The wedding was already halfway through when I finally understood what was happening. I had traveled through time, 76 years into the future, and awakened in the body of a girl who shared my name—Amelia Wallace. She looked exactly like me. And her father, Mr.
Wallace, was trying to marry her off to a man in his sixties. “Mr. Welch, you may kiss your bride,” the officiant said. I stepped back.
“Why should I marry him? I don’t agree. ”
Mr. Wallace’s face turned red.
“You disobedient girl. You have no say in it at all. ”
“Arranged and forced marriages were abolished ages ago,” I said. “What you’re doing is illegal.
I could report you to the cops. ”
The room fell silent. Amelia’s sister, Tina, chimed in. “Amelia, Dad only wants the best for you.
Mr. Welch is quite well off. ”
“Since you think he’s great,” I said, “why don’t you marry him? ”
Tina’s mouth dropped open.
Mr. Wallace snapped his fingers. “Someone tie her up and have her proceed with the wedding. ”
I grabbed the first chair thrown at me and broke it over my knee.
“I dare you to try to tie me up today. ”
They didn’t try. Not then. That night, I learned I wasn’t just some random girl.
This Amelia Wallace was the daughter of Mr. Wallace—the same man who had once been a nobody. But more importantly, I discovered something that made my blood run cold. The George family.
Aaron George. The man I had loved, married, and lost decades ago in my original life. He was still alive. And his grandson, Nigel George, had just walked into the same room as me.
“You look exactly like my husband,” I whispered. Nigel’s girlfriend, Dina, sneered. “Amelia, how dare you try to seduce my boyfriend? ”
“Miss Amelia Wallace, I’m afraid you’re mistaken,” Nigel said.
“My name is Nigel George. ”
“Your last name is George, too? What’s your relationship with Aaron George? ”
“How dare you?
” Dina snapped. “What right do you have to call Nigel’s grandfather by his full name? ”
I felt the floor tilt beneath me. Aaron was his grandfather.
That meant Nigel was my great-grandson. And Aaron was still alive after all these years. “Is Aaron still alive? ” I asked.
“My grandfather isn’t in the best of health,” Nigel said coldly. “Miss Amelia Wallace, are you wishing he had passed away already? ”
“Can you take me to see him? ”
Dina laughed.
“You actually want to see Mr. Aaron George? I think you’ve lost your mind. Nigel, you can’t agree to this.
I bet she’s just trying to grab your attention and marry into your family. ”
I looked Nigel straight in the eye. “Your grandfather has a 3 cm scar on the left side of his waist. He hates onions and baked beans.
And his favorite dessert is brownie, right? ”
Nigel’s face went pale. “How did you know that? ”
“Your grandfather and I have a special bond,” I said.
“Can you take me to see him now? ”
Nigel hesitated. “There must be a bit of history between her and grandpa. Tomorrow is his birthday party.
You can meet him there. ”
Dina grabbed his arm. “Nigel! You can’t let her go!
”
“It’s fine,” he said. “A lot of people have been invited. She wouldn’t dare to try any tricks. ”
But Dina had her own plans.
That night, she schemed with Tina. They locked me in a room upstairs, thinking I wouldn’t make it to the party. “Dad? ” Tina called.
“Locked up in there for a few days, she’ll behave herself. By then, we’ll marry her off to Mr. Welch again. ”
I waited until their footsteps faded.
Then I picked the lock with a hairpin and slipped out. The next day, I arrived at the party with a small box in my hand. Dina was already there, dripping in designer clothes, laughing with the other guests. When she saw me, her face twisted.
“You? How did you get out? ”
“It’s just a regular lock,” I said. “I could open it easily.
Where’s Aaron? I brought him a gift. ”
Dina stepped in front of me. “You’re too late.
He is already tired and taking a rest inside. All birthday gifts will be collected by the George family on his behalf. ”
A young man beside her—Vincent, Aaron’s other grandson—snickered. “Am I seeing things or did she really bring a cheap gift for Grandpa?
