After that, Jessica turned and went up to the attic where many of her belongings had been thrown by Jeje.

She brushed away the choking dust, uncovering the remnants of a love that once felt eternal.

Their wedding photos. The shared mouthwash cup. Graduation pictures taken side by side. And a thick love diary Liam had given her, meticulously recording their sweetest memories.

But those beautiful days… were gone, never to return.

Jessica didn’t open the diary. She simply stared at it for a long moment, then quietly lit a fire and burned it all; memories, keepsakes and another make-up ticket.

In the past, she had refused to believe time could change everything. Now, she finally understood.

She pulled out her phone, intending to upload her data report, only to find there was no signal in the attic.

She turned to leave, but paused. The door had been shut behind her. A sinking feeling gripped her.

Jessica rushed over and knocked on the door. “Hello? Is anyone out there? Let me out!”

She pounded harder, calling again and again, but there was no answer. Panic began to rise. She took out her phone and dialed Liam, but he didn’t pick up even after more than ten attempts.

Her heart sank, piece by piece. Just when she was about to give up, the line finally connected.

“Jessica,” Liam’s voice came through, calm and unbothered, “don’t make a fuss. I’m in the middle of an experiment, this part is critical.”

Then he hung up. Before Jessica could call again, her phone died, completely out of power.

At that moment, a gust of wind rushed through the window that hadn’t been properly closed. Thunder rumbled in the distance. A storm was approaching.

On the other end of the line, Jeje was curled up in Liam’s arms.

“She’s still angry,” Jeje murmured, her voice soft and sweet. “She probably wants you to go back and comfort her.”

She wore sheer lace pajamas, the outline of her chest vaguely visible beneath the fabric.

“What does Jessica take me for?” Liam muttered impatiently. “I have my limits too.”

A loud clap of thunder suddenly rolled across the sky.

“Ah!!” Jeje cried out, burying herself deeper into Liam’s arms, her pretty face streaked with feigned tears. “Liam, I’m scared.”

Liam knew she was afraid of thunderstorms. He gently patted her back, his tone soothing. “Don’t be scared, Jeje. I’m here.”

“Aren’t you going to check on Jessica? It’s going to pour,” Jeje asked softly, her wide, tearful eyes blinking up at him. That look made Liam’s heart skip a beat. Suddenly, Jessica’s situation didn’t seem quite so important.

“Don’t worry about her. She’ll come crawling back after she cools off, won’t she?” he replied.

His hand slid beneath Jeje’s pajama top and the lingering kiss between them deepened until her soft resistance melted away.

Liam deftly activated the empathy link between them.

Outside, the sound of pouring rain gradually drowned out their heavy breathing and muffled moans.

Upstairs, in stark contrast to the heated entanglement below, Jessica struggled to close the rattling window. The wind howled through the attic, cold rain slapping against her exposed skin. She hadn’t planned to stay long and hadn’t dressed for the storm.

Her thin coat had long been soaked through. She wiped the cold rain from her face and tried to curl into herself, but it was useless. The dampness seeped into her bones.

A blinding flash lit up the sky, followed by a deafening thunderclap directly overhead. Jessica flinched, her face turning pale with fear. She could only hug herself tightly, trembling from head to toe.

She had always been afraid of thunder since childhood.

Back when Liam was still by her side, he knew this. No matter where he was or how important his business, he would drop everything to be with her the moment a storm rolled in, wrapping her in the warmest embrace.

“Don’t be afraid of the thunder, I’ll always be here, okay?” he used to whisper.

On stormy nights, his gentle voice had been her only refuge, his comfort the most powerful cure. But now… that embrace no longer belonged to her.

Her wounds hadn't fully healed and being soaked in the cold rain caused them to worsen. Fever overtook her, burning through her body. Jessica collapsed on the cold floor, her consciousness fading with each passing minute.

Eventually, the rain stopped and she fainted completely. In the final moment before blacking out, she seemed to see the attic door being kicked open.

Then, silence.

When she finally woke up, the first thing she heard was Liam’s scolding voice. “What were you doing in the attic for no reason? Do you know how long I’ve been looking for you?”

Jeje suddenly burst into tears and knelt beside the bed. “I’m sorry, Jessica!”

Tears clung to her delicate face, making her look heartbreakingly pitiful. “I didn’t know you were in there… I’m really sorry.”

Jessica stared at the familiar 18-year-old face and for the first time, felt utterly repulsed.

"Alright, alright, don’t cry. It’s not entirely your fault,” Liam said softly, gently wiping Jeje’s tears with a look full of tenderness. “If anyone’s to blame, it’s her for storming off in anger. She brought this on herself.”

