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All Chapters of In Another Life: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

10 Chapters

Chapter 1

Silence ensued.Clara stared at the notification announcing the arrival of her Uber, her frown deepening by the second."Did you hit your head that hard, Darren? Your parents just died, and you're telling me to leave you here alone?" she finally asked.My right leg was in a cast, and an IV needle was inserted into the back of my left hand.I leaned against the headboard and replied, "I'm not alone. There are doctors, nurses, and a lawyer handling this entire case for me. Things aren't gonna fall apart just because you leave."Clara's expression darkened. "Excuse me? I'm sorry, is this some kinda test? I don't like being tested this way, Darren."I almost laughed. I'd always been too fond of testing her.Would she pass by staying? Would she pass by showing that she cared about me? I tested her so often that, eventually, I even started believing her when she gave me the answers I wanted to hear.Clara's phone vibrated.Logan had sent her a voice note. "I've gone past security, C

Chapter 2

Clara returned the next day at 6:00 a.m., and she did not come alone. A young man in a white windbreaker trailed behind her, pulling a suitcase that had never made it onto the flight.Well, well. Logan Pearce. Clara's longtime lab partner from university and the crush she could never bring herself to admit.Logan placed a container of warm broth on the bedside table."I was literally one step onto the airport shuttle when she insisted I get off!" he said. "I heard about your parents. I don't even know what to say... I'm sorry for your loss, Darren."I shot a glance at Clara.She had one hand resting on his suitcase. Morning dew still glistened on her shoulders, and she even seemed to be in high spirits. Who would have thought getting a guy to stay could make her this happy?"It's got nothing to do with you," I said, pulling the bowl closer and opening the lid. "Since you're back now, you might as well cancel your plans to go abroad. Don't you guys have some college entrepreneursh

Chapter 3

Logan showed up alone the next day and returned my laptop, setting it on the bedside table. "Thanks for lending me this. I used it to update some information for my visa."I gave a noncommittal "Mm-hmm" without asking him to elaborate, but my lack of interest didn't make him leave."There's nothing between Clara and me, Darren. I mean... there isn't going to be unless you've really decided to... well, let go."I raised my head. "That's a new one. Since when do you get to decide whether I should or shouldn't let go?"Logan looked embarrassed."That's not what I meant, man. Clara didn't sleep a wink last night. She was debugging the software, and she kept checking her phone because she was worried about you," he protested. "Your sudden departure for Seabeck made her think she was the one who indirectly forced you to leave.""So?"He took a deep breath and lowered his voice. "So, can you please stop acting like you want us to be together while also making her feel uneasy and anxiou

Chapter 4

Eight people were waiting for us in the meeting room at the Tech Innovation Center. The institution's board members, the competition organizers, and the legal team were all present.The projection screen displayed everything: the time the message had been sent, the laptop's serial ID, and the account that had been logged into.The professor leading the investigation, Tony Harlan, rapped his knuckles against the desk. "The leak contained not only the model being used for the competition, but also confidential information regarding three investment firms supporting this project."According to the email, the recipient was your competitor's tech consultant. The information has already been downloaded."Do you understand the gravity of the situation? This isn't something that can be resolved with a simple apology letter."My mentor had called me as well. "Are you involved in this, Darren?""No.""Then you'd do well to tell the truth. Our team will only hold your spot until tonight,"

Chapter 5

The silence stretched for a few seconds.I didn't say a word, either. I just stared at Clara.Tony decided to seek confirmation. "Would you like to confirm that Mr. Bronx was the one using the computer at 1:17 a.m.?"She visibly gulped. "Yes."Logan didn't raise his head or say a word, but his fingers slowly loosened their grip on the edge of the table.I laughed. "Oh, so we're gonna be like that."Clara frowned. "This isn't the time to throw a tantrum, Darren.""I know. Which is why I've prepared a little something," I replied, setting my phone on the desk and playing a recording.Logan's confession came through loud and clear, including his frantic attempt to delete the email after accidentally sending it.It was a bombshell.Logan's head snapped up. He stared at me, his face as white as a sheet. "You recorded me?""You said all this yourself by the stairwell, behind the emergency door," I replied. "What, you don't remember?"Clara looked shocked too. "When did you even m

