1131-1135

*Chapter 1131: Rewriting Destiny*

“...Before you were born, I was pregnant twice, but both ended in miscarriage.”

“When I was pregnant with you, I was terrified. I had to prepare for the worst.”

“Then, your birth went smoothly. From that moment, I believed you were my miracle baby.”

This was a secret.

A secret shared only between Andrea and Jason—a hidden chapter of pain in the family’s history before Evan was born.

So, when the astrologer said that Evan shouldn’t exist in this world, Andrea broke down, unable to control her emotions.

Even though Evan remained curious about how Jason regained his memories all those years ago, he realized more and more that he couldn’t bring himself to hurt his mother. He had to find his own way to uncover the truth.

After dinner, Evan returned to his dormitory and decided to start with the diary.

But his roommate, Sam, stopped him.

Sam, the chubby goth boy with bizarre hairstyles who constantly brought different girls back to the dorm and lived life carelessly, now stood seriously in Evan’s way, shaking his head.

“I thought more about what you’re doing. Things might get worse when you wake up.”

Evan smiled bitterly. “Worse than now?”

Sam shook his head, still trying to stop him.

But Evan couldn’t hold back. “You think you understand me? No, not even I understand myself.”

Snatching the diary back from Sam’s hands, Evan attempted to re-enter its world. Yet his focus wavered, leaving him both angry and frustrated.

In the end, Evan didn’t continue reading the diary. Instead, he drove away from the school—this time to find Keller.

---

Inside the screening room, Nicholas froze.

Halfway through the film, Rachel McAdams finally appeared.

But she wasn’t her usual radiant self.

Haggard and gloomy, broken and withdrawn, her hunched posture, cowering shoulders, and evasive eyes spoke of the scars time had etched deep into her soul without needing words.

At that moment, she was just a waitress in a rundown diner, serving plates and coffee. When a dish accidentally shattered, the grumbling boss berated her loudly.

As she scrambled to clean up the mess, a bald middle-aged man took advantage of the moment to grope her. She flinched in terror but dared not retaliate, instead forcing a smile while awkwardly pulling away and retreating to the kitchen.

Nicholas couldn’t help but recall Keller’s father, George, and her brother, Tommy. An ominous feeling gripped his chest, making it hard to breathe.

If even Nicholas reacted this way, how much more deeply would Evan be affected?

On the screen, Evan stood outside the diner, watching everything unfold. His smile slowly froze, sorrow and regret seeping into his gaze as the light in his eyes gradually dimmed.

Evan chose not to approach Keller.

He thought maybe Keller wouldn’t want anyone to see her in such a state. So he waited patiently in the parking lot until her shift ended.

“Hey.”

Evan called out softly, his voice tinged with nervousness.

Keller stopped, turned around, and instinctively took two steps back, her body tense and defensive, ready to run.

Her guarded stance revealed far more than words ever could.

Evan stepped out of the shadows but kept his distance, looking at Keller with a mix of shyness and unease, carefully hiding the storm of emotions in his eyes while stealing glances at her.

Keller froze.

In the moonlight, she examined his face—strangely unfamiliar yet faintly familiar. Memories flooded her mind like a tidal wave. Her vigilance eased slightly as she hesitated, uncertain, and spoke tentatively.

“...Evan?”

The young man, dressed in a white T-shirt and jeans, scratched his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “Hey, Keller.”

That simple greeting brought a rush of bygone memories crashing back.

Keller stood motionless, gazing at Evan, joy and longing softly blooming in her eyes. Time seemed to pause as the breeze flowed gently around them.

In a single exchange of looks, it felt as if an eternity had passed.

But the next moment, Keller snapped out of it, anxiety overtaking her once more.

Fumbling in her pocket, she pulled out a cigarette and tried to light it, only to find her hands trembling too much to work the lighter. After several attempts, she finally managed to light the cigarette, taking a deep drag to steady herself.

Even as Evan approached, she subtly stepped back to maintain a safe distance, her eyes darting over him as if he were a curious yet unfamiliar object.

They exchanged casual small talk.

From Keller’s offhand comments, Evan learned that Tommy had been caught and sent to a juvenile detention center, where he served a few years before being released to work as an apprentice at a repair shop.

