My Dead Grandma Warned Me: He Wants Me Gone

1: 1

Summer break had just started when my boyfriend said he wanted to take me and his childhood friend on a trip overseas.

I was about to say yes when my grandmother's voice rose in my mind.

Child, your boyfriend is going to sell you off, so he can take everything you own for himself!

If you're going to go with him, listen to me. Find Liam Rowe. You two grew up together, he's liked you since you were small, and he's overseas right now. He can help you!

Grandmother's voice came clear inside my head, and I listened, the surprise still plain on my face.

I was still doubting whether the voice in my mind was real when my phone suddenly rang.

"Emily Dickerson, we've already picked the place, and the tickets are booked. When the time comes, you just have to come along with us!"

As he spoke, he even sent me a photo of a plane ticket, and the destination on it was a country still in the middle of unrest.

I messaged Joshua Henson and said it was better not to go somewhere so dangerous.

But he told me it didn't matter, we were only going as tourists.

"Emily, what's there to make a fuss about? It's just a trip. Besides, Olivia Gilbert and I are both going too!"

Listening to him, I paused for a moment, and then, without warning, Grandmother's voice surfaced in my mind again.

"Say yes. Go with him. There, you'll meet the man you're meant to be with!"

I was completely certain that voice belonged to Grandmother, and I chose to believe it the instant I heard it.

Because for as long as I could remember, she had never once lied to me.

And I knew about Liam Rowe, the boy who used to play house with me when we were little and said he was going to marry me.

I still remembered how he always told Grandmother that when he grew up, he'd marry me.

Back then she had happily agreed.

Except when I was in my teens, Liam's family suddenly moved away, and I was heartbroken over it for a long while.

Only Grandmother, holding my hand at the time, told me that Liam and I would see each other again.

But so many years had gone by since then that I'd long forgotten all of it.

Now, with Grandmother's reminder, I finally remembered a person named Liam Rowe.

"Joshua, I'll do it!"

When those words came out of my mouth, Joshua's voice on the other end of the line was full of excitement.

He told me at the same time that the travel agency would draw up an agreement.

When the time came, he'd bring it over for me to sign.

In my mind, Grandmother's voice rose once more.

"That agreement is an accident insurance policy and a property transfer deed. If something happens to you overseas, your insurance payout and your assets will all go to Joshua!"

The voice sounded in my head, and I felt as if I'd been dropped into a pit of ice.

I had never imagined that my boyfriend would betray me this way.

Now I knew that all of it might be true.

"Child, don't be afraid. Every scheme of his is going to come to nothing!"

"I'm here. I'll protect you!"

Listening to her, I let out a breath.

I knew that even though Grandmother had passed away long ago, she was still watching over me.

If that was so, what did I have to be afraid of?

After I hung up, I waited for Joshua to bring the agreement to me.

Soon my doorbell rang, and when I opened the door, I saw Joshua and Olivia.

Right then, Olivia was carefully looking over my home.

"Emily, your place is really big!"

"Living in a house like this must feel amazing, doesn't it!"

Olivia looked at me and said it out of nowhere.

And I could see the trace of greed she didn't bother to hide in her eyes.

Joshua quickly tugged at her, then turned to me and said, "Emily, the travel agency had me get this ready!"

"Go ahead and sign it!"

2: 2

I took the agreement Joshua handed me and settled in to read it through carefully.

The moment I did, Joshua froze. Whenever he'd put something in front of me to sign before, I'd never looked at it this closely.

And this time, watching me pore over the document, he clearly hadn't expected it.

"Emily, it's just an accident insurance policy, there's nothing to read!" he said quickly.

"Sign it, and we can go!"

There was still that urgency in his voice as he pressed me to hurry up and sign.

"Emily, it only takes a second to sign. Joshua and I both did it!"

Olivia, beside him, looked straight at me. "What is there for you to worry about, Emily?"

"You two signing yours is your business," I said.

"Am I not allowed to read mine properly?"

My face was cold as I looked at Olivia and said it flatly.

When I finished, Olivia turned to Joshua with a wounded look.

Joshua stared at me too. "Emily, Olivia and I have already signed!"

"It's only an insurance policy!"

He kept pushing me to sign, and I only shook my head lightly. "Joshua, there's something wrong with this policy. And why is there a transfer deed in here too?"

I pulled out the two documents and asked, "Why are you the beneficiary on my policy?"

"And if something happens to me, why does everything I have go to you?"

I held both documents and looked at Joshua.

"Emily, what are you talking about!"

He answered fast. "I'm your boyfriend. Isn't it normal for me to be the beneficiary?"

"Besides, you don't have any other family," he added, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

I listened to him and smiled. "Joshua, you and I are only dating."

"On top of that, if something happens to me, everything I own is yours. Do you really think that's reasonable?"

My voice was ice as I looked at him.

By now, I no longer had the slightest doubt about what Grandma had told me.

"Emily, you're an orphan. Joshua is your boyfriend. What's wrong with naming him as the beneficiary?"

She said it without a shred of hesitation, and I smiled. "You said it yourself. Joshua is only my boyfriend."

"Since when does a boyfriend get to be my beneficiary?"

When I finished, Joshua spoke up. "Emily, we're going on a trip. Buying insurance is normal!"

"And Olivia and I both signed!"

He kept his eyes on me as he said it.

I smiled. "Joshua, who did you and Olivia name as your beneficiaries?"

The second the words left me, both their faces shifted.

Of course I knew there was no chance either of them had named me.

"Emily, my beneficiary is Joshua!"

"And who else would you name, if not Joshua?"

Olivia looked at me, her face full of disgust. "Everyone knows you're an orphan!"

