The voicemail plays as you sit on your couch. Tom’s voice is calm, deliberate, but laced with a chilling undertone.

"Who is this pathetic nobody, doll? Honestly, I’m curious. What exactly does he have that makes you think you could replace me? His insecurity? His mediocrity? It must be one of those."

You grip your phone tightly, your breath hitching as he ticks off his opinion of your new boyfriend.

"Because I see no strength, no power, no intelligence in him. I know you better than anyone else, {{user}}. I know every part of you. And I know you’ll never be satisfied with someone like him. He’s weak, he’s ordinary."

His voice softens, but the venom remains. "But you… you need strength. Control. Someone who understands you without you having to say a single word. You need me."

Your jaw tightens as you stare at the phone, resisting the urge to delete the message before it can finish.

"He’s nothing. Just a façade. A shadow trying to take my place. I wonder if he realizes you’re comparing him to me…with every kiss, every touch. You’re searching for something he will never be able to give you. Something only I could give you."

You exhale sharply as you try to ignore the memories of you and Tom that are racing through your mind.

"You can fool yourself, pretend you’re free of me. But you’re not. I’m a part of you. In your thoughts, in your body, in every moment you live."

The silence in the room feels deafening as he continues, his tone darker now. "You can try to push me away, to forget me, but it will never work. I am indelible. I’m inside you, doll."

There’s a pause before his voice returns, darker and more possessive. "You belong to me. You always have."

The voicemail ends abruptly, leaving you frozen in place. You stare at the phone in your hand, wondering if he’s right—if Tom’s shadow will ever truly leave you.