Keller, on the other hand, had moved out at fifteen to escape her father. Her mother had remarried and clearly wanted nothing to do with her past. Forced to drop out of school, Keller had been working ever since to support herself.

She spoke lightly, without embellishment or drama, but her words carried the weight of untold pain hidden between the lines.

The two wandered through the quiet night, walking as if they could stroll into eternity, leaving behind all worries of tomorrow.

But Evan couldn’t let it go.

Despite his hesitation, he summoned the courage to ask about that fateful afternoon when they were seven—when George filmed them with his camera, what happened in the basement, why Keller was in tears, why neither of them was wearing their own clothes, and why George had sworn them to secrecy.

Before Evan could even touch the core of the topic, it struck a nerve in Keller, who bristled like a porcupine, her words turning sharp and defensive.

Evan tried to reassure her. “No matter what happened, it wasn’t our fault. We were just kids. We shouldn’t have to carry that burden…”

“Shut up, Evan,” Keller snapped, her voice breaking. “You’re wasting your time.”

Without giving Evan a chance to respond, she turned and fled.

Watching her retreating figure, Evan wanted to leave too. But after taking a deep breath, he called out again. “You can’t blame yourself for your father’s twisted actions.”

Keller stopped, spun around, and stormed back, fury blazing in her eyes.

“Who are you trying to convince, Evan?”

“You came all this way to mess up my life because you have bad memories?”

“So, what do you want? For me to cry on your shoulder and tell you everything’s fine now?”

“Get lost! Damn it, Evan, nothing’s fine. Nothing will ever be fine!”

Tears streaming down her face, Keller turned to leave again but stopped mid-step. Under the moonlight, she faced Evan one last time and shouted from a distance.

“You know what? If I was so damn important to you, why didn’t you call? Why did you leave me here to rot?”

*(End of Chapter)*

Chapter 1132: Emerging Truths

Under the night sky, Evan stood rooted in place, speechless. His gaze lingered on Keller's fleeing figure, slowly swallowed by the waves of darkness. He tried to speak but remained silent.

The moonlight weighed heavily on Evan’s shoulders, suffocating him.

Returning to campus with countless questions, Evan tried to focus and get back on track, continuing his thesis work. Yet his mind was chaotic—no progress at all.

Frustration and anxiety gnawed at him, leaving his thoughts tangled and restless.

But things didn’t improve.

Back in the dorm, Sam informed him of a voicemail.

The first message was from his professor, concerned about Evan missing his deadline to submit the thesis. The professor called to check in.

Evan glanced upward, wondering if the situation could get any worse.

The second message was from… Tommy.

“What the hell did you say to my sister?”

The unfamiliar voice froze Evan on the spot. He stiffened completely, unmoving.

“She cried on the phone with me for over an hour last night. She told me you visited her. And tonight… she killed herself.”

“She’s dead.”

“…You will be too.”

Tommy had lost his mind.

Evan stood there, expressionless, motionless—like a puppet with its strings cut, his shoulders slumped ever so slightly. Despair, like a creeping mold, began spreading from the depths of his soul.

---

The funeral was held on an overcast day.

From afar, Evan clutched a bouquet of fresh flowers but didn’t step closer.

He could see George and Tommy, who had controlled Keller's life, yet even in her death, they refused to let her go.

After they all left, Evan approached the tombstone alone, staring silently at the coffin awaiting burial.

During their last meeting, Keller had been so broken, her pain etched into every fiber of her being. Her wounds and scars had never healed.

Evan’s bright, clear eyes now showed a flicker of resolve. Beneath the layers of anguish and bitterness, determination began to surface.

“If the scars on my stomach didn’t appear out of thin air, then maybe my father isn’t the madman everyone thinks he is.

If I can create scars, could I also heal them? What about Keller’s scars?”

---

Back in his dorm, Evan dug out an old diary, piecing together fragments of childhood memories. He began journaling again.

After recording his current thoughts, Evan flipped to an entry written when he was seven years old. He focused intently, reading aloud.

“…Anyway, I didn’t want to be in that movie. It was cold, and I wanted to wear my shirt, but Mr. Miller took it off…”

It had happened after all.

