I dialed the number from the future again.

“The number you have dialed is not in service. Please check the number and try again.”

So I could only wait for the call. There was no way to reach my future self on my own.

I leaned back against the couch and stared at the ceiling.

Future me hadn't mentioned what happened to Cedric in the end.

God, I wanted to know what his face looked like after Judy played him.

Never mind. I had more important things to do.

Prepare my counter-evidence early.

This time, I wasn't leaving a single thing to chance.

The next morning, Cedric called.

“Norie, let me take your whole family out to dinner tonight. We should celebrate you getting first place.”

His voice was warm and attentive, exactly the way a perfect boyfriend should sound.

“Sure.”

A trap dressed up as a celebration.

But I wasn't afraid.

Private dining room. My parents sat across from us.

Cedric stayed glued to my side, pouring tea, serving dishes, toasting with every round.

Three rounds of drinks in, he started “casually” steering the conversation.

“Sir, you were in business when you were younger, right?”

My dad waved that off.

“Business? Nah, just a street stall. Small-time stuff.”

“Then later, how did you……”

Cedric trailed off, putting on a look like he felt awkward bringing it up.

“I think Norie mentioned it once. You were away from home for a few years?”

My dad's smile stiffened for a second.

“That's all in the past.”

He raised his glass, trying to close the topic.

Cedric didn't let him.

“Were you sentenced?”

His tone was light, like it was nothing.

“Several years, wasn't it?”

My dad was quiet for two seconds.

“Three years.”

“Let's not get into all that.”

My mom jumped in to smooth things over.

“It's all in the past. Come on, eat up.”

Cedric smiled, nodded, and raised his glass for another toast.

I caught it from the corner of my eye.

His left hand was under the table. He pressed the pause button on a voice recorder, then slipped it back into his pocket like nothing had happened.

I didn't stop him.

Let it come.

Day four of the public announcement period. A new email popped up in my inbox.

I glanced at the subject line. HR Bureau.

My pulse spiked.

It was here.

【Ms. Nora Whitfield：A public complaint has been received alleging that your father has a criminal record and that you failed to truthfully disclose this information on your civil-service exam application. You are required to submit the following counter-evidence within 48 hours. Failure to respond within the deadline, or submission of false materials, will result in the revocation of your hiring eligibility.】

I took a deep breath and was about to reply.

Then came the sound of a key turning in the front door.

I closed the email instantly and switched the screen to a game.

Cedric walked in carrying a big bag of barbecue and a bottle of red wine.

I kept my face blank.

“I thought you said something came up at home and you weren't coming back tonight.”

“Missed you.”

He set everything on the table, his eyes sweeping across my laptop screen like he was checking for something.

“What are you up to?”

“Playing a game.”

I said it like it didn't matter.

He didn't push it. Just smiled and held up the wine.

“Drink with me?”

I frowned slightly.

“It's not a special occasion.”

He popped the cork anyway.

“Who cares? Every day with you is Valentine's Day.”

He poured my glass.

Filled it to the brim.

It was so cold-blooded I almost laughed.

He was afraid I'd have too much time alone to deal with the complaint email.

He wanted to get me drunk so I'd miss the 48-hour deadline.

Three years together, and now he couldn't even be bothered to pretend.

What he didn't know was that my counter-evidence was already done.

One last step. Hit send.

I picked up the wine glass, obedient as ever.

“Sure. Let's drink.”

Glass after glass.

My stomach burned, but my head was clearer than it had ever been.

He couldn't hold his liquor as well as I could.

I was still sharp when his eyes started glazing over, his head dipping lower and lower until it wouldn't come back up.

His phone lit up on the table.

A new email notification from his inbox.

I glanced at it.

Also from the HR Bureau.

He'd received a verification email too.

So Judy had made her move.

Cedric was already slumped on the couch, mumbling.

“Judy……Judy……”

I set his phone back down. Thought about it for a second. Didn't mark the email as “unread.”

I turned around, walked into the study, and opened my laptop.

Page by page. Item by item.

Scanned court verdict. Employer certification letter. Case agency statement. Personal statement of circumstances……

Everything checked out. I clicked send.

A line of text popped up on screen.

“Your materials have been submitted. Staff will complete their review within 3 business days.”

I leaned back in the chair and let out a long, slow breath.

The next morning, Cedric woke up in a panic.

“How did I fall asleep?”

He stared at me, tense.

“Nora, what did you do last night?”

His eyes were darting, his grip on my arm tightening, quiet and hard.