”
“The value of a gift isn’t just decided by its price,” I said. Vincent sneered. “And another thing, the birthday party is an important occasion. You shouldn’t have worn such strange clothes.
”
“Damn it,” he muttered. “Who the hell are you? What I wear is none of your business. ”
I grabbed the back of his collar.
“Vincent George, you’re known for being wild and out of control. You wouldn’t even listen to your elder brother. ”
“You, what are you trying to do? ” he stammered.
Dina screamed. “Amelia, how dare you try to attack Vincent? You’re not welcome here. Get out.
Throw away the gift Amelia brought. ”
“Wait,” a weak voice called from the doorway. “Give me the thing in your hands. ”
Aaron George stood there, older now, frail, but with the same eyes I had loved for a lifetime.
He stepped forward and took the box from me. I had baked him the brownies—the same recipe I had made for his eighth birthday, so many decades ago. He took a bite and froze. His hands began to tremble.
“This tastes exactly like my mom used to make it,” he whispered. “Who sent this? Where are they? ”
“It was sent by Miss Amelia Wallace,” a servant said.
“She’s at the banquet hall right now. ”
Aaron turned and looked at me. His face crumpled. “She’s… Theda Wallace’s younger sister.
”
Before I could say anything, he clutched his chest and collapsed. A heart attack. The guests erupted in chaos. Dina pointed at me.
“Amelia, I knew you were trying to hurt Mr. George, weren’t you? Otherwise, why would he have a heart attack at the sight of you? ”
Security moved toward me.
I stepped back. “How could I try to hurt him? Move aside. ”
“Don’t come any closer,” Vincent shouted.
“I won’t let you hurt my grandpa. ”
But Aaron was still conscious. He looked up at me, eyes wild. “Mom.
Mom. Get up now. I’ve missed you so much. ”
The room went silent.
“Your grandpa is suffering from senile dementia? ” someone whispered. “Nonsense, that’s impossible,” Vincent said. “Aaron,” I said softly.
“Get up now. I’m sorry. I should have taken care of you when you grew up. ”
He reached for me, and I helped him to his feet.
In that moment, the truth crashed over me like a wave. This wasn’t dementia. Aaron George was my son. The son I had never known I carried.
The son I had left behind when I traveled through time to save him from a world that would have destroyed him. Later, in the privacy of Aaron’s study, he wept. “Grandpa, what on earth is going on? How did you come back alive?
And you look so young. ”
“Let’s talk somewhere else,” I said. Nigel followed us, confused, and Aaron introduced me. “This is your great-grandma.
”
Nigel’s jaw dropped. “This is just too unbelievable. ”
“Say hello,” Aaron ordered. “Say it now.
”
Nigel bowed. “Good grandma, good day. ”
I nodded. “Good.
”
Aaron looked at me with tear-filled eyes. “Mom, why don’t you move in with us today? I’ll take you to visit the backyard and the swimming pool at our house. ”
“Okay,” I said.
“Nigel, tomorrow you take your great-grandma to our company,” Aaron said. “Without her, the George Group wouldn’t exist today. ”
Nigel nodded but said nothing. He was still trying to make sense of it all.
The next day, Nigel showed me the company’s confidential files. Dina watched from the corner, seething. When I wasn’t looking, she took a cup of coffee and poured it over the documents. “Amelia, these are George Group’s vital documents,” she screamed.
“How could you destroy them? ”
Nigel ran in. “What happened? ”
Dina pointed at me.
“I kindly gave her the coffee, but she took it and splashed it all over the documents. ”
“You’re the one who spilled the coffee,” I said. “Why would I do that? ” she laughed.
“It’s you who’s new in this place. Only you would have such bad intentions. Nigel, she brainwashed your grandfather to enter the George Group. She is definitely trying to destroy it.
”
Nigel’s face hardened. “Miss Amelia Wallace, why did you splash coffee on my company’s important files? ”
“Nigel, you believe whatever she says? ” I asked.
“Please use your brain and think about it. ”
“Nigel, if you don’t believe me, go check the surveillance footage,” Dina said. “We’ll see who really did it. ”
“Okay,” Nigel said.
