Amidst the slowly falling snow, Emily stepped out of the car with a heavy heart. Her gaze fell on the heartbreaking scene in front of her. Ethan, the ex-lover she still loved with all her heart, was now laughing happily with another woman. The two of them looked so compatible, their lips met in a short but meaningful kiss, a scene that happened right in front of Emily.
Emily’s breath caught, and in that instant, her world seemed to collapse. Tears fell down her cheeks, racing with the snowflakes that clung to her skin. Daniel, who had followed Emily out of the car, stood beside her, finally realizing what had left Emily so shaken.
“Emily?” Ethan’s voice sounded surprised. His eyes rounded at the sight of the figure he thought was Emily. However, what he didn’t know was that it wasn’t the Emily he knew. It was Daniel, who was now trapped in Emily’s body.
Emily, who was now in Daniel’s body, tilted her head, trying to hide the tears that kept flowing. The incident did not go unnoticed by Daniel.
“Who is she?” asked the woman beside Ethan in a curious tone.
“Oh, she… she’s my ex-girlfriend,” Ethan replied. His voice sounded calm, but there was a slight tremor hidden in it.
Emily, who was now trapped in Daniel’s body, said in a trembling voice. “Apparently it didn’t take long. You already got a replacement. It hasn’t even been two weeks.”
Ethan was silent for a moment, as if his words were stuck in his throat. “Of course, life has to go on. There’s no way I’m going to keep dwelling on the past,” he said.
Emily looked at Ethan with a look full of disappointment and pain. “But it’s too soon for you to forget someone you once promised a marriage to.”
Ethan looked at Emily, who was in Daniel’s body, with a confused look. “Who are you?” he asked.
After remembering, Ethan said again. “I seem to have seen you before. Ah, you were her superior, right? Why are you even more emotional than Emily herself? Emily didn’t even say anything just now.”
“Even though I promised her a marriage, if it’s broken, it’s broken. Do I have to be down for a month? A year? A lifetime?” Ethan asked rhetorically, with an almost challenging tone. “Can’t I find another replacement in my heart?”
Inside, Emily felt hurt. She wanted to scream, wanted Ethan to understand how hurt she was, but she couldn’t. She was trapped in Daniel’s body and couldn’t express her feelings.
Suddenly, a fist flew right into Ethan’s face. Emily was startled and covered her mouth, discovering that it was Daniel in her body that made it happen. Daniel’s fist sent Ethan crashing to the floor, as if gravity itself was pulling him down.
“Honey, are you okay?” asked the woman beside Ethan, helping him up.
“What are you doing, Em?” shouted Ethan in frustration.
“Beating up someone who talks too much,” Daniel replied, his voice as smooth as ice against skin, cold and calm. There was no detectable emotion, just sharp, undeniable clarity.
“Come on, let’s go,” Daniel invited without looking back. His steps were steady, as if every trace he left behind were words that no longer needed to be spoken.
Emily, still shocked by what had just happened, followed Daniel with hesitant steps. The two of them walked away from Ethan, their steps in sync. As they were about to get into the car, Emily’s finger caught the corner of Daniel’s shirt, a subtle gesture that made Daniel turn to her.
“What?” asked Daniel, his voice cool as morning dew and his gaze cold and sharp.
“Thank you for taking my side,” Emily replied, her voice barely audible, a whisper filled with gratitude.
“I just want to get you out of trouble,” Daniel replied, his voice flat. “Don’t be weak. You are now in my body, but you keep crying with my face.”
“Sorry, sir,” Emily said, feeling guilty. “Is our agreement still valid? About our marriage?” asked Emily, her voice hopeful.
“Did you get the answer?” asked Daniel, his voice remaining calm.
Emily nodded, her eyes meeting Daniel’s unwavering gaze. “I’ve thought about it. I agree to marry you,” she said, her voice steady despite the heavy snowfall, making the night even colder.
“Very well,” Daniel replied in an authoritative yet restrained tone, “We will soon arrange a meeting between your family and mine,” his voice echoing not the warmth, but the efficiency and firmness that characterized him.
Without waiting for a further response, he stepped into the car, his movements quick and sure. Emily followed suit, her pace slightly slower, filled with consideration for what she had just agreed to.
The car started, and with the barely audible sound of the engine, the two of them sped off into the deepening night, leaving a trail of flickering lights behind them.
When Daniel arrived at Emily’s house, he checked his cell phone for message notifications and found a new message from Richard.
‘I had gotten the information about the truck driver from an acquaintance who knew him. The truck driver told his friend that he was planning to go to Thailand. A few days after he left, some men came looking for him at home. Frightened, his acquaintance told them about the truck driver’s whereabouts.’
Daniel’s expression was serious as he read the message. He furrowed his brows and typed a reply to Richard quickly.
‘Alright, thanks for the information. Try to find out more about the people who are looking for the truck drive.’
After sending the message, Daniel was silent for a moment. He took another look at the sketch of the old lady on the table. “Is everything related?”
***
The next day, the morning sunlight greeted the city that had just awakened from sleep. Daniel, whose soul and consciousness were trapped in Emily’s body, arrived at the office. He had just parked his car in the usual parking lot, the same place where Emily always parked her brightly colored little car.
On the other side, there was a man with a mischievous smile plastered on his face, his eyes sparkling with the ignorant plans he had prepared for Emily. However, he did not know that in front of him was not Emily, but Daniel.
The man stepped hard on the accelerator, and in an instant, his car shot out like a bullet, almost hitting Daniel. Emily, who had just arrived, witnessed the incident with wide eyes. Without thinking, she ran over to Daniel, pushing him with all her might away from the path of the speeding car. Her instinct to protect took over, and with a strength she hadn’t realized before, she pushed Daniel to the safe side.
“Are you okay?” asked Emily, her breath coming in short gasps, her eyes searching for any sign of injury on Daniel, who was in her body now.
Suddenly, as if time and space were collaborating in a mysterious dance, a miracle happened. Emily felt a strange sensation, like a gentle electric current flowing through every cell in her body, and in an instant, she found herself back in her own body, as well as Daniel.
“We… we’re back,” Emily whispered, her voice filled with wonder and overwhelming gratitude. The soft morning light shone on her face, giving a sparkle of hope in her still surprised eyes.
Emily’s mind drifted over the moments of their souls returning and finally realizing what brought their bodies back. “I think I know what brought our bodies back, sir,” Emily whispered, her voice barely audible.
Sean, Daniel’s cousin, approached them with a worried expression. “Are you guys okay?” he asked, his eyes moving from Emily to Daniel, looking for signs of injury.
Emily shot him an angry glare. “Did you do this on purpose? You wanted to run me over?” she asked, her voice rising, filled with emotions mixed with anger and fear.
Sean shook his head quickly, his hands raised in a gesture of surrender. “No, of course not. I never meant to hurt anyone. I just… accidentally,” he said, seemingly unsure of his words.
Daniel stepped forward, his posture erect, his piercing eyes staring unblinkingly at Sean.