Defying Grandma Ruined My Life

I'm lucky to have Maggie Lambert as my grandmother. She appears in my dreams three times. The first time, she tells me I'll win a 75-million-dollar lottery jackpot. The second time, she tells me I'll marry a gorgeous woman. She then visits me for the third time and says, "Go to the home in the south of the city and burn everything in the basement, Christian." I'm over the moon with excitement, but that day, Nathan Lister, my three-year-old son, suddenly comes down with a high fever and loses consciousness. I decide to take him to the hospital instead of following Grandma's instructions after seeing how worried my wife, Wanda Cooper, is. In that instant, my world completely collapses. I lose 75 million dollars, and the company I founded becomes my assistant Henry Johnson's conglomerate. On top of that, Wanda becomes Henry's wife. I take the matter to court and report it to the police, only to be labeled delusional—everyone looks at me like I'm insane. In the end, Henry sends me straight to a psychiatric hospital. Henry and Wanda come to visit me the last time I'm clear-headed. Wanda cuddles up to Henry in his arms and looks at me, asking, "How much longer do you think he'll live, Henry?" I don't have time to struggle before Henry pulls out my ventilator. I open my eyes again and find that I have been reborn. Chapter 1 I sprang up from the chair in the study, breathing heavily. I noticed that the scent of sandalwood mixed with the smell of old books—everything felt incredibly familiar. I then noticed my grandmother Maggie Lambert's black-and-white portrait on the desk. She was smiling kindly, just as she always had. I shakily reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, noting that the screen still showed the date from three years ago—the day Nathan Lister, my son, first became ill. I then checked that my banking app showed 80 million dollars in my account and that my company surveillance footage still showed everyone working normally. Everything was as it should be. I slumped into the chair, my back drenched in cold sweat. I realized now that it wasn't a dream—I'd been given a second chance in life. In my dream, Grandma's words echoed clearly. "Go to the family cemetery in the south of the city and pay respects to our ancestors. Otherwise, a great misfortune will strike you." Yet, the next second, the study door flew open. Wanda Cooper, my wife, rushed in wearing her pajamas, panic written all over her face. "Nathan's fever is almost 104 degrees Fahrenheit! We have to take him to the hospital right away, Christian!" In my past life, that choice had made me lose Wanda, Nathan, and everything else. I felt my chest heaving as the realization hit me, the red, leaf-shaped birthmark on my wrist feeling unbearably hot. If I went to the hospital, Nathan could be saved—but I'd watch my entire life fall apart all over again. If I listened to Grandma instead, I might be able to keep everything I'd worked for—but something might happen to Nathan. I knew there had to be another way. I had to get to the ancestral home. It was the only way to change my fate. I jumped to my feet and snatched the coat off the back of the chair. "You should take Nathan to the hospital first! I have something hugely urgent to take care of and need to leave immediately!" Wanda was stunned. She gripped my hand tightly and asked, "What could possibly be more important than Nathan? He's burning up and practically delirious!" "Just trust me!" I pulled her fingers off my hand, emphasizing every word. "It's about whether our entire family lives or dies." Wanda had never seen me so determined before. She stood there in a daze, an unusual expression briefly crossing her gentle face before she even realized it. I had no time to explain, nor could I find the words to do so. I rushed out of the house and into the garage, then started the Cullinan. I hit the gas, my mind racing. Grandma's first two dreams had come true down to the smallest detail. She had given me the winning lottery numbers and shown me exactly when and where I'd save Wanda and fall in love with her at first sight. She would never lead me into danger. I knew that the third dream had to be important. It was then that my phone rang sharply—Henry Johnson was the one calling. I picked up the call. "Where are you, Mr. Lister? Mrs. Lister just called me, sobbing that you'd left without caring about Nathan. He's seriously ill and needs to be hospitalized immediately!" Henry sounded as calm and composed as always, though a trace of worry crept into his voice. In my past life, he'd always been the most reliable person by my side, but in the end, he was the one who pulled out my breathing tube. I felt a chill run down my spine at that thought. "Got it," I said before I hung up the call. I then pressed the gas pedal all the way down, speeding toward the ancestral home in the