"Don't go to the bank!"

"You'll die! Escape now!"

"He's not your husband!"

I stare at the text message I suddenly received. A chill runs down my spine. I tremble so badly that my earphones even fall out.

Fear surges within me in no time. The person who texted me is undoubtedly Nathan, my husband!

But he is at home right now!

If the text sender weren't my husband, who could it be then?

"Who are you? Why are you saying this?" I type back.

At that moment, the door is forcefully pushed open. Nathan rushes inside in anxiety, his face burning red and his clothes disheveled.

I quickly hide the phone behind my back.

Thinking about the message and his panic, I'm overwhelmed by uneasiness at once.

"What happened?"

Though badly frightened, I try to stay calm.

"My phone is missing. Have you seen it?" Nathan scratches his head.

I shake my head quickly with disbelief.

This guy standing right before me shares the same appearance and voice as Nathan.

He's undoubtedly my husband.

Could it be that someone found his phone and played a prank on me?

That is too much!

Nathan scratches his head. "I must have lost it somewhere else. If you receive any strange calls or messages, don't believe them!"

I nod but still feel skeptical about his words.

Nobody but my family knows we're going to the bank tomorrow.

Besides, Nathan has never texted others about it.

If it were a prank, it could be a family member doing it with Nathan's phone.

Perhaps, that explains why Nathan rushed over the moment I received the text and warned me about strange calls and messages.

But... Is it really just a prank?

I'm not entirely convinced.

The man sitting on the bed keeps fondling my head.

"Have you regained your memories?" he asks.

I try to recall and shake my head in disappointment.

"I've been like this for a year. There is still a chance, right?"

The man comforts me and leaves after making sure there's nothing wrong with me.I've calmed down.

I discreetly take out my phone to text Nathan.

Yet, there is no reply.

I rack my brains about who could have sent the message while holding the phone tightly.

There are only four people in this house: Nathan, his brother Nick, his sister Natalie and me.

As unsocial as always, Nick and Natalie live in the basement and attic, respectively, and don't go out that much. I haven't had many chances to talk to them until now.

Soon, I rule out their suspicion.

Given their personalities, they don't bother to play such a prank.

Could it be that my husband has been kidnapped?

If so, why doesn't he call the police?

I frown. Something doesn't seem right.

"Maybe I should call the police now," I think aloud.

Hope that it's merely a prank. If Nathan has an accident, at least I can save his life.

Suddenly, another message arrives.

"I'm not your husband but someone closest to you! This thing is so weird. I'm afraid you won't believe my words. Don't call the police! Pretend nothing has happened and go to the bank first!"

I break into a cold sweat instantly.

My parents passed away a year ago, so Nathan is my only family.

How on earth did the texter find out I was about to call the police?

Could it be a voyeur who found Nathan's phone and is spying on me? Is that guy an expert in telepathy?

These thoughts vex me. I got out of bed to close the curtains.

However, when I see my reflection in the French window, a weird thought suddenly crosses my mind.

It gives me goosebumps.

Who could be more intimate with me than myself?

Could the texter be... myself?

A cold sweat breaks out on my back.

Terrified by this thought, I collapse to the ground, gasping for air like a fish struggling to get into the water.

How's it possible? Such supernatural things don't exist!

Another text comes. I'm shocked.

"Don't take that medicine at night. It's a truth-inducing drug!"

This guy actually knows I take medicine per night!

"Who are you?"

I type back but get no answers.

At night, the man walks in with medicine and water.

"Darling, it's time to take your medicine."

I look at the white pill, and my heart sinks.

I usually take capsules, but now it has become a pill!

"Why did you change the medicine?"

"Because the doctor prescribed new drugs for you."

I stare at the man's face, failing to find the signs that he is lying.

I don't know what he is up to, so I decide to keep it that way.

I cover my mouth, pretending to swallow the pill, but actually hold it in my palm.

It's a magic trick I saw online and found amusing. I've been practicing it and never expected it to come in handy one day!

The man produces a triumphant smile. Obviously, he didn't notice my trick.

Pretending to feel a bit dizzy, I lean weakly against the bed with my eyes fixed on the distant wall, trying not to blink.

