After my brother got into a car accident, he claimed he was a time traveler from the future. He stormed into my office and shouted "Brother-in-law!" at my notoriously icy boss, Julian. I nearly died on the spot. I had just been chewed out by Julian for a mistake at work. If I angered him further, I was definitely getting fired. I tried to drag my brother out, but he grabbed Julian by the belt. "Brother-in-law, you haven't confessed yet? Are you a ninja?!" "You have my sister's name tattooed on your lower back! What are you waiting for?" I didn't understand a word this kid was saying. Julian looked furious, his face turning red. That night, as I was drafting my resignation letter, I accidentally saw the messages Julian had sent to my brother. [How many kids do your sister and I have in the future?] [Do they look like her or me?] [Divorce crisis?] [Did someone try to seduce her? Who is the bastard?!] 1 When I got the call from my mom, I had just walked out of my boss's office, freshly scolded. "Mom, is Tyler awake?" Tyler is my brother, a senior in high school. Two nights ago, he got into a car accident riding his bike home from late study hall. He’s been in the hospital ever since. If I hadn't been so worried about him, I wouldn't have accidentally sent a text meant for a client to my boss, Julian Thorne, which led to the lecture I just endured. "He's awake! He's awake!" My mom sounded frantic. "The doctor is checking him now." I pressed, "How does he look? Eyes, hearing, everything okay? Does he recognize you?" My mom went silent for two seconds. My heart dropped. "Is he deaf or blind?!" "Neither, it's just..." She hesitated. "He's saying some really weird stuff." Suddenly, I heard shouting in the background. "Am I the chosen one?!" Tyler yelled. "Mom! Are you talking to Sis?! Give me the phone!" There was rustling, then: "Sis! Listen to me! I came back from the year 2035! Listen to me and I guarantee we'll be rich..." I hung up, stone-faced. Did this kid think I had time for games? The company was having cash flow issues, and Julian had been in a foul mood all week. The office atmosphere was like a funeral. Seeing me return from the call, my coworkers shot me sympathetic looks. My work bestie, Sarah, whispered, "Chloe, you okay?" I blinked. "I'm fine." She gave me a thumbs up. "You have nerves of steel. Getting grilled by the Devil for that long and not even flinching." "The Devil" was their nickname for Julian. Just as she finished speaking, she glanced behind me and shut up immediately. Julian was walking out of his office. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and impeccably dressed. Even a standard suit looked like couture on him. His face was perfect, sharp and cold. He was on the phone, walking toward the elevator. Once the doors closed, the office collectively exhaled. "Looks like the Devil solved the cash flow problem." "He really works himself to the bone." "Yeah, he squeezes us dry, but he squeezes himself harder." "Hey Chloe, didn't you go to the same college as Julian? He was your senior, right?" The conversation suddenly turned to me. I nodded. "Was the Devil always like this back then?" I paused. "Like what?" Sarah thought for a moment. "Inhumane." 2 Julian was indeed my senior, and the president of the volunteer club I joined. We didn't interact much, and I wouldn't call us "close." So I didn't want to comment on his past recklessly. I laughed it off and went to the breakroom for water. My coworkers were still chatting outside. My mind wandered. Actually, I had an answer instantly. Was Julian inhumane in college? I didn't think so. Not just back then... I looked around the office. Our company was new, a startup. But the breakroom was always stocked. Since an intern fainted from low blood sugar once, there was always a basket of chocolates and candies. The bathrooms always had emergency supplies for women. When there were business dinners, Julian went alone if he could. If not, he brought male employees... These were small things, easily overlooked. Julian was quietly carrying the weight for everyone. 