“Thank you, Ms. Hart. Your Android is currently undergoing memory programming. It will be delivered to you in one week.” “Very good, thank you.” Elena Hart’s voice was flat and emotionless. After hanging up the phone, she collapsed onto the sofa, staring blankly ahead. In seven days, she would completely leave Nathan Cole behind, replacing herself with that Android. The Android was her perfect copy, identical down to the finest detail, but with slight personality adjustments—sweet, compliant, the kind of woman who would never cause any ripples. Nathan would probably love that kind of woman, wouldn’t he? A sharp buzz broke the silence as the front door clicked open. Nathan stumbled in, his steps unsteady. The winter night’s chill still clung to him, snowflakes dotting his shoulders, melting into tiny droplets that fell as he crossed the threshold. He dragged himself to the sofa and flopped down, sprawling out as if the place belonged to him alone. The pungent smell of cologne mixed with the stale scent of whiskey invaded Elena’s nose. She lowered her eyelids. Of course, he’d been with that woman again tonight. These days, that woman’s perfume always followed him home. No surprise there. “Get me some coffee,” Nathan mumbled, flinging an arm over his eyes, his tone laced with irritation. In the past, on nights like this when he went out “networking,” Elena would have prepared a pot of coffee in advance, ensuring he’d be comfortable no matter how late he returned. But tonight, she didn’t move. She sat there, motionless, as if his words hadn’t reached her ears. Seeing no response, Nathan lifted his arm and glared at her sideways. “Are you deaf or something? I said—” “I heard you,” Elena cut him off, her clear gaze locking directly with his. “If you want coffee, get it yourself. I’m going to bed.” She stood up and walked toward the bedroom without looking back. “Elena! What’s wrong with you now?” Nathan jumped up and grabbed her wrist before she could walk away. “Is this because I didn’t go to the hospital with you today? It was just a routine checkup, not some life-or-death situation. You were fine on your own! Chloe had a burst pipe at her place, and she was terrified, crying her eyes out! She’s my friend and all alone in this city. What was I supposed to do, just abandon her? Why are you making such a big deal out of this?” His words tumbled out all at once, the perfume on him making Elena dizzy. Her heart pounded in her chest. “She cried over a burst pipe?” Elena’s voice was soft but dripping with sarcasm. “Wow, she’s really tough, isn’t she?” She tilted her head slightly, her tone eerily calm. “Remember those home invasions a few months ago? When people were getting robbed in the middle of the night? I was terrified. I begged you to come home early. What did you say?” Nathan narrowed his eyes, either too drunk to remember or pretending not to. Elena’s voice remained steady, even slightly mocking, but her words concealed a sharp edge. “You said, ‘Are you a child? Why are you so paranoid? I’m not a cop—what could I even do if I were there?’” Nathan’s face twitched, and he stammered, “This is a gated community, Elena. Top-notch security. Nothing’s going to happen here.”
“Just some trash,” Elena said dismissively. What else could you call things you no longer needed? Nathan sighed in relief. When he drove into the gated community, he had seen thick black smoke rising from a distance, his heart racing as images of their house on fire flashed through his mind. He had floored the gas pedal to get back. “Don’t burn things, it’s too dangerous,” he said, eyeing the cardboard boxes stacked by the front door. “More trash?” Elena glanced at the boxes, her lips pressed into a thin line. Those were her packed belongings ready to go. Just then, a delivery person walked up. “Ms. Hart? Do you have items for pickup?” Elena nodded toward the boxes. “Yes, those. Take all of them.” Nathan tensed, grabbing her wrist abruptly, his voice tight. “You’re moving out?” Elena studied his anxious expression, feeling confused. She wondered why he cared so much. He had made it clear he was tired of her. Shouldn’t he be happy to see her leave? Not wanting to start any arguments before her departure, she lied to brush it off: “No, just clearing out some things to donate.” Nathan’s shoulders relaxed as he released her wrist and took her hand instead. “Okay. Whatever you need, I’ll buy it for you later.” Elena smiled faintly. “Later,” she thought. “We don’t have a ‘later’ anymore.” He must have sensed her mood, perhaps attributing it to last night’s argument. For once, he softened his tone, almost tenderly. “Look, about Chloe—she just had a nightmare last night, so I checked on her, that’s all. You have nothing to worry about. She’s just a friend, nothing more.” Elena almost laughed. Her gaze turned cold as she countered, “You don’t think spending the night at a single woman’s place looks bad, even if ‘nothing happened’? Don’t you see how terrible that looks?” Nathan’s face darkened. “That’s just your mind twisting things! Nothing like that happened!” Elena let