My Future Self Exposed His Secret

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While applying for colleges, I got a video call from my future self.

The woman in the video looked utterly exhausted, screaming:

Don't give up Harvard for Ethan! No one should ruin your future!

Ethan truly loves Lily Smith, not you. They secretly agreed to get married right after college. Everyone knows about it!

I froze for a few seconds, then quickly changed all my applications to Harvard.

Seeing me finish, the woman in the video visibly relaxed.

She then leaned closer to the camera, speaking faster,

"Go buy a lottery ticket tomorrow. The numbers are 122033, and buy ten of them! This money will completely change your fate."

"Also, no matter who tries to persuade you, don't sell the old house Grandma left you. This area is scheduled for urban redevelopment soon."

"In two years, Horizon Tech's stock will skyrocket a hundredfold before being delisted."

"What you need to do is buy heavily into it on May 6th, 2024, to bottom-feed."

"Eighteen-year-old Chloe Smith, you absolutely must save yourself from this mess. You must seize this opportunity and live a life of success."

As soon as she finished speaking, the video cut off, and my phone went completely black.

I murmured, "I will."

My bedroom was so quiet I could hear my own breathing.

I stared intently at my phone, which was now just a black screen, my heart pounding.

What had just happened felt like a dream.

Compared to my youthful crush on Ethan, the undeniable regret and exhaustion in my future self's eyes were like a bucket of ice water poured over my head, snapping me wide awake.

My hands trembling, I pulled a notebook from my drawer and carefully wrote down the lottery numbers. Below them, I marked in red "Don't sell Grandma's house, Horizon Tech."

After I finished, I let out a long breath.

Just then, my phone buzzed with a SnapChat message from Ethan:

[You changed your college applications to Texas College, right? Lily loves the ocean, so we'll both go with her to the coast.]

Lily's message followed immediately:

[Chloe, Ethan said you'd come to college with me and take care of me.]

[Thanks! You really are the best sister in the world.]

My gaze fell on the constantly popping up messages on my phone screen, and I slowly closed my eyes.

Ethan was my childhood sweetheart, we grew up together.

Lily was my half-sister.

Half a month after my mom passed away, Dad brought Lily and her mom home.

That's when I found out I had a sister, Lily, who was only half a month younger than me.

Grandma was worried Id be mistreated, so she took me in and raised me.

It wasn't until Grandma passed away that I was sent back to live with Dad.

Dad felt guilty and tried to make it up to me in every way possible, giving me more allowance than Lily.

My stepmom was relatively kind; at least, she didn't overtly make things difficult for me.

Lily, on the other hand, loved sticking by my side, always telling everyone she had a super-smart older sister who aced everything.

But after that phone call, I realized these people might not be worth it.

My life, my future, should be my only pursuit, something I should give my all for.

Perhaps seeing that I hadn't replied for a long time, Ethan called directly.

"Chloe, what's going on? College applications are almost due. Have you even"

"Don't worry, I've filled them out."

My voice was calm.

Hearing this, the person on the other end of the line let out a sigh of relief.

Then came Lily's sweet and lively cheer,

"Yay! That's great! The three of us can be together again!"

Lily's voice was as innocent and harmless as it had been countless times beforeshe was a girl who truly grew up surrounded by love.

Before, I would have thought that Lily depending on me and Ethan being by my side was the best thing ever.

But now, I just felt a bitter irony.

On the other end of the line, Ethan was completely at ease, his tone as gentle and confident as ever.

"Chloe, I knew you'd be the most understanding."

"Texas College has a nice environment and is close to home. It'll be convenient for all three of us to come back on holidays, much better than going thousands of miles north."

He always took things for granted.

He never considered that I could have gone to Harvard and had a brilliant future.

But thankfully, it wasn't too late.

I washed up and went to bed.

I had a dreamless night.

The next day, as soon as it was light, I woke up with a start.

In my mind, that string of numbers, enough to rewrite my destiny, flashed over and over, perfectly clear.

I quickly changed, not even stopping for breakfast, and rushed out the door, heading straight for the nearest lottery store.

The morning breeze was cool, dispelling the summer heat.

I walked up to the counter and recited the numbers I knew by heart:

"Excuse me, I want to buy 122033, ten lines."

Five minutes later, I walked out of the lottery store.

I carefully folded the ten thin lottery tickets and put them into my pocket, close to my body.

I unconsciously clenched my hand, my fingertips trembling slightly.

Before yesterday, I was willing to sacrifice my own future for Ethan and Lily.

But now, I only cared about myself.

As I walked towards the apartment building.

I vaguely heard rustling sounds from the lawn ahead.

"Lily, let me hug you. I've missed you so much."

It was Ethan's voice.

Then came the sound of clothes rubbing together, and wet kissing sounds.

I was about to walk past when I heard Ethan's voice again,

"Chloe is such a tag-along, always clinging to us. Good thing she's not around today, or we wouldn't have any alone time."

