Evan saved the name on his phone. "Alright. Please contact me if there's any update."
After ending the call, his mind buzzed with possibilities. Who was Laras Wijaya? Did Sienna still remember him? And… if everything had changed, did their relationship still exist in the girl's memory?
Evan glanced at the desk phone, ringing loudly. With slight hesitation, he picked it up.
"Evan, please send me the Greenfield project report before lunch," his boss's firm voice came through. "I need the data for an upcoming meeting."
Evan froze. Greenfield? He didn't even know what that project was. Last year, in 2015, he wasn't involved in anything called Greenfield.
"Yes, sir," he replied quickly, trying to sound professional.
As soon as he hung up, his hand went straight for the mouse. He opened the project folder on his computer, searching for anything related to Greenfield. But the name felt foreign. He skimmed through a few files, trying to make sense of what was happening.
Every note, every email about this project—it wasn't his work. Every decision, report, and correspondence had been handled by 'Evan'—a version of himself he had no memory of being.
Damn it. How am I supposed to write a report about something I don't even remember working on?
He opened the Greenfield project folder. As the files loaded on the screen, he was stunned.
Organized. Structured. Detailed.
All the documents were arranged in a way that was unmistakably his style. As if he himself had compiled them—except he had no recollection of doing so.
Evan opened the reports and proposals one by one, scanning them quickly. The formatting, the phrasing—it was all his. Familiar down to the word choice.
And yet, a strange unease gnawed at him. When did I do all this?
Despite the questions crowding his mind, he shoved the confusion aside and started reading the documents carefully. I need to finish this report first. I can figure out the rest later.
He paused. Wait… who had just asked for the report?
Johan.
The name echoed in his head. But something felt… wrong.
Johan had been his subordinate in 2015!
His blood seemed to freeze. He stared blankly at the computer screen, as if it held the answers. No. This had to be a mistake.
He quickly accessed the company's internal server and pulled up the organizational chart. He searched for Johan's name.
And there it was—reality slapped him in the face.
Johan – Operations Manager
Not a staff member. Not his subordinate.
Evan swallowed hard. His palms were starting to sweat as he scrolled further down the list to find his own name.
Evan – Project Supervisor
Supervisor? That was his old position, before his promotion at the end of 2015. By now, he should be at senior management level!
His chair creaked slightly as he leaned back, thoughts racing wildly.
I'm back to square one. All my achievements… gone.
Johan looked up, expression unreadable. "Is the report ready?" he asked curtly.
Evan struggled to keep his face composed, though turmoil churned inside him. He handed over the project folder. "Here it is, sir."
Sir.
The word almost caught in his throat, but he managed to say it. Johan didn't seem to notice anything off—he simply nodded and opened the folder.
Evan stood there, emotions clashing within him. On one hand, he was relieved that at least this small project had been prepared in his usual style—he wouldn't have to explain much. But on the other hand, seeing Johan in the chair that should have been his made his head spin.
Johan skimmed the report, then gave a satisfied nod. "Alright, this is clear. Thank you, Evan."
Thank you?
Johan would never have spoken so politely to him before. In fact, Evan used to order him to work overtime without hesitation.
"If there's nothing else, you can return to your desk."
Return to his desk. His old desk.
Evan clenched his fists. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't a prank. This was real.
He turned and walked out, closing the door softly behind him. Every step felt heavy.
He needed to clear his head.
And he needed to find Sienna.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. Quickly, he pulled it out and checked the screen.
Message from: Mr. Anton (Company Lawyer)
"Evan, I've found Laras's contact. She's Sienna's legal guardian after Hendra passed away. Here's her number: 0812-XXX-XXXX. Hope this helps."
Evan stared at the message. Laras?
He tried to recall. The name rang a bell. If he remembered right, Laras was a longtime friend of Sienna's mother. After Hendra's death, she may have taken over as Sienna's guardian.
But… would Laras remember him? Had she also experienced this shift in reality like everyone else?
Evan took a deep breath.
There was no other choice. He had to reach out to Laras.
He frowned, reading the message again. Laras? Who was that?
The name felt unfamiliar. As far as he knew, Sienna was Hendra's only child. Evan had never heard of anyone named Laras before.
But now, Laras was Sienna's legal guardian. That meant she had full authority over the girl.
Evan typed a brief reply to Mr. Anton.
"Thank you, sir. I'll try to contact her."
His fingers hovered over the phone screen, uncertain.
What was he supposed to say?
He'd only met Sienna briefly at the acquisition celebration. Nothing more. But now, he needed to find out something. Did Sienna still remember him?
Or… in this new reality, had they never even met?
E4
Evan stared at his phone screen. He had Laras's number, but he was still hesitating. What should he say?
He sighed, then finally typed a message.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Laras. This is Evan from Company X. I'd like to speak with you regarding Sienna. May I meet you?"
The message was sent. No immediate reply.
Evan set the phone down and tried to refocus on his work. But his mind kept spinning.
Sienna.
In his old world, he'd only seen the girl briefly during the celebration. Quiet and reserved, she hadn't said much. Back then, Sienna was just the daughter of the man who'd lost the company.
But in this world… how did she see Evan?
His phone finally vibrated. A message from Laras.
"Sure. Tomorrow at 10 a.m. at the café near Hospital A."
Evan quickly typed back. "Thank you."
Tomorrow, he would meet Sienna.
And maybe, he would find out whether this curse had only changed time… or everything.
January 3, 2016
Evan arrived at the café earlier than scheduled. He chose a seat in the corner, his back to the window. Restlessness settled over him in silence.
The door opened. A middle-aged woman stepped inside—Laras. Beside her, a young girl with an unreadable expression.
Sienna.