1. The Betrayal

The loud beep of the ECG machine echoed by the bedside wakes Glenn up. His forehead creased in disturbance as his eyes took in his surroundings.

An old machine, rusty chairs and beds, a ceiling adorned with dangling spider webs, a musty odour filling the room

Where was he?

When he tried to stand, his body was stiff and unresponsive. He tried to move his body, but it felt as if his body was completely paralyzed; he couldn't feel his legs and arms.

‘What's happening?'

'Why can't I move my body?'

'Where is everyone?'

'What is more, why am I being treated in such a terrible hospital? I'm one of the most powerful businessmen in Edgartown,’ He tried to analyse it in his mind.

"Ugh..." he groaned, feeling an excruciating pain in his head when he attempted to uncover the reason why he ended up in that sad and helpless state hospital.

That memory comes rushing into his mind. He had been on his way to work in Smith Corp when the steering wheel of his car became unresponsive as he accelerated.

Even the brake pedal didn't function. In a panic, he turned the wheel to the left and then…

That was his last memory before ending up here.

"Damn it," he cursed.

It's been an hour since he made the first attempt to call for anyone available, but it seems the hospital is uninhabited. No one replied to his desperate calls.

Tired of waiting, Glenn grew frustrated and finally exerted all his strength to force his body to rise.

Unfortunately, he didn't take into account the force he used. His body twisted and fell off the bed with a loud thud followed by the ear-piercing sound of the ECG machine.

"Ugh..." he groaned, now lying face down, his position even more pitiful than before.

Just as he slipped into endless despair, from the corner of his eyes he saw Amber appeared at the door.

Glenn breathed an immense sigh of relief at the sight of his wife. Amber's arrival was like a saviour for him.

Her graceful figure leaned against the doorframe, no words came out of her mouth as she looked at Glenn, even though her husband was in an unfavorable position.

"Mm... Honey, where have you been? Can you help me?" he asked politely.

Still attempting to move his body, but there was no response from Amber; she continued to observe him with a cold gaze.

Unaware of his wife's change, Glenn asked again, "Do you know what happened to my body? I can't move a single limb," complaining and seeking his wife's attention once more.

As Amber remained silent, that was when he noticed her change in demeanor, Amber's cold and unfeeling gaze showed no hint of affection in the way she looked at Glenn, devoid of pity but rather indifferent, he felt a chill down his spine.

“Honey…” Glenn persisted in his efforts to regain his wife's attention. He moved his head to get a clearer look at her figure.

"Don't 'honey' me, Glenn. I'm fed up with all this pretense. Why are you so stubborn? It would have been easier if you died in yesterday's accident..." Amber snapped, glaring at him, visibly frustrated.

Glenn's eyes widened upon hearing his wife's words. "W-what do you mean, Amber? You can't possibly mean that, can you? And this... What's happening to me? Why can't I move my body?"

"Yes, I'm serious with my words, Glenn. Your body is no longer functional,” Amber explained while staring at Glenn with a blank expression.

“The nerves in your spine were severed during your accident, so you will never be able to lead a normal life again. Okay, alrighty then, since you won't live until tomorrow, I'd better tell you everything now,”Amber continued, but it seemed she wasn't ready to stop talking yet.

“Consider it my gratitude to you before you die. Here, I introduce you to someone you are close to, but you have never seen his true colours before … Jason!"

Amber called out a familiar name with an affectionate tone. Hearing the change of attitude his wife made, made Glenn furrows.

Once again, Glenn was taken aback as his business partner entered. The man who had been his friend for years smiled arrogantly, far from the innocent and kind appearance he'd always displayed all this time.

Then the more surprising thing happened; before Glenn's eyes, his friend boldly embraced his wife so intimately. His arms wrapped around Amber's waist, drawing her close into his embrace. Glenn's eyes are wide in shock.

Amber giggled and welcomed Jason's embrace, a sight that instantly ignited rage within Glenn. They even shared a deep kiss shamelessly in front of him, her lawful husband.

Seeing his friend and wife in an affectionate demeanour made him furious, their betrayal shattered his entire world.

Not stopping there, his rage only intensified when he heard Amber's confession.

