His phone vibrated again. This time, it wasn't a call—but a message.
Mom: Dinner at the usual place. Celebrating your 25th birthday! Don't be late, sweetie. I've already booked the table.
Evan stared at the screen, his breath catching.
"Twenty-five..."
He wanted to laugh, but all that came out was a tired sigh.
Even his mother believed it was his 25th birthday. Of course she did. Everyone believed it. Because in this world, only he knew the truth.
His hand clenched into a fist on the bed.
"How long is this going to keep happening?" he wondered.
A hollow feeling crept over him. He wanted to ignore the message, but he knew he couldn't. In the end, he would go. He'd sit at the same table, in the same restaurant, wearing the same fake smile, just like every year before.
Because no matter how many times this world reset, Evan was still his mother's son. And a son could never bear to disappoint his mother.
—
That afternoon, Evan woke up with a pounding head. Last night's party still clung to his memory—the flashing lights, the laughter, the candles changing numbers, and... Nadira, who was supposed to be there, yet never showed up for some reason.
He shifted and felt something in his pants pocket. Lazily, he reached in and pulled out a small box made of dark blue velvet. Instantly, his mind snapped into clarity.
With a swirl of mixed emotions, he opened the box. Inside, a diamond ring sparkled in the daylight, uncaring of the destruction he felt inside. His finger traced the inside of the band, where a familiar engraving lay:
Evan & Nadira.
Evan took a deep breath. There it was—the proof. This was the ring he had custom-made to propose to Nadira last night.
But why was everyone acting like they had never been together?
His hand trembled as he turned the ring again.
Suddenly, something happened. The engraved names began to fade, as if being slowly erased by an unseen force. Evan blinked, thinking it might just be the light—but no. Letter by letter, the names were disappearing.
And within seconds, the ring was bare.
Evan's heart pounded.
No. This can't be happening.
He rubbed the ring's surface with his thumb, trying to find any trace of the engraving. But the metal was smooth—like the name Nadira had never been there at all.
Evan sat in silence at the edge of his bed, eyes empty.
It wasn't just Nadira vanishing from his life.
Now, even the memories of them were starting to disappear from the world.
—
Still wearing last night's clothes, Evan trudged into the kitchen. His throat was parched, and his head buzzed with thoughts he couldn't explain. He grabbed a glass, filled it with water, and drank quickly. But the cold water did nothing to ease the unease gripping his chest.
The ring remained in his hand. Bare. No names.
No. He couldn't accept this.
Without a second thought, Evan snatched his car keys off the table and stormed out of the apartment. His steps were hurried, as if every passing second might erase Nadira further from existence.
Once inside the car, his hands gripped the wheel tightly. Nadira should have been beside him last night. They should have celebrated the new year—and his birthday—together. But instead, there was only emptiness.
The roads were quiet that early New Year's morning. Evan pressed down on the gas, speeding without care. He had only one destination—Nadira's house.
He had to see her. He had to hear it from her own lips that everything was okay, that he wasn't crazy, that this was all just a misunderstanding.
That Nadira was still part of his life.
But deep inside, something whispered that it wouldn't be that easy.
—
The house was just as he remembered. The paint, the fence, even the flower pots on the porch were arranged just as they had been the last time Evan visited. He knew this place well—because once, or supposedly once, he had spent so much time here with Nadira. But now, something felt off. Or maybe it wasn't the house that had changed—but his place in Nadira's life that no longer existed.
Evan rang the doorbell. His heart beat faster, unsure of what to expect. Moments later, the door opened, and Nadira stood at the threshold.
She froze. Her eyes widened in clear shock.
"Evan?"
Her voice was hesitant, as if she wasn't quite sure of what she was seeing.
Evan should have felt relieved to see her again, but there was something in Nadira's eyes that made his stomach drop. It wasn't the gaze of someone remembering a lover—but of a boss who'd just seen a junior employee appear uninvited at her doorstep.
"What are you doing here?" Nadira asked, still looking puzzled.
Evan swallowed. "Can we talk? Just for a moment?"
Nadira seemed unsure. Of course she knew Evan. But in this 2017 version of the world, he was just Reza's subordinate—not someone who should know her address, let alone show up at her door on New Year's morning.
In her mind, Nadira was weighing things. If she followed her ambitious instincts, Evan was a golden target—the son of the company owner, an heir. But there was one thing that always held her back.
Age.
To Nadira, Evan was three years younger than her. And she had no interest in younger men.
Now, she studied Evan longer, trying to figure out why he had come. "How do you know where I live?" she asked, suspicious.
Evan was silent. He hadn't even considered that question might come up. Back then, Nadira never questioned it—because back then, they were already together. Back then… which apparently never existed in this version of the world.
"I..." Evan struggled to find an answer that made sense, but nothing sounded right.
And for the first time in his life, Evan felt like a stranger standing in front of the woman who was supposed to be his.
—
Evan tightened his grip on the ring box in his pocket. The morning air was cold, but that wasn't why his hands trembled. He took a deep breath, locking eyes with Nadira, who still looked at him with suspicion. There was no longer any warmth—no gentle smile, no affectionate gaze.
But that didn't stop him.
"I want to marry you, Nadira."
Silence.
Nadira blinked, as if her brain was just now processing what she had heard. The corners of her mouth twitched—not out of emotion, but disbelief.
"Are you drunk?"
Her tone was flat, laced with sarcasm. Her eyes scanned him from head to toe, as if searching for signs he'd spent all night partying and wasn't fully sober.
Evan shook his head, though he expected this reaction. "I'm serious."
Nadira exhaled, folding her arms. "Serious?" she repeated, eyeing him like he'd lost his mind. "You—who've only been working under Reza for a few months—suddenly show up at my house and propose? I can't even remember the last time we spoke one-on-one, Evan."
Evan swallowed hard. How could he explain without sounding insane? That they had been together, that he had planned this proposal for months, that last night was supposed to be their special moment.
But in this world, none of that had ever happened.
"I don't know why you're saying this," Nadira said more calmly now, "but if this is some kind of New Year's prank, believe me—it's not funny."
Evan remained frozen, unsure what to say. Slowly, Nadira sighed and glanced toward the street. "I have to get ready. Reza's picking me up. We have a lunch appointment."
Evan's heart sank like a stone.
Reza.
Damn it.