Grace Lockwood was dying. Her one wish was for her only daughter, Sophia Lockwood, to have a child to call her own. To ease her foster mother’s worries, Jason Danish agreed to her request. He started staying out all night, pressuring me to divorce him. After several heated arguments, I summoned the long-dormant Zenith Interface, “I want to leave this world.” To spare me from pain in my final moments, the system extracted my core emotions. I stopped fighting or arguing, which seemed to please Jason. He eagerly married his foster sister, Sophia. Gradually, Jason began to notice my growing indifference. I even prepared baby clothes for the child Sophia was expecting. It was then that he finally panicked. …… Content Jason Danish and I had another fight. It was the third time, always about his foster sister, Sophia Lockwood. I grabbed his arm, refusing to let him leave. Jason flung me off with irritation. Unsteady on my feet, I caught the edge of the table to keep from falling. His face darkened, brimming with impatience. “Chloe Hartwell, I’ve told you this a hundred times: it’s just for a child. A year from now, I’ll divorce her and remarry you. Why can’t you just be reasonable? Why pick a fight now?” I stared into his eyes, my chest heaving. “She wants a child, but why does it have to be you? She knows you’re married. She’s destroying our family.” “Chloe Hartwell!” Jason’s voice was low, carrying a storm of fury. “Grace raised me. Without her, I wouldn’t even be alive. What family do I have without her?” “Tomorrow at the County Clerk’s Office, I’ll be waiting.” With that, he slammed the door, leaving the apartment complex. At the curb, a petite figure emerged from a Bentley and ran toward him, throwing herself into his arms. I clutched my chest, a bitter ache swelling inside. Seven years together, and this was how it all ended. I summoned the Zenith Interface. “System, I want to go home.” Three years ago, I successfully won over Jason Danish. I should have left then. But Jason had said to me, “Chloe, I finally have a home.” I had teased, “You could’ve just bought a house. Isn’t that the same thing?” Jason frowned, shaking his head solemnly. “It’s not about having a house—it’s about having you. You’re my home.” “Chloe, you are my home.” In that moment, I felt like I was walking on air, floating among the clouds. Because of those words, I stayed. After all, I was an orphan. Where I lived didn’t really matter. But only three years later, Jason dealt me a fatal blow. When Grace was diagnosed with late-stage cancer, she clung to Jason’s hand, pleading with him to take care of Sophia. Tears streamed down her face as she expressed her fears that Sophia, alone in the world, would be vulnerable. “If only Sophia could have a child,” she said. “But she refuses to marry. I know—it’s because she’s waiting for you, Jason. I don’t care about dying, but I can’t rest easy leaving Sophia alone.” To ease her mind, Jason promised to marry Sophia and give her a child. I was there in the hospital room when he made that promise, every word chilling me to the core. When we got home, Jason told me he wanted a divorce so he could marry Sophia. I refused, and we argued. He ended it by slamming the door on me. The Zenith Interface hesitated before speaking. “Host, for the first three months of separation, your emotions will be removed. You’ll become an empty shell. Leaving then will spare you much of the pain.” I agreed. I would do anything to get far away from Jason Danish.
