AN: I wanted to take a day off, but we crossed 700 PS: So, here you go, another bonus chapter.
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[One Month Later]
A lot had changed in a month, and Jack's life, especially, picked up speed in a quiet but irreversible way.
The email arrived early in the morning. The copyright for the Harry Potter book had been approved. It was official.
The first thing Jack did was not celebrate.
Instead, he uploaded the book.
He set up the listing on KDP and POD, formatted the manuscript with care, checked it three times, and finally hit publish. He priced the ebook low, fully aware of how the market worked.
E-books were exploding in popularity anyway. People liked instant access, late-night reading, and not having to leave their couch. If the book was going to find readers, this was the fastest way.
There was no big announcement. Just a clean cover, a proper description, and posts on his social media platforms like FB, twitter and his old YT account. Though his popularity in Hollywood decreased a lot over the years, he still had followers.
Next, Jack printed hard copies and gave them to Phil, Claire, Alex and Haley.
..
[One Week Later] [Dunphy House]
The living room was unusually quiet.
Claire sat in the corner of the couch with the book closed in her hands, staring ahead as if she had just finished something heavy and had not fully come back to the room yet. She really loved the story, even though she rarely reads fantasy stories like this.
Phil sat at the other end with his legs stretched out and the book open on his lap. He frowned at the page, then shook his head.
"I do not like this Snape guy," he said. "I am telling you right now, he is shady and evil. Probably has a secret lair too. And the way he was mumbling spells during the match..."
Claire did not look at him. Her voice stayed flat and controlled. "Phil."
"What?"
"You are wrong."
Phil's eyes widened. "See? That tone. You know something."
She finally turned to him. "I finished the book."
Phil straightened at once. "Do not say a word."
Claire smiled. "Just one small hint. It will make the rest of it better."
He closed the book and pulled it against his chest. "No. I want to read it clean without spoilers. Don't spoil it for me, Claire."
"You already said he is evil," she said.
"That is a theory," Phil replied quickly. "A harmless theory."
Claire leaned closer and opened her mouth.
Phil yelped, shoved his fingers into his ears, and jumped up from the couch. "La la la la la, I cannot hear you."
"Phil," she said, trying not to laugh.
He shouted louder as he ran for the stairs. "I will not be ruined. I deserve this. I am a good person."
He disappeared upstairs, still yelling nonsense.
Claire stared at the empty stairway for a second.
Then she laughed.
...
//Phil's confession//
Phil drops back onto the couch with the book still in his hand, breathing a little harder than necessary, like he's just made it out of something dangerous.
"Okay," he says, steadying himself, "Claire is still mad at me about the curtains. And honestly? I get it. Beige-on-beige was a bold choice. Some would even say… unforgivable."
He nods to himself, as if this is a well-documented fact.
"And before you ask, yes, it's been months. But when you choose the wrong shade of eggshell, some wounds never fully heal."
He leans forward, lowering his voice.
"So now she's trying to get revenge the only way that really hurts."
Phil lifts the book and gives it a small, accusing shake.
"By spoiling this awesome story."
He looks genuinely offended.
"That's psychological warfare."
Then his expression brightens, pride cutting cleanly through the outrage.
"Luckily for me, I've been going on morning runs for months."
He pats his chest.
"Cardio, baby."
A grin spreads across his face.
"I'm quick on my feet. Like a rabbit."
He pauses, clearly pleased with himself.
"She'll never catch me."
The confidence softens a second later as he looks back as if Claire might jump out and spoil the story.
"…But I am reading the next chapter in the bathroom. Just in case."
//Phil's confession End//
...
At the dining table, Alex sat upright with the book neatly stacked beside her, along with two other books, hands folded like she had just completed a successful experiment.
"This is objectively impressive," she said, without looking up.
Haley, sprawled on the couch with her phone in her hand, glanced over. "Objectively impressive is the nerdiest compliment I have ever heard."
Alex ignored her. "The world-building is consistent. The rules make sense. The character motivations are coherent. And the emotional pacing is far more mature than it has any right to be."
Claire looked over. "You like it?"
Alex nodded. "I loved it. Which is annoying, because now I have to live with the fact that my sister is dating a literary prodigy." She grabbed her head and sighed. "How did this happen? Arrrggg! It's so frustrating."
Haley smiled smugly. "Feels right."
Alex tilted her head. "How long did it take you to read it?"
Haley replied. "Two days."
Alex's eyes narrowed. "You hate reading."
"I hate boring reading," Haley shot back. "This one had magic and drama and a boy with trauma."
Alex studied her. "You rushed it."
Haley shrugged. "Maybe."
