{"id":8179,"date":"2026-01-22T15:41:56","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:41:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=8179"},"modified":"2026-01-22T15:41:56","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T15:41:56","slug":"while-my-husband-was-at-work-the-twin-we-never-knew-about-came-home-pretending-to-be-him-7-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/?p=8179","title":{"rendered":"While My Husband Was at Work, the Twin We Never Knew About Came Home Pretending to Be Him"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/header>\n

When Marissa opens the door expecting her husband, she\u2019s greeted by someone who looks exactly like him, but something feels wrong. What begins as a chilling imposter encounter unravels into a family secret neither she nor her husband ever saw coming. What follows is a tense reckoning no one was prepared for.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
<\/div>\n
\n

The knock came at 2:07 p.m.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I remember the time because I was scrubbing the kitchen backsplash, elbow-deep in lemon-scented foam, and wondering if Hayden would remember to pick up oat milk on his way home. He usually did and brought croissants home with him, too.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A box of croissants | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

But he\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0<\/i>supposed to be home for another three hours.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I wiped my hands, still damp, and padded to the door. When I opened it, he was standing there. Hayden, in a gray hoodie with his work lanyard still hanging from his neck.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWhy are you home so early?\u201d I asked, my stomach fluttering with surprise. \u201cIs everything okay?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman standing at a front door | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

My husband didn\u2019t kiss me. He just stepped inside, eyes flicking around me like he was trying to place the space.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI wasn\u2019t feeling well, my boss let me go.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I slowly closed the door behind him. Something in my chest shifted. Not quite alarm\u2026 just\u2026\u00a0off<\/i>. But he hadn\u2019t kissed me hello. He hadn\u2019t called me \u201csweetheart\u201d or \u201cmoonpie\u201d or any of the names he usually did.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man standing on a porch | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

He just moved down the hallway like someone seeing it for the first time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cDid something happen?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I followed him to our bedroom. The sheets I had just smoothed were already wrinkled from him rummaging through the drawers. He opened his nightstand. Then the dresser. Then the closet. He didn\u2019t stop to look at me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A side profile of a man standing in a hallway | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWhat are you looking for?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He paused like he\u2019d only just remembered I was there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cSomething for work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cThat specific?\u201d I asked, raising an eyebrow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cYeah, just\u2026 give me a sec, babe.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman standing in a bedroom | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

My husband had never called me that before. Not \u201cbabe.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Hayden called me \u201cMar,\u201d or sometimes \u201cMouse\u201d when he was feeling sweet.\u00a0Never babe.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I crossed my arms, watching him. Our cat, Waffles, crept into the doorway. She adored Hayden. She always slept curled against his legs every night. But today, she stopped short. Her tail fluffed up. She hissed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A ginger cat with a green collar | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cWe still have that thing?\u201d he asked, glancing at her.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

My blood chilled. Hayden would never speak about her like that. In fact, I would bet my life on the fact that Hayden would love Waffles more than any child we\u2019d have.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cHayden,\u201d I said, choosing my words carefully. \u201cAre you sure you\u2019re okay? Should we go to a doctor? I\u2019ll drive. Or would you like some medication and soup?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A bowl of soup and cold medication | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He stood up fully then. He smiled like someone trying to remember how.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cDidn\u2019t you move our family stash? I can\u2019t find it\u2026 I need it for work.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

That didn\u2019t even make sense.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cOur\u2026 what?\u201d I gasped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThe stash. You know\u2026 the emergency cash we keep?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t keep cash in the house, honey,\u201d I said slowly.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A frowning woman | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cYes, we do. I\u2019m so sure you said it was in the bedroom,\u201d his eyes narrowed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I had absolutely no idea what he was on about, but I needed to play along. I needed to buy myself some time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cNo, honey,\u201d I said, my voice low, slowly backing toward the door. \u201cWe moved it\u2026 remember? After the break-ins down the road, we moved it to the basement\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A close up of a frowning man | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

For the first time, he looked\u2026 satisfied.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cShow me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I led him back downstairs, my heartbeat thudding behind my ribs. I opened the basement door, flipped the light on, and stepped aside.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cJust there, in the vanity under the stairs. Go on, I\u2019ll be with you soon. I just want a drink of water.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A white basement door | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He paused, then nodded slowly. Then, he passed me, took the first two steps\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

And I slammed the door shut behind him. I turned the lock. For a second, I couldn\u2019t breathe. Then I ran.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I stood on the porch and called Hayden. The real one.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