south of the city. Had it been a dream or a glimpse of the future? I wouldn't turn back this time around. … It was unusually quiet in the south of the city that rainy night, with the ancestral home standing tall in the darkness. I followed Grandma's instructions from my dream and located the cellar entrance concealed beneath a stone slab. I soon came across the sigil-engraved talisman she had mentioned. I tucked the talisman against my chest and rushed straight to the family cemetery outside the city without wasting a moment. I finally breathed a sigh of relief when I had finished everything. I sent Wanda a message as soon as I drove back. "It's all taken care of. I'm on my way back now. Is Nathan doing alright?" Yet, after I sent the message, I heard nothing back. Wanda didn't reply. I was suddenly overcome by an inexplicable feeling of dread. I called her repeatedly, but all I heard was the unanswered hearing. I knew that this shouldn't be happening—I had followed Grandma's instructions to the letter, after all. I drove at full speed and looked up as soon as I reached our building, noting that the lights in our apartment were still on. I rushed out of the elevator, took my keys, and opened the door. Chapter 2 I noticed that the living room was in complete disarray. Wanda cradled Nathan—his fever finally broken—on the couch, her eyes bloodshot from crying. She immediately let go of all the fury and hurt she had bottled up the moment she spotted me. "Where on earth have you been, Christian? Nathan's fever hit 104 degrees Fahrenheit, and the doctor issued a life-threatening condition warning! Do you even care about this family anymore? What about Nathan and me? Do we mean anything to you, Christian?" I looked at my frail son and my haggard wife, guilt washing over me. I walked up to them, knelt before Wanda, and hugged her and Nathan. I had no idea how to explain what had happened. How could I explain that I had been reborn, or that Grandma had visited me in a dream? If I said any of that out loud, they would think I was insane. I tried everything I could that night to apologize and make it up to her. Wanda's anger only finally subsided after she kept demanding more of me all night. It wasn't until nearly dawn that she finally fell fast asleep in my arms. I stroked her face as she slept, my gaze falling on the hickeys I'd left on her neck. I was overwhelmed with relief that we had escaped disaster. I had made the right choice this time around. Early the next morning, I walked into the office feeling completely refreshed. I had just stepped through the front doors when a loud pop rang out, and a cloud of confetti and glitter showered down from above. "Congratulations, Ms. Lister!" "We've made it! We've made it rich, Mr. Lister!" Every employee rushed over, their excitement written all over their faces. Henry made his way to me and patted me firmly on the shoulder. "You're incredible, Mr. Lister! Our stock price went up ten times overnight! Ten times!" I was stunned. I ran into my office and turned on my computer, only to see every financial headline was about my company. In the span of a night, my net worth had surged to 1.5 billion dollars. I was instantly overwhelmed with excitement. I finally understood the true meaning of Grandma's third dream. It wasn't an omen of disaster but a windfall of enormous wealth. I announced right then that all employees would get double their year-end bonuses, and key members of my team would receive shares in the company. The office erupted in cheers. That afternoon, I went to a high-end jewelry shop and picked up a diamond necklace Wanda had wanted for ages but could never bring herself to buy because of the price. I planned to surprise her with it that evening. Yet, sitting in the car and staring at the elegant jewelry box, flashes of my violent death from my past life surfaced again. I couldn't let myself get overconfident. I took out my phone, turned on the camera, and aimed it at myself. "I-If you're watching this video, it means that something is wrong with the world again. You have to remember this—Grandma visited you in your dreams three times. "Your third dream sent you to the ancestral home, after which the company's stock shot up. Your wife's name is Wanda Cooper, and your son's name is Nathan Lister. Your assistant's name is Henry Johnson, but he…" I hesitated, then recorded the details of Henry's betrayal and murder in my past life, along with the identical birthmark I remembered seeing on his wrist. I encrypted the video once I was done and uploaded it to a foreign cloud storage account that no one but me knew about. After that, I finally felt at ease, humming a tune as I drove home. I took out my key when I reached home and slid it into the lock, but it wouldn't turn. It didn't seem to fit. I was stunned for a moment, assuming I had grabbed the wrong key because I was so excited, but