She stayed up late both nights reading under her blanket and texting Jack simple reactions without sharing too much. She wanted him to know she cared. Mostly, she wanted to avoid being the person who shakes their head without understanding what is happening.
...
//Alex's confession//
Alex folded her hands together on the edge of the table.
"So… Haley and Jack have been together for over a month and two weeks," she said, a little too precisely. "Yes, I counted. That's what stable adults do."
She tried to sound casual, but it came out careful instead.
"And I don't hate it. I really don't. I'm not unhappy."
There was a short pause.
"I just… don't understand it."
She pushed back from the table and began to pace, slow and distracted, as if the room itself were part of the problem.
"Jack is academically gifted. Publicly successful. A literal celebrity. He wrote a book with layered themes, emotional restraint, and coherent internal logic." She made a small, vague gesture in the air. "And Haley is..."
She stopped herself and shook her head.
"No. That sounded bad."
A strained smile flickered across her face and disappeared almost immediately.
"They have nothing in common. On paper. If this were a data set, I would flag it as an outlier."
She went quiet for a beat, staring at the floor.
"I keep thinking… he can do so much better. Like me."
Her eyes widened as she realized what she just said.
"Wait. Oh my God. I didn't just say that. What's wrong with me?"
She straightened abruptly, as if the realization had physically pulled her upright.
"Am I… jealous?"
The question came out thin and unsettled. She stood there, processing it, visibly horrified by her own conclusion.
"Is this what jealousy feels like? Because I don't like it. It's inefficient and irrational. It's making my stomach do things."
She let out a slow breath.
"I'm supposed to be the sister who sees patterns and predicts outcomes."
Her voice dropped.
"And I didn't see this coming."
Alex gave a small, unsettled nod to herself.
"Great. Another emotion I have to catalog."
//Alex's confession End//
...
[Meanwhile] [Richard's Office]
Jack sat on the couch.
Richard sat across from him, jacket off, sleeves rolled slightly, holding a tablet he had not looked at in a while. He leaned back, thoughtful. "You did the right thing publishing the ebook first with a low price and easy access."
Jack nodded. "300 copies sold within a week. I was kinda surprised. But..."
Richard set the tablet aside. "But now comes the part where talent alone is not enough."
Jack waited.
"There are thousands of books released online every day," Richard continued. "Most of them disappear in a week. Some in hours. Being good does not guarantee visibility. I'm pretty sure you saw the sudden drop in sales, right?"
Jack nodded slowly. "That's why I wanted to talk to you."
Richard raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
Jack met his eyes. "Do you want to take care of the hard copy promotion and publication?"
Richard did not answer right away.
Jack went on. "I am new. I do not have a reader base. The algorithm does not care how good the book is. It cares about momentum, placement, timing." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "With your connections, you could do more in a month than I could do in a year."
Richard studied him for a long moment.
Then he smiled.
"So," Richard said, amused, "you do know your limitations."
Jack chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. I ain't stupid anymore. I know my limits."
Richard nodded once, satisfied. "Good. If you want to go further in life, you must know what you are capable of doing at present and take full advantage of that. Connection, contacts, parents, friends... use them all, but within limits and responsibly."
"I'll keep that in mind," Jack nodded.
He stood up and made his decision. "Okay, I will handle it. I'll ensure a proper print run, get it distributed, and arrange for reviews in the right places."
Jack let out a quiet breath he did not realize he had been holding. "Thank you."
Richard waved it off. "You earned it. That book is great."
He walked to his desk, opened a drawer, and pulled out a script bound neatly with a clip. He turned back and handed it to Jack.
"Now," Richard said, "read this."
Jack took it, surprised. "What is it?"
"A Comedy/Fantasy," Richard replied. "Good director. Strong cast attached. I'm producing, and I think you'll do great as the lead character."
Jack opened the folder and read the title. '17 Again. Finally, a movie from my old reality. As far as I can remember, this movie made big money and topped the charts. This is my big comeback chance. I won't waste it.'
Richard said, "Just read it. If you like it, we talk. If not, we move on."
Jack nodded. "Alright."
Richard smiled, softer this time. "I am proud of you, you know. Not because you wrote a great book. But because you asked for help when it mattered and you are taking your life seriously."
Jack looked down at the script, then back up. "As I've told you... I'm trying to do things right this time."
Richard nodded. "I can see that."
Jack stood up, script in hand.
"So..." Richard raised an eyebrow.
"Ah! I almost forgot," Jack took out a pendrive from his pocket and gave it to him. "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets."
Richard smiled as he held the drive. "Your mom hasn't read it yet, right? I'm the first one to see it, right?"
"Yep, you're the first one who's going to read it," Jack said as he turned around and walked toward the door. "Enjoy."
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