He picked up after just one ring.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man wearing a gray hoodie in a basement | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cMar? Everything okay?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a man in the basement pretending to be you,\u201d I said. \u201cPlease come home. Now!\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Silence.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019m coming. Marissa, don\u2019t go into the basement. Just make sure the door is locked. Try and jam it from the outside. Call the police. Stay outside.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman standing on a porch | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

I did exactly as he said, trying to secure the basement door with an umbrella handle. Then, I went outside to sit on the porch and wait for my husband. Waffles was nowhere to be seen.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Twenty minutes later, Hayden pulled up, breathless and pale. Waffles bolted out of the house from her hiding place, winding around his legs, tail flicking like a flag of loyalty to her dad.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWhat happened?\u201d he gasped.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A concerned man standing on a porch | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I told my husband everything, not realizing my hands shook as I spoke.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

We stood in the hallway, listening to the basement. Silence. Whatever\u00a0fake<\/i>-Hayden was doing, he sure was being silent about it.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

The police arrived ten minutes after that. The man came up quietly, hands raised, no struggle at all.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A police car parked in a driveway | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He looked just like my husband. Like someone had copied Hayden\u2019s face but got the soul part wrong. Same brown eyes, but colder. Same mouth, but it never smiled right.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grant.<\/i>\u00a0That was his name. We learned it after.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grant said Hayden had been drinking alone in a bar two months ago. That they\u2019d locked eyes from across the room, talked, and swapped birthdays. Realized they were born on the same day, in the same city. Grant followed him for weeks. Learned our routines.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"The<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The interior of an empty bar | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

He told the cops everything. No fight, no resistance. Just a slow, broken voice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI grew up in group home,\u201d he said. \u201cI never had a family. I never had a home.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The story unraveled in pieces. The hospital. The adoption records. Twins separated at birth. A clerical error. An entire life missed.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI never knew all of that,\u201d Hayden whispered. He sat right next to me, jaw clenched.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A little boy sitting outside | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I watched Grant, he looked like a ghost. Or maybe I was the ghost, watching someone else\u2019s life through my eyes.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Later, after the police left and Grant was gone, the silence in the living room pressed down like a second ceiling. Hayden sat on the edge of the couch, hands hanging between his knees. He decided not to press charges, but Grant was gone with the police, they were going to drop him off at the place he was staying.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

I stood by the window, arms folded.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman standing by a window in a living room | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you tell me?\u201d I asked. \u201cYou met someone who looked exactly like you. Same birthday. Same city. And you didn\u2019t think I should know?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t think it was real,\u201d he said. \u201cI thought the guy was full of shit. People say all kinds of stuff at bars.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cHayden! He looks exactly like you! Not to mention that he showed up in our house\u2026 There was a\u00a0stranger\u00a0<\/i>in our bedroom. Asking about\u00a0money<\/i>. Walking around like he owned the place. He called me \u2018babe.’\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"An<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

An upset man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Hayden looked up.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cEven Waffles knew something was wrong. She hissed at him, Hayden. She\u2019s never hissed at anyone other than the delivery guys.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He opened his mouth, but I kept going.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI was scared, okay? For a full ten minutes, I thought I was losing my mind. He looked exactly like you, but he wasn\u2019t you. He was\u2026 hollow. And I was\u00a0alone<\/i>\u00a0in this house with him.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A ginger cat sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Hayden dropped his head into his hands.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI\u2019m sorry, Mar,\u201d he said. \u201cI should\u2019ve said something\u2026 I just\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d I demanded.\u00a0Gone was the worried wife. Gone was the scared Marissa.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Now, I was just angry.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to believe it,\u201d he said. \u201cThat someone out there lived the same life as me, minus all the good parts. That I got you, and a home, and a job\u2026 and he got\u2026 nothing. He got none of this. He just bounced around the system. It made me feel sick.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"An<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

An upset man sitting on a couch | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

His voice broke a little, and it cracked something open in me, too.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t want to say it out loud,\u201d he whispered. \u201cBecause the second I did, it became real. And I didn\u2019t know what to do with that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I didn\u2019t answer. I just walked over and sat beside him. We stared straight ahead, not touching.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman sitting in a living room | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cNext time,\u201d I said finally. \u201cIf there\u2019s ever anything that feels even remotely dangerous, or weird, or even just off\u2026 you tell me.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI will,\u201d he said. \u201cI swear. I promise.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cAnd for the record,\u201d I muttered. \u201cYou\u2019re never allowed to call me \u2018babe.’\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A tiny laugh escaped him.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cNoted.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A smiling man wearing a button-down shirt | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