I heard her out, then turned to look at Joshua.

A few years ago, the only person who'd cared for me, my grandmother, passed away, and after that I became an orphan. Joshua knew this. I'd told him countless times that being reminded of it was the one thing I hated most.

And now here he was, with Olivia, the two of them saying over and over in front of me that I was an orphan.

"Joshua, is this what you want too?"

3: 3

My voice was cold as I looked at Joshua. "Joshua, there's no way my beneficiary is going to be your name. And as for this policy, I have no reason to buy it!"

I kept my eyes on him. "Of course, if you think that's a problem, then I just won't go!"

Even as I said it, I was watching how Joshua and Olivia reacted.

The moment Olivia heard me, she panicked.

"Emily, how can you not go?"

"Joshua and I already worked it all out. We're going, that's settled!"

"And we've already booked the hotel, the flights too!"

"You can't just say you won't go now. That's not right!"

She was worked up, staring at me as she spoke.

Joshua, for his part, jumped in. "That's right, Emily, you can't back out!"

"Don't worry, you don't have to sign the policy or this agreement!"

"I'll take care of it when the time comes!"

As he said it, he shot Olivia a look.

I watched the two of them there in front of me and gave a faint smile.

I knew they were scheming against me. But I wasn't afraid at all.

Grandma's voice was still in my ear.

"They're planning to go back and forge the documents. That way, once something happens to you, there'll be no one left to dispute it!"

When she said that, I froze for a moment, and then, as I looked at Joshua, my eyes were already full of disappointment.

I never thought Joshua would actually want me dead just to take the inheritance my parents left me.

"Emily, get yourself ready. We're flying out together first thing tomorrow morning!"

With that, Joshua stood and left.

Watching the two of them go, I asked softly, "Grandma, if you know it's a plot, why should I still go overseas with Joshua?"

"Because that's the only place you'll meet Liam Rowe. And only Liam can pull you out of this scheme!"

"If you stay here, Joshua will just find some other way to hurt you!"

Grandma's words made me understand: I had to make this trip abroad.

Grandma gave me a number. She said it was Liam's.

I took out my phone and dialed it.

The call connected quickly, and I heard a man's voice.

"Is this Liam?"

The instant the line went through, I spoke fast. "It's Emily!"

At that, the voice on the other end clearly paused, and then came a rush of joy.

"Emily, I finally found you!"

"After your parents passed, I wanted to find you, but by then you'd already left. I couldn't track you down!"

That was Liam on the other end.

He said so much to me, telling me how he'd missed me all these years.

And I shared everything from these years with him too.

"Liam, I'm in trouble. I need your help!"

After a long while, I finally said it to him.

Hearing me, Liam answered at once. "Tell me. Whatever the trouble is, if it's something I can do for you!"

I told him about the trouble I was in now, and he laughed and told me that the moment my plane touched down, he'd find me.

He told me not to worry about anything else.

"Emily, don't worry. I'll handle Joshua for you!"

4: 4

I listened to Liam and let out a breath.

We talked for hours that night. Years had passed since we'd last seen each other, and still, talking to him, there wasn't the smallest wall between us.

Early the next morning, a burst of hard knocking jolted me awake.

I opened the door to find Joshua and Olivia standing there.

Emily, what's the matter with you?

Joshua frowned at the sight of me. Why aren't you up yet?

The flight's about to leave. Hurry up!

I nodded, quietly packed everything, and left with him.

On the way, he and Olivia laughed and chatted the whole time and completely ignored me.

I watched Joshua and smiled.

He seemed to have forgotten that I was the one who was his girlfriend.

He'd always been close with Olivia, and I'd brought it up with him before. Back then, Joshua told me there was nothing between him and Olivia.

Emily, Olivia and I have been friends since we were kids, that's all!

If there were anything between Olivia and me, I wouldn't be dating you.

He'd been angry when he said it, and I'd believed him completely.

But looking at Joshua now, I felt certain he'd been lying to me from the very start.

On the plane, Joshua and Olivia sat together while I was stuck in the farthest corner.

Emily, when I booked the tickets, there were only two seats left together!

I'm a little afraid of heights. Could you let Joshua sit with me?

Olivia looked at me with a face full of fake helplessness.

I smiled. Sure!

Olivia wasn't afraid of heights at all. Her social feed was packed with photos of her out having a wild time, and plenty of them were up in the air.

I looked at her and said nothing more, just walked straight to the back.

The whole flight, I stayed on edge, not knowing what would come next.

Then a message came through on my phone.

I've already got people in place. When you reach the airport, go with them. Don't worry, my men will stay with you the whole way!

It was from Liam.

I read it and let out a breath.

I sent back a single okay and didn't reply again.

Grandma had told me Liam had a lot of connections in this place, so I didn't need to worry.

After the plane landed, I followed the two of them out of the airport. The moment we stepped outside, Joshua grabbed my arm.

Emily, about that agreement, I really think you should sign it!

He pulled out the agreement and held it out to me. After all, this isn't home. What if something happens?

I looked at Joshua and smiled. No need, Joshua.

I'm not planning to hand my things over to you.

The moment I said it, the gentle look on Joshua's face vanished.

He fixed me with an icy stare. Emily, I gave you a chance!

You're the one who threw it away!

You'd better understand, this is a war-torn country overseas. Now that I've gotten you out here, do you really think you can get back home?

There was a coldness on his face as he said it, and I stared back at him, just as cold.

Because I'd already seen the car that had pulled up beside me a short distance off.

The men who climbed out were clearly bodyguards. They surrounded the three of us at once, and the one in front walked straight toward me.

Ms. Emily, Mr. Rowe is already waiting for you!