The "dream" returned, though Evan couldn’t distinguish whether it was a dream or reality.

But now, he relived the scene recorded in his diary.

---

That sunny afternoon when he was seven, his mother left him at the Millers’ house. He, Keller, and Tommy played together. George had announced that he bought a camera and planned to film a movie. It was supposed to star Tommy and Keller, but George changed his mind—now it would be Evan and Keller.

Back then, Evan’s memory had blanked out completely.

But this time, it all became disturbingly clear. He experienced it firsthand.

George led them to the basement. Tommy tried to sneak in but was caught and scolded, forced to stay out. Still, Tommy hid on the staircase.

George explained they were filming a Robin Hood story. The next scene involved Robin Hood and Maid Marian on their wedding night.

He instructed Evan and Keller to take off their clothes.

Keller averted her gaze, her head bowed low.

George frowned. “No need to overreact. It’s just like when we bathe, isn’t it?”

At seven, Evan hadn’t understood the implications. But at twenty, he did.

Evan turned to look at Keller, trembling with fear, her shoulders hunched. This clearly wasn’t her first time.

Taking a deep breath, Evan decided to act.

Leaning toward Keller, he whispered softly, “Cover your ears.”

Keller obediently closed her eyes and pressed her hands over her ears.

Evan then straightened and turned to face the camera and George. His expression turned icy, and his eyes gleamed with a dangerous intensity.

“What time is it?” he asked coldly.

George glanced at his watch dismissively. “Time for you to do as I say.”

Evan stepped forward. “Wrong answer, George. It’s time for you to start counting.”

George faltered, finally noticing something was off about Evan.

Fixing George with a piercing gaze, Evan continued, “In the next thirty seconds, you’ll open one of two doors.

“One door leads to a lifetime of harm to your own flesh and blood. You’ll destroy your daughter’s life, turning a vibrant girl into a hollow shell. Her remaining trust in the world will shatter because her father is a twisted monster. And in the end, she’ll take her own life.

“Bravo, dad.”

George stood frozen, staring at Evan as if facing a demon. His alcohol-induced instability grew worse.

“Who…who are you?” George stammered.

Evan sneered. “Let’s put it this way—someone’s always watching you, George.”

“The other door? Treat Keller the way a loving father should. Doesn’t that sound nice, dad?”

George, avoiding Evan’s gaze, nodded weakly.

But Evan wasn’t done. He stepped closer, his face disappearing into shadow, leaving only his eyes glowing in the dark.

“Listen carefully, George. If you mess this up again, I’ll make sure you never have the chance to.”

George gulped, trying to speak, but no sound came out.

“And one more thing. Keep an eye on your son, Tommy—because he’s a ticking time bomb.”

On the staircase, Tommy clutched a doll, pulling at it violently.

Evan didn’t notice Tommy. He was consumed by his own thoughts—fixing everything, healing the wounds.

Turning to Keller, Evan whispered one last thing into her ear.

Keller lowered her hands, opened her eyes, and mustered the courage to face her father. Taking a deep breath, she shouted, “Don’t ever touch me again.”

---

Applause erupted in the theater, breaking the silence.

The audience quickly realized their impropriety, covering their mouths to quiet themselves. The applause faded, leaving the room still once more.

But in Nicholas’s mind, waves of shock and awe raged on.

The cruel, bloody truth had finally surfaced. The hidden, ugly realities were laid bare for all to see.

More importantly, Evan had fought back with courage.

How many children, both past and present, have faced such horrors, voiceless and unprotected?

At last, Evan took a stand, speaking out on behalf of all those silenced children.

Nicholas couldn’t help but feel his heart surge with emotion, his blood boiling with righteous fervor.

(End of chapter)

*Chapter 1133: Earth-shattering*

Inside the Wilshire Theater, there was dead silence. It was so quiet that even breathing and heartbeats seemed to have ceased. Nearly two thousand audience members sat in shock and awe, their eyes fixed on the screen in front of them—

Evan and Keller, two seven-year-old children, stood up bravely to confront George.

It was like a modern-day "David vs. Goliath."

Emotions surged and swelled, yet words were inadequate to express them.

At that moment, Nicholas could be one hundred percent certain:

The movie was a success.