I checked several times, and it was definitely the right one. Had the lock been changed? I pressed the doorbell. I waited a while before hearing footsteps behind the door. The door opened a moment later, and Wanda stood there in a casual cotton dress, her hair loosely twisted up. She looked wary and slightly annoyed. "Who are you looking for?" I froze, the smile on my face fading. Chapter 3 I stared at her, my eyes fixing on the faint hickey on her pale neck—the one I had left just last night that hadn't fully faded. "Oh, stop messing around, Wanda. I'm really sorry about yesterday, but look at what I brought you…" I forced a smile and held up the jewelry box in my hand, reaching out to hug her out of habit. Wanda slapped me hard across the face and bellowed, "Who the hell do you think you are? You freaking lunatic! You'd better leave now, or I'm calling the police!" I clutched my cheek, stunned into silence. I smelled unfamiliar men's cologne, then saw a man walk out from behind Wanda and casually place his hand on her waist. It was Henry. He wore the same pajamas I did, his hair disheveled as if he had just gotten out of bed. He frowned at me as if I were an unwelcome visitor. "Who are you? Why are you making so much noise first thing in the morning?" I felt my blood rush to my head as I completely lost my composure. I pointed at him and screamed at Wanda. "It's me! It's Christian—your husband! Where's our son? Where's Nathan?" Wanda shrank back into Henry's arms, staring at me as if I had lost my mind. "I don't know you! I don't have a son either!" How could Nathan not be around? I shoved Henry aside and rushed into the house. I recognized the decor and the furniture, but when I ran to my son's room and pushed the door open, I found no crib inside, no toys, and not a single trace of a child ever living there. There were women's clothes and handbags instead. Nathan's bedroom had become Wanda's walk-in closet. I fell to the floor, feeling a chill spread through my entire body. There were two uniformed security guards who burst in and hauled me up by the arms. "Please leave the premises, sir!" They roughly dragged me along, and as we passed the living room, I saw Wanda wrapped tightly around Henry, while he looked at me with utter contempt, as if I were a piece of garbage. In that instant, the front door slammed shut right in front of me. I was dumped onto the cold floor, looking utterly pathetic. How could this be happening? I had been holding Wanda and Nathan just last night. I had even been celebrating my company's soaring stock price. I suddenly recalled I still had the company to rely on. I had hundreds of employees, and they all knew me. Henry could pay Wanda off, but there was no way he could buy everyone's loyalty. I got up from the floor and raced toward the elevator in a panic. I practically stumbled out of the complex before flagging down a cab. "Go to Global Center! Hurry!" It usually took 40 minutes to get there, but I made it in 20 minutes. I rushed into the office building, where the young receptionist I had personally brought on board politely stopped me. "Good morning. May I ask who you're here to see?" I pushed past her and rushed straight toward the CEO's office at the end of the corridor. I noticed that the door wasn't locked, so I pushed it open and went inside. Henry was seated behind the expensive mahogany desk worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, signing papers with his head bowed. He raised his head at the sound and looked annoyed when he saw me. "You again?" He reached for the phone on his desk and dialed the security extension. "Get over here and throw him out of my office!" It didn't take long for two security guards to rush in and grab me again, one on each side. I struggled to break free, my eyes bloodshot as I glared at him. "It's my company! That's my seat! Who gave you the right to sit there, Henry?" I was dragged out of the office all the same. I was hauled down the long hallway, and I noticed the employees who had been smiling at me the day before now looked at me as though I had lost my mind. On the glass doors at the company entrance, the CEO's name was displayed clearly beneath the company logo—Henry Johnson. I slumped to the ground outside the company, completely drained. I was completely overwhelmed with anger, humiliation, and a deep sense of helplessness. How could this happen? Hadn't I just gone to the cemetery to deal with those talismans? Everything had to be fake! I pulled out my phone and, with what little strength I had left, called the police. "Is this the police? I'd like to report someone who stole everything from me!" The police arrived soon, along with Henry and Wanda. Henry presented their marriage certificate, the house's title deed, and the paperwork for all the company shares. Henry's name was on every document—as the homeowner or the company's