In a fit of anger, I bought a train ticket and rushed back to my hometown overnight. But I never expected the train to enter some kind of time tunnel. I only slept for 8 hours on the train, yet fifteen whole years had passed in the outside world. “Your parents died ten years ago. Is there anyone else we can contact?” the police officer asked. Dead? Just the day before, I had talked to them on the phone. Mom even said she was going to make my favorite pizza. How could they be dead? I held back my tears and gave them my husband’s number. “Sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service…” The officer looked at me awkwardly. But the next second, I pointed at the giant screen on the building outside and said: “He can come get me! He’s my husband!” All the officers taking statements stopped what they were doing and stared at me in shock. This whole situation was truly bizarre, but looking at the bustling police station and the towering buildings outside, I had to accept that everyone on this train—over 300 people—had traveled through time. “Are you saying it’s really 2025?” “Yes, ma’am. Today is October 1st, 2025.” The female officer’s eyes were full of sympathy. I looked around in confusion. There were over 300 passengers on this train, all brought here for questioning. At first, not only did the police not believe us, we thought we’d been scammed. After all, we all looked exactly the same as when we boarded—how could fifteen years have passed in a single night? But faced with genuine ID cards and rapidly advanced technology, we had no choice but to accept reality. “So besides your parents, is there anyone else who can come pick you up?” On the verge of a breakdown, I instinctively gave them Torres’s number. But as soon as I said it, I regretted it. That man who promised to protect me for life had long since betrayed our marriage. “Sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service…” Out of service. So he canceled his phone number and got together with Mia, didn’t he? My heart ached for no reason, making my breathing rapid. After three years missing, you can be declared dead and automatically widowed. And I’d been missing for fifteen years. “Ma’am, if there’s really no one who can pick you up, then we can only…” “Him! He can come get me!” I pointed at the hundred-inch screen outside. Torres was on it, wearing a black suit. The scar on his forehead was from our senior year of high school, when he risked his life to protect me and got hit in the head with a beer bottle by some thugs. Back then, his eyebrow was permanently missing a corner, and he radiated an aura that said “don’t mess with me.” He was rough around the edges, and no girl could get close to him except me. He was completely different from the refined gentleman on that screen. But now he seemed like a perfect match for Mia—the rebel finally met the cool, aloof woman who could tame him. But why should I, the legitimate wife, end up being the mistress! So I refused to contact anyone else. I wanted Torres to come get me. I wanted to wedge myself into their loving relationship at its peak, to disgust them both. Just like they did to me—one second letting me bask in the joy of a happy marriage, the next forcing me to tear that dream apart with my own hands. “Are you… sure?” The female officer looked at me with some concern. At the same time, every officer in the station stopped what they were doing and looked at me with disbelief. Some were mocking, some envious. This scene confirmed my suspicions—Torres was doing well now. Or rather, he’d become a big shot, which was why he could appear on that giant screen. “I’m sure. Before I got on that train, he was still my legal husband.” Seeing my determination, the officer could only comply. Torres wasn’t easy to reach now. The officer made calls and contacted supervisors, and an hour later the call finally went through. But the voice on the other end wasn’t his.
“Hello, this is the MT Group CEO’s office. How may I help you?” MT. Marta? Why would he name his company using my initials? Did he still have feelings for me? “Hello, this is the police station. We need to speak with Torres. Please transfer the call.” “Beep, beep, beep… Hello?” Only ten seconds passed, but it felt like ten years. Hearing that familiar voice on the other end, my heart jumped into my throat. What if he looked at me with disgust? What if he really had married Mia and had children! I suddenly regretted this. I shouldn’t have acted so impulsively. “Is this Mr. Torres? This is the police station,” the officer asked. “Yes, how can I help you?” I nervously picked at my nails, holding my breath, shoulders hunched, not daring to look at the officer, but my attention was completely on that phone call. “This may sound strange, but I need you to trust me. We’ve found Ms. Marta, who went missing fifteen years ago. She’s right here beside me, and we need you to come pick her up.” He seemed shocked, as he didn’t respond for a long time. The ticking of the second hand fell into my heart, and everything around me seemed to slow down. Just as my face turned red from holding my breath and I was about to give up— “No need…” “Alright, I’ll be there shortly.” I breathed a sigh of relief and sat quietly in the chair, watching as passengers were gradually picked up by their families. Some wept with joy and embraced each other, while others glared at each other with resentment. It seemed there were