"You're so bad, don't talk about Chloe like that."

Lily's coquettish voice followed.

Ethan chuckled, taking over with a spoiled tone,

"Okay, okay, we won't talk about her."

"But Lily, we can't go public yet. Chloe wouldn't be able to handle it."

Lily sniffled, a little wronged,

"Okay, I know. Chloe is so pitiful, and she's always liked you a lot."

"Chloe is sensitive, fragile, and has a weird personality. She's always disliked me. In her subconscious, Mom and I are the culprits who destroyed her family."

"But I actually like her."

Ethan sighed.

"Lily, you're just too kind. No matter what, you're innocent."

I didn't listen any further, turning and quickening my pace.

To say I wasn't sad at all would be a lie.

Ethan was my most important friend when I was a child.

Even after Dad took me back, my connection with Ethan never broke.

He would worry about me being bullied, constantly reminding me to watch out for my stepmom, almost like he had paranoia.

[Chloe, you have to be careful of your stepmom. She doesn't look like a good person; that's how it always goes in TV dramas.]

[You should be careful of your dad too. After all, a new mom often means a new dad.]

[That sister of yours isn't simple either. A child born from an affairwhat good could come from that?]

[Chloe, if you get bullied, tell me, and I'll rush over to save you that very night.]

[We're childhood sweethearts; I'll be your strongest support.]

Later in high school, Ethan threw tantrums at home to protect me, absolutely insisting on coming to the same school as me.

I took a deep breath.

Compared to that slight melancholy, what filled my heart was the wild joy of impending destiny change.

Back home, I buried myself in my room.

By then, it was 8:50 AM.

The lottery drawing was less than half an hour away.

I reached into my pocket and touched the lottery tickets, feeling like I was holding a scorching hot fire-ball.

Just then, someone knocked on my door.

I opened it.

It was Ethan who knocked, with Lily standing beside him.

Seeing me, Lily immediately flashed a sweet smile, walked over, and linked her arm through mine, her voice soft, innocent, and spoiled,

"Chloe, where did you go this morning? Ethan and I waited for you forever."

Ethan frowned at me, his eyes filled with worry and confusion,

"What's wrong with you? You haven't replied to any messages all day. Do you know how worried we were about you?"

"Didn't check my phone."

I said dismissively.

Ethan paused slightly, the tenderness in his eyes fading a bit, a flicker of annoyance crossing his brows.

But soon, his brow smoothed, and he chuckled,

"You're throwing a fit because we asked you to apply to Texas College, aren't you? Chloe, you're so stubborn."

"Honestly, if you really didn't want to, who could force you? But you can't agree verbally and then secretly resent us."

Lily quickly stepped between Ethan and me, playing the peacemaker,

"Okay, okay, both of you say less."

She looked back at me, her voice soft and coaxing,

"Chloe, we're going on a trip. Are you coming? The SATs are finally over; shouldn't we relax?"

I subtly pulled my hand back.

"No, I'm not interested."

The air hung heavy.

But I didn't pay them any more attention, turning back into my bedroom and closing the door.

At this point, there were only five minutes left until the draw.

The two outside seemed to say something else, but I couldn't hear it.

My gaze returned to the lottery draw page.

The countdown ticked down, with only three minutes remaining.

I pulled out the ten lottery tickets I had kept close to me, my hands trembling, and spread them out on the table.

At 9:15 AM sharp, the numbers were drawn.

Every single digit matched.

In an instant, my blood surged, boiling hot!

I stared intensely at the screen.

A single winning ticket was ten million. Ten winning tickets meant a hundred million.

After taxes, I'd have a solid eighty million dollars.

The next morning, I put on the most inconspicuous baggy hoodie, a baseball cap, and a mask, then grabbed my ID and the lottery tickets to claim my prize.

I arrived at the state lottery center around 11 AM.

Following the procedures I had looked up in advance, I cooperated with the staff to complete registration, tax payment, and bank transfer.

Two hours later, eighty million dollars were transferred into my newly opened exclusive bank account.

Looking at the long string of numbers, I could barely suppress my smile.

Indeed, money solves ninety-nine percent of problems.

Perhaps because of the unpleasant argument the night before, Ethan seemed to be giving me a "lesson" and didn't contact me all day.

Lily, however, sent me a message:

"Chloe, are you unhappy?"

"No."

I replied.

She clearly didn't believe me but didn't ask further.

I got home in the evening.

As soon as I opened the door, a heavy, oppressive atmosphere hit me.

Dad sat on the sofa, smoking, his face full of worry, looking tired and anxious.

My stepmom, Mrs. Jenkins, sat beside him, sighing frequently, her eyes red-rimmed.

Lily sat close to Mrs. Jenkins, her eyes downcast.

I changed my shoes as usual and walked over calmly.

