After Digging Up the Time Capsule, I DisappearedChapter 1
After leaving behind my childhood sweetheart who had cheated on me, I met my destined one, Ryan Cooper.
He cherished me, holding me in the palm of his hand, and even after eight years of marriage, he never changed.
Until the day of our eighth wedding anniversary, when Ryan died in a car accident on his way to see me.
Later, I dug up a time capsule Ryan had buried before our marriage. Inside, there was only a diary, every page filled with his words about me.
I traded my life to return to his past, to accompany him again.
As I wished, I returned to Ryan’s eighteen-year-old self, becoming his childhood friend.
But the condition was that I could never leave Ryan.
Yet, he was hopelessly in love with a girl who looked almost exactly like me.
Whether at eighteen or twenty-eight, Ryan’s love had always belonged to her.
Watching him carefully prepare a confession, I made my decision.
“I want to leave him.”
“Think carefully. If you choose to leave, you’ll vanish from both worlds completely. In seven days, you’ll cease to exist.”
Ryan’s call pulled me out of my hesitation.
“Claire, which college are you applying to? Will it be far from me?”
His concerned voice always reminded me of the twenty-eight-year-old him.
“I’m not sure yet. Do you… want me to stay close to you?”
Ryan thought for a moment before replying.
“Of course. If you’re too far away, who’s going to help me chase after Emily?”
His words hit me like a bucket of cold water, soaking me through.
My smile froze.
“Ryan, if I were to leave—”
Before I could finish, Ryan cut me off.
“Claire, Emily’s calling me. I’ll hang up first. See you at the graduation party tonight.”
The call ended, and I was used to it by now.
I had spent over six years in this world with Ryan, yet almost every time, his first choice was always Emily Carter.
At twenty-eight, I could never understand how someone could remain so devoted in marriage, love unchanged after eight years.
Now I realized—it was because he had once met someone truly dazzling in his youth.
And unfortunately, I had merely become her substitute, nothing more.
Scrolling through Ryan’s social media posts, those hidden from Emily’s view:
“Seems like I’ve fallen a little more in love again.”
“Emily, even though you can’t see this, I still want to say—I really like you.”
“Emily, I’ll grow up faster, so I can give you a home.”