My Future Self Texted Me Stop The Wedding

Only ten minutes left before the wedding, and my phone buzzed with an incredibly sickening photo.

In the picture, a man was so emaciated he was nothing but skin and bones, groveling on the floor like a dog.

And my bridetobe, Vanessa Hayes, was standing over him, looking down with absolute disgust. Just as I was about to block this prank number, two more messages popped up. [Run.

Leave the wedding right now. Whatever you do, do not marry Vanessa!] [The man on the floor is you in ten years!] My heart skipped a beat, but I quickly recovered.

I stared at the screen and let out a cold laugh. We were about to take our vows. Who was playing such a childish prank? I typed back: [Your Photoshop skills are terrible.

Who the hell is this?] The reply came instantly: [I am you.] [Don't believe me? Look at the left lining of Vanessa’s wedding dress, right against her chest.

There’s a plain silver ring hidden inside. Julian Cole gave it to her.] [Also, the zipper on Julian's groomsman suit broke.

Vanessa handstitched it for him in the dressing room just now.] [There is a fresh needle prick on the webbing of her left hand right now.] Click. The dressing room door swung open.

Vanessa walked in, stunning in her customtailored white wedding gown.

She was breathtaking, adorned with pearl earrings that caught the light perfectly. "Ethan, are you ready?" She smiled as she walked toward me, her eyes overflowing with warmth.

Without a word, I stood up and pulled her into a tight embrace.

Vanessa stiffened slightly before wrapping her arms around me with a soft chuckle. "We’re about to get married, and you’re already this clingy?" My cheek pressed against the left side of her chest.

Through the delicate fabric, I felt it. A hard, circular object hidden right in the lining of her dress. It was shaped exactly like a ring.

Not only that, but her collar carried a faint, barely noticeable scent of hair wax. It was the signature scent Julian always wore.

I pushed her away abruptly and grabbed her left hand. There, on the webbing of her hand between her thumb and index finger, was a tiny, unmistakable red dot. A fresh needle prick.

The blood in my veins turned to ice. Vanessa’s eyes flickered with panic, and she quickly pulled her hand back. "What’s wrong, Ethan?

Why are you staring at me like that?" I locked eyes with her. "What happened to your hand?" Vanessa smiled, her face completely calm. "Oh, the pin on the boutonniere was loose.

I accidentally pricked myself." The lie came so naturally. Her heart rate didn't even skip a beat.

Suddenly, this woman I had loved for three years felt terrifyingly like a stranger. My phone buzzed on the table again. Another text from my future self: [Do you believe me now?

Did she tell you she pricked herself with a boutonniere pin?] [Ethan Vance, your entire life with her is a lie.] [That time she ran through three blocks in the pouring rain to get you pasta?

It wasn't for you. It was because Julian had a stomach ache that night.] [That time she rented out the entire amusement park to propose to you?

It was because Julian was on a date with another woman there that day. She wanted to make him jealous!] I stared at the screen, my fingers shaking uncontrollably.

Every sweet memory we shared suddenly turned into a dagger plunged deep into my chest. I remembered her soaking wet in the rain, handing me the food.

But immediately afterward, she had slipped away to the balcony, talking on the phone for over an hour.

On the day she proposed, she had stared at the Ferris wheel in the distance with a dark, gloomy gaze, even slipping the ring onto the wrong finger.

At the time, I thought she was just nervous. It turned out she was looking at another man.

I took a deep breath, fighting the urge to throw up. "Vanessa, take out whatever is hidden in your dress lining." Vanessa’s expression finally shattered.

She instinctively clutched her chest. "Ethan, stop fooling around. The guests are waiting." I took a step forward. "I said, take it out!" Vanessa grabbed my wrist.

Her grip was surprisingly tight. The warmth in her eyes vanished, replaced by sheer impatience. "Ethan Vance, today is our wedding day!

Do you really have to throw a tantrum right now?"

The dressing room door opened again.

Julian walked in, wearing his groomsman suit, his eyes red and puffy. "Vanessa, Ethan, why are you two arguing?" He stepped forward, pretending to play the peacemaker.

But as he did, his foot landed squarely on my dress shoes, which I had set aside. With a loud crack, Julian let out a theatrical gasp and tumbled right into Vanessa’s arms.

Vanessa caught him effortlessly. "Julian, are you okay?" Julian leaned into her embrace, looking at me with a pathetic, victimized pout. "I’m so sorry, Ethan.

I didn't mean to ruin your shoes." "If it's that bad, you can wear mine for the ceremony.

It doesn't matter if I don't get to be the groomsman." What a manipulative, toxic piece of work.

Knowing my old self, I would have swallowed my pride and endured it just to keep the peace. My screen lit up again.

Future me: [He did it on purpose!] [Back then, I walked onto that stage wearing a pair of ruined shoes and became the laughingstock of the city's elite.] [And Vanessa had the nerve to look down on me for embarrassing her.] Staring at Julian clinging to Vanessa, a wave of fury surged straight to my head.