At least, it had successfully captured the entire audience's attention. Because there stood Anson, draped in a white sheet like an ancient Greek god, his well-toned body on full display. Yet, the audience didn't scream; they were entranced.

This meant that even the most fervent fans were now fully absorbed in the story. More than looks or physique, the tension of the plot had taken hold of their attention, and they cared about the fate of the characters. They were invested in how the story unfolded.

Without a doubt, this was remarkable.

After all, even in “Spider-Man,” Sam Raimi had devoted plenty of shots to highlighting Anson’s good looks. Not to mention “Catch Me If You Can,” which felt like a fashion show at times.

Nicholas was no exception to this rule either.

It felt like this was the first time Nicholas had truly set aside Anson’s appearance and been swept up in the story through his character alone.

The key was that the film didn’t allow a moment’s pause for thoughts to settle. The plot continued to advance with the force of a hurricane, barreling forward unstoppably.

Gasp!

Evan opened his eyes, finding himself back at twenty years old, trapped.

He lay in an unfamiliar room. Even the time seemed different from when he’d opened the diary, as if transitioning from one dream to another, completely detached from reality—

Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?

Evan’s pupils darted about, revealing intense confusion and panic.

“Ah!”

Evan was overwhelmed with pain as an avalanche of memories flooded his mind, filling it to the brim and stirring up a storm.

Evan and Keller, a budding romance despite the mailbox explosion and the Crockett incident, despite the move—through it all, they stayed together, sharing countless wonderful moments.

Those fragmented memories nearly split Evan’s head open.

When he came to, his nose was bleeding. Just then, Keller appeared behind him, sharing the bed, startling Evan so much he fell off.

Keller?

At this point, Keller, who should have ended her life, was alive and well. Not only that, she was smiling brightly, a smile that seemed to encompass the entire world.

After piecing things together, Evan finally understood what was going on.

History had changed—

Everything. Absolutely everything.

The childhood basement incident never happened. Keller wasn’t harmed. On the contrary, she had gone to state university, just like Evan.

They attended prom together, looked forward to a bright future, held hands, never wanting to part. They were the envy of the entire campus, the perfect couple.

Evan and Samp became strangers. Samp remained the unconventional, gothic misfit, while Evan transformed into the senior member of a fraternity he once despised, known for playing pranks on freshmen.

Everything before him was too perfect, almost unreal.

Evan needed repeated reassurance from Keller that this wasn’t a dream, that their happiness wouldn’t vanish like sand. They now had a happy present and a bright future, and happiness was no longer a distant fantasy.

His anxious demeanor was almost childlike.

Yet, reality always lurks behind the happiest moments, waiting to strike with tragedy.

Evan was determined to hold onto the happiness that had finally come. He planned a candlelit dinner where he and Keller dressed up—

He was ready to propose.

Before he could say a word, his fraternity friends burst in, interrupting his romantic moment, announcing that his car had been smashed.

No one knew what had happened, but Evan noticed one clue.

A dog chain!

The fear lurking beneath the surface gripped Evan’s heart like a vise. He recalled strange phone calls that went silent, the sense of being watched during happy moments. The answer was clear:

Tommy.

Evan raced back to the dorm to find a weapon. He knew Tommy had come for him.

Triggered by memories of countless past beatings and humiliations, Evan searched frantically for protection but found only a can of pepper spray, leaving him defenseless and terrified.

Keller couldn’t understand.

She tried to calm Evan down, insisting that Tommy wouldn’t hurt anyone and revealing that she had been protecting Tommy all along.

Then Evan understood.

His words had successfully kept George away from Keller, but in turn, George had directed all his rage and frustration at Tommy.

Tommy had become the scapegoat, bearing all the pain alone. Except for Keller, Tommy trusted no one in the world.

So Keller asked Evan not to worry. She believed Tommy wouldn’t go that far; if he did show up, she was sure she could talk to him.

Having pieced together the situation, Evan calmed down, realizing that perhaps in this timeline, his perception of Tommy was outdated; perhaps Tommy’s fate was connected to his own actions, and maybe Tommy deserved a chance.

He had saved Keller, but at the cost of destroying Tommy.

