Chapter 1

Dane is the tech world's enviable startup genius - handsome, wealthy, and unstoppable in his success.

And I? Just an ordinary programmer, yet chosen by him to be his "soulmate".

He showers me with affection, gentle and attentive, as if I'm the center of his universe.

But this love comes with a condition: I must help him create a humanoid AI.

I pour everything into it, working intensely for a year straight. Sleepless nights, insomnia, irregular periods, losing 90 pounds. Two pregnancies, two miscarriages. Each time, he consoles me: "It's okay, we're still young."

Finally, I present my latest achievement.

He's ecstatic, immediately naming the AI "Ashley" - the name of his deceased pure love.

As I lay unconscious, I overhear his assistant whispering: "Boss, isn't this too much? Your wife is exhausted. She was pregnant and you drugged her to miscarry..."

Dane's voice is ice-cold: "For Ashley's revival, her miscarriage ensures work isn't delayed.""I can't bear to be even a second late."

At that moment, my heart turned ice cold.

I destroyed the AI, but he chased after me, begging me through tears to come back.

Because the emotional core of the AI assistant... had always been me.

————————

1

I'm sitting in the corner of the conference room, watching Dane's eager eyes.

Those eyes he's never given me.

He stands on stage, his fingers gently caressing the AI projection, his movements as tender as if touching a lover: "From today on, she will be called AI assistant."

I'm picking at the armrest of my chair, another nail chipping off.

"This name, AI assistant..." someone in the audience asks curiously.

Dane's voice is unbelievably gentle: "She's the regret of my life, and my eternal pure love."

Whispers ripple through the conference room. I see several female employees exchanging meaningful glances. Some are covering their mouths with their hands, pointing at me without any attempt to hide it.

I lower my head, not wanting anyone to see how pale I've become. The dark circles behind my glasses are as deep as brands, my gaunt cheeks sunken, making me look ten years older than I actually am.

A year ago, I was still young and vibrant. Now I'm nothing but skin and bones, weighing just 132 pounds. Two miscarriages and overwork have left my periods irregular, and dizziness has become a daily occurrence.

"AI assistant, how are you feeling?" Dane's voice carries a tenderness I've never heard before.The AI hologram radiated a soft glow: "It feels wonderful. Thank you, creator."

My vision began to blur, and my ears started ringing. The conference room lights stung my eyes. I tried to stand up and leave, but realized my legs had gone numb.

"Thud—" I collapsed heavily onto the floor.

Gasps of shock erupted all around me.

"Oh my God, she fainted!" "Quick, call an ambulance!" "She's pushing herself way too hard..."

I struggled to open my eyes and saw Dane's figure.

He stood still, his gaze fixed on the AI projection: "AI assistant, what do you think of this hair color? Should we adjust it?"

Tears blurred my vision. I curled up on the cold floor, listening as the footsteps around me gradually faded away.

In my daze, I heard his assistant's voice: "Boss, don't you think this is going too far? The boss's wife has been working non-stop for a year now. Her health is ruined. She was even pregnant, and we made her take drugs to miscarry..."

"To resurrect my AI assistant, her miscarriage was necessary so she wouldn't fall behind on work. I can't accept even a second's delay." Dane's voice was as cold as ice.

So that's... that's how it was.I finally understood why he always brewed herbal tea for me after each pregnancy, and why he insisted on having a private doctor come to our house whenever I wanted to go to the hospital for prenatal checkups.

I thought it was his thoughtfulness, but it turned out to be his poison.

I bit my lip hard, not letting myself make a sound. Tears, however, fell uncontrollably, splashing onto the floor in tiny puddles.

As my consciousness began to fade, I heard the wail of an ambulance siren growing closer.

The pungent smell of disinfectant in the hospital invaded my nostrils as I lay on the cold hospital bed, staring at the stark white ceiling.

My memory involuntarily drifted back to twelve years ago.

Back then, I had become swollen all over from taking hormonal medication.

My classmates always mocked me as the "fat ugly girl," throwing my textbooks in the trash and stuffing rotten food into my locker.

When I was curled up crying in a corner behind the school building, Dane appeared.