you enjoyed this story, here’s another one for you |
I Was Profoundly Shocked When I Rushed to the Daycare to Pick up My Precious Granddaughter
A little girl holding a book | Source: Unsplash
When Eleanor finally becomes a grandmother, she feels accomplished in her role as a doting woman who will be at her granddaughter’s beck and call. She watches Lily grow from a baby to a fiercely independent toddler. But one day, when Eleanor goes to fetch Lily from daycare, she is surprised at the scene unfolding before her eyes — complete with crowds of parents, a news broadcast, and police officers.
Read the full story here.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but it has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