3 Julian came back before we clocked out. He looked relaxed. Sarah whispered, "Crisis averted. No overtime tonight." Better than no overtime. Soon, we all got a text: Paid day off tomorrow. Silence for two seconds, then the office erupted. "I love you, Boss!" "Long live Apex Tech!" "I love the Devil!" Just as the last shout rang out, Julian stepped out of his office. The shouter froze, mouth open, and slowly buried his head in his files. Julian didn't get mad. He just glanced at us coolly. "Go home early." His gaze landed on me for a split second. I nodded quickly. "Yes, sir." The boss left, so why should we stay? I packed up immediately. While waiting for the elevator behind Julian, my mom called again. "Your brother left the hospital. He said he's coming to pick you up from work. That kid..." "Pick me up?" I frowned. "Where is he?" "He should be almost there." She said Tyler snuck out while she was doing paperwork, leaving only a note. I saw black spots in my vision. "Fine. I'll take him home." I hung up as the elevator arrived. I followed Julian in. We stood in opposite corners, but the space still felt suffocatingly small. I stared at Julian's back, lost in thought. Suddenly, he spoke. "Is your... boyfriend picking you up?" Boyfriend? I blinked. He must have misunderstood the call. "No, it's my little brother." Julian's furrowed brow relaxed almost imperceptibly. He nodded. "My mistake." Silence returned. I watched the floor numbers tick down to 1. The doors opened, and I immediately saw a figure with a bandaged head looking around the lobby. "Tyler!" I walked over quickly. "What are you doing here?!" "Sis! Sis!!" Tyler looked at me with wide eyes. "You're so young! I'm not used to it!" Me: "...Are you crazy?" "Sis, let me tell you a secret." Tyler leaned in mysteriously. "I came back from 2035." I looked him up and down. "Did the doctor not recommend a psych eval?" Seeing I didn't believe him, he scratched his head anxiously. His eyes swept over the lobby and landed on Julian, who was talking to the receptionist. Tyler's eyes lit up. "That... that's..." He pointed, stuttering. I grabbed his hand. "Don't point! That's my boss!" Before I could finish, a deafening shout exploded in my ear. "BROTHER-IN-LAW!" Tyler shook off my hand and sprinted toward Julian. He grabbed Julian in a bear hug and slapped his back hard. "Brother-in-law! We got into that accident together! Did you travel back to 2025 with me?!" "I was so scared being alone here! Thank god you're here!" Then, he cupped Julian's face and kissed his cheek. Smack. I turned to stone. My coworkers coming out of the elevator turned to stone. Julian looked at Tyler, then at me, completely stunned. He quickly pushed Tyler away, trying to maintain his dignity. Through gritted teeth, he asked, "Can you tell me who you are?" "Me? Tyler! Tyler Cheng!" Tyler pointed at me. "Your wife's brother! Your favorite brother-in-law!" Everyone's eyes snapped to me. 4 My face burning, I grabbed Tyler by the collar to drag him out. But he's seventeen and strong. He broke free, sat on the floor, and hugged Julian's leg. My coworkers were mesmerized. Someone even took out their phone. I snapped. "Tyler! What is wrong with you?!" "You don't understand!" He yelled back, eyes red and teary. "I traveled back to three months before the SATs! Do you think I remember anything? They want me to take the test! That's a death sentence!" "Mom doesn't believe me, you don't believe me! No one believes me!" "You don't know how mental this is!" Tyler wailed, then turned to Julian. "Brother-in-law, do you really not know me?" "How come we crashed together but only I came back?" Julian finally processed the situation. He looked at me, then at Tyler, with a weird expression. Then he asked the question everyone wanted to know. "What... did you call me?" "Brother-in-law," Tyler said. "You marry my sister in 2031. You have a daughter, Ruby, in 2032. Oh god, Ruby is a demon child, she..." I covered his mouth. "Shut up. Say one more word and I'll kill us both." Tyler shut up. Surviving was more important than narrating the future. I felt like I was losing my mind. I apologized to Julian hastily and turned to leave. Tyler scrambled up to follow me. Maybe because of the concussion, he got dizzy and grabbed the nearest thing to steady himself— Julian's belt. He yanked Julian's shirt untucked in the process.
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