Jessica sat in silence, watching them. She had to admit: the technology behind this bionic woman was truly something. Jeje wasn’t human, yet she could cry like one.

There were only two make-up coupons left. Jessica wondered if the lab had received the data she had sent back.

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.’

In the end, Liam still brought Jessica to the beach without considering her answer.

The moment her feet touched the soft sand, a wave of fear surged up, dragging her thoughts back to five years ago like an unstoppable tide.

It had been their honeymoon, Liam had arranged a private luxury cruise. But that day, they were caught in a once-in-a-century storm, thrown into the sea and left with their fates unknown.

Though time had passed, the terror of drifting helplessly in the ocean had carved itself deep into Jessica’s memory, leaving scars that never fully healed.

Liam sat beside her on the beach, his expression unreadable. “Jessica, I brought you here hoping you'd understand… this was for your own good. People can’t run from fear forever. Only by facing it can they finally walk out of the shadows.”

Hearing that, Jessica almost laughed. “You really think this is considerate? You dragged me here without even asking. Liam, you’re such a jerk.”

He frowned, his tone turning cold. “Think whatever you want.”

Then he stood and walked toward Jeje. The moment his gaze landed on her, his expression softened.

He gently draped a coat over her shoulders, only to be caught off guard when Jeje splashed water onto his face.

They began to play, laughing together like a real couple.

The weather was perfect. Seagulls cried faintly in the distance. Their laughter, light and carefree, drifted toward Jessica on the breeze, sharp as salt in an open wound.

“Liam, do you remember? It was right here you caught that huge crab last year! Let’s go to the secret base later!” Jeje’s cheerful laughter drifted through the air and at that moment, the coldness in Liam’s expression melted like spring snow.

“Alright, you little rascal. Be careful, don’t trip,” he replied, his voice indulgent.

Not far away, Jessica stood still, watching as the two kissed passionately. Liam’s doting gaze pierced through her like a knife.

‘Secret base? So, during the years I was gone, he had built memories with someone else. Memories I was never part of.’ Jessica’s eyes stung.

She thought back to the night Liam had just found her again, clinging to her like a lost child.

“Since you disappeared at sea, I’ve never stepped foot on the beach,” he had said, burying his face in her chest. “Even hearing the word sea makes me panic.”

So it had been a lie. All of it.

The man who swore he hadn’t touched the beach since losing her had returned over and over with Jeje.

Their intimate figures in front of her blurred as her vision filled with tears.

In the middle of their passionate kiss, Liam suddenly remembered Jessica’s presence. He quickly pulled away from Jeje and turned toward her, searching for a reaction. But she simply stood there, her expression was calm.

He hurried to explain, “That wasn’t what it looked like. I was just running a data simulation. A high-end bionic like Jeje needs to be tested in various emotional scenarios, you know that.”

However, his wandering gaze gave him away. “Jessica, you don’t mind, right?”

“No.” She smiled with a calm grace and shook her head.

“I have some work to handle. Just stay here with Jeje for a bit,” he added, walking off to take a call.

Soon after, Jeje strutted over in a seductive swimsuit, her eyes gleaming with pride. “Thanks for the skin. It suits me perfectly.”

Jessica didn’t flinch. “Jeje… or should I say Butterfly?”

A flicker of unease passed through Jeje’s eyes. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve never known love,” Jessica said, her voice dipping into ice. “So stop pretending. You’re just a bionic puppet. What are you hoping to gain by faking feelings for Liam?”

Jeje’s expression darkened for a second, then twisted into a smirk. “So you found out. But who do you think Liam trusts more, me, or you?”

Then, in a sudden turn, she dropped the facade and stumbled dramatically toward the ocean. “Jessica, I was wrong. I’ll leave Liam. Just let me go, please…”

She collapsed into the water, letting the waves engulf her. But her artificial skin wasn’t designed for full submersion. The sea crept into her systems and the saltwater surged toward the chip hidden at her neck, the core of her entire existence.

Liam turned his head and saw Jeje nearly submerged in the seawater, her entire body limp and lifeless. It was as if the sight tore his eyes apart.

"Jeje!" he let out a heartbreaking scream and stumbled into the waves toward the woman floating in the sea.

Jessica had been by his side for so many years, yet she had never seen such panic on his face. Not even during the shipwreck.

She stood frozen, watching as he pulled the bionic woman from the water, calling out to Jeje, who was clearly pretending to be unconscious.

"Jeje, are you okay?" he asked, panic thick in his voice.

"Liam… I can’t move my whole body…" she replied weakly, her voice trembling.