My Future Diary Saved My Life

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After the SATs, I was drugged at a party.

My childhood crush, Ethan, showed up just in time.

Just as I was about to give myself to him, lines of my own handwriting appeared before my eyes.

I regret it so much. Why did I ever sleep with Ethan?

Regret? How could I?

The next second, the diary scrolled further.

"Ethan ruined me, all to stop Liam from confessing his feelings to me, just so Ethan and Chloe could be together."

"How ridiculous. For him, I gave up Harvard, stayed in our hometown to marry him and have a family, only to find out when I was almost dying that he'd always loved Chloe."

"After thirty years of marriage, I only saw him truly smile for the first time on the day Chloe and Liam got divorced."

"And then, because Chloe's son needed an exorbitant amount for his wedding, with just a 'sorry,' he cut off all my medical and prescription funds."

"But what good is 'sorry' when I'm already dying?"

I froze, my eyes suddenly burning.

Because the last line of the diary read, "Audrey, if you ever go back thirty years, please, please push Ethan away."

I tried to collect myself.

When I opened my eyes again, the words were even clearer.

"It's chemotherapy day. My hair is almost all gone. The doctor asked Ethan to come sign the papers, but he didn't show up."

"When I finally called him, his tone was full of blame. He complained that I'd interrupted him and Chloe's son on their way to meet potential in-laws, and that I'd almost ruined Chloe's son's engagement."

"After he hung up, the three million in my account for treatment was transferred out, every last penny."

"Ethan rarely sent me a message. He said it was to apologize for me, to use the money for Chloe's son's wedding expenses."

"I was so numb, I couldn't even feel angry anymore."

Seeing those words, my throat tightened, and I trembled uncontrollably.

I couldn't be mistaken. This was my handwriting, my usual diary format.

This was written by me, thirty years in the future.

Only then did I realize that my future self, the me who married Ethan, lived such a wretched life.

And that Ethan, who had chased me for so long, had done it all for Chloe.

"Audrey?" Ethan's heavy breathing cut through my thoughts. "What's wrong?"

I snapped my eyes open and saw his face inches from mine. My heart instantly pounded like it would burst.

He was handsome.

I'd had a crush on him for over ten years, and I never imagined I'd be this close to him one day.

Seeing me frozen, he gently put his hand on my waist. "Audrey, I know you intentionally seduced me, but it's okay, I don't mind."

"As long as you stay here with me, I'll take responsibility for you."

Hearing his words, I instinctively looked up at the floating text.

"Audrey, do you want to start over?"

"If you start over, will your life be brilliant?"

Tears streamed down my face. Then, using all my strength, I shoved Ethan away. "No!"

Ethan stumbled to the side, his face aghast. "What?"

I stared at him, my mind filled with those diary entries.

"Thirty years."

"I wasted thirty years of my life, just for him to say 'sorry'."

"Why me?"

My stomach churned. I instinctively pushed past him and rushed into the bathroom, locking the door behind me.

Yeah, why me?

"Audrey!" Ethan snapped out of it and rushed after me. "What are you doing! Open the door!"

"You're the one who invited me up here! Are you playing games with me now?!"

I ignored him, turning on the shower and letting the cold water pour over me.

My mind cleared up instantly.

Outside the door, Ethan's voice grew agitated. "Audrey, if you don't open this door, I'll kick it down!"

"Do you think playing hard to get will make me want you more?!"

"You"

Before he could finish, I wiped the water from my face and opened the door.

When I opened it, Ethan still had his phone in his hand, clearly texting someone.

I glanced at it it was Chloe's chat.

Everything suddenly clicked.

He panicked for a second, quickly dimming the screen. "Don't misunderstand, I was just worried you'd do something crazy, so I was asking Chloe to help."

"Audrey, do you want this or not?"

I didn't look at him, walking straight for the door. "Move."

He paused, then grabbed my wrist. "What do you mean?!"

"Audrey, why are you acting so innocent?"

"You called me to 'save' you, and you're dressed like this. Weren't you trying to seduce me?!"

"You've been my persistent shadow for years, always around. Now I'm being 'generous' and actually giving you a chance, and you're throwing a fit?"