“Vicky, go pull out the surveillance footage from my office five minutes ago. ”
When the footage played, it showed Dina deliberately positioning herself at an angle to make it look like I had thrown the coffee. Nigel stared at the screen, his face unreadable. “Miss Amelia Wallace, you can’t touch anything here from now on,” he said.
“And leave my office right now. ”
“I never did anything wrong in my previous life,” I muttered. “How come my descendants are so stupid? ”
“Security!
” Dina yelled. “Send all your men up here. Amelia, I’ve called security. Get out of here now, or you’ll be thrown out.
”
I laughed. “Just calling security here isn’t enough. Why don’t you call the police? Let them check whose fingerprints are on this cup.
Then we’ll know who spilled the coffee. ”
Dina’s face went pale. “Uh… fingerprints tests take forever. Totally unnecessary.
”
“What? Are you scared? You know very well what you did,” I said. “I advise you to admit it now.
Once the cops arrive, what you did will be a crime. ”
“Stop,” she finally said. “It was me who spilled the coffee. Nigel, it was an accident.
I was scared you’d be mad at me and scold me, so I… Oh, please forgive me, okay? ”
Nigel’s expression softened. “Why would you think like that? Since it was an accident, of course I wouldn’t be mad at you.
”
“How will you punish her for framing me? ” I asked. “Amelia, I’m sorry. I know I was wrong,” Dina said.
“It’s okay,” Nigel said. “She didn’t cause any real harm after all. Let’s just drop it this time. ”
I sighed.
I had raised a fool. But I wasn’t done. A few days later, I found Vincent in the company sauna, watching a match on his phone. “Vincent, it’s work hours.
Where are you going? ”
He shrugged. “I only have the sauna key in the company. I never actually work.
”
“Then I’ll control you,” I said. I dragged him to the fight club he loved. “If I can defeat every single one of them, you’ll have to come home with me and you won’t go to such places again. ”
Vincent laughed.
“Please, stop joking. If anything happens to you, Grandpa will beat the hell out of me. ”
“Just tell me if it’s a deal. ”
“All right.
It’s a deal. ”
I stepped into the ring and took down every man who came at me. Vincent watched, mouth open. “She’s actually that strong?
”
When it was over, I walked over to him. “You promised me. Come back with me. ”
Vincent looked at me with new respect.
“Wait, great-grandma. You’re so badass. Where did you learn such fighting skills? ”
“If you behave yourself and make something of yourself, I might teach you.
”
Vincent thought for a moment. “But I’m really not cut out for dealing with the business. Besides, our family’s wealth could support me for several lifetimes. ”
I took him to an old, decaying mansion.
“We’re in the old house of the Archer family—one of the wealthiest families of the 20th century. Back in the 1940s, they were the most prominent locally. But as times changed, within just a decade, it fell apart already. Life has its ups and downs, and the wheels of fortune turn for all.
Times are still changing ruthlessly. Are you really certain that the George family can stay prosperous forever? ”
Vincent looked at the crumbling walls. Something shifted in his eyes.
When we returned, he announced, “Great-grandma, I’ve made up my mind. Wipe the slate clean and start all over again. I’ll definitely make our company more prosperous. ”
But not everyone was worth saving.
I discovered that Aaron’s right-hand man, Toby Wallace—my biological father in this timeline—had been embezzling from the George Group. I did a full audit and found $36 million missing. And twelve other Wallace family members were on the payroll, bleeding the company dry. I confronted Nigel.
“You failed as the CEO. You hired so many people from the Wallace family. The company might as well be renamed the Wallace Group. ”
“It’s all because Dina’s my girlfriend,” Nigel said.
“So I offered her family some jobs. After all, we’ll be family someday. ”
“Nigel, fire everyone from the Wallace family immediately,” I said. “Why should he?
” Dina cried. “We’ll be family someday. ”
Nigel hesitated. “Firing so many people at once is too much.
