Chapter 1

My younger brother, Daniel, was in a horrific car accident and needed emergency surgery. Since I was stuck abroad on a business trip, I had to beg my wife to go to the hospital and sign the consent forms.

She promised she would. But the moment she hung up, she booked a flight out of the country with her newly purchased humanoid robot to go on a vacation.

When the hospital desperately tried to find someone to sign for the surgery, they couldn't reach her.

By the time I rushed back, all that was waiting for me was Daniel’s cold corpse.

A few days later, my wife—who barely ever posted anything—updated her Snapchat Story.

"A brand-new life experience. Honestly, nothing beats a robot."

Attached was a picture of her and the robot in a hotel room, both of them disheveled and barely dressed.

With a numb face, I tapped the screen and left a like on her story. Then, I decided to press the activation button for the robot’s self-destruct system.

"Let’s get a divorce, Chloe."

The moment I learned of Daniel’s death, I wiped the tears from my face and sent this text directly to my wife.

Five years. I never expected our marriage to end like this.

After all, I used to love her to the point of losing all my dignity. I chased her for three long years before she finally agreed to be with me.

When we finally walked down the aisle, I couldn't even bring myself to say a harsh word to her.

Even though I knew deep down she didn't love me that much, I accepted it. As long as I could keep looking at her, it was enough.

Everyone around us could see I was the pathetic doormat in this relationship, but I was happy to be one.

But Daniel’s death was something I could never forgive.

Our parents died when we were young. Daniel and I raised each other. Just when I finally started making good money and things were looking up, he got into that car crash. It happened so fast, catching me completely off guard.

I didn't give up on him. I kept hoping he would wake up and call me his big bro again.

And Chloe Vance completely shattered that dream.

A week later, I had already finished Daniel’s funeral services. During this entire time, that divorce text was like a stone dropped into the ocean—no reply at all.

But the second I liked her Snapchat Story, her call instantly came through.

"What is your problem, Ethan? Did you like my story just to disgust me, or are you trying to mark your territory? Leo is just a robot! Are you seriously jealous of an AI?!"

"Besides, I’m not a doctor. How was I supposed to save Daniel anyway? It’s your own fault for being useless. You ruined my vacation experience. You are so incredibly annoying."

Her dismissive, casual tone made my heart, which had already gone numb with pain, ache violently all over again.

The moment I landed from my business trip, I had rushed to the hospital, only to be met with my brother's death certificate.

Only later did I find out that Chloe had actually flown first-class to Europe with that robot. The hospital had called her dozens of times to get her signature for the emergency surgery, but her phone was turned off the entire time.

The blood in my veins felt like it was boiling. I bit my lip so hard that the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth.

"Do you even have a conscience, Chloe? You promised me you would take care of Daniel! Instead, you turned around and went on a trip with that machine! Is he even human? Does he understand human feelings?!"

Before I could finish, Chloe cut me off sharply.

"Leo is different! He understands my heart! He’s not like those other cold blocks of metal! So what if I want to make him more perfect?"

"When I said I wanted to order him, you agreed to it! You said it would be nice to have someone keep me company so I wouldn't be lonely. Why are you standing on a moral high ground accusing me now? Don't you think you're being ridiculous?"

"Whatever. Leo is waiting for me. Don't call me unless it's important. Maybe you should think about what you did wrong to force me to rely on a robot in the first place. Got it?"

Her self-righteous tone made my blood run hot, followed by a deep, hollow chill.

It was the middle of summer. Sweat was dripping down my forehead, but my body wouldn't stop shivering.

I actually thought Chloe loved me. I thought she cared when she promised to visit Daniel.

But even now, as I brought Daniel’s ashes back to our empty apartment, she hadn't asked about him even once.

Right. She was probably drowning in the manufactured tenderness of her robot.

Watching the guests leave the funeral, I finally understood. My heart was completely dead.

You can't force love. If it's rotten, you might as well throw it in the trash.