Jessica remained in bed for three days before she was discharged. During that time, Liam didn’t visit once, aside from the occasional message of concern.
Jessica didn’t mind. The silence gave her peace. She focused on sorting through the data and most of it was already complete. The code behind Jeje’s mutated chip was close to being cracked.
That night, she fell asleep in the side room.
But sleep brought no rest. Her dreams were filled with nightmares. Her limbs restrained, strapped to a hospital operating table.
Jeje stood beside her, her sweet face twisting into something monstrous, while Liam watched from a distance, his expression blank and unreadable.
Jessica jerked awake from the dream only to realize, in horror, that it wasn’t over. She was being carried, powerless, by several people toward an operating table.
Panic surged. Her body trembled violently. “What are you doing?! Let me go!”
“Jessica,” Liam said softly, his brow creased with a gentle, conflicted look, “you’re the closest match. Can you help her, please?”
“Jeje’s programming malfunctioned. She cut herself while handling a knife. I’ve checked every file, every model… but nothing else fits.”
With each word, Jessica felt her heart sink further into darkness. Tears welled in her eyes as she stared at him, voice shaking.
“So what now, Liam? You want to use me as her living transplant bank?” Her throat tightened with rage and disbelief. “You know I’m allergic to anesthesia.”
The air felt thick, suffocating. Her breath caught between fury and despair, unable to rise or fall.
“Jessica, this isn’t what I wanted either,” Liam said, crouching down by her bedside. His tone was light, almost apologetic. “It’s only a small area. You won’t even feel it. Jeje’s body is delicate, I can’t let her be marked.”
He smiled faintly, eyes narrowing. “How about using another make up voucher?”
Jessica stared at him, her eyes wide with fear. “I don’t want to! I don’t want it! Let me go!!”
Then came the pain, sharp and inescapable.
Jessica was jolted awake by the searing sting of injected drugs. She clearly heard the slicing of skin beneath a scalpel, the slow, careful peeling. The metallic glint of the blade wasn’t nearly as cold as the look in Liam’s eyes.
She writhed in agony, her body instinctively resisting, but her limbs were bound. The drugs dulled her strength and her struggle became a silent plea. Blood oozed steadily and the pain was so consuming that not even tears would come.
Bit by bit, a large piece of skin was removed from Jessica’s arm by the doctor, then expertly grafted onto Jeje’s body through technical transplantation.
Jessica’s face turned ashen and eventually she fainted from the pain. When she awoke again, Liam was sitting by her bedside, holding her hand as he slept.
A passerby glanced at them and smiled kindly. “Your husband’s been caring for you so attentively. The moment he heard you were injured, he rushed around looking for resources to help with the skin graft.”
She lowered her gaze to the gauze and bandages on her arm, the corner of her lips curling into a bitter smile. ‘What am I to him? Jeje’s spare parts?’
When Liam saw her awake, his face lit up with a mix of guilt and relief. “Jessica, thank God… you’re finally awake.”
Jessica turned her head away, unwilling to look at him.
“I know what I did was wrong,” he said, his voice soft, “but we used the make up voucher already. You shouldn't stay angry.”
Then, as if trying to patch over everything with a shallow promise, he added, “When you’re better, let’s go to the beach together, okay?”
She didn’t even blink. “Is that for me, or for Jeje?” Her tone was flat. “You know I hate the beach. Why are you so disgusting?”
Liam’s smile stiffened, but he kept going. “She just… really wanted to thank you in person for what happened. She’s grateful.”
Jessica exhaled slowly. “Let’s get a divorce, Liam.”
His face darkened instantly. “Why? What about our promise? You said you’d never leave me until all 100 coupons were gone!”
She looked at him, her eyes heavy with exhaustion. “Do you even know how many are left?”
He opened his mouth but said nothing, before his phone rang. Jeje’s sobs came through the speaker. “Liam, come back… I don’t feel well.”
He muttered a few hurried reassurances, then left without another word.
As soon as Liam walked away, Jessica’s phone rang.
“Jessica, I finally got through to you.” Her assistant’s voice carried a hint of excitement. “The results from the survey you requested are in. The android customized back then was numbered N3760, codename ‘Butterfly.’ The chip is the blue butterfly type and the core code is xxxxx. How’s the data collection going on your end?”
She nodded slightly and replied, “Almost complete. There’s just one last piece left.”
“Perfect. Once you're back, we’ll begin the research right away,” Kevin said.
After ending the call, Jessica reached under her pillow and pulled out a reconciliation voucher.
Quietly, she tore it to shreds, piece by piece, then tossed the scraps into the trash. ‘Liam, only one voucher left. Soon, we’ll never have to see each other again.’