The next day, I didn’t make it to the County Clerk’s Office. It was pouring rain, and I hated going out in storms. Jason called, his tone sharp with frustration. “Chloe Hartwell, the wedding is next week. Can you stop causing trouble?” Rain pounded against the windows, and thunder rumbled in the distance. I clutched the edge of the blanket. “Can’t we do it tomorrow? The forecast says it’ll be sunny.” Jason’s breathing grew heavier, tinged with exasperation. “Tomorrow, I’m helping Sophia try on wedding dresses.” “What about the day after?” “Chloe Hartwell!” When Jason got angry, his voice grew low and weighty. I didn’t need to see him to know his face was stormy, his brow furrowed, convinced I was playing games. I sighed. “Fine. Wait for me.” I hated rainstorms—feared them, even. In my original world, I’d been in a car accident during a storm. That’s how I ended up in a coma and became part of this world through the system. I hailed a cab, but by the time I folded my umbrella, the rain had drenched half my hair. I frowned, irritated. I hated rainy days. Outside the fogged windows, the streets were nearly empty. My phone rang incessantly. All calls were from Jason. I tugged at the corners of my mouth in a bitter smile. He was so impatient he couldn’t wait even a minute. Oddly, I felt nothing. It seemed the separation program was already taking effect. The cab skidded at a corner, the tires screeching against the wet pavement. I was thrown forward, my forehead smacking against the seat in front of me. Jason was still blowing up my phone, but unfortunately for him, I’d been in a car accident. I grabbed my umbrella and prepared to walk to the County Clerk’s Office. The driver grabbed my arm. “Where are you going? The ambulance is on its way.” “Let me go. I’ve got urgent business.” “What’s so urgent? Reincarnation?” “I’m getting a divorce.” The driver froze for a second, then tightened his grip. Maybe he mistook the rain on my face for tears. He gave me a look—equal parts pity and sadness. “Urgent or not, you still need to get checked out first.” I supposed he was right. I was taken to Lakewood Medical Center. After a battery of tests, the County Clerk’s Office had long since closed. Jason stormed into my hospital room, his initial alarm fading into a cold mask as he saw I was unharmed. “A car accident? Chloe Hartwell, you couldn’t have come up with a better excuse? Where are you hurt?” I spread my hands. “Nowhere.” Jason flipped through my test results, his face growing darker by the second. The paper crinkled in his hands. He laughed bitterly. “Chloe Hartwell, are you determined to make my mother die with regrets?” “I told you—I’ll divorce Sophia once she has the child. Can’t you think about me? Do you know how worried I was coming here? And you? You’re fine with lying to me.” Once, I might have been hurt by this, furious even. Why should I understand him when he was ready to tear our family apart for Sophia? Who understood me? But now, I was calm. I didn’t even have the energy to argue. “Jason Danish, I wasn’t lying. I really was in an accident. The driver’s still here in the hospital if you don’t believe me. I just got lucky.” Jason didn’t believe me, but before he could vent further, Sophia called. His stern expression softened. His voice became gentle. He didn’t even bother stepping away. Her playful, sweet tone carried clearly over the line. We weren’t divorced yet, and Sophia was already calling him “hubby.” And Jason? He didn’t correct her. After hanging up, he sighed and turned to me. “Chloe, I’ll pick you up tomorrow. Don’t fight me this time. You know Grace doesn’t have much time left.” Grace’s dying wish was to see Jason and Sophia married. Jason busied himself making it happen. I nodded. “Okay.” “Don’t fight me, Chloe…” “What did you say?” Jason froze, startled. I repeated myself. “I said, okay. Tomorrow, divorce.”
