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.