Once upon a mundane Monday morning, in the heart of a bustling city, there lived a man named Henry. Henry was your typical office guy, a middle-aged fellow with a receding hairline, glasses perched on the bridge of his nose, and a penchant for routine. He had spent the last 15 years working for the same company, performing the same tasks, and following the same schedule.
On this particular morning, Henry groggily woke up to the blaring of his alarm clock. He dragged himself out of bed, got dressed in his usual khaki pants and white shirt, and rushed through his breakfast. He glanced at his wristwatch and realized he was running late.
Hurrying to catch the subway, he noticed a peculiar reflection in the station's glass doors. It was an image of himself, but with one tiny difference: he was wearing a blue tie instead of his usual red one. He dismissed it as a trick of the light and stepped onto the train.
As the day progressed at the office, Henry couldn't shake a strange feeling of déjà vu. Every conversation, every email, every meeting seemed oddly familiar. His coworkers spoke the same words they always did, and even the coffee machine's gurgling sounded just right. But that blue tie...
During lunch break, he decided to confide in his friend and coworker, Sarah. "Sarah, something really weird is happening today," Henry whispered, his voice trembling. "I saw myself in a reflection this morning, and I was wearing a blue tie."
Sarah chuckled. "Henry, you've been working here so long; you're probably just seeing things. We all wear red ties on Mondays, remember?"
Henry frowned, but he knew she was right. His red tie was neatly knotted around his neck. "You're right; I must be tired."
Yet, that nagging feeling wouldn't leave him. As days passed, the feeling of déjà vu intensified. Henry began to notice more subtle discrepancies. A missing pen on his desk, a slight variation in the stock market report he analyzed every day, and even the pattern of his boss's tie seemed different.