My Husband Wants To Kill Me

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.

Even though my body clock was urging me to sleep, I was just too scared to close my eyes.

Late at night, Ethan suddenly broke the silence with a weird question.

He asked, "Babe, who do you trust more, me or Melissa?"

I instantly got on guard and swallowed nervously.

I said, "What's that supposed to mean? You and Melissa are both super important to me. Of course, I trust you both."

Ethan let out a sigh and said in a low, somber voice, "If I told you your best friend isn't someone you should trust, that she's actually trouble, would you believe me?"

Laura and I go way back to middle school. We had been best friends for twelve years now.

I knew her inside out.

If she hadn't called me from the future, reaching out across time, I probably would've already been knocked out, played right into Ethan's hands.

But I decided not to argue back, trying to see what Ethan was playing at.

I acted all shocked and kept the questions coming.

I asked, "What? No way. Why would you say that?"

Ethan looked like he wanted to say something, but hesitated, swallowing his words. After a long, tense pause, he finally spoke up, "Anyway, she's definitely going to find a way to get you alone tonight.

"I'm telling you, don't go. It's not safe."

Right after Ethan said that, someone knocked on the door.

Melissa called out, "Laura, it's me. The power's out. Can you come with me to the bathroom? I'm scared to go alone."

I blurted out, "Coming."

But Ethan gripped my arm. Suddenly, a flash of lightning from outside lit up his face.

His usually refined features were twisted, and his eyes were downright sinister.

I kicked him with everything I had and scrambled out of bed.

Strangely enough, when I opened the door and saw Melissa, Ethan snapped right back to his usual self.

He'd just been dead set against me being alone with Melissa, but now he suddenly agreed without a second thought.

He even flashed that gentle smile of his.

He said, "Yeah, the power's out. You girls should stick together. Laura, make sure you come back soon. I'll be waiting for you."

Could Ethan actually be afraid of Melissa?

Melissa might have had some training, but Ethan was ex-military. The idea of him being afraid of her just didn't make sense.

Before I could even wrap my head around what was off about all this, Melissa yanked me away.

She made sure Ethan wasn't coming after us, then carefully closed the bathroom door.

Melissa asked, "Laura, I thought I heard you guys talking out there. Why are you two still up chatting this late?"

Her tone was pretty agitated, and in this tense atmosphere, it just made me even more nervous.

Since it kind of felt like we were badmouthing her, I just instinctively lied.

I said, "No, nothing special. Just talking."

Melissa pressed, "Oh, so you didn't mention anything important? Like, about today or something?"

I shook my head and said, "Nope."

Melissa looked a little disappointed, but after just a few seconds, her expression returned to normal.

I couldn't help but feel creeped out inside.

The way Melissa was acting just now got me suspicious.

In that call from the future, the so-called Melissa said she was calling from the next day. If something really happened to me, the cops were supposed to just find my body.

The cops never shared all the details they dug up during an investigation.

So how did Melissa know about Ethan's secret WhatsApp account and the girl he was seeing on the side?

Unless Melissa had known all along.

But that would be crazy: she was my best friend. Why would she keep something like that from me?

I nervously rubbed my fingers together, testing the waters as I hesitantly asked, "Melissa, do you think Ethan might ever cheat on me?"

Melissa gave a nervous chuckle.

She said, "Come on, didn't you say Ethan's phone is always an open book to you? Just take a look and you'll know everything."

I gripped the flashlight tightly, my eyes fixed on Melissa.

"What if he has a secret account?" I asked.

Melissa froze mid-motion, her hands still under the running water.

Her expression turned awkward, and she even squeezed the soap dispenser twice.

She asked, "Laura, why are you bringing this up all of a sudden? Did you find something?"

If I told Melissa I'd gotten a call from the future from her, she'd probably think I was out of my mind, or she'd go straight to Ethan and confront him for my sake.

It was pouring outside, and we couldn't even call the cops. We were totally on our own.

If I really came clean, Ethan might do something even crazier, and Melissa could get caught in the crossfire.

Besides, I was sure Melissa was hiding something from me.

For now, the safest move was to keep everything to myself and not let anyone know what was really going on.

With that in mind, I quickly shook my head.

"No, I just couldn't sleep and my mind was running wild," I said.

Melissa came over and gave my nose a playful pinch.

Her voice was teasing and full of that spoiling warmth as she said, "You really do have an overactive imagination. Tell you what, just crash with me tonight. Forget about that dog of a man."

I jumped at the offer.

Honestly, even if Melissa hadn't said it, I'd have begged to crash with her tonight.

It was already 2 AM, just an hour away from the time mentioned in the phone call.

I needed to stick close to Melissa.

After all, Melissa was just hiding something from me, but Ethan was really out to get me.