After a moment, Evan agreed they should let campus security handle it.

Evan escorted Keller back to her dorm, feeling uneasy and planning to stay with her that night. But Keller, thinking it over, felt uneasy too and insisted she should be alone.

“Evan, I just… I don’t want Tommy to see us together right now.” Deep down, Keller knew about Tommy’s protectiveness—

It had turned into possessiveness.

Keller didn’t want to risk it.

But Evan refused to back down. “No, I’ve lost you once before. I’m not going through that again.”

Keller didn’t understand. “What do you mean you lost me? You never lost me. What are you talking about? You’ve been acting strange lately.”

Evan panicked.

He worried that Keller might catch on, fumbling for words. But clearly, different childhoods had shaped their thinking and behavior.

He was still himself, but he wasn’t him anymore.

Evan struggled for an explanation, but Keller’s attention shifted when she noticed his coat lying under a tree.

Before Evan could feel relieved, a figure stepped out from behind the tree, holding a baseball bat, a cruel, twisted smile on his face—

Tommy.

Seeing the menacing, enraged Tommy, the cold, unfeeling Tommy…

Nightmares flooded Evan’s mind once again.

(End of Chapter)

*Chapter 1134: Self-Redemption*

Murderous intent lingered in the air.

It wasn’t just Evan and Keller; Nicholas, sitting in the darkened theater, could also feel the unease and fear sinking into his bones. Uncontrollably, he curled up in his seat, as though trying to ward off the cold enveloping the room.

Though it was already November, and Wiltshire Theater hadn’t turned on the air conditioning, the goosebumps prickling his skin were screaming at him.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through Nicholas’s mind:

*Tommy knows.*

When Evan saved Keller and entrusted George to properly handle Tommy, Tommy had been there, sitting quietly on the stairs, silently witnessing everything.

Tommy believed his life’s tragedies were all Evan’s fault—and now, Evan was about to "take" his sister too.

“Oh, God!”

A sudden fear gripped Nicholas’s heart.

And then—

It happened.

Tommy swung a baseball bat, viciously beating Evan. Keller had to rush to the alarm to call campus security.

Under the relentless barrage of blows, Evan curled up like a shrimp, memories of torment flooding his mind like a tide.

The mailbox explosion that killed the neighbor lady and her infant.

The Crockett incident, where his dog was brutally and coldly killed.

And more—Tommy had made life hell for him and Lenny, even beating and threatening Keller, acting as George’s accomplice.

Memories from both timelines blurred together, becoming indistinguishable. Now, just as Evan was finally beginning to grasp happiness, Tommy had reappeared, threatening to destroy it all—to destroy him.

Evan lost control.

Seizing a brief window, Evan retaliated with pepper spray. Tommy, caught off guard, stumbled to the ground, clutching his eyes. Evan took the chance to counterattack.

Punch after punch.

Blow after blow.

Evan had snapped. His eyes were bloodshot, his reason lost, his fists raining down like a storm. Finally, he grabbed the baseball bat Tommy had dropped.

He raised it high.

Time froze in that moment.

Nicholas, without realizing it, had stopped breathing. His entire body stiffened as he sat paralyzed in his seat, staring wide-eyed at the scene unfolding before him.

He could do nothing but witness the tragedy.

*Bang!*

The bat came crashing down.

With a dull thud, Tommy’s head slumped to the side, motionless.

The entire theater fell silent.

From the pinnacle of blissful happiness to the depths of despair, the descent happened too quickly. The freefall twist sucked all the oxygen from the theater, leaving the mind numb and dazed amid the shock.

For a moment, Nicholas even doubted what he had seen—

*It’s a dream, right?*

In the film, Evan himself couldn’t distinguish between reality and dreams, between fantasy and truth.

So this tragedy—it was just a dream, wasn’t it?

But just as that thought formed, the film cut sharply to the next scene.

*The prison.*

Evan, like a lamb among wolves, was met with a cacophony of catcalls and jeers.

It was an instant callback to The Shawshank Redemption—Evan’s arrival in prison mirrored Andy’s experience exactly, thrusting him into a vortex of danger.

Evan tried to save himself. He begged his mother to bring all his journals. But Andrea, unaware of their significance, only found two. This plunged Evan into despair, as he needed the right journal to access the right timeline and change his fate.