quite a few people in situations like mine. Many spouses had given up searching in the second year of our disappearance and started new families. So our reappearance became a burden and inconvenience. This made me nervous again. When I saw Torres, how should I face him? Would he blame me for disrupting his current life? Extreme anxiety clouded my mind, so much so that I didn’t even notice when it got dark outside. “Why don’t you come home with me for now?” the officer suggested kindly. I looked around in confusion and realized all the passengers were gone. I was the only one left with no one to claim me. “Tap, tap, tap!” Urgent footsteps echoed in the hallway, and then a tall young man walked toward me, holding a yellowed photograph. “Are you Marta?” I nodded. “I’m so sorry, there was traffic. I just arrived. Torres sent me to pick you up.” Not seeing Torres, I felt a bit disappointed, yet also unconsciously relieved. The procedure for claiming someone was simple—just sign a form. Marta—Mark. But the person signing in the column next to my name was a man I’d known for less than a minute. Not a father, not a husband. “This way, please.” Following Mark’s lead, I came to a black sedan. Should it still be called a sedan? Though it was bigger and better-looking than the cars from our time. I didn’t expect Torres to be sitting in the car. Just like on the giant screen, he wore a black suit and tie, meticulous and focused, his hands swiping at some kind of technological device. Memory suddenly took me back to when we were preparing for our wedding. He was naturally free-spirited and hated constraints—with people and with clothes. Getting him to wear a suit for our wedding photos took several days of coaxing. If I hadn’t finally said “If you won’t wear it, I’ll find someone else to marry,” he probably would have shown up shirtless at the wedding. Now I think maybe the first time he wore a suit wasn’t for me. Mia was the famous good girl and model student in our department. At first, I never thought the rebellious Torres could win her over. But three months later, they really got together. For her, Torres not only abandoned the brothers who had followed him for years, but also shaved his head, wore a newsboy cap, and pretended to be a good student. Why do I say “pretended”? Because I knew “wild” was in his bones, so his romance with Mia only lasted a month. I’d known him since childhood. To me, he’d only been absent from my life for one month, and then we naturally got together, all the way to marriage, all the way to our anniversary, when I saw him walking with Mia. My thoughts returned to the present. Mark had already opened the back door for me. “Marta is here.” Hearing the reminder, Torres finally looked up at me. Our eyes met. Not the joy or disgust I’d imagined. Just calm.
“Marta?” Yesterday morning I’d kissed this face, but now it felt so unfamiliar. “Yeah.” I nodded and sat beside him. The cramped space immediately made the atmosphere subtle. He remained focused on his work, no small talk, no awkward silence. My appearance seemed to create no ripples in his heart. This made me feel dejected. Come on, even if you hate me and want to kick me out, you should at least say it to my face. So I chose to take the initiative: “When my parents died, did they know you cheated on me?” “Hiss!” Someone sucked in a cold breath. The air pressure in the car plummeted. Though the car was sealed, I suddenly felt cold. I didn’t miss Torres’s slightly furrowed brow, or the flash of anger in his eyes. Was he angry that I’d labeled his beloved Mia as a mistress? “That never happened. Naturally, they didn’t know.” “Rest well today. Another day I’ll take you to pay respects to them.” Never happened? So he meant that he and Mia broke it off after I disappeared? Then why did Mark call me “Ms. Marta” instead of “Mrs.”? The atmosphere froze again. I suppressed my anger and refused to look at him, turning instead to the outside world. The dazzling commercial district, and skyscrapers reaching into the clouds. Everywhere I looked, countless giant screens glowed in broad daylight. The celebrities looked like they were standing inside them. The entire world existed in a kaleidoscope of colors. “Honey, honey, what is that!” I instinctively patted Torres’s hand, pointing at a giant cube outside the car window. A massive hand suddenly extending from it scared me. By the time I reacted, my head had already buried itself in Torres’s chest. His body stiffened. He didn’t touch me or push me away. “Sorry, I’m not used to my current status yet.” My face flushed red instantly. I quickly sat back, but afraid of that giant hand appearing again, I sneakily glanced out the window. The giant hand had disappeared. A forest had appeared inside instead. “That’s 3D technology. It gives people an immersive experience.” He patted the sleeve I’d grabbed, still looking at whatever was in his hands without expression. Probably work content. “So it’s fake?” “Yes.” After about another half hour, the car stopped. Outside was a magnificent castle. “Ms. Marta, we’ve arrived at the hotel. You can rest well here tonight.” So he hadn’t come to take me home. “I’m not going anywhere. I just want to go home. Torres, take me home!” I said angrily. That house was bought with my parents’ life savings. Even if he remarried, he couldn’t be living there with Mia. Even if he really was leaving me, he should at least explain things clearly!
