The Robot Wife He Never Knew

But when Ethan realized "I" was still completely unresponsive, he opened his mouth and bit down hard on "my" bare shoulder. He used real, vicious force.

My eyes were hollow and dead; I didn't flinch.

He was breathing heavily, his eyes wild. He grabbed my bra strap and yanked it hard, preparing to take things further.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

Serena's sugary-sweet voice drifted through the door. "Ethan? Are you in there?"

Ethan froze. He looked down at me, his chest heaving, his eyes filled with a desperate urge to conquer, and something else—something dark and chaotic that I couldn't decipher.

He took a deep breath, just about to call back to Serena, when "I" suddenly spoke up in an impeccably polite tone.

"Aren't you going to get the door? Serena is calling you."

Ethan looked as if he had been struck by lightning, his face contorting with rage.

"Do you really not care that I'm with her?!" he hissed, his voice trembling with fury.

I processed the question and delivered the pre-programmed response: "Yes. As long as you are happy, Ethan, you can do whatever you want."

"Chloe!!" Ethan roared, looking like he wanted to tear the room to shreds.

Before he could fully detonate, Serena knocked again. "Ethan? I feel dizzy... my chest hurts so much..."

I just stared at him blankly, blinking in a daze.

Ethan clenched his jaw so hard I felt like his teeth were going to shatter.

He pointed a shaking finger at my face. "Fine. Great. Keep playing your sick little games."

He vaulted off the bed, stormed over to the door, yanked it open, and slammed it shut behind him.

Dead silence fell over the room.

I looked at the android lying half-naked on the bed, staring vacantly at the ceiling.

Deep within my soul, I felt a strange sense of relief.

Perhaps, my soul was about to fade away, too.