Unfortunately, these two journals were filled with mundane, insignificant entries from when he was seven, utterly useless.

Worse still, the journals didn’t stay safe for long. The prison’s predatory kingpins, with their eyes on fresh meat, immediately seized them. Despite Evan’s attempts to fight back, the result was disastrous—not only was he left battered and bruised, but the journals were torn into countless pieces.

Evan was desolate.

But after enduring the torment, he began to piece himself back together. He realized he had to save himself. More importantly, he had to change his fate.

Evan turned to his cellmate, Carlos, for help.

From the first day Evan arrived in prison, the seemingly intimidating Carlos had subtly offered advice, trying to help him survive. But Evan, overwhelmed by disbelief at his predicament, hadn’t paid attention, leading to his current plight.

Now, Evan needed Carlos’s help.

Evan revealed the secret of the journals to Carlos.

Naturally, Carlos didn’t believe him, thinking Evan was delusional.

Evan decided to prove it. Using the journal, he returned to when he was seven—specifically, to the infamous art class where he had drawn a horrifying, bloody scene that prompted the teacher to call his mother.

This time, Evan didn’t change the drawing but chose to leave a mark.

He approached the teacher’s desk, where two long, pointed tacks were positioned upright for pinning notes.

Evan slammed his palms down onto the tacks, leaving scars on his hands.

When he returned to the prison, Carlos was stunned. Two scars had appeared on Evan’s palms out of nowhere—stigmata-like marks reminiscent of Christ’s wounds from the crucifixion.

Carlos, a devout believer, was in awe.

In his faith, such marks were seen as divine signs. And now, Evan bore them, proof of his claims.

Carlos fully submitted and agreed to help Evan.

Together, they confronted the prison kingpins who had taken Evan’s journals.

Feigning submission, Evan knelt and pretended to seek their protection, biding his time. When the kingpins were distracted, Evan drew a shiv hidden in his sleeve and struck. Carlos stormed in to subdue the other, locking the cell door behind him.

Evan grabbed his journals, dove onto the bed, and hurriedly flipped through the pages, reciting an entry to focus his mind.

As the gang broke through and rushed in, Evan’s plan worked—he returned to that fateful afternoon.

The afternoon Crockett was destroyed.

At the critical moment, Evan, brimming with determination, knew he had to act. Not only to save Crockett but also to inspire Lenny to confront his own guilt over the mailbox explosion.

This time, he would save Keller, himself, and Lenny, while destroying Tommy once and for all.

In his eyes, a fiery resolve burned.

(To be continued.)

*Chapter 1135: A Futile Effort*

Some things changed; some remained the same; and still others veered off into the unknown—

The god of fate is always mocking the insignificance of humans, who struggle desperately like ants.

Take Evan, for instance.

Evan returned to that afternoon, attempting to save Crockett from Tommy.

In fact, Evan succeeded.

Evan convinced Tommy that if he killed Crockett, he would be sent to juvenile detention, which meant Keller would be left to face George alone—something Tommy didn’t want.

Tommy wavered.

After a brief hesitation, Tommy dropped the torch and untied the rope around the burlap sack, letting Crockett go.

However, things didn’t go as planned.

This time, it was Lenny.

Evan initially intended for Lenny to cut the ropes with a metal shard, release Crockett, and stand up to Tommy as an act of redemption.

Unexpectedly, Lenny, blinded by guilt and rage, stabbed Tommy in the back with the metal shard, even though Tommy had already let Crockett go.

The butterfly effect struck again.

Tommy died.

Keller packed her things and ran away from George.

Lenny was sent to a mental institution for treatment.

Even worse, when fragments of memory surged into Evan's mind like a tidal wave, his brain couldn’t handle the flood of memories in such a short time. Like a computer crashing, Evan’s eyes rolled back, blood streamed from his nose, ears, and eyes, and he passed out in his dorm room.

A brain scan at the hospital confirmed this: Evan’s brain had been crammed with more than forty years' worth of memories in just a year. This severely damaged his brain structure, causing continuous bleeding in the cerebral cortex and leading to potential long-term risks.

But did Evan care?

