Five Years of Lies: My Fiancé's Deadly Secret

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I woke up one morning with a lovesick system suddenly installed in my head.

It demanded that I stay hopelessly devoted to my boyfriend, Liam Vance, giving him whatever he asked for. If I refused, the system punished me until I wished I were dead.

The first time he brought my best friend, Bianca Swanson, home, I ignored the system and said I wanted to break up.

The result was a shock through my whole body, torture so severe I lost control of my bladder.

After that, the smallest flicker of dissatisfaction with anything he wanted brought the system's electric punishment down on me.

For five years I lived a life worse than death. I tried to kill myself to end it, but a stranger found me and rushed me to the hospital.

The doctor ran tests and uncovered a secret.

“There's a chip implanted in your brain. It has a control system that can shock you remotely and invade your brainwaves, making you hear things that have been artificially programmed in.”

My mind went blank with a rushing sound, my whole body turning cold, trembling before I could stop it.

So it had never been a system at all. It was a conspiracy, designed and aimed at me alone.

...........

Right then, Liam called.

“It's this late and you're still not home cooking? Bianca wants buttered garlic shrimp. Hurry up, buy the groceries and get back here to make dinner.”

Then Bianca's coy voice came through from his side. “Oh, stop it, it's not me who wants it. It's clearly your son who wants it.”

“All right, all right, it's my son who wants it.”

Listening to the two of them flirt, a wave of nausea rose in me. But I couldn't let my anger show, because the slightest hint of displeasure would bring down the so-called system's punishment and leave me wishing I were dead.

Remembering what the doctor had just said, I dug my nails deep into my palm and bit down hard on my lip, barely managing to stop myself from exposing the truth.

*Fluctuation in the host's emotions detected. You are about to deviate from the lovesick system. Correct this now, or you will be subject to system punishment.*

My whole body gave a light shudder. That feeling of being ruled by fear snapped me back to clarity in an instant.

“Okay. I'm coming back right now.”

When I hung up, I found my back already soaked with cold sweat, and as the room's chill hit it, I couldn't help shivering.

The doctor gave me one blank look, then stepped out and made a phone call.

Not long after, several people were shown in, their backs straight and their faces grave.

The man who spoke got right to the point.

“We're from the National Security Bureau. We need your cooperation with our investigation. Please answer our questions honestly.”

I nodded, and he went on. “This kind of chip was invented by agents of a hostile foreign power to infiltrate our ranks. After it was discovered, every unit was destroyed. How could there be one in your brain?”

I thought back carefully. The day before the system first appeared, my boyfriend had taken me somewhere for a physical therapy session. I'd fallen into a deep sleep, and when I woke up my scalp felt strange.

I'd suggested going to the hospital to have it checked, and Liam's eyes had flickered with panic for a second.

He said that was just how scalp massage treatments were, and I'd be fine after a night's sleep.

I didn't think much of it. The next day, this so-called system appeared.

The chip must have been implanted in my brain right then.

I told the man everything, and his expression sharpened with alarm.

“It seems this may be even more serious than we thought. We were negligent back then.”

“We'll need you to cooperate with us in investigating this.”

I nodded and agreed. It was something I had to do anyway.

“Can the chip be taken out?” That was what I cared about most right now, whether this chip could keep torturing me.

The man nodded. “Yes, but I need time to prepare. We'll remove it in three days.”

“Okay.”

In three days, I would be free.