I stepped forward, raised my hand, and— Slap! A sharp, resounding slap echoed through the room, landing squarely on Julian’s face.

His head whipped to the side, and five bright red finger marks immediately swelled on his pale cheek. The dressing room fell into a deathly silence. Vanessa froze.

Julian clutched his face, staring at me in absolute disbelief. "Ethan Vance!

Are you insane?!" Vanessa screamed, throwing herself in front of Julian and glaring at me. "Julian said it was an accident!

What gives you the right to hit him?" I looked at the disgusting pair coldly. "I felt like hitting him.

Do I need to pick a special day for that?" "Since you care about him so much, Vanessa, why don't you marry him instead?" Vanessa’s face contorted with rage.

She pointed a finger at me. "Ethan, don't push your luck!" "If it weren't for your father’s corporate resources, do you really think I would have ever agreed to marry you?" Finally.

The truth came out. There was no "love at first sight." No "I can't live without you." It was all for my family's conglomerate. Behind her, Julian let out a smug, triumphant sneer.

I picked up my phone. A string of exclamation marks popped up from my future self: [YES!!!

THAT FELT SO GOOD!!!] [Back then, I swallowed my pride for the sake of the 'bigger picture.'] [After the wedding, they teamed up to siphon all of the Vance family's assets, which drove our dad to his grave.] [They locked me in a basement and drained my bone marrow to save Julian's leukemiaridden younger brother!] [That photo was taken right before they killed me.] Reading those chilling words, my breathing grew shallow and rapid.

I couldn't imagine the living hell that awaited me if I stepped out of this dressing room as her husband today. "The wedding is off." I ripped the boutonniere off my lapel and hurled it straight into Vanessa’s face. "Get the hell out of my sight.

Both of you." I grabbed the hem of my suit and turned to leave. Vanessa let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You think you can just walk away now, Ethan?

Too late." "The guests out there are the most powerful elite in the country.

Just try walking out that door!" "Are you really going to throw away the Vance family's reputation?" She knew exactly how much I cared about my family's honor. My feet froze.

The phone in my hand started vibrating frantically. My future self sent three messages in a row. [You can't just walk out! If you run now, the Vance family will still be ruined!

The officiant is about to go on stage.] [If you don't go out there, Vanessa will swap the wedding video on the giant screen with fabricated evidence of our dad's tax evasion and bribery!] My brain went numb.

The blood rushed to my head. No wonder she didn't care about angering me today. She had already set up a trap to destroy us. Seeing me stop, Vanessa assumed I was terrified.

She walked over, looked down at me, and adjusted her veil. "Put the shoes on, Ethan.

Go out there and wait for your cue." "As long as you behave today, the spot as the soninlaw of the Hayes family is still yours." Julian chimed in from the side, "Yeah, Ethan.

Think of the bigger picture." I stared at their incredibly hypocritical faces. Slowly, my grip tightened around my phone.

One last message came from my future self: [Fight back, Ethan.] [I'm sending you the bypass password to the control room.

The login username is Vanessa's phone number.] [Today, we drag them straight to hell.] Staring at the complex passcode on my screen, a slow smirk spread across my face.

I turned around to face Vanessa. "Fine. I'll go."

Seeing me agree, Vanessa let out a disdainful snort. "Smart move." "If you had been this obedient from the start, you wouldn't have had to get yelled at." Julian immediately kicked his old, scuffed dress shoes over to me. "Sorry to make you wear these, Ethan." "They might pinch your toes a bit, but it's better than walking down the aisle barefoot." I stared at the peeling, wornout leather shoes on the floor.

I said nothing. There was a massive, deliberate scratch across the leather. For the sake of the plan, I would endure this.

I slipped my feet into the shoes, which were a size too big, forcing down my disgust as I stood up. The soles were stiff and painful against my feet.

Vanessa adjusted her gown, satisfied. "Let's go, my groom." We stepped out of the dressing room into the long hallway leading to the ceremony hall.

Vanessa walked ahead, dialing a number on her phone.

Believing I was completely broken, she didn't even bother to hide her conversation from me. "Yes, are the contacts at the IRS taken care of?" "The moment the video plays on the big screen, send the anonymous tip immediately." "Tomorrow morning when the market opens, short all Vance Enterprises stock." I heard every single word from behind.

The Vance family was one of the wealthiest dynasties in the country.

Years ago, when the Hayes family went bankrupt, it was solely through my connections that Vanessa even managed to secure a foothold in Vance Enterprises.

My dad had raised her like his own daughter. To help her gain respect on the board of directors, my dad had even handed over several core business sectors for her to manage.

Everything she wore, ate, and used was paid for by my family. Yet, behind our backs, she was plotting with an outsider to short our stock and take my father's life!

After hanging up, Vanessa was pulled away by the wedding coordinator to finalize the entrance sequence. Only Julian and I were left in the hallway.

Without Vanessa around, Julian dropped his act completely.