He was right. I'd been his simp for so many years, and I was truly tired.

I looked at him, taking a deep breath. "Ethan, from today on, I don't like you anymore."

"What?" He stopped dead, his face filled with disbelief.

Before he could react, I grabbed my things and walked out of the room without looking back.

Then I pulled out my phone, opened my college application page, and deleted the local state university.

Immediately after, I dialed Harvard University's admissions office. "Hello, Professor, this is Audrey. I accept the early admission offer to Harvard."

Thinking back to how I'd rejected it for Ethan, I felt incredibly stupid.

Just then, someone called out to me. "Audrey!"

I looked up. It was Liam.

Chloe was with him, a smug look on her face.

Chloe saw me at once and immediately clutched Liam's arm. "Liam, I didn't lie to you, did I...!"

"I told you I saw her check into a hotel myself!"

"It's only been what, a few days since the SATs?! She couldn't wait! Now that you've seen it, you should give up on her!"

But Liam just pulled his arm away and quickly walked up to me. "Audrey, are you okay?"

I looked at him, my thoughts a little fuzzy.

There wasn't much about him in the diary.

I only knew he was the heir to the Cooper Corporation.

I only knew that Ethan had touched me to cut off Liam's feelings for me, all to secure his own relationship with Chloe.

Before I could think further, Chloe was already pointing at me, yelling, "Audrey, I know you like Ethan!"

"But you can't be that desperate! You finished your SATs and immediately ran off to have sex with him?"

"You know Liam, he"

I took a deep breath, then turned and looked at her carefully.

The me in another timeline, who endured so many years of agonizing, absurd lifewasn't it all because of her?

I smiled, then raised my hand and slapped her hard. "Chloe, I didn't do anything tonight!"

"If you dare to slander me again, I'll tear your mouth apart!"

Almost simultaneously, a figure crashed into me. "Audrey! Are you crazy?!"

It was Ethan, who had rushed out after me.

He stood in front of Chloe, then turned and yelled at me, "Audrey! What did Chloe say that was wrong?!"

"You're the one who's shameless! You were willing to drug yourself just to get me to sleep with you!"

"Apologize to Chloe, right now!"

The air instantly solidified.

"What did you say?!" Liam was the first to react, shoving Ethan away. "Audrey said she didn't do anything, so she didn't!"

"What do you want her to apologize for?"

Seeing Liam protect me like that, Chloe bit her lower lip and started to cry. "Liam... you don't believe me, do you?"

"Look at her, she's soaking wet. It's obvious she just...!"

"Liam! I would never lie to you..."

Ethan's tone instantly softened when he saw Chloe's distress.

He turned back and reached for me. "Audrey, stop making a scene. I'll take responsibility for what happened tonight."

"As long as you stay and go to university here, we'll get married right after graduation."

"I promise."

He spoke with such emotion.

The old me would probably have felt her heart race wildly and nodded without hesitation.

But now, all I saw were the words floating in the air.

"I stayed in our hometown for him, had two difficult pregnancies, both times losing the baby. He comforted me, saying it didn't matter, as long as I was okay."

"I believed him, until I was almost dying, and he confessed everything to me."

"I learned then that he deliberately caused me to lose the babies because he didn't want any woman other than Chloe to have his children."

"He said he would feel guilty if any other woman bore his child."

"He said giving me the title of 'Mrs. Ethan' was the biggest compromise he could make."

"He said so much, but he forgot he'd promised to be good to me for a lifetime."

Between the lines of the diary, I saw the tears of my thirty-years-older self.

The weight of them made me almost unable to stand.

Liam quickly steadied me. "Audrey, it's okay. I believe you."

Ethan instantly frowned, yanking me into his arms. "Are you crazy?!"

"Audrey is mine now. What does our business have to do with you?"

Then he pointed at Chloe. "Liam, Chloe likes you so much, can't you just look at her?"

I couldn't help but sneer.

It all came back to him being afraid I'd ruin things for Chloe.

I took a deep breath and violently pulled away from his touch. "Ethan, we have nothing to do with each other."

"If you touch me again, I'm calling the police!"

Ethan froze, as if confirming he hadn't misheard. "Audrey, what did you say?!"