"As you can see... Jason and I have been in a relationship for years behind your back, and even... Ethan isn't your biological son, but Jason's. Haha.”

Amber laughed mockingly at Glenn before walking toward him, crouching down, and looking at Glenn with a pitiful gaze.

Later, each of Amber's words felt like a sledgehammer striking his heart.

“I can't stop laughing thinking about how proud you paraded a child who wasn't even your flesh and blood, taking him everywhere and introducing him as your own. How pathetic, but don't worry... after your death, Ethan will return to his legitimate father," Amber added.

She awkwardly stroked Glenn's hair, making him instantly feel repulsed and rejecting any touch from Amber.

All this time, his entire life wasn't his own? Ethan... wasn't his son? He, who had waited hours for Ethan in the hospital when it was time for Amber's delivery, cradled him the first moment he came into the world and cared for him every night when Amber refused to wake even for a feeding.

Impossible... Ethan was his son! Anger roared within Glenn, unable to accept the betrayal inflicted by both of them.

"Glenn, everything is ready. All we need is your final signature, and Smith Corp will officially be mine.” Amber said as she stood up from her position, leaving Glenn on the floor.

That woman took out a piece of paper from her handbag and gave it to Jason, he retrieved a pen from his suit pocket and walked towards Glenn.

Jason brought the paper close to Glenn and asked him to sign it.

“Over the past year, I've patiently transferred bit by bit of your assets under my name—even your parents' assets,” Jason directed Glenn's stiff and heavy hand to sign the document.

"What do you mean?" Glenn asked about Jason's last statement while trying hard to resist, making it difficult for him to control his hand.

“Of course, I had to remove them, too, to ensure they didn't hinder my plans. Now it's your turn. Sign here, and I promise to manage Smith Corp for the rest of my life. Rest assured... I'm doing this for Ethan, my son, and Amber, the mother of my child," Jason requested sarcastically.

Followed by Amber's satisfied laughter from across the room.

Jason then pulled Glenn's hand even harder to coerce him into signing the document.

Glenn, determined not to give in, held onto his hand firmly.

His hand slipped out of Jason's grip, and with all his strength, Glenn tried to crawl away from both of them.

"Hmph!"

"Hmph!"

Glenn's attempts to escape, despite being somewhat pitiful, amused Amber and Jason.

"Where do you think you're going, Glenn? Come on, don't be stubborn. At the last moments of your life, make yourself useful; sign those papers immediately," Amber demanded rudely and shamelessly.

"Come on! Sign this, Glenn!" Jason snapped at him impatiently, pulling his hand and placing the pen on his fingers.

"No," Glenn refused firmly.

"Come on, Glenn, why are you being so stubborn? You have no one else in the world. At least if you do this, I promise to visit your grave for the next two years. I also promise to bring Ethan if that makes you happy; how about that?" Amber mocked with a sneering face.

"Do it, Glenn. I promise to take care of both of them for you," Jason grinned annoyingly.

"Do it now, you pathetic man! We've been too patient dealing with your stupidity for ten years! This is for our future guarantee!" Amber yelled. This time, Jason’s hands forced Glenn's fingers to move.

Glenn tried to resist with all the remaining strength he had left, while Jason pressured him even harder.

Suddenly, Glenn felt a pang in his heart. The sound of the heart monitor beeped loudly, followed by Glenn's fading consciousness, pulling him into darkness.

***

Suddenly, he woke up in a bustling cafeteria during the students' break time. He caught sight of his reflection in the mirror plastered along the cafeteria wall and realised his face looked much younger.

Glenn shot up suddenly, lightly patting his cheeks to verify that this wasn't a dream.

He pivoted, scanning the surroundings for any sign confirming his leap back in time.

At that moment, another student searching for a seat accidentally collided with his shoulder, while balancing a tray of food.

"Ouch!" Glenn winced as the hot soup spilled onto his shoulder.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" the student apologised, and Glenn simply nodded, allowing the student to move on.

Feeling the heat of the soup broth seeping through his shirt and touching his skin, he finally realized he had truly gone back in time!

What year was it?

Glenn headed towards the counter and glanced at the calendar, which showed the year 2011.

This time, he was left speechless, realising the reality of it all. He had travelled back 12 years before his wife, and his best friend heartlessly murdered him!