Part 1Sure, Let AI Handle It

"Veya AI, book me a table for a business dinner tomorrow."

In my last life, our intern, Vincent Tate, tried using AI to book a client dinner.

I told him Veya AI couldn't make reservations.

Yet he waited until after work to do it himself.

Too late.

Every table was gone.

Vincent immediately started crying to the whole office.

"If Mr. Alford hadn't stopped me from using AI, I would've gotten a table! Now we blew the deal!"

My fiancée, Peyton Welch, and the rest of my coworkers piled on.

"Why can't AI make reservations? Vincent's right. You're paying for every dollar we lose!"

Peyton shoved me during the fight. Then I fell off the building.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back.

Right at the moment Vincent tried using AI to book the table.

This time, I kept my mouth shut.

I listened as he gave Veya AI the command.

Go for it, Vincent. Let's see AI get you that table...

* * *

"Guys, look! AI is freaking amazing!

"I told it I needed a VIP room for eight at Lakecrest Hotel tomorrow, and boom—reservation confirmed!"

Vincent Tate had a clean-cut look and that fresh-out-of-college energy.

He held up his phone for the other interns to see.

Veya AI's reply filled the screen:

[Your lake-view VIP room for eight at Lakecrest Hotel is confirmed for 6:00 p.m. tomorrow. Please arrive on time.]

I leaned against the office doorframe, my back still aching.

My fists clenched, nails digging into my palms.

It took everything to shove down the rage boiling inside me.

Nearby, Vincent was still hyping up his phone while everyone sang his praises.

Looking smug as hell, he waved his phone and dropped a screenshot into the department group chat.

The group chat blew up with people hyping him up.

[Vincent, that's actually impressive! You're already this good with AI? Our department's productivity is about to go through the roof!]

[That's what fresh talent looks like. New hires actually think outside the box, unlike certain old-timers stuck in the past.]

[If we land this deal, Vincent deserves all the credit!]

Before I could finish reading, someone tagged me.

It was my fiancée, Peyton Welch—the company's Vice President.

[@Andy Maybe learn something from the younger employees. AI is the future. Stop being so stuck in your ways.]

She'd thrown the exact same jab at me in my last life.

Vincent jumped in right away, acting like the innocent intern who was scared I'd snap.

[If Mr. Alford doesn't like me using AI, I won't use it next time.]

[This is a huge deal, after all. If anything goes wrong, I'll take full responsibility. No reason to drag the whole team down with me.]

Every word made me look like the jerk picking on the new guy.

And if the deal fell through? Easy. Blame me for stopping him from using AI.

Last time, I'd snapped back and got accused of bullying a new hire.

But after dying once, none of this could get to me.

I stared at his fake little act and smirked.

My fingers flew across the keyboard:

[Use whatever you want. If this deal falls apart, it's all on you.]

The group chat went dead silent.

Nobody expected me to clap back that hard.

Even Peyton had nothing to say.

I opened our private chat and sent one message.

[We're done.]

Then I went back to my office and pulled open the bottom desk drawer.