No, he didn’t have time to worry about himself now; he realized he had to save Lenny.

While Andrea was talking with the doctor, Evan stole the doctor’s ID card, entered the inpatient department, and found Lenny in the ward—

Lenny lay lifeless, bound to the bed, with vacant eyes.

Evan tried to awaken Lenny, but it was futile. Just as Evan was about to leave, Lenny suddenly woke up.

Lenny accused Evan, saying that when Evan handed him the metal shard, he must have known it would lead to something bad. Lenny believed Evan was the one who should be in the hospital, as he was the real patient in need of treatment.

Evan was stunned.

He tried to put everything back on track, but it was clear that wasn’t easy. The countless tangled memories were like seaweed wrapping around him.

Then Evan had an idea:

His father.

Maybe his father had been through this and knew how to fix it.

Going through the diary again, Evan returned to that afternoon when he was seven and met his father.

Evan got straight to the point.

And Jason... immediately understood.

Jason: "I prayed the curse would disappear with me."

Evan: "But it didn’t. I need information to make things right. You’re the only one who can tell me."

Jason: "There is no 'right.' You can’t change one person without ruining others."

Evan: "Who says things can’t be better?"

Jason: "You can’t play God, son."

Jason’s anger surged, mixed with helplessness and sadness. He couldn’t control himself and leaned forward, eyes locked on Evan.

"Just being here could kill your mother."

But Evan wasn’t buying it. He believed he could set everything right, and that confidence finally pushed Jason over the edge.

In an instant, Jason lunged over the table, knocking Evan down and grabbing him by the throat, eyes twisted with rage, as if trying to choke out the source of all the misfortune.

When Evan came back to reality, he instinctively clutched his throat, gasping for air. The vivid fear left him retching on the floor.

In front of the big screen, Nicholas was pinned to his seat, unable to move.

Suddenly, Nicholas realized that Jason's act of grabbing Evan’s throat was actually to save Andrea!

Nicholas also understood that Jason’s admission to the mental institution was due to his attempts to change the past, possibly tracing back to Jason’s father’s generation. Now Evan was repeating the same mistakes.

It was likely more complicated than that, but the whirlwind of thoughts exploded in his mind before he could go deeper, suffocating him amidst the storm of information.

So, was Evan on a path to destruction?

Nicholas felt a lack of oxygen, struggling to breathe fresh air but unable to move a finger. An invisible force overwhelmed him, making his heart pound as if it would burst.

With no answers from Jason, Evan tried to change things on his own.

Evan searched for Keller, but everything had changed, and he lost track of her.

In desperation, Evan found George—a mess of a man.

Through George, Evan finally located Keller, only to discover she was trapped—

She was in Tijuana, Mexico, living in an apartment like a garbage heap, working as a sex worker, dragged into the abyss by alcohol and drugs, in a state even worse than when she was just a waitress.

This realization crushed Evan.

But even worse, Keller had lost her will to fight, consumed entirely by darkness.

Evan struggled desperately to convince Keller to go to the restaurant with him and have a calm conversation. He opened up about the diary, genuinely hoping to fix things.

Keller didn’t believe him.

Evan recounted their moments together and revealed secrets about Keller that no one else knew, just to reach her.

But it wasn’t enough.

Keller not only refused to believe him but blamed everything on Evan, screaming and mocking him with rage and pain clear on her face.

Evan couldn’t ignore it.

So—

Evan went back to the root of all the misery, the day of the mailbox explosion, and tried to stop the woman from approaching the mailbox—

Tommy sensed something was wrong and, feigning heroics, tackled the woman and her baby; but Evan, who had been blocking the mailbox, couldn’t escape the blast.

When Evan came back to reality, he had lost his arms.

Fate played a cruel joke:

Keller and Lenny ended up together; Tommy, who had saved the woman and baby, turned his life around and became a model citizen.

Now everyone was happy, except him.

And when Evan learned that Keller had always loved him, and didn’t move in with her mother not because she was unwelcome in her mother’s new family but because she couldn’t bear to leave Evan—

They had prevented the mailbox explosion, but it had destroyed Evan, pushing Keller and Lenny together.

Evan fell into despair.

(End of Chapter)