Chapter 3

On the day of the wedding, everything went smoothly and wonderfully.

At the largest luxury hotel in Metro City, flowers covered the long carpet leading to the stage.

Hank, dressed as my best man, dutifully handed me the rings onstage.

Wilma looked at me with tears in her eyes as she exchanged vows with me. She said that I was the only man she would ever love in this lifetime.

During the toasting session, I had several drinks with my relatives.

Despite normally having an excellent tolerance for alcohol, I soon began to feel dizzy and weak in the limbs.

Hank helped me to the hotel lounge.

"Tim, rest for a while here. Wilma's handling things out front. I'll come get you after the reception ends, and we'll head home."

Hank drew the curtains for me.

I forced my heavy eyelids open and glanced at him before falling into a deep sleep.

I didn't know how long I had been asleep before I was awakened by a sudden chill.

I opened my eyes. Everything around me was pitch-black, and I was still lying in the hotel lounge.

I fumbled for my phone and turned it on. Its screen cast a harsh light in the darkness.

Immediately after that, the web app suddenly appeared at the center of the screen.

[It should be your wedding night now. You woke up at eight, didn't you?]

I checked the time. It was accurate down to the minute.

The uneasiness I had ignored earlier instantly returned with a vengeance.

No matter how poor my tolerance for alcohol was, there was no way a single drink could have knocked me out for so long, especially without me waking up once.

As if it could read my mind, another message from my future self appeared.

[Hank drugged your drink with sleeping pills. I know this is hard for you to believe, but I have to tell you the truth. In my timeline, they caused both my parents to die and destroyed my family. Wilma eventually drove me to jump from a building, leaving me paralyzed from the waist down! I lived a fate worse than death!]

[Wilma will use every means at her disposal to seize your family's assets. Hank has been jealous of everything you had from the beginning.]

[Tonight, on your wedding night, you're sleeping alone in a cold hotel lounge. Meanwhile, they're leaving their traces and scent in every corner of your marital home!]

[When I eventually learned the truth and confronted Wilma, she shamelessly said, "I married you and let everyone know you're my husband. What more do you want? I hope you won't interfere with where my heart lies!"]

I was completely stunned. It felt like all the blood in my body had frozen solid.

Considering the fact that I was still in the lounge, Wilma hadn't taken me home, and Hank, who had promised to come get me, had never shown up, this might all be true.

I didn't dare think any further. I stumbled to my feet and prepared to hail a cab back to our marital home.

But the moment I stepped out of the room, I suddenly stopped.

Forcing myself to calm down, I retrieved my phone and sent a message to both Wilma's and my parents, as well as several family group chats.

[Dad, Mom, everyone, Wilma is missing! I woke up alone at the hotel and couldn't find her anywhere. She's not answering her phone either. I'm worried something happened to her. Can everyone come to the marital home and help me look for her?]

As soon as the message went out, everyone immediately panicked and said they would head over.

I arrived at the upscale neighborhood where our marital home was located before the relatives did.

I waited downstairs until both our parents and eight other relatives had arrived. The large group of us anxiously made our way up to the 26th floor.

Holding the key, I opened the door with an expressionless face.

The apartment was dim, and only a few wall lamps were left on.

Wilma's wedding dress and high heels were scattered across the living room.

I led my relatives toward the master bedroom. As soon as we got close, we heard rustling noises coming from inside.

I kicked the door open and immediately switched on the bedroom's main light.