Chapter 6

The university did not dawdle. Logan's eligibility for the contest was immediately revoked, and his exchange program fell through. The investigation continued to determine whether he had deliberately leaked the confidential information.Clara lost her position as the project's lead after falsifying her statement, forcing the team to find an immediate replacement.I was discharged from the hospital the day the news broke. Matt had arranged transportation for me so I could meet up with the rest of the team.A nurse helped carry my luggage out of the ward and down to the lobby.I spotted Clara immediately, sitting on a bench. She looked like she hadn't slept a wink. Heavy bags hung beneath her eyes, and her hair was slightly disheveled.The moment she saw me, however, she leaped to her feet. "I came to see you off. Let me help you.""No need.""You're in a wheelchair right now. I want to help," she insisted."I'm just getting into a car.""Darren, please don't be like that," she

Chapter 7

I did not make it to Seabeck as planned that day. Instead, after my lawyer handed me the evidence of the money transfer, I told the driver to take me straight to the police station so I could submit it.The money had come from a shell consulting firm, and the ultimate beneficiary of every transaction the company handled turned out to be one of the earliest investors in Clara's startup in our previous life: Newt Breitbart.I knew him. When Clara and I got married, Newt constantly insisted on calling me "Bro" and showered us with lavish gifts for every holiday. Then, when Clara's company went public, he made an enormous amount of money."For now, this only confirms that a monetary transaction took place between these two parties, but we can't prove that the accident was premeditated," a detective said. "I'd advise you not to assume the worst until we have more evidence."I wasn't assuming the worst. My thoughts had instead turned to something that had happened the day before the acci

Chapter 8

The gusts in Seabeck howled.During my first month there, my legs were still too weak to support me for long periods. Most of the time, my job consisted of organizing visual data on the computer.Brett Connors, my senior, had a jerk's sense of humor. When he saw me passing by with a cane, he hollered, "Yo, they asked you to work on the mural when you're like this? You look even less stable than actual prehistoric cave paintings!"I responded by hurling a folder at his head. "Piss off, man!"He laughed. "Well, if you've got the energy for violence, you've got the energy to survive."My days grew busy. No one asked about Clara, and no one seemed to know what had happened to me right before I came here. That was exactly how I liked it.…Three months passed. There had been further developments regarding my parents' accident.There was no direct evidence proving that Newt had bribed the driver responsible for the crash to cause an "accident," but there was more than enough evidence

Chapter 9

Half a year passed before I returned to the city, not for Clara, but because my parents' case had finally gone to trial.Newt was found guilty of multiple white-collar crimes and sentenced accordingly. As for his involvement in my parents' deaths, however, the evidence was too scant to prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.It was a small blemish that kept the outcome from feeling entirely complete, but seeing him receive his just deserts was satisfying enough.A light drizzle was falling when I stepped out of the courthouse. At the bottom of the stairs stood Clara, drenched from the rain. She had grown considerably thinner, and when she saw me, she simply nodded instead of approaching."Back now, huh?" she said."Mm-hmm.""How are your legs doing?""Good.""Glad to hear that."Silence settled between us.It was strange, in a way. In the past, we could talk for hours on end. Whenever we started talking, the day would slip helplessly into night. But now, we couldn't even b

Chapter 10

Five years passed.I had become the sitting president of the mural restoration project, and my father's old workshop had been converted into my data and digital preservation hub.When it first opened, reporters had flocked to the event."Mr. Bronx, why do you insist on digital preservation?" one of them asked.I froze for a moment before answering with a smile, "Because human memories are fallible. Machines are, too. But receipts? Those are something you should never get wrong."After the event, my assistant hurried over with a tablet. "Professor Bronx, there's some old data that can only be deleted with your authorization. It's tied to a personal account you used five years ago."I checked the data and saw a familiar name: Clara Ellis.Over the years, I had occasionally heard bits and pieces about how she was doing. I knew she had never returned to the tech start-up world. Instead, she had gone into data compliance, where, from what I'd heard, she'd done exceptionally well.Me

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