”
“If you keep this up, you’ll destroy what the George family achieved for decades. ”
“Nigel, my family are also your family,” Dina said. “Don’t worry,” Nigel said. “I definitely won’t allow her to fire your family.
”
Aaron stepped in, weak but determined. “I’m the chairman of the company, also the ultimate decision maker. I have the right to fire anyone in the company. Miss Amelia Wallace’s decision is also my decision.
Do as she says. Fire everyone from the Wallace family and call the police to charge them with embezzling company funds. ”
That night, Dina’s father came crying. “As long as the damn old man dies, all my family will be all right.
I can also marry into the George family. He’s already that old. So one bad fall would definitely send him to his death. ”
He tried to push Aaron down the stairs.
I caught him mid-step and knocked him to the floor. “You tried to push Aaron on purpose. ”
“No, I didn’t,” Dina screamed. “It’s because I twisted my ankle in high heels and fell in his direction.
”
“I’ve witnessed so many murders,” I said. “Whether you did it on purpose is pretty clear to me. ”
Nigel still believed her. “Amelia, Dina’s so gentle and kind.
Why did you have such a rooted prejudice against her? ”
I had enough. I pulled Nigel aside. “From today, I don’t want to see anyone surnamed Wallace in places belonging to the George family.
And I’ll give you ten days to cough up every penny you stole from the George Group, otherwise, you’ll definitely rot in jail. ”
They were thrown out. But Aaron was failing. He looked at me with sorrow.
“All these years I’ve been in poor health and had no choice but to entrust Nigel with managing the company. But I didn’t expect him to be willful and reckless. I’ve disappointed you. Mom, I want you to take over the company as its chairwoman.
”
I nodded. “All right. Then you focus on getting better, which matters the most. ”
Dina, desperate, came to Nigel.
“Amelia’s gone crazy. If you don’t give her money, she’ll take all of us to court. Nigel, you know my family’s been struggling all these years. My dad’s not getting younger.
I can’t watch him go to jail. ”
Nigel promised to protect her. I told him plainly, “If you want to help her, then build your own fortune from scratch. I won’t interfere with your decisions.
”
Nigel resigned as CEO. He gave up the inheritance. He thought he could build his own empire with Dina by his side. I made sure no one would lend him a single cent.
Dina left him the moment she realized he was broke. She moved in with an older billionaire, Mr. Colin Yates, who showered her with gifts. Nigel caught them together.
He finally saw the truth. He came back, humbled. “Great-grandma, you were right. Dina is a gold digger who’s after my money.
And I am an utter fool. ”
“It’s not too late to realize it,” I said. “No,” he said. “I get it now.
True dignity and worth don’t come from family privilege. I have to earn them myself. I want to start from scratch and build up a fortune on my own. ”
Aaron and I looked at each other.
“That’s the spirit,” Aaron said. “Go make something of yourself. ”
Nigel did. He began pitching to investors.
Dina heard about it and came to mock him at a business banquet. She tossed a watch at his feet. “Since you’re down and out now, for old time’s sake, I’ll donate this watch to you. Mr.
George, you should say thank you to Tina for her generosity now. But I want you to get on your knees and pick it up with your mouth. ”
I stepped out of the shadows. “How dare you humiliate the boy of the George family?
”
Dina froze. “Amelia? Didn’t you say you’d cut ties with the George family? ”
“As long as he’s willing to mend his ways, he’ll always be part of the George family,” I said.
“And as for you, you’re the problem he needs to get rid of. ”
I announced to the room that Nigel was still the rightful heir, but that he had chosen to prove himself independently. No special treatment. Dina’s face crumpled.
“Nigel, I was wrong. Forgive me, please. We can get back together and start over? ”
“Enough.
I won’t be fooled by you anymore,” Nigel said. Mr. Yates dragged Dina away, humiliated. Nigel left her there, finally free.
But the biggest mystery remained. I had noticed something strange about the Yates family. A piece of music. A piano piece.
Only two people in the world knew it—Aaron and me. It was the lullaby I had composed for our unborn child. The Yates family patriarch, Mr. Sal Yates, was said to be 106 years old.