Just thinking about that insurance policy and those chat logs sent chills down my spine.

I started to suspect that maybe all that love at first sight and the romance I thought was real were just a trap Ethan had set up from the very beginning.

Once we got to Melissa's room, I double-locked the door and propped a chair against it before finally letting out a sigh of relief.

I let the flashlight sweep over the bed, and the moment I saw what was there, I screamed.

Ethan's shadow stretched eerily long across the wall, and there he was, watching me with that twisted half-smile.

He said, "Baby, you've been naughty. Why didn't you come looking for me?"

Even Melissa jumped in shock, just like me.

She was totally clueless and just figured Ethan was having one of his weird moments.

Melissa rolled her eyes and said, "Seriously, what are you doing here at this hour? Go on, get out. The power's out, and it's just us girls having a sleepover tonight."

Ethan was grinning from ear to ear.

That smile sent a chill straight down my spine.

He lazily pointed at the floor, where we'd spread out the blankets.

He said, "Power's out, and it's not safe for you two girls to be alone. Why don't I keep you company tonight?"

Melissa snorted, clearly about to shut him down.

But I gave her sleeve a discreet tug, silently telling her to hold back.

Melissa and I had been best friends for twelve years. We were always on the same wavelength. Just a look or a tiny gesture, and we instantly got what the other meant.

Melissa shot me a look, obviously not thrilled, but she still gave in.

Honestly, I wanted to kick Ethan out, but 3 AM was just around the corner.

I had no idea if ticking him off right now would make him snap and make his move ahead of schedule.

At this point, all I could do was play it by ear and wait for my chance.

Seconds dragged by as I held my breath in the darkness, listening intently for any sign of movement.

At last, I caught the sound of calm, even breathing drifting up from below.

Suppressing my excitement, I quietly shook Melissa awake.

Melissa groaned and nudged me away. She murmured, "What is it?"

I, flustered, pressed a finger to her lips, shooting a nervous glance at Ethan lying on the floor.

Thank goodness he didn't wake up.

There was no time to explain, so I motioned for Melissa to help me move the chair and sneak out with me.

Melissa knew I wasn't the type to mess around.

So even though my actions seemed a little odd, she went along with it.

The rain was still pouring down outside, and this place was surrounded by tricky terrain. Heading out now would be just as risky.

Our best bet was to lie low and hide.

If we could just make it past the moment I was supposed to die, maybe things would turn around.

My mind was racing, trying to come up with a plan, when my foot accidentally bumped into the door.

The muffled thud was especially loud in the tense silence of the room.

I held my breath and pointed the flashlight in Ethan's direction.

In an instant, my heart leaped into my throat.

Ethan sat up abruptly, clutching a fruit knife, his eyes fixed on us with a menacing glare.

He asked, "Sweetheart, where are you going?"

"Run!" I screamed.

I grabbed Melissa's hand and dashed out of the room, but Ethan was already on our heels.

I didn't have time to look for a better hiding spot, so I dragged Melissa straight into the bathroom.

Right before Ethan could shove his knife through the doorway, I slammed the door shut and locked it in one quick move.

I leaned against the sink, gasping for air.

Outside, Ethan was howling like a lunatic.

Melissa stared at me, wide-eyed. She asked, "Laura, what's going on here?"

I caught my breath, my hand shaking as I pointed at the door.

I stammered, "E-Ethan wants to kill me."

Ethan shouted, "Sweetheart, open the door!" He was nothing like his usual calm self. He sounded totally deranged, like a psycho from a slasher flick.

He even dashed to the kitchen, grabbed a cleaver, and started banging and chopping at the door like a madman.

Terrified, Melissa and I huddled together.

Watching the door splinter and crack, panic rose in my chest until I could barely breathe.

It was 2:58 AM, just two minutes to go until 3 AM.

Just two more minutes: if I could hold out, I would make it.

Panicking, I started grabbing anything within reach in the bathroom and piling it up against the door.

Melissa, meanwhile, was just coolly watching her watch, totally unfazed by the chaos.

The glow from the digital screen lit up her face, and an odd little smirk played at her lips.

She suddenly tossed out a joke that couldn't have been more out of place.

She said, "Laura, do you think Ethan's so desperate because maybe 3 AM is actually the best time to head for paradise?"

My whole body went cold, as if I'd been dropped into an ice pit.

I'd only told Melissa Ethan wanted to kill me. But I never said a word about the 3 AM deadline.

How did Melissa know about that?

I pressed my parched lips together, forcing out a smile that was more like a grimace.

"Melissa, what are you even talking about?" I asked, trying to sound clueless.

Melissa didn't answer. Instead, she kept her eyes fixed on her watch, timing it perfectly, then slipped her hand into her coat pocket.