He crossed his arms, looking at me with smug arrogance. "What if you know the truth, Ethan?" "In the end, you still have to wear my trashy shoes and marry her." "Vanessa has been disgusted by you for a long time.

You're nothing but a wealthy, brainless ATM." Staring at his pathetic, homewrecking face, I suppressed my rage and looked at him coldly. "A brainless ATM is still better than a parasite who scavenges for scraps." "Do you really think Vanessa loves you?" "She's just waiting until she's drained every penny from the Vance family." My words hit a nerve, and Julian's face darkened instantly. "Keep acting tough!" "After today, when the Vance family goes completely bankrupt, let's see how arrogant you can be!" "Vanessa promised me that once it's over, she'll lock you in a basement and treat you like a dog." He stepped closer, lowering his voice to a malicious whisper. "Your bone marrow happens to be a perfect match for my brother.

Talk about recycling trash." "When that time comes, you'll have to beg me on your knees just for a scrap of bread." Hearing him speak of such sickening cruelty as if it were a casual plan, I laughed out of pure anger. "Sure.

Let's wait and see." I turned my back on the idiot. The phone in my palm was vibrating like crazy. Future me: [Did you hear that? That is their true face.] Future me: [Hurry!

Log into the control room system!

We're running out of time!] Future me: [In my timeline, our dad was so shocked by the fake evidence they projected that he suffered a fatal heart attack on the spot.] Future me: [Today, you must make them pay this debt in blood!]

I lowered my head, my fingers flying across the screen. I opened the control room link. Typed in Vanessa's phone number. Entered the complex bypass password. Login Successful.

The screen shifted, displaying the master control panel of the wedding venue's AV system. Future me: [Go to Drive D.

There’s a folder named 'Surprise.'] Future me: [That's the fake file she prepared to destroy our dad.] I scrolled through the system and quickly located the folder.

Inside lay a highdefinition video and a mountain of forged financial ledger photos. I clicked "Delete All." Then, I opened my own secure cloud drive.

My future self had already uploaded a massive trove of undeniable evidence. There was raw, uncensored security footage of Vanessa and Julian hooking up in hotel rooms.

Screenshots of Julian admitting to embezzling Vance Enterprises' funds.

And even an audio recording of Vanessa bribing a doctor to slowly poison my father with a lethal chemical cocktail.

Any single one of these was enough to send them to prison for life. This was my ultimate countergift. I selected all the files and uploaded them with one click.

Replacing everything in the "Surprise" folder. I then disabled the local AV crew's access to the control board.

Now, the giant screen in the hall could only be controlled by my phone. Watching the progress bar hit 100%, I let out a long breath.

At the end of the hallway, the heavy double doors were slowly pushed open. The wedding march echoed through the massive hall.

The host's enthusiastic voice boomed over the speakers: "And now, ladies and gentlemen, please stand and give a warm welcome to our beautiful bride!" Vanessa adjusted her veil, painting a pictureperfect look of devotion on her face, and walked onto the stage.

Julian, acting as the groomsman, held the train of her gown, following closely by her side. As they stepped onto the stage, the crowd erupted into thunderous applause.

The attendees today were the most prominent figures in high society. Countless media cameras were pointed at the stage, flashes blindingly bright.

Vanessa picked up the microphone and looked toward the back of the hall where I was waiting. "Today is the most important day of my life." "I am marrying the man I love more than anything, the man I swear to cherish and protect for the rest of my life—Ethan Vance." Her voice was incredibly gentle.

She put on a flawless performance of a devoted wife.

The guests whispered in admiration. "Vanessa is truly one of a kind." "Ethan is so lucky to have found such a devoted woman." "They really are the perfect couple." Standing behind the doors, listening to their praise, I felt a wave of nausea.

She was a narcissistic sociopath with a severe savior complex.

Basking in the adulation, Vanessa’s tone suddenly shifted. "But before I bring out my groom, I have a special surprise for him." "And a grand gift for the Vance family, and Mr.

Arthur Vance himself." The hall fell silent. Everyone held their breath in anticipation. Sitting at the VIP table, my dad looked up with a proud, warm smile.

He had no idea that the woman he treated like a daughter was holding a knife to his throat. Beside her, Julian smirked, unable to hide his triumph.

He even shot a mocking, provocative glance toward the back of the hall where I stood. His eyes said it all: You're dead, Ethan.

My future self texted: [She's about to play the video.] [Ready to claim your stage?] I stared at the screen, my thumb hovering over the "Play" button. My blood was boiling.

Vanessa turned and pointed to the massive LED screen in the center of the stage. "Please look at the screen." "This surprise is something none of you will ever forget." "Ethan Vance, this is for you.

Watch closely!" Her voice was dripping with malicious triumph. The lights in the hall dimmed, and every eye locked onto the black screen.

I looked at the hypocritical snake on stage, a slow smile spreading across my lips. "Oh, I'm watching." I slammed my thumb down on the "Play" button.

The moment the screen lit up, the smile on Vanessa’s face froze.