The Mistake

Chapter 2:The Mistake

Bam—Bam—

Everything happened in the blink of an eye. With each muffled thud, I pushed Lily away, gripping my phone so tightly my fingers ached. But Lily was gone.

Behind her, the cold concrete stairs loomed.

The dim light flickered, casting strange shadows, and the silence in the room was unbearable.

It took a moment for the reality to sink in, and then it hit me like a punch to the stomach. I swallowed hard, my neck straining to see the stairs.

Blood.

A vivid trail of blood marked the staircase, like a river of red.

At the end of the trail, Lily lay twisted, her body contorted in unnatural angles.

Her head—twisted completely around. Her eyes, bulging and wide, stared directly into mine.

She was dead. And I had killed her.

The world around me began to spin, the panic clawing at my chest. My body trembled, paralyzed by fear.

I collapsed to the floor, my mind in a daze. I felt like I was being ripped apart from the inside, my sense of reality shattering.

Killing someone—it wasn’t something a normal person could ever imagine. But now, here it was. The truth I couldn’t escape.

I had killed Lily. It was an accident, but that didn’t matter. She was gone.

Still dazed, my hand reached for my phone. I needed to call the police.

My fingers shook as I unlocked the screen and dialed the emergency number.

The beeping tone felt like an eternity. It was maddening.

Finally, someone picked up.

But the voice didn’t come from my phone.

It came from the dark corner of the balcony.

"Accidental death… manslaughter… three to ten years in prison."

The deep, steady voice continued, "If you call the police, your life will be ruined. Think carefully. Do as I say, and you might still have a chance."

The voice was calm, yet firm. It had a strange authority, one that made me feel oddly safe—and terrified at the same time.

There was someone else in the room with me. Someone I hadn’t noticed until now.

"Who’s there?" I demanded, my heart racing.

I turned toward the balcony. I could see something moving—a man stepping into the light. His hair was cropped short, and he wore a sharp suit.

He walked toward me, but his eyes remained fixed on Lily’s body lying below.

"I’m a matchmaker," he said, as if he were discussing the weather. "Your mother sent me to meet you. Have you made up your mind?"

His words didn’t even register at first.

In that surreal moment, I wasn’t concerned with what he had just said. I couldn’t focus on anything else but him.

I studied him carefully. Despite his unassuming appearance, he felt dangerous, like a predator hiding in plain sight.

He stood there, radiating a quiet power, his presence overwhelming my thoughts.

Before I could even process the situation, my phone rang again.

"Hello, this is Lakeview City Police. How can we assist you?"

Click—

I couldn’t explain why, but in a daze, I hung up on them.

The man spoke again, his tone steady and unbothered.

"You can’t hide a death. Call them back. Tell them you found Lily’s body here."

Without thinking, my hand moved automatically. I dialed the police again, repeating exactly what he said.

"Okay," the voice on the other end replied calmly. "Stay calm, and don’t disturb the scene. We’ll be there shortly."

I dropped the phone, my hands shaking uncontrollably. The weight of what I had just done started to sink in.

There was no turning back now. I had no idea where this was headed, but I knew one thing: my life would never be the same again.