His Number Changed So I Changed My Life Chapter 29
When Parker came to the office, the brim of his cap was pulled low.
In the past, no matter how he disguised himself, someone would have recognized him the moment he walked into a room.
This time, the receptionist spent a long time checking his ID before issuing him a visitor’s badge.
His number was still 3.
The sight of it didn’t make me feel any better.
In the interview room, another editor sat beside me. Before we started recording, I reviewed the terms of the interview.
“You can decline to answer any question. Everything you say will be fact-checked, but you will not have an opportunity to revise your statements.”
“I understand.”
The small red light on the recorder came on.
I started by asking if he knew about the rumors that I had cheated.
“Yes.”
“When did you find out?”
“The day the photos started circulating.”
“Did you ask Madison to take them down?”
Parker lowered his head.
“No.”
“Why not?”
His fingers were laced together on the table.
“At the time, I thought that if everyone believed you had someone else, too, then what I did wouldn’t seem so bad.”
The editor beside me glanced up at him.
I continued. “Did you know that someone had posted my mother’s neighborhood online?”
“I found out later.”
“What did you do?”
“I told Victor to handle it.”
“Victor contacted me and told me not to release any information that would damage your reputation.”
Parker closed his eyes.
“I know.”
The only sound in the room was the hum of the air conditioner.
None of his answers changed what had happened.
They only gave his silence a name.
It wasn’t that he didn’t know. It wasn’t that he ran out of time.