I smiled, easy and natural.

“It was the middle of the night. What would I do besides sleep?”

“Oh.”

He relaxed a little, but then pressed his hand against his temple.

“I feel terrible. Nora, come to the hospital with me.”

I checked my phone.

Thirty hours until the verification deadline.

“You're not that hungover. Some soup and you'll be fine.”

I was already heading toward the kitchen.

He grabbed my hand.

“No. The hospital.”

His brow furrowed, his voice pitched into deliberate weakness.

“My head is killing me. What if it's a brain hemorrhage?”

I looked at him.

His eyes were perfectly clear.

He was acting.

He still didn't trust me. He was afraid I'd go to the agencies for documentation, afraid I'd deal with that verification email.

I was quiet for a moment.

“Okay. I'll go with you.”

He smiled, and the corner of his mouth couldn't quite hide the satisfaction.

The ER doctor ran him through a full round of tests.

“Nothing wrong with you. Drink water, get some rest, you'll be fine.”

Cedric refused to leave.

“Doctor, I really don't feel well. Dizzy, nauseous. Can you admit me for observation?”

The doctor looked at him, clearly thinking this young man was being dramatic, but didn't refuse.

“Fine. Stay if you want.”

Cedric immediately turned to me.

“Stay with me.”

“I have things to take care of……”

I pretended to hesitate.

Agree too fast and it wouldn't look right.

“What could possibly be more important than taking care of me?”

He held my hand, his voice soft and wounded.

“Nora, I really need you.”

I lowered my head, pretending to reach for my phone.

He took it straight out of my hand.

“Just be here with me. Please?”

He slipped my phone into his own pocket.

Whatever was left of my feelings for him went cold.

“Cedric, aren't you worried about the civil-service exam? The public announcement period ends tomorrow.”

He laughed, relaxed.

“We're first and second place. What's there to worry about?”

“Oh? You're not afraid someone might file a bad-faith complaint?”

My gaze carried weight.

He swayed slightly, then shook his head with a flicker of guilt.

“We've done nothing wrong. Even if someone did report us, the HR Bureau would review and handle it. No need to worry……unless you actually have something to hide.”

His eyes locked onto mine as he said that last part, searching for my answer.

I smiled easily.

“I'm perfectly fine.”

“Then there's nothing to worry about.”

“But what about you?”

He froze. It took him a long moment to recover.

“I'm definitely fine.”

I gave a small nod.

That was exactly the kind of arrogant answer I wanted to hear.

When reality hit, it would sting so much more.

For a full day and night, I stayed at Cedric's bedside. I couldn't go anywhere.

One minute he needed water. The next he had to use the bathroom. Then his head hurt. Then he felt nauseous.

Every time I said I needed to go back and take care of something, he found an excuse to stop me.

“Just wait till I'm discharged, and we'll go back together.”

“You're that eager to leave? You don't care about me?”

“Do you not love me anymore?”

Every time he said things like that, his eyes were full of calculation.

I just watched him quietly. Didn't argue. Didn't insist.

By the next afternoon, the verification deadline had finally passed.

The tension drained out of Cedric all at once.

“I'm feeling a lot better. Let's check out.”

I let out a bitter laugh.

“Sure.”

As we walked out through the hospital doors, he suddenly asked me something.

“Norie, if you didn't pass the civil-service exam, what would you do?”

His gaze drifted, carrying a careful, uneasy edge.

I looked at him, my expression calm.

“What about you?”

He blinked.

“I've never considered failing. I won't allow it.”

“Same.”

My answer was short. And final.

His smile stiffened for a fraction of a second.

“But what if?”

He asked again, quieter this time.

“There is no what if.”

I turned and got in the car without another word.

He stood outside, motionless for a beat.

After a long pause, he finally climbed in.

Neither of us spoke for the rest of the drive.

A week later, the day the hiring results came out finally arrived.

Judy Galloway showed up at our place.

She was carrying a big cake, all smiles.

“Congratulations to whoever made it! But whoever didn't, no hard feelings, okay?”

Her smile was loaded.

“No matter who it is.”

When she said those last four words, she was looking straight at me.

Cedric laughed along with her.

“Of course. We're all good friends here. Whoever gets in, we're happy for them.”

“Right, Norie?”

He waited for my answer.

I gave a faint nod, my face completely blank.

“Of course.”

The moment arrived, and all three phones chimed with email notifications at once.

“It's here!”

All three of us held our breath.

We opened the emails together.