Chapter 3: The First Change

Sophia stared at the message for a long time.

"Sophia, can you come meet me? I really need your help."

Five years ago, those words had fooled her.

Back then, she would have rushed over without hesitation.

Emily was her best friend. Her sister.

The person she trusted most in the world.

How foolish she had been.

Sophia laughed softly.

The sound was cold. Bitter.

Five years ago, she never questioned Emily's intentions.

This time, she knew exactly what was waiting for her.

A trap.

The first of many.

Her fingers moved across the screen.

"Of course. Send me the location."

The reply came almost instantly.

As if Emily had been waiting.

As if she knew Sophia would never refuse her.

Sophia's smile deepened.

Emily was about to learn something important.

The old Sophia no longer existed.

An hour later.

Sophia stood outside a luxury café.

The same café.

The same place where everything had begun.

Memories flooded her mind.

Five years ago, Emily had called her here crying.

She claimed she needed advice.

Claimed she was heartbroken.

Claimed she needed a friend.

Sophia had believed every word.

Then, somehow, photographs appeared online the next day.

Photographs carefully taken to make it look like Sophia was bullying Emily.

The scandal spread quickly.

Everyone sided with Emily.

No one listened to Sophia.

Not even her parents.

Especially not her parents.

Sophia clenched her fists.

She could still remember standing alone while the world judged her.

The humiliation. The helplessness.

The injustice. But not today.

Today would be different.

Today was the first move.

And Sophia intended to win.

The bell above the door chimed as she entered.

Immediately, she spotted Emily.

Her beautiful face looked worried.

Her eyes were slightly red.

A perfect performance.

Sophia almost applauded.

Emily noticed her and quickly stood.

"Sophia!" Relief flashed across her face.

Or at least, what looked like relief.

She rushed forward and hugged her.

Five years ago, Sophia would have hugged her back.

Today, she simply stood still.

Emily froze for a brief second.

A tiny second. But Sophia noticed.

Because this time, she was paying attention. Everything. Every word.

Every expression. Every lie.

"What's wrong?" Sophia asked calmly.

Emily blinked.

Perhaps she expected more concern.

More panic. More sympathy.

Instead, Sophia's voice was steady.

Controlled. Unfamiliar.

Emily quickly recovered.

"I... I don't know what to do."

Tears filled her eyes.

"I'm scared." Sophia almost laughed.

Emily had always been talented.

If she had chosen acting instead of manipulation, she might have won awards.

"What happened?" Sophia asked.

Emily lowered her head.

"There is a guy pursuing me."

Sophia's heart turned cold.

She remembered. This was the story.

The exact story. The lie that started everything.

Emily would pretend to be confused about her feelings.

Then she would casually mention Daniel. Sophia's fiancé.

Sophia's future husband. And little by little, she would steal him.

The same way a spider trapped its prey.

Patiently. Carefully. Cruelly.

"I see," Sophia said.Emily frowned slightly.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong. Why wasn't Sophia reacting?, Why wasn't she asking questions?

Why wasn't she rushing to help?

Emily hesitated. Then she continued.

"What if... what if he already likes someone else?"

There it was. The bait.

Sophia looked directly into her eyes.

For a moment, Emily seemed uncomfortable.

Almost nervous. Good. Let her be nervous.

Sophia had spent an entire lifetime being afraid of Emily.

Now it was Emily's turn.

"If he likes someone else," Sophia said softly, "then he isn't yours."

Emily's smile froze.

The answer clearly wasn't what she expected.

"What?" Sophia picked up her cup.

"If someone truly belongs to another person, taking them away only proves they were never worth keeping."

Emily's face turned pale.

For the first time, Sophia saw genuine panic flash through her eyes.

Something had changed.

Something important.

And Emily could feel it.

After leaving the café, Sophia walked alone through the city streets.

The evening breeze brushed against her face.

For the first time since waking up, she felt lighter.

The future had changed.

Only slightly. But it had changed.

The first domino had fallen.

A tiny difference. A small crack.

Yet Sophia knew better than anyone that great disasters often began with tiny cracks.

Five years ago, she had followed the path fate prepared for her.

Today, she stepped off that path.

And once a future changed,

Anything could happen.

Her phone suddenly vibrated.

A new message appeared.

Unknown Number.

Sophia frowned. Then she opened it.

"Miss Carter, be careful around Emily Jones."

Sophia stopped walking.

Her heart skipped a beat. The message continued.

"Not everyone is what they seem."

Her blood ran cold.

Because there was only one person who had warned her about Emily in her previous life.

One person she ignored.

One person she never got the chance to thank.

And that person should not know anything yet.

Sophia slowly looked at the sender's number.

Her hands trembled.

A dangerous thought entered her mind.

Had she really been the only one who returned from the future?

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