Chapter 1

I was just about to take a sip of the milk Ethan handed me when, out of nowhere, my phone started ringing.

The caller said, "Don't drink it. It's been drugged."

My hand trembled so hard that I nearly spilled the milk.

The voice on the other end sounded frantic.

The caller said, "We only have half a minute to talk, so listen carefully.

"This is Melissa. I'm calling from tomorrow. Right now, I'm at your funeral.

"At 3 AM, your husband is going to throw you off the balcony while you're asleep. You'll die from the fall."

I froze, instinctively glancing at Ethan, who seemed so caring and gentle. I couldn't believe what I heard.

The voice on the other end continued, speaking slowly and clearly.

She said, "If you don't believe me, check his secret WhatsApp account. He's been seeing another woman behind your back for a long time.

"His whole plan is to set you up to die in an 'accident' during this honeymoon.

"Listen, if you want to live, don't let your guard down. You have to find me before 3 AM. I'll keep you safe."

Then the call abruptly cut off.

I was totally baffled. Melissa was my best friend, and she was fast asleep in the next room.

How could she have called me with something so bizarre?

I tried calling back, but the number was invalid.

Ethan came out of the kitchen, flashing me a warm smile as he nudged me.

He said, "What's wrong, babe? Hurry up and drink your milk before it gets cold."

Staring at Ethan's gentle smile, I couldn't shake off this uneasy feeling creeping up inside me.

Even if I wanted to dismiss that call as a sick joke, I couldn't ignore it. Not when my life was on the line.

I made up some random excuse, set the milk aside, and headed to Melissa's room, phone in hand.

But when I confronted Melissa, she just shook her head and denied everything.

"What are you even talking about? It's pouring outside, and the signal's dead. I couldn't have called you even if I wanted to," Melissa said.

Sure enough, when I checked my phone, I had zero bars.

I was utterly bewildered: what was that phone call I'd just received?

I heard that voice loud and clear. It was unmistakably Melissa.

Could it really have been Melissa from the future calling me?

Just replaying her words in my mind made my skin crawl.

Ethan was busy in the kitchen, and his phone was just sitting there on the coffee table.

Luckily, Ethan never bothered to lock his phone around me, so I unlocked it in no time.

When I saw the messages from the insurance agent on his WhatsApp, the hairs on my arms stood on end.

Ethan had actually taken out an accidental death insurance policy on me just before our honeymoon. And he was listed as the sole beneficiary.

I clutched my chest, my heart pounding out of control. I tried to convince myself that it had to be just a coincidence.

But when I switched over to his secret WhatsApp account, the only contact listed there made my blood run cold.

It was a contact with no name, just a girl's profile pic. The chat was packed with her own private selfies and a flood of angry questions.

She texted: [When are you finally going to divorce her?

[Ethan, could you kill her? That way, you'd be mine forever.]

The more I scrolled, the more my hands trembled.

Suddenly, a cold voice rang out behind me.

Ethan asked, "Honey, what are you looking at?"

I instinctively shook my head and hurriedly closed everything on the phone, trying to make it look untouched.

I said, "It's nothing, really. My phone just lost signal, so I wanted to check if yours was acting up too."

Ethan's cold demeanor eased a bit, and he gave me a faint smile.

He said, "That makes sense. It's probably just the storm messing with the signal. It should be back to normal once the rain clears up tomorrow.

"Don't overthink it. Come on. Have some fruit, honey." He brought over a plate of sliced fruit.

I forced a smile, reaching for a piece of fruit, ready to eat it.

But I stopped myself and set it back down.

Looking back now, that phone call was most likely real.

If Ethan really had been trying to kill me while I slept, then my not drinking the milk meant he definitely would have tried to drug me with something else.

I checked the time.

It was 11 PM. There were five hours to go until 3 AM.

As long as I stayed close to Melissa until then, I should be safe.

I managed a weak smile.

I said, "Honey, my stomach doesn't feel so good. I think I'll skip the fruit tonight. I'll sleep in Melissa's room, okay?"

"No way," Ethan shot back.

Ethan, who never said no to me before, was suddenly weirdly firm.

I was stunned, totally at a loss for words.

Just then, Melissa came out of her room, looking like she was about to watch a show. She said, "Are you two fighting?

"Listen up, Ethan. Laura's my bestie, and if you even think about messing with her, my fists will have something to say about it."

Melissa was a sports school grad, always loud and straightforward.

Hearing her, I instantly felt a bit safer and quickly shot Melissa a desperate, secret look, hoping she'd pick up on my silent plea.

Melissa got the message instantly and jumped in, saying I should sleep in her room with her.

Ethan's face darkened as he gave Melissa a look I couldn't quite figure out, then glanced at me. He still wouldn't back down.

He insisted, "No way. Laura's with me tonight.

"We're newlyweds. This is our honeymoon. Having you here as a third wheel is already pushing it."

Melissa never liked Ethan. She always thought he was sketchy.

Since this honeymoon was happening abroad, she only came along because she was worried I might get into trouble.

But after Ethan said that, Melissa had no choice but to back off.

I was terrified Ethan might notice something and get angry, so I just went along with him back to the bedroom.