Chapter 1

My company sent me on a week-long business trip out of town.

After it ended, I hurried to drive home for my mother-in-law Harvey's birthday.

But just as I was waiting at a red light, a line of text suddenly appeared before my eyes.

[Whatever you do, don't go home! If you go back, you're sealing your fate!]

[The moment you step inside, Harvey will fall from the building!]

[Harvey's body will be covered in your fingerprints. You won't be able to explain yourself and you'll be sentenced to death. Then Cooper will take the insurance money and live it up with your best friend Shelly!]

I froze. A few seconds later.

I decided to trust what the text said. I'd take this gamble!

The light ahead turned green, and the car started moving.

I slammed my foot on the gas pedal and crashed straight into the stone barriers on the side of the road.

Today was Harvey's sixty-fifth birthday.

My husband Cooper told me he wanted to have a simple celebration for Harvey at home.

So as soon as my business trip ended, I rushed to drive home.

The car was running smoothly on the road home, and I was just three intersections away from our neighborhood.

That's when semi-transparent text suddenly appeared out of nowhere before my eyes.

Just like watching a TV show, lines of text scrolled across my vision.

My mouth fell open. I thought my old eyes were playing tricks on me, so I rubbed them vigorously.

But the text remained firmly floating before my eyes, not dissipating in the slightest.

The messages kept sending me warnings.

[It's over, it's over. Lester's almost home! There's no escaping this now!]

[Lester, Cooper will find an excuse to leave you alone with Harvey—it's all to frame you! Whatever you do, don't go inside!]

[At 7:10 PM tonight, Harvey will fall from the building right on schedule! And you'll be the murderer!]

[Watch out for your best friend Shelly. She's been fooling around with Cooper, plotting to get rid of you.]

My mouth fell open. I thought my old eyes were playing tricks on me, so I rubbed them vigorously.

But the text remained firmly floating before my eyes, not dissipating in the slightest.

My heart pounded wildly.

Why would Harvey suddenly fall from the building when she was perfectly fine?

And why would Cooper and my best friend Shelly want to frame me?

Countless questions churned in my mind, leaving my head completely blank.

Just then, my phone on the center console buzzed twice.

It was a message from Cooper.

"Lester, are you almost home?"

"My boss just notified me that there's an emergency at the company. I have to go handle it right away."

"Just get home and help Mom cut the cake. I'll be back as soon as I'm done with this."

The moment I saw the message, the blood in my veins nearly froze.

Could there really be such a coincidence?

Right when I was about to get home, right at this moment, he had to leave.

If what the text said was true, once I obediently went inside, only Harvey and I would be left at home.

If Harvey fell from the building, all fingers would point at me.

Those fingerprints all over the scene would only become ironclad evidence against me.

I wouldn't be able to explain myself even if I had a thousand mouths.

I didn't dare think further. The more I thought about it, the more terrified I became.

My finger hovered over the chat box, but in the end I didn't reply.

I looked at the time—it was 6:40 PM. Thirty minutes until Harvey would fall.

As the light ahead turned green, I made a decision.

Since the text said I would be framed, I'd take this gamble!