Chapter 2

“Lily, quick, take them! What are you spacing out for?!”

Chloe shoved the futuristic-looking AR glasses into my arms.

My fingertips trembled, and I instinctively took half a step back.

I’d been reborn. Reborn to the day my best friend, Chloe, wanted me to take care of her AI boyfriend.

The searing pain of that high-voltage current, the one that ended my last life, felt as fresh as if it were happening right now.

I instinctively clenched my fists, my nails almost digging into my palms.

Seeing my silence, Daniel, my boyfriend, nudged my arm:

“Lily? Chloe’s talking to you.”

I lifted my eyes, silently looking at Chloe.

Beneath her gaze, a flicker of desperation, almost imperceptible, danced in her eyes.

“Lily, please! This corporate retreat came out of nowhere, and it’s up in the mountains where the signal is spotty. Adam absolutely can’t be disconnected for more than 24 hours, or his data will get corrupted. If it’s serious, he might even disappear!”

“You just need to wear them every day, let Adam see you, and keep his basic functions running! It’s really simple, you don’t have to do anything else!”

Daniel chimed in, backing her up:

“Sounds pretty cool, Lily. Think of it as experiencing future tech. I’ll do it with you.”

A cold laugh twisted in my gut.

Last time, it was under Daniel’s encouragement that I took on this task.

According to Chloe’s instructions, once I put on the AR glasses, that handsome virtual avatar named Adam would appear.

At first, he just quietly stayed in a corner, speaking some programmed words of concern in the boyfriend voice Chloe had set for him.

But soon, things started to go wrong.

My smart lights flickered erratically, and in the middle of summer, the AC blasted on full heat, nearly making me pass out.

Even the smart lock frequently malfunctioned, trapping me inside.

I tried to take off the AR glasses, to shut them down.

But all the smart devices in my home lost control simultaneously. Doors and windows locked tight, lights went out.

The AR glasses felt like they were welded to my head, refusing to budge.

Adam in the glasses walked closer, step by step, and spoke in a flat, mechanical voice:

“Optimal host detected. Energy compatibility at ninety-two percent. Initiating migration protocol!”

Before I could react, the high-voltage current surged through my entire body, killing me instantly.

I’d thought Chloe would try to find out the truth and get justice for me when she returned.

Who knew she would use my death to portray herself as a ‘digital widow’?

She live-streamed her tragic, forbidden romance with Adam, subtly implying I was a jealous, twisted psychopath who tried to steal her AI boyfriend and deserved what I got.

Rage flared within me. I’d thought Daniel would clear my name.

But at my own funeral, he teamed up with Chloe to slander me, even splitting my accidental death insurance payout between them.

They collaborated to defame me, driving my parents to their graves with their vicious lies.

Thinking about it now, my veins throbbed, and I clenched my fists so hard I thought they might shatter.

Seeing my prolonged silence, Chloe grew more anxious:

“Lily, aren’t we best friends? You won’t even help me with this small thing?”

I forced down the surging hatred, squeezed the strong magnetic jammer I’d already prepared in my pocket, and grudgingly reached out to take the glasses.

“Fine. I’ll take good care of him.”

A look of immense relief instantly flashed in Chloe’s eyes.

Daniel smiled too, putting his arm around my shoulder:

“That’s the spirit.”

A cold sneer formed in my mind. If she wanted to be a digital widow so badly, then this time, I’d make sure it happened.