I was watching a show on my husband’s laptop in his office when an AI assistant notification suddenly popped up. “Hey there, handsome boss! Stop working so hard, you need your rest. We’ve got a big night ahead, you know?” I stared at the cutesy font and the screen full of pink hearts, utterly stunned. Clutching the screenshot, I stormed up to him while he was meeting a client. “Are you seeing someone else?” He paused, then chuckled, pinching my cheek. “Silly. That’s just an AI virtual girlfriend our company developed. I’m just personally testing it.” I calmly nodded, then turned and asked someone to investigate. After getting the IP address behind this virtual girlfriend, I immediately posted it in the company SnapChat group. “Come clean now, and I might just spare you some public humiliation.” Taking my money, treating me like a fool – you should be prepared for your life to be utterly destroyed! The bustling company SnapChat group instantly fell silent. Five minutes later, Alex burst through the door, his forehead beaded with sweat, breath ragged, a desperate look on his face. “Tori, it’s really just program testing, you have to believe me!” Several core senior employees followed him in, all rushing to explain. “Ms. Sterling, it’s just a beta version. There’s absolutely no real person operating it.” “The dialogue content is pre-scripted. It doesn’t mean what you think it means.” Mr. Henderson, the Technical Director, pulled out the meeting minutes and handed them to me. “These dialogue templates were designed by the team together. The goal is to boost user engagement and loyalty.” “Mr.Thorne was personally testing it for our team’s project. If you misunderstand him, we’ll all feel terrible.” Their words were earnest, all of them defending Alex. Alex took my hand, his eyes full of sincerity. “Tori, I’m so sorry I upset you. If you don’t like me using this, I’ll never touch it again.” He knew his sincerity always swayed me. Back when he was dirt poor, I saw something in his character and wholeheartedly backed his startup. To achieve success, he worked overtime for half a month straight, not coming home at night. I never doubted him, instead keeping our home perfectly organized, waiting for his return. When he needed funding, I secured investment from my father, agreeing that he’d have full control over the profits for the first five years. In the end, when the business didn’t take off, I didn’t blame him. Instead, I used his “rich experience” as a reason to recommend him for a position at the corporation my father founded. The day he became CEO, at his celebration banquet, he proposed to me a second time. He told me his love for me would always be as pure and passionate as when we first fell in love, and he would only ever love me. Every wedding anniversary after that, he would propose to me again. To prove he stayed true to his original vows. His loyalty to me, by all accounts, should have been unwavering. I wearily pinched the bridge of my nose, waving them off. “I understand. I won’t pursue this any further.” They left the office, relieved. Alex also visibly relaxed and started to walk over to embrace me. I pushed him away. I had already seen Alex’s chat logs with the AI assistant. It messaged him every few dozen minutes. While most of the content was weather alerts or schedule reminders, the language was always ambiguous, even suggestive. There were also custom, faceless emojis, and it was clear they were all from the same person. Even with all my trust in him, I couldn’t help but feel suspicious. I had to get to the bottom of this. I still had contacts among the corporation’s technical staff. I excused myself to the restroom and sent the IP address to them. The response came quickly. The user was inside our corporation building. Cross-referencing with HR records, I found her name. Chloe Miller. A new intern in Operations Department Two. My heart suddenly clenched. They kept insisting there was no real person behind it, didn’t they? Now I even had her name and profile. I took the elevator straight downstairs, spotting her the moment I stepped out. Everyone else was engrossed in their work, but her screen was streaming a reality show full-screen. Her desk was cluttered with expensive hand creams and snacks, and a personal humidifier just for her. I walked into the office. She saw me from the corner of her eye, seemingly sensing my presence, and quickly reached out and flipped over a framed photo of them together on her desk.
She slowly paused the show only when I was right beside her desk. My hands clenched discreetly. I wondered if Alex had given her such immense privileges. “Excuse me, but are you watching a show during work hours? Is all your work done?” Chloe Miller glanced at me dismissively. “I’m tired from working, so what if I take a break? Are you here to pick up recycling? Breakroom’s just around the corner.” The employees nearby looked like they didn’t want to get involved, but one still quietly reminded her, “This is Ms. Sterling, the daughter of our corporation’s founder, and Mr. Thorne’s wife.” Chloe Miller looked at me with an innocent expression. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I always imagined the President’s wife would be incredibly elegant and beautiful, so I didn’t recognize you. My apologies.” A surge of anger shot through me. Just as I was about to reprimand her, Chloe Miller glanced elsewhere, and her eyes instantly welled up. “I’m so sorry, Ms. Sterling.I’ll go back to work right away.” “What’s going on?” Alex’s stern voice cut in from behind me. Several employees immediately crowded around, all talking over each other. “Ms. Sterling accused Chloe of not working hard, and the poor intern was crying because of Ms. Sterling.” “Chloe’s work is excellent; her team lead specifically allowed her a break. Ms. Sterling is being too strict.” I was surprised. Just moments ago, these people had been silent, fearful of getting caught in an argument between me and Chloe Miller. But the moment Alex appeared, they suddenly knew which way the wind blew and started defending Chloe Miller relentlessly. “Enough.” Alex pointed at Chloe Miller. “You, come to my office tomorrow to report on your work. I’ll personally review your workload.” Chloe Miller lowered her head and agreed, but a subtle smirk played on her lips. My heart suddenly twisted in pain, a sour, churning feeling in my chest. Was he trying to warn her, or was he just creating an excuse to be alone with her at the office? I composed myself, raising my voice. “I’m not here to supervise. I’m here to announce that the corporation will be upgrading equipment. Starting with your department, all computers will be replaced.” At this news, the employees brightened with surprise. Only Chloe Miller pouted, clearly displeased. “Why so sudden? I’m used to my computer. Can’t I keep it?” “No.” Alex directly rejected her protest, then turned to me with a soft smile. “My wife represents me. All of you will follow her plan!” Chloe Miller looked at him in disbelief, her face flushed red, stifling her annoyance. I couldn’t stand her theatrics anymore. I said a quick goodbye to Alex and went home. Not long after, Alex came home early, looking a bit disheveled as if he’d rushed. He had my favorite cake in his left hand and the bag I’d eyed a few days ago in his right, an apologetic look on his face. “Tori, I’m so sorry. The AI virtual girlfriend testing has been handed over to someone else. I absolutely won’t touch anything that makes you feel neglected ever again.” I took his gifts, calmly saying, “For work, I understand.” He sighed, pulling me into a hug, his voice full of tenderness. “I know I’ve neglected you, I’m sorry. My phone password is your birthday. If you’re worried, you can check it anytime.” I nodded, saying nothing more. That evening, while Alex was showering, I unlocked his phone. It was clean, no suspicious activity at all. Suddenly, a text message popped up. “Your hot drink delivery for a female recipient has arrived.”
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