Chapter 1

1

It was drizzling when I walked out of the custom android shop.

I still remembered the clerk's instructions before I left.

"Miss Thorne, the central controller will complete recording your behavioral data in fifteen days to automatically generate your android double."

"According to regulations, you and your android cannot coexist in the same residence, so please change your address promptly within this period."

Fifteen days...

I thought about it and carefully placed the device, which looked more like a tracker right now, into my bag.

Fortunately, the timeframe was long enough for me to tie up all my loose ends in Seattle.

On the way back, my phone buzzed non-stop.

Every call and message was from the exact same person―Beckett Wright.

He was the man I had loved for ten years and my husband of seven years.

The messages were all the same.

He was urging me to come home to celebrate our seventh wedding anniversary, claiming he had a special gift for me.

I replied with a brief, indifferent message and shoved my phone back into my bag.

I had zero interest in his so-called surprise.

Deep down, I knew our relationship was already dead in the water.

Since that was the case, what was there left to look forward to?

I dragged my heavy steps back home.

As soon as I walked through the door, Beckett pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Why are you so late? I was just about to go pick you up."

"Happy seventh anniversary, baby. Look at the gift I got you, do you like it?"

Before I could answer, Beckett opened his palm like a magician, revealing a carved jade amulet.

I recognized it as an amulet from the Sanctuary of St. Jude.

This kind of thing wasn't about money; it was about sincerity.

You had to climb nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine steep stone steps, one step at a time, to prove your devotion.

I once joked that if someone was willing to get one for me, I would be moved to tears.

But now...

What should have been a symbol of true love only made me want to laugh when it appeared between us.

Beckett didn't notice the shift in my mood.

His eyes were full of love as he helped me put the amulet on.

He kept muttering prayers, asking for his Hazel to be safe and happy for the rest of her life.

He sounded so genuine, as if he truly cherished me above all else.

But my eyes were sharp.

Through the mirror, I immediately spotted the dense cluster of hickeys hidden beneath his collar.

So, while he was supposedly going through hell to pray for my safety on our anniversary, he still found time to roll around in bed with his new toy.

Instantly, my stomach churned with disgust.

My already dead heart turned completely to ash.

I calmly stopped his hands.

"Don't put it on me. I don't like it anymore."

Whether it was the amulet or Beckett, I was completely sick of both.

Beckett froze for a moment, looking a bit lost.

He clearly didn't expect this reaction from me.

But he never had the heart to be harsh with me, so he just smiled and led me to the dining table.

"Okay, I'll pick out a new gift for you later."

Every bite of the meal tasted like ash in my mouth.

The man sitting across from me was eagerly piling food onto my plate.

However, his phone kept lighting up at the most inconvenient times.

Beckett looked conflicted.

After hesitating for a while, he finally tapped the screen.

Immediately, his Adam's apple bobbed nervously.

He even clumsily knocked over the bowl of soup next to his hand.

"I'm so sorry, Hazel. Today is a special day, and I should be spending it with you."

"But something urgent came up at the company. Take your time eating, and I'll be right back to keep you company, okay?"

I looked up at him and nodded silently.

It wasn't until the sound of his car engine hastily faded from the driveway that I finally let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Beckett had tried his best to hide it, angling his phone perfectly.

But he forgot that his glasses were reflective.

He wasn't looking at some urgent company email at all.

He was looking at a series of nearly naked selfies.

I sniffled, trying to force everything about Beckett out of my mind.

But when I unlocked my phone, the first piece of news that popped up was about him.

The CEO of Wright Corp braved the rain to secure a Serenity Amulet for his beloved wife.

The man in the photo, a known atheist, was bowing in sincere prayer for me.

His textbook-perfect devotion had the comment section swooning.

"Mr. Wright spoils his wife so much! I remember he once said he never hires female assistants just to make sure his wife feels secure."

"And remember when she got into that car crash? Mr. Wright went crazy with worry!"

"He stayed outside her ICU room for days without sleeping. When he found out she couldn't have kids anymore, he just said, 'As long as you are still here, that's all that matters.'"

"Rich, handsome, and totally loyal. His wife must have saved the galaxy in her past life! When will it be my turn to find a love like this..."

I stayed silent, sinking into my memories as I read their eager fantasies about true love.

I remembered his red, tear-filled eyes and his terrified expression back then.

But the more I remembered, the more my heart ached with agonizing pain.

What was the point of love?

The man who claimed to love me the most had ultimately chosen betrayal, climbing into another woman's bed...