In the past, I wouldn’t have agreed so easily. Not scolding him first would’ve been a miracle. But now, it took no effort at all to say, “Fine.” Jason Danish’s furrowed brow relaxed, and he exhaled in relief. “Then, tomorrow.” Sophia Lockwood was waiting for him to have dinner. He had no time to waste on me. Jason left the hospital quickly, guilt written all over him. After he left, the doctor told me I could be discharged. I went home and cooked myself a bowl of noodles. They were tasteless. I added more salt, but the flavor didn’t change. It seemed my sense of taste was already fading, much faster than I’d expected. I finished the meal mechanically, then methodically cleaned up and washed the dishes. Finally, I lay on the cold, empty bed. I ran my hand over the other side—it was ice cold. Ever since Jason decided to marry Sophia, he’d moved out. The empty house was mine alone. If I left, no one would live here anymore. The next morning, I was woken by the ringing of my phone. Jason’s cold voice came through. “I’m downstairs. Get ready and come down.” I froze for a second. “Okay.” When I opened the car door to the passenger seat, I realized Sophia was there too. Her hair was in soft curls, her makeup impeccable. She smiled at me, almost playfully. “Sorry, Chloe, I didn’t feel like getting out of the car. Do you mind sitting in the back?” I nodded. “Sure.” I climbed into the backseat, staring out the window with a blank expression. In the rearview mirror, Jason’s gaze flitted toward me now and then. He cleared his throat. “Uh, Sophia wants to invite you to be her bridesmaid.” I looked at him, puzzled. Jason coughed again. “If you don’t want to, it’s fine. The wedding’s just a formality. You don’t have to come if you don’t want to.” “I’ll go.” Jason’s expression shifted to one of surprise. “Did you hear me? I said bridesmaid.” “I heard you. I’m not deaf,” I replied. Jason’s face darkened, and he snapped, “Fine. When Sophia picks her dress later, you can pick your bridesmaid dress.” When the seal stamped down on the divorce papers, it marked the end of my three-year marriage to Jason Danish. Jason grabbed his copy of the decree and stuffed it into his pocket without so much as glancing at it. I, on the other hand, took my time, carefully examining every word. The documents were just different pieces of paper, but they ruled most of our lives. I hadn’t finished reading when a large hand snatched the paper from me. Jason’s tone was annoyed. “What’s so interesting about it? It’s not like we’re really divorced.” The stamp begged to differ. Whatever. If that’s how he wanted to see it, so be it. Sophia’s wedding dress was stunning, adorned with diamonds that sparkled in the sunlight. When Jason and I got married, he was fresh out of college and broke. Our wedding had been minimalist, to say the least. He had promised me back then, “When I have money, I’ll throw you an even grander wedding, and you’ll wear the most beautiful dress.” Three years later, he had money, but those promises were long forgotten. I looked at the diamond ring on my finger, then noticed Jason’s hand was bare, leaving only a faint white mark where his ring had been. Calmly, I slipped my ring off and placed it on the counter. Following the store clerk, I began picking out bridesmaid dresses. Each one was prettier than the last. Sophia appeared behind me suddenly. “Chloe, I think this one suits you,” she said, holding up a long-sleeved, nude-toned dress with tulle. It was hideous and outdated. I replied evenly, “Then you wear it.” Sophia bit her lip, feigning hurt. “Chloe, this is a bridesmaid dress. I’m the bride.” I instinctively furrowed my brow. She was on the verge of tears again. Jason tossed the dress to me and wrapped an arm around Sophia, comforting her softly before turning to scold me. “Sophia is the bride. How could you suggest she wear a bridesmaid dress?” “Chloe Hartwell, if you don’t want to be her bridesmaid, just say so. Don’t act all pitiful.” What? I wasn’t doing anything. Jason handed the dress to the clerk. “This one. Wrap it up.” Fine. An ugly dress it was. On the wedding day, balloons surrounded the lawn at Green Ridge Estate, and the area was decorated with countless framed photos of Jason and Sophia. The guests all looked on enviously. Dressed in the hideous bridesmaid dress, I held the rings, waiting for my cue. Finally, it was time for the ring exchange. Step by step, I approached the bride and groom. When I handed Jason the ring, he looked at me, his eyes holding an unreadable emotion. He murmured softly, “Chloe, it’s just an act.” I nodded to show I understood. The emotion in his eyes faded, replaced by a smile as he slid the ring onto Sophia’s finger. Applause erupted, and the officiant announced, “You may kiss the bride!” I stood quietly to the side, waiting for them to kiss so I could finally take off my heels. The ill-fitting shoes had been digging into my feet all day. I lifted one foot to relieve the pain. When I glanced up, Jason’s eyes were locked on mine. He still hadn’t kissed Sophia. Sophia urged him quietly, her voice impatient. The guests stared expectantly. But he didn’t move. His lips quivered. “Chloe, I…”
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