Chapter 6

In the taxi, my phone kept buzzing with notifications.

I didn't want to look, but I couldn't help opening the messages.

"Took Lily to St. Mary's Cathedral, prayed for hours for a perfect marriage." The picture showed Lucas and Lily's virtual image kneeling side by side before the altar. I suddenly remembered last year when I suggested going to pray for blessings, he said, "Such superstitious things are a waste of time."

"Diving with Lily in the underwater world, she said she wanted to see coral, so I accompanied her to the deepest part." The photo showed Lucas and Lily swimming in the azure sea. The day I said I wanted to go diving, he coldly replied, "You're just a programmer, don't think about such dangerous things."

"Took Lily to Disneyland, she likes castles, so I gave her a fairy tale date." I had mentioned wanting to go several times, but he always said, "That's a place for kids."

"Took Lily to see the Northern Lights, waiting for a miracle in the minus 30 degrees ice and snow." I remember when I said I wanted to see the Northern Lights, he sneered, "You're always thinking about these useless things, you'd be better off learning more skills."

Tears blurred my vision, and just as I was about to close my phone, I received a video.

I closed these suffocating images, only to see an even more nauseating scene - Lucas and Lily's virtual images were intimately entwined on a bed, making embarrassing sounds.

"Lily... you're so beautiful... you're my everything..." Lucas's husky voice came through.

With trembling fingers, I swiped away the video, only to hear Lily's cold voice:

"According to my data analysis, Lucas's affection for you is only 0.01%. You're just a pathetic tool, a desperate hanger-on. Stop deluding yourself."

Tears blurred my vision as I turned off the phone and buried my face in my hands.

The taxi stopped at my family home, and it was already late. When I pushed open the door, I froze.

My mother's memorial photo was quietly placed in the center of the living room.

"Dad..." my voice trembled.

"Your mom is gone..." my father's aged voice was full of grief, "She had acute leukemia... she called you so many times..."

"But Lucas said you were busy with a project and couldn't be disturbed. Your mom didn't want to interfere with your work..." my father's voice choked up, "She said: 'My silly daughter, she cares too much about that man...'"

"She was still worried about you before she passed. She said Lucas treated you badly, and she couldn't rest easy. But your mom didn't want to trouble you, so she left like this..."

I shook all over, flashing back to the scene when Lucas rejected my mother's calls: "What's your mom's illness compared to? Every minute of Lily's progress is more important than her life!"

Tears streamed down my face as I collapsed to the ground.

For him, I gave everything. But in his eyes, I was worth less than an AI.

He even robbed me of my mother's final moments.

With trembling hands, I opened my computer and pressed the button to reset Lily's emotional core.