Perhaps hearing the anger in my voice, he finally put down what he was holding and faced me properly. “I’m sorry, the old house was demolished and redeveloped. Stay here tonight, and tomorrow I’ll take you to choose a house you like, okay?” Mark also tried to persuade me: “That’s right, all the old houses were demolished. It’s a shopping mall now. You’ve had a long day—why not just make do here tonight?” Another shopping mall! I got out of the car and slammed the door hard. I wanted to part ways with him right then and there, but Mark didn’t lead the way. Just as I was confused, Torres got out of the car too. I thought he was going to explain, but he just walked past me toward the hotel entrance. “What’s he doing?” I asked Mark in confusion. “The CEO has to inspect a nearby branch office early tomorrow morning, so he’s staying at the hotel tonight too.” “Oh, in the room next to yours.” What’s there to explain? It’s not like I wanted to sleep in the same room as him. I followed behind him irritably. When I entered the spacious, bright lobby, the luxurious decor left me in awe. Being rich must be nice—you can stay in royal castles. I remember when Torres and I were dating, we’d stayed overnight somewhere too—a run-down inn with a creaky wooden bed. In that environment, we gave ourselves to each other. Though we were poor, we only had eyes and hearts for each other. Not like now. Even though the floor beneath my feet had been carefully cleaned and polished by others, the person standing on it wasn’t the same person anymore. “You’re staying in this room. If you need anything, feel free to call me. There’s a landline by the bed.” The room prepared for me was huge, several times larger than our wedding apartment. There were many things inside I’d never seen before—tiles that produced water just by waving your hand, hot drinks that prepared themselves when you spoke, a huge bed you could sink into just by stepping on it. Everything was so luxurious, so perfect, yet my heart ached unbearably. The emotions I’d suppressed all day suddenly released. Tears fell uncontrollably. “Dad, Mom, Torres betrayed me. He betrayed me!” In one night, I’d lost not only my lover but also my parents. Why? Why did they have to be seen together that day? If I hadn’t gotten on that train, would my mom and dad have come back? I don’t know how long I cried. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. “Who is it!” “It’s me.” Torres? I quickly stood up to compose myself, wiping my face with water, but the tile thing wouldn’t work. Then suddenly a curtain of water poured down from above. “Ah!” By the time I reacted, I was soaked through and had fallen down. “Ding!” The sound of the door unlocking came, and then Torres appeared before me. “What happened!” I looked at him with red eyes, and finally couldn’t hold back my tears. Crying, I said: “I just wanted to wash my face, but I’m not used to the things here. I’m not used to you either!” “Why? Why did I just sleep, and when I woke up everything had changed!” “Wah wah wah!” In the past, whenever I cried, Torres would magically produce candy from his pocket to comfort me. This time was no exception. Looking at the candy before me, I was momentarily surprised. Sometimes I really wondered if he knew magic—otherwise why did he always have candy in his pocket, yet I’d never seen him eat any. “You have sensitive skin. I brought you cotton clothes and left them outside. Eat the candy and go change, so you don’t catch cold. I’ll clean up here.” So he still remembered. I took the candy from his hand, tore open the wrapper and put it in my mouth. The sweet taste instantly filled my mouth. My favorite strawberry flavor. When I finished changing, he’d already prepared hot water and toothpaste for me. Just like every morning after our marriage, except back then I was the one preparing them for him. “Get some rest early after washing up. I’ll sleep on the couch tonight. If you need anything, just call me.” “Did you and…” Did you and Mia get together? The words reached my lips but I couldn’t say them. Forget it, whether they’re together or not, I’ll find out eventually. That night I slept deeply, almost until morning. When I woke up, there was a brand-new dress on the nightstand—the one I couldn’t bear to buy from the store window fifteen years ago. And his figure was long gone from the couch. The company name, strawberry-flavored candy, the dress I’d wanted for so long. So he still loved me, right! Maybe yesterday I was mistaken. Maybe he and Mia weren’t as close as they appeared. Maybe they just ran into each other at the mall. Realizing this, I suddenly felt excited. I wanted to find him quickly and ask clearly. As long as I asked clearly, all of this could pass. He would still be the Torres who only loved me! I quickly washed up and left the room. Mark was waiting right outside the door. “Good morning. Torres instructed me to take you to the restaurant to find him when you woke up.” “Okay, thank you.” When I reached the restaurant, I spotted Torres immediately. But someone else was sitting beside him—Mia. Even after fifteen years, she was still so beautiful and elegant. This made my heart tremble. “Marta? Is that really you!” Seeing me arrive, Torres didn’t look up, but Mia enthusiastically greeted me, walked over and took my hand, examining me carefully. And I just happened to see the dazzling gemstone ring on her right ring finger. No, Marta, calm down. Fifteen years have passed. Everyone should have gotten married. Maybe they’re just friends now! Pull yourself together, Marta. Torres clearly still has feelings for you! Taking a deep breath, I forced a smile to face her. But the next second, Mark’s words sent me straight to hell. He said: “Good morning, Mrs. Torres. Ms. Marta will be in your care today.”
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