The Future Texted Me the Truth, the Exam Bell Called Me to the Lies Chapter 09

The Future Texted Me the Truth, the Exam Bell Called Me to the Lies Chapter 09

Seven years passed in the blink of an eye.

According to the text from that unknown number years ago, today would have been my wedding night with Ethan—the day I was supposed to become the laughingstock of Brookhaven.

Instead, I stood beneath the lights at a national science gala, holding the Young Scientist of the Year Award.

The audience erupted in applause.

Sitting front and center in the first row was Ryan Brooks in a sharp suit, watching me with pure pride.

A year ago, we had gotten engaged with both our families’ blessing.

He never clipped my wings. He became the wind that helped me soar higher.

After the ceremony, I received a screenshot from a high school classmate in the backstage area.

It was about Ethan and Soph.

Neither of them finished college.

Ethan got expelled for skipping classes to come to Boston after me. Soph dropped out after getting pregnant.

They eventually got married, but their life was a complete disaster.

Ethan blamed all his failures on Soph seducing him. He drank constantly and became abusive.

—

Years of fighting and money trouble had worn Soph down into someone sharp, bitter, and impossible to live with.

The screenshot showed a GoFundMe post Soph made. Ethan had gotten into a drunk driving accident and lost a limb. They couldn’t even afford the medical bills and had to rely on online crowdfunding to survive.

I calmly turned off my phone screen and deleted the screenshot.

As I left the theater, the Boston night air felt cool.

Ryan stood by the car holding a light jacket. He gently draped it over my shoulders and pulled me into his arms.

Cold, future Mrs. Brooks?” he asked, kissing my forehead.

“Not at all.” I leaned into his warm chest, smiling freely.

Just then, my phone lit up.

The unknown number that had been silent for seven years sent one short text:

[Congratulations on rewriting your fate. Wishing you peace and a brilliant future.]

My eyes grew a little misty.

I didn’t know what that app really was. Maybe it was another version of me from a parallel timeline. Maybe it was one last act of mercy from the universe.

I typed two words and hit send.

—

[Thank you.]

A night breeze blew by. The text record turned into garbled code and vanished from my phone, as if it had never existed.

I looked at Ryan, then at the city lights stretching ahead of us.

“Let’s go home,” I said, taking Ryan’s hand.

This time, I would be the one to decide my own life.