out a dry laugh and shook her head. What was the point of arguing with someone who would never admit they were wrong? A waste of breath. Her silence made Nathan uneasy, and he stubbornly continued, “Anyway, Chloe and I are just friends. It’s not what you think.” “Right,” Elena thought. “If ‘just friends’ includes holding hands, hugging, and possibly kissing, then the bar for ‘friendship’ is ridiculously low.” She didn’t bother arguing anymore. “Whatever.” “By the way,” Nathan changed the subject, “there’s a party tonight. Come with me.” “I have other plans—” Elena began, but he cut her off. He pulled out a shopping bag from his car and handed it to her. “Don’t be like that. I already told them I’d bring you. I bought you a dress.” Elena glanced at the logo on the bag—one of her favorite brands, not cheap. In college, they couldn’t afford such things. She remembered standing outside a store window once, staring at a dress she loved but couldn’t have. Nathan had worked three jobs to save up for it, only to find it sold out. He searched the entire city but couldn’t find it. It was the first time she’d seen him cry. With tears streaming down his face, he promised he would work hard, make lots of money, so she would never have to long for things she couldn’t have. He had worked hard. He had made lots of money. But somewhere along the way, he started buying dresses for someone else. Elena sighed, the memory bittersweet. She took the bag. Fine, she would go to the party. One last time, for old times’ sake.
Elena woke up to the sharp smell of disinfectant stinging her nostrils, that acrid scent permeating the air. Gradually, memories of the crash came flooding back like a tide—that moment before everything went dark. “Elena! You’re awake!” Nathan rushed into the hospital room, holding a thermos. “How are you feeling? Dizzy? The doctor said it’s just minor injuries, you’ll be fine after a few days of rest.” He set down the thermos and hugged her tightly. “Thank God you’re okay…” Elena felt his body trembling slightly and noticed tears glistening in his eyes. But she remained unmoved, even finding it somewhat ridiculous. In that life-or-death moment, he had pushed her away to protect Chloe. Didn’t that say everything? If she had died, he and Chloe could be together without any complications. Perfect, right? So why pretend to be so devoted now? She pushed his arms away, her face expressionless, showing no emotional response. Nathan caught the mockery in her eyes, hesitated, then hurriedly explained, “Don’t be angry, please? I panicked and got you two mixed up. Your dresses looked too similar. I was trying to save you…” Elena closed her eyes, unwilling to say another word to him. She had been wearing a cream-colored dress, while Chloe wore bright red. Mixed up? Please. And before the crash, she clearly heard him call out “Chloe”—not her name. “Come on, Nathan,” she thought, “at least make your lies somewhat believable.” “I’m tired,” she turned her head away, “please leave.” She kept her eyes closed, refusing to open them. If she did, tears would flow, and she absolutely wouldn’t cry in front of him. For the next three days, Nathan stayed at the hospital—whether out of guilt or half-hearted atonement, she didn’t care. He couldn’t move her at all because she knew his heart wasn’t there anymore. He couldn’t put down his phone, either typing away on the screen or reacting to messages—frowning, smiling, immersed in his own world. On the day of her discharge, Nathan drove her back to their gated community. As soon as Elena got out of the car, his phone made a “ding” sound. He glanced at it, his expression tightening. “Elena, there’s an emergency at the company. I need to go back. You should rest inside, I’ll be back tonight.” Before she could answer, he jumped back into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and the car sped out of the driveway. Elena stared at the car until it disappeared from sight, then let out a bitter laugh. Not “the company.” That “ding” was Chloe’s special ringtone. She had heard it over and over these three days, like an annoying song looping in her head. The fact that he could lie to her so casually, and so poorly, was almost impressive. Instead of resting, Elena took action. She liquidated all her personal assets, then went to the mall to return her engagement ring. Since she was leaving for good, there was no point in keeping it. She still remembered when they bought that ring. Nathan’s company had been in trouble then, with broken cash flow. She had invested all her savings to help him, even selling the jewelry her mother had left her to keep things afloat. When Nathan found out, he held her tight, saying she was the best thing in his life. After the company turned profitable, the first thing he did was buy this ring. In front of friends and family, he got down on one knee and proposed, promising her forever. Those words still echoed in her mind. But just a few years later, those vows were nothing but noise, easily forgotten, like yesterday’s old news.
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