Chapter 4

As I stood there, I knew my younger self would be finishing his Calculus lesson and heading back to his dormitory. Drawing on my recollection, I positioned myself along his usual route and waited patiently until I caught sight of him.

I intercepted him, and watched as bewilderment spread across his recognizable features. "Do you need something?"

The sensation of conversing with my own visage and hearing my voice was incredibly surreal.

"Marcus, I'm the uncle who recently connected with you online," I stated, aware of my limited patience and getting right to the point.

Marcus's expression turned to annoyance. "I've already told you, I trust my girlfriend. Please stop interfering with us."

I mentally chastised myself for my past naivety. After coming all this way, how could I still believe Ramona?

Observing Marcus's resolute stance, I reconsidered my initial strategy.

I refrained from further explanation, knowing that revealing my identity as his future self would sound preposterous. He'd likely assume I was there to create problems.

Without hesitation, I retrieved Dmitri and Ramona's marriage certificate from my pocket and presented it to Marcus.

"I understand your skepticism. But please examine this."

"If you suspect it's counterfeit, you're welcome to have it authenticated at an official agency."

Marcus reluctantly accepted the document. As he unfolded it, he saw Ramona and Dmitri's photograph, along with their personal details, imprinted in black on a crimson background with an official stamp. It was irrefutable proof.

"Let's find somewhere to discuss this," I proposed, noticing his growing belief.

"Very well," Marcus inhaled deeply, as if steeling himself, and agreed.

We entered a nearby café. Before we could sit, Marcus eagerly inquired about when Ramona and I had become a couple. I understood his emotional turmoil, having been in his position.

I decided to be direct and shared everything I knew prior to the body swap.

"Ramona and I come from the same village. We married before she started college. Her family wasn't planning to fund her education. But I thought, since she'd worked hard to get in, and as my wife, I should support her. It would reflect well on me too. So, she enrolled..."

I paused to sip my coffee before continuing my fabricated tale with a neutral expression. "Later, during a phone conversation, I accidentally discovered your existence. Call it intuition, but something felt amiss. I probed further and confirmed she was being unfaithful."

"You know what followed. I found your contact information and informed you, but you didn't believe me." I met Marcus's gaze. "I couldn't bear to see you deceived by her as well, so I came to find you in person."

Marcus stared at his phone's wallpaper, which displayed Ramona's beaming smile in sunlight.

"Alright, I believe you. What do you want me to do?" Marcus finally broke the silence.

"I want Ramona to face complete humiliation," I replied with a slight smile, folding my arms and looking directly into Marcus's eyes, emphasizing each word.