He had launched a decryption competition centered on an old coded letter from the 1940s. I felt a cold shiver run down my spine when I saw the letter. It was the same code system I had invented with Landon—my husband—decades ago. Our private language.
I went to the competition. They showed me the letter. I read it through tears. “Amelia, if I don’t come back from this mission, no need to look for me.
I’m not afraid to die. I’m just heartbroken we won’t grow old together. I would make the same choice even in my next life, but I hope I can grow old with you in my next life. ”
That was Landon’s farewell letter.
He had never sent it. Because he had died. Or so I thought. “This letter was written in 1947,” I said, my voice shaking.
“By a young man serving his country. Before going on a dangerous mission, he wrote this farewell letter in code. He told his superior that if he died, this letter must be delivered to his wife. ”
The judges confirmed my decryption was correct.
I was awarded an antique worth millions. But I didn’t care about the prize. I asked to meet Mr. Sal Yates.
The butler led me to a private room. There sat a withered old man in a wheelchair. But his eyes—those were the eyes I had loved across a lifetime. “Landon,” I whispered.
He looked up at me. “Amelia. I’m back. I’m home.
”
I ran to him and fell into his arms. He was frail, but he held me tight. “It’s been eighty years, and you still look so young and so beautiful. ”
“You too,” I said.
“In my heart, you’re always that young man who welcomed me with open arms. ”
“All these years, I’ve often dreamed about you and me back in the old house with our son. The three of us gathered around the table for a meal. ”
I pulled back.
“Landon, that wasn’t a dream. We really do have a son. ”
I called Aaron into the room. My son, now an old man, walked in and saw his father for the first time.
“Aaron,” I said. “This is your father. ”
Aaron George looked at Landon, and the two of them embraced, father and son reuniting after eighty years. I told him everything—how I had traveled forward in time, how I had found our son, how I had protected the George family.
And Landon—now Sal Yates—told me his story. He hadn’t died on that mission. He had escaped, but to hide from his enemies, he had changed his name and stayed away from his hometown for years. When he finally returned, he found only the news that I had been killed before the liberation.
He never knew we had a child. He had built the Yates empire from nothing. He had adopted a boy and named him Colin Yates. And for eighty years, he had mourned a wife he thought was dead.
“Amelia, if I had another life,” he said, “I only wish I could spend every day of my life with you. ”
I held his hand. “Meeting you is the best thing that ever happened to me. ”
Colin Yates and Dina were furious.
They tried to ruin us, but Landon was still the head of the Yates family. He disinherited Colin and gave his entire estate to me. “Colin, I brought you home when you were three years old and raised you,” Landon said. “I can’t stand by and watch you use my assets to hurt my wife after I die.
”
Colin was thrown out. Dina followed him, screaming that she was carrying his child, but the guards escorted them both away. The Wallace family was finished. Toby Wallace, my biological father in this timeline, was arrested for embezzlement.
The entire family crumbled. Nigel found his footing and began building a real career. Vincent turned his life around and became a capable businessman. Aaron’s health improved, knowing his father was alive.
And I stayed by Landon’s side, visiting him every day until the end. He passed peacefully six months later, holding my hand. I walked with Nigel and Vincent to the history museum founded in his honor. Aaron was too weak to come.
They showed me the exhibits—the artifacts, the photographs, the legacy of Sal Yates, the renowned industrialist. I stood in front of a framed copy of the coded letter. Landon’s farewell. His final words to me.
Then I felt a touch on my shoulder. I turned. A young man stood there, wearing a familiar smile. He looked exactly like Landon had when I first met him, all those decades ago.
“Amelia,” he said. “Back. ”
I blinked. “Landon?
”
“I’m not sure how this works,” he said, “but I’ve been waiting for you. ”
Time, I realized, doesn’t just move forward. Sometimes, it moves in circles. And sometimes, it gives you back what you lost.
I took his hand, and we walked into the light together, ready to live every day of this second life with the man I had loved across eighty years and two lifetimes.
