Time Call Brought Bitter Truth

I participated in a viral Snapchat trend, pretending to make a "space-time call" to my 17-year-old self.

Filled with hope, I whispered into the phone, "Ethan, what is our life like at twenty-eight? Are we married? Are we... happy?"

There was a long silence on the other end. Then, Ethan’s exhausted voice came through:

"Not great."

"Chloe, I’ve wasted my entire life on you."

"Do me a favor. In your parallel universe, just let me go."

I froze, almost believing I had misheard him.

When I finally snapped out of it, I called my mom, crying hysterically.

"Mom, I—"