"What's wrong with you today! Didn't you say you'd only marry me?!"

"How could you"

"Didn't you hear her?" Liam stepped forward, blocking Ethan. "Now, get lost."

Then he turned, took off his jacket, and draped it over my shoulders. "Come on, I'll take you home."

I thought for a moment, then shook my head. "I can go home myself. I'll give you back the jacket in a couple of days."

With that, I turned and walked away.

Whether in the future or now, I didn't want to be involved with them anymore.

When I got home, Mom saw how I looked and immediately rushed over. "Audrey, what happened to you? You're soaking wet!"

Looking at her, I remembered the line from the diary, "For Ethan, I hadn't contacted my parents in thirty years."

My nose suddenly stung.

I forced a smile. "It's nothing, just got splashed by a sprinkler truck on the road."

"Mom, I'm going to take a shower."

Mom handed me a towel, her eyes full of concern. "Go quickly, don't catch a cold."

After my shower, my phone buzzed.

It was a voice message from Liam. "Audrey, I applied to Harvard. First choice."

"I hope we can be classmates again, really."

I was stunned.

So Liam had also applied to Harvard.

No wonder Ethan had tried every possible way to make me stay in our hometown with him. He must have been worried about me developing something with Liam at Harvard, worried that Chloe would be upset.

I put my phone down without replying.

The next morning, I returned to school for the graduation ceremony.

As soon as I stepped through the gates, I saw everyone pointing and whispering. "Is that her? The one everyone's talking about in the SnapChat group?"

My heart sank. I opened my phone and saw a stranger had somehow joined the school group chat.

The person had posted a video, and the thumbnail was me.

I instantly recognized itit was taken in the hotel room last night.

In the video, I was lying on the hotel bed, clothes disheveled, reaching out to the man above me. "It hurts..."

I quickly closed the video and looked around.

Seeing my reaction, everyone started to sneer.

"Isn't that Audrey, the class president? She always seemed so innocent, but who knew she was so slutty in private!"

"Seriously, her body is amazing. She really kept it hidden well!"

"Who was she with, anyway?"

"Who else? Ethan, obviously! Everyone knows she's Ethan's simp. Who else would she be like that for?"

"So wild in bed, and now she's embarrassed? Hilarious!"

I was shaking with anger and immediately called the police.

Just then, Chloe's sickly sweet, mocking voice came from behind me. "Ethan, tell us, how's Audrey's body?"

Before I could turn around, I heard Ethan give a cold laugh. "It's decent."

"But honestly, if she hadn't thrown herself at me like that, I wouldn't have even touched her."

More laughter erupted. "Now that Audrey's reputation is ruined like this, who else would she have besides you, haha!"

"Finally, Liam, that lovesick fool, will see her true colors and be willing to be with Chloe!"

"Gosh, I have to say, Ethan really is good to Chloe. He even agreed to sleep with Audrey for her!"

I found it all absurd.

Ethan had gone to such lengths for Chloe.

Then Ethan's voice suddenly grew serious. "Enough, a joke is a joke."

"I'm going to marry Audrey eventually, so when you see her later, remember to be nice to her."

"Only if I keep her close can I ensure Liam's complete devotion to Chloe."

I was so enraged I laughed. I turned and looked at him. "Ethan, you're disgusting."

He paused, then grabbed my wrist, his face full of panic. "You heard all that?"

Seeing me remain silent, he frowned. "You don't even like Liam, so can't you just make Chloe happy?"

"And stop pretending."

"I already saw your college application. You didn't choose Harvard, which means you agreed to stay here with me, right?"

"If you keep acting up like this, I might not even bother with you anymore."

Chloe, hearing this, looked at me with disdain. "Aren't you Ethan's simp? You finally got 'promoted' and you're not happy?"

"Ethan just talked to you like that, are you deaf?"

"And wasn't that video of you? If anyone's disgusting, it's you!"

No sooner had she spoken than a dull thud echoed from the side.

I turned to see Liam, who had just punched Ethan in the face. "You sent the video, didn't you?!"

Chloe hadn't expected him to appear and quickly rushed to him. "Liam! You've misunderstood!"