Hearing my movement, Dad looked up, speaking with some difficulty,

"Chloe, you're back. Dad needs to talk to you about something."

I looked at him, my gaze utterly calm.

I could already guess what he was going to say.

Sure enough, Dad spoke again,

"The factory ran into big trouble. We're having cash flow problems, and if this keeps up, we might... go bankrupt."

Mrs. Jenkins immediately chimed in,

"Chloe, you're a sensible girl. You know how important this factory is to our family. If it goes under, we'll all struggle."

"The most urgent thing now is to cash out quickly and plug the hole!"

With that, Mrs. Jenkins rushed over, grabbed my hand, and said urgently,

"Chloe, the old house your grandma left you is in a great location, right next to the commercial district. We've checked; it can sell for at least five million, which is just enough to cover the debt."

I pulled my hand back, not a ripple of emotion in my eyes.

My future self had repeatedly warned me to hold onto that old house.

Seeing my silence, Dad grew more anxious,

"Chloe, we're family. You can't just ignore us when the family is in trouble. That old house is sitting empty; it's a waste to keep it. We might as well sell it for an emergency."

"Once Dad gets through this, I'll definitely compensate you."

Lily looked at me with teary eyes, "Chloe..."

I looked up, my gaze sweeping over the family of three before me, and slowly said,

"Okay."

At my words, their eyes lit up, and smiles appeared on their faces.

Dad chuckled, "I knew Chloe would be the most understa"

But I cut him off directly, calmly throwing out a question,

"But I have one question: this factory that needs me to sell my house to save it, in the future, who will it go to?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, the living room fell into dead silence.

Lily suddenly looked up at me, biting her lip tightly.

Dad's smile froze, momentarily speechless.

The gentle, sincere expression on Mrs. Jenkins's face completely vanished. She stared hard at me, saying nothing.

In that eerie and awkward atmosphere, I smiled.

My laughter was jarringly out of place.

Everyone knew the answer to that question.

All the family's assets and savings were implicitly reserved for Lily.

They wanted me to sell the house Grandma left me to save the family business that would eventually belong to Lily.

That night, I used it as an excuse to pack my bags and move out.

Before I left, Dad's figure seemed to slump significantly. He asked me,

"Chloe, you never truly forgave me, did you?"

I paused for a moment.

No, I never did.

All these years, I'd acted indifferent, trying to fit in with this family.

But all of that was just a means for me to survive.

That night, I returned to Grandma's old house.

I tidied up a bit and then crashed, falling into a deep sleep.

Perhaps because I had been so stressed these past few days, I slept like a log until 2 PM the next day.

Just after I finished eating, the doorbell rang.

It was Ethan.

He actually came to make up.

"Chloe, can we stop this cold war? You haven't spoken to me in days; I can't take it."

"Okay, okay, I admit it was my fault. I neglected you."

"How about this: after our test results come out, we'll go on a trip. I'll go anywhere you want, just you and me."

I looked at him with some surprise.

Ethan met my gaze, his ears slightly red,

"I used to think you clung to me too much, making me feel suffocated. But these past few years, with you ignoring me, I feel even worse."

I couldn't help but frown.

Ethan, lost in his own emotions, smiled and reached out to ruffle my hair,

"We promised each other we'd be together forever."

I took a step back, spreading my hands. "My dad once said that to my mom too, but he cheated on her while she was pregnant."

My words were too blunt, making Ethan flinch.

He instinctively retorted,

"But Lily is innocent; she can't help how she was born."

I stared at him for a long time.

How could I have ever liked someone like this?

I then turned and closed the door.

I wouldn't stop for unworthy people anymore.

In the following days, Dad and Mrs. Jenkins still didn't give up.

Annoyed, I directly asked in the family SnapChat group"You need money to plug the hole, so why don't you sell all the gold jewelry at home? Why don't you sell the cars and house? You're just waiting to take advantage of me, aren't you!"

My words were too blunt and harsh.

It caused a stir in the extended family chat.

Dad, being thin-skinned, left the group that day.

Mrs. Jenkins then played the victim in the group, claiming how good she had been to me, but I had never truly accepted her.

Of course, doing so only made the relatives scold her even more.

As for Lily, the beneficiary, she remained silent.

Ethan wasn't someone who would pester endlessly.

After being treated that way last time, he also felt angry.

For a long time, he didn't appear before me again.

I was happy with the peace.

About half a month later, acceptance letters for college started arriving for my classmates.

The class SnapChat group was lively every day.

Everyone was excitedly looking forward to college life.

I also received my acceptance letterit was from Harvard University.

I looked at the letter, my fingertips tracing the school name over and over, my eyes moist.

Ethan, who hadn't spoken to me in a long time, called me proactively,

"Are you still mad? You should have gotten your Texas College acceptance letter by now. We'll be going to college together, you know."

I raised an eyebrow and said, "Who told you I was going to Texas College with you?"