legal representative. The lead police officer looked from the documents to me, his brow furrowing. "What's your name? May I take a look at your passport?" I handed my passport to the police officer, but he barely looked at it before giving me a suspicious look. "Is this passport of yours fake?" Chapter 4 I was taken to the police station and placed in a cold interrogation room. It filled me with the same despair I had experienced in the psychiatric hospital in my past life. The police officer typed away on the keyboard. "The household registration system lists Henry Johnson as Wanda Cooper's spouse. The business records also indicate that Henry is the legal representative of the company you claim is yours." I suddenly realized something—the video I had recorded yesterday. I quickly pulled out my phone and opened the foreign cloud storage account, only to find it empty. I completely fell apart. I seized on one last hope and shouted at the police officers. "I won 75 million dollars in the lottery three years ago! There must be a record of it! Go look it up!" The police officer glanced at me and actually looked it up in the system. A few minutes later, he raised his head and looked at me with pity. "The records list Henry as the winner of the 75 million dollars lottery three years ago… Do you need us to assist you in contacting a doctor from the psychiatric department?" Everything from my past life came rushing back. When the police weren't watching, I took advantage of the moment, shoved the door open, and ran out of the station like a madman. I hid in a poorly lit internet café, switched on a computer, and shakily searched for "75 million dollars lottery winner." The results were filled with news stories featuring Henry's smug, triumphant expression. Next, I searched for Henry and Wanda's wedding. There were reports of their grand wedding, with photos of the two of them smiling lovingly among a crowd of guests. I searched for my company next, then for my own name. Every article credited Henry as the founder, describing him as a business prodigy who had built his success from nothing and had an exceptional eye for investments. I slumped in my chair, unable to make sense of anything. Who was I? Had it all been a dream, or had I somehow been reborn? I immediately pulled out my phone and checked the date—it was 2026. It meant that the year was right. Why did Wanda seem more mature than I remembered if I had only gone back in time? Why had Henry replaced me? Everything I thought I knew about the world came crashing down in that moment. Grandma was the only one I could think of, because her dreams had set everything in motion. She had to know why all this happened. I bolted out of the internet café and drove to the family cemetery in the south of the city. I went around the hillside three times, searching for Grandma's grave, but it was nowhere to be found. There was nothing there but a stretch of barren patch of land covered in weeds. A local man who was hoeing the ground nearby noticed me and asked, "What are you looking for, young man?" "Could you tell me if there used to be a grave here for an elderly woman with the last name Lambert?" The local man gave me a confused look. "You're looking for an elderly woman with the last name Lambert? There's only one Ms. Lambert around here, though. She's healthy as ever and plays chess by the village entrance every day. She's very much alive. What grave are you talking about?" Grandma was still alive, then? I felt my head throb as a loud ringing filled my ears, wiping out every thought. I followed the man's directions and found the elderly woman under the oak tree by the village entrance. She was playing chess with someone and looked to be in excellent health. She was exactly the same as the Grandma in my memories. I rushed over, fell to my knees in front of her, and burst out crying. "Grandma!" Grandma was startled by my sudden approach and dropped the chess piece she was holding. She gave me a puzzled look and said, "You must be confusing me with someone else." "It's me, Grandma! It's Christian Lister! Have you forgotten who I am? You visited me in my dreams and told me to buy lottery tickets and told me to deal with the talismans at the ancestral home, Grandma!" Grandma looked at me even more strangely, as if I were out of my mind. "What dreams and talismans? Have you been reading too many fictions? What kind of nonsense are you talking about in the middle of the day?" That word "rebirth" popped into my head for the first time in the most ridiculous way. What if I hadn't been reborn at all but had traveled to a different past where Grandma was still alive and everything had completely changed? Just when I was about to give up all hope, a small figure cautiously poked their head out from behind the oak tree. That child looked at me and called out in a quiet but unmistakable voice, "D-Daddy?"