Thinking the medicine has taken effect, the man quickly approaches me.

"Cherry, where did you hide Auntie's bank card? Tell me the PIN."

My head buzzes. I suddenly remember the text I received this afternoon.

Truth-inducing drug!

That kind of medicine often appears in movies does exist in this world!

What's more, the texter can actually tell the future!

I'm more convinced that this text must be sent by my future self.

So that is his intention all along!

It all started last week.

One day, I received a call from a lawyer saying that my aunt had passed away.

Childless, she bequeathed all her assets to me, her only family.

Over the years, my aunt had made a fortune from her business, leaving behind an inheritance worth over ten million dollars!

The lawyer came over to hand me my aunt's bank card and a letter, saying that only I can use the money and I mustn't let anyone else know about it, including Nathan.

Unfortunately, Nick saw all this and told Nathan and Natalie about it.

The two brothers fought over it every day from then on.

Nathan holds the opinion that my aunt's inheritance belongs to the common property of husband and wife. Nick and Natalie have no right to it.

However, Nick argues that since I'm a family member, my aunt's inheritance should be divided equally among the whole family.

I'm badly frightened seeing Nick, as introverted as always, argue vehemently with Nathan for several days and thus try to mediate between them.

"Stop! I'll take 10 million dollars and you three split the remaining half equally. How about that?"

Nick looked at me sardonically. "There is no way to evenly divide 10 million among three people!"

From that day, the atmosphere at home completely changed.

Nathan and Nicked quarreled every day and almost came to blows several times.

I caught the three siblings ransacking my room multiple times, trying to find out my bank card PIN.

In case they would find it someday, I hid my bank card and kept the PIN a secret.

Eventually, overcome by Nathan's pleading, I agreed to let them accompany me when I withdrew the money.

Wait a minute!

A thought suddenly flashes across my mind.

Nathan and Nick are twins with the same looks and voice.

Could the person in front of me be... Nick?

That must be it!

Nathan must have had an accident. That explains why my future self can text my present self!

For now, I have no choice but to pretend not to notice anything.

"The PIN is 930... Ah!"

I grab my head and pretend to writhe in agony on the bed.

Nick jumps back in fright, accidentally knocking over and smashing the glass on the bedside table.

Feeling I have put on a convincing enough act, I stop wailing and lay on the bed, panting heavily.

"What medicine is that? Why did I get a sharp headache after taking it?"

Slightly panicked, he claims it's a specific medicine recommended by one of his friends.

"Medicine introduced by a layperson can't be reliable!" I sneer to myself.

Didn't he say just now it was a new medicine prescribed by a doctor?

What a lame liar!

With a tray in his left hand, Nick bows to pick up the pieces of broken glass with his right silently.

After cleaning up, he says he still has work to do in the study room.

I smile with a nod, pretending to rest with my eyes closed.

Only after making sure I didn't notice anything different does Nick finally leave.

I then quickly take out my phone with trembling hands and send a text. "Could you be my future self?"

This time, I get an answer at once.

"Yes." It's quite brief.

My mind goes blank.

In the dead of night, I tiptoe to Nick's bedroom in the basement.

As soon as I get to the door, a faint smell of blood strikes me.

I tentatively knock on the door a few times but there is no response. I use my spare key to cautiously open the door.

The shocking scene inside almost makes me scream. I hurriedly cover my mouth.

A man is lying motionless on the floor with a pair of scissors inserted into his back. The dry bloodstains cover the entire carpet.

His face is tilted towards the door. It's Nathan!

Nausea strikes me instantly. I begin retching.

Fortunately, I haven't eaten, otherwise, I would have vomited all over the floor.

After sitting against the wall for a long time, I pluck up the courage to slowly approach Nathan's corpse.

His body gives off a faint rotting smell, a sign that he must have been killed for quite some time.

The watch on his right wrist shows 10:35. In a fist, his left hand seems to be holding something tightly.

I pry it open, only to find a torn slip of paper with an "X" on it.

It looks like an English letter and, at the same time, a cross.

It must be Nick who did this!

Suddenly, I notice an ID badge next to the body. I pick it up and get shocked at the name on it.

It reads... Nick Lee!