Even after all of that, my husband kept in contact with Grant. There was something in his voice I hadn\u2019t heard before when he spoke about his brother. Something cracked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

The next week, Hayden offered Grant a job at the warehouse where he worked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cWe need packers and people to take stock, Mouse,\u201d he said. \u201cThat way he\u2019ll earn an income, you know?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"The<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The interior of a warehouse | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cBut he\u2019s not staying with us,\u201d I told my husband, as I made salsa. \u201cThis isn\u2019t some long-lost reunion movie.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI know,\u201d Hayden said. \u201cBut he\u2019s still my brother. And we have no parents. That means I\u2019m responsible for him, Marissa.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cYes, but I\u2019m still recovering from the incident, Hayden. Give me a second to catch my breath.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

My husband nodded.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A bowl of salsa | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI don\u2019t expect you to forgive him,\u201d my husband said. \u201cBut I\u2019m not going to pretend that he doesn\u2019t exist.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

A few days later, we invited Grant to dinner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I cooked more than necessary: roast lamb with lemon and rosemary, mashed potatoes, a beet and walnut salad, and a loaf of sourdough I\u2019d started two days before.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A platter of roast lamb and roast potatoes | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

It was excessive.<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

But I think I just needed the chaos of it, the clatter of pans and the slow roast smell, to fill the silence I was afraid might hang too heavily once he arrived.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grant showed up ten minutes early.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Waffles perched on the counter like a judgmental witness, watching him without blinking. She didn\u2019t hiss this time but didn\u2019t move toward him either.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A ginger cat sitting on a kitchen counter | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

He wore clean clothes. Still Hayden\u2019s face, but with a different posture, slouched shoulders, and a guarded sort of stillness.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cThis smells good,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cI hope you like rosemary,\u201d I replied, smiling. \u201cTake a seat.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

We ate mostly in silence. Grant picked at his food like someone who wasn\u2019t used to having so much of it. Hayden asked a few questions about how things were going at the warehouse. Grant answered with one-liners.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A man sitting at a dining table | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Tense. Flat. Still, something in him shifted as the wine bottle emptied.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Midway through dessert, a chocolate torte, he cleared his throat.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cI know you didn\u2019t have to do this. Either of you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A slice of a chocolate torte | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

I didn\u2019t respond. I focused on the cherry ice cream in front of me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cYou\u2019re not alone anymore,\u201d Hayden said. \u201cThat matters. That counts for something. I\u2019ll help you find an apartment soon.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Grant\u2019s eyes flicked toward me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cYou cooked like someone who wanted me to feel welcome\u2026 thank you.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A bowl of cherry ice cream | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

I smiled and nodded.\u00a0What else was I going to do?\u00a0<\/i>I needed time to wrap my head around all the sudden changes in our lives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Later, after he left and the dishes were done, I stood at the window again. Hayden wrapped his arms around me from behind.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

\u201cI know it\u2019s messy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

\u201cIt\u2019s real,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A pile of plates on a sink | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Weeks passed. Hayden checked in on Grant occasionally. A text. A ride to work. Grant never came near the house again.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Sometimes, when Hayden\u2019s asleep, I still scroll through the security footage. I watch that version of him, the one who walked in like him. The one who had somehow gotten a lanyard from Hayden\u2019s work\u2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

It was all so\u2026 strange. But I trusted my husband. And I knew that he wouldn\u2019t do anything to hurt me.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A woman using her phone in her bed | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n

And sometimes, I remember Grant\u2019s face across the dinner table, when he realized that he wasn\u2019t alone in this world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Mostly, though, I watch Waffles curl up on Hayden\u2019s feet and breathe easy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

She still knows the difference. And so do I.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n
\n
\n
\"A<\/picture><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

A sleeping ginger cat | Source: Midjourney<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

What would you have done?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

If you\u2019ve enjoyed this story, here\u2019s\u00a0another one<\/a>\u00a0for you |<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Lia\u2019s husband, Daniel, forbids her from entering the basement, claiming he\u2019s working on a surprise. But he installs an alarm and she overhears a secretive phone call. Then, she knows he\u2019s lying. What she discovers changes everything, but the worst shock comes when her grandfather reveals the truth. Not all that glitters is gold.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

When Marissa opens the door expecting her husband, she\u2019s greeted by someone who looks exactly like him, but something feels wrong. What begins as a chilling imposter encounter unravels into … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24,20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8179","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8179","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8179"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8179\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8184,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8179\/revisions\/8184"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8179"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8179"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/readinstory.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8179"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}