Chapter 5

Cassidy gripped the handle of the screwdriver tightly. With precise, ruthless movements, she unscrewed the four micro-screws holding the robot's back panel in place.

The metal plate clattered onto the wooden workbench.

Cassidy stared at the exposed guts of the machine. The complex web of integrated circuits and chips wasn't standard. With her MIT background, it took her less than three seconds to recognize it was a custom build.

Her eyes scanned the edges of the green motherboard. She recognized the bulky, outdated ambient voiceprint recording module attached to the core processor. Cornelius had been testing its background audio-capture capabilities back then, and had likely forgotten to wipe the local storage before tossing the prototype to her. Tucked away in a nearly invisible crevice near the battery housing was a tiny, physical activation button.

Driven by pure technical instinct, she grabbed an insulated testing probe from the desk and pressed the tip firmly against the hidden button.

The robot's optical sensors flashed a sudden, harsh blue. A low crackle of static hissed from the cheap internal speaker.

Then, a voice filled the quiet studio.

It was Cornelius. He sounded younger, but the arrogant, freezing tone was unmistakable.

The background noise was a low hum of clinking cocktail glasses and heavy bass. It was a recording from a private party.

Another man's voice slurred through the speaker, laughing. "Why the hell are you suddenly marrying that broke college student, Cassidy?"

Cornelius let out a sharp, disdainful sneer. The sound echoed off the brick walls of the studio, slicing straight into Cassidy's chest.

"Because she's easy to control," Cornelius's recorded voice said smoothly. "She has no background. No leverage. You throw her a little bone, and she'll be perfectly obedient."

He paused, the ice clinking in his glass. "Halle doesn't want to settle down yet. Cassidy is just a perfect, temporary shield. A placeholder."

The recording cut off abruptly, leaving nothing but the harsh, hissing sound of white noise.

Cassidy stood frozen. The insulated probe hovered in the air above the motherboard.

Her blood turned to liquid nitrogen in her veins.

For seven years, she had clung to the memory of his proposal, believing it was the one moment of genuine warmth beneath his cold exterior.

Now she knew the truth. From the very first second, it had been a calculated, malicious trap.

The back of her eyes burned with a fierce, agonizing heat. Cassidy blinked hard, digging her nails into her palms, forcing the tears back down her throat. She refused to shed another drop of water for this man.

A dark, self-mocking sneer twisted her lips. She had been a spectacular fool for seven long years.

Cassidy dropped the probe onto the desk. She reached over with her right hand and grabbed the massive, flawless diamond ring sitting on her left ring finger.

She didn't hesitate. She gripped the cold stone and violently yanked the ring off her finger.

The metal scraped harshly against her skin, leaving a glaring, angry red indentation on her pale flesh.

She tossed the multi-million-dollar diamond onto the desk. It bounced off the dismantled, worthless pieces of the robot with a sharp, pathetic clink.

Cassidy turned on her heel and marched into the small bathroom. She pumped a handful of harsh antibacterial soap into her palm and began to scrub her left hand under the scalding hot water.

She scrubbed the red indentation on her ring finger over and over again, her nails digging into her own skin, trying to wash away the invisible filth of his touch.

She didn't stop until the skin was raw, burning, and nearly bleeding. She grabbed a rough towel and dried her hands.

Her phone vibrated on the counter. It was a text from Kori: The divorce agreement is drafted. Meet me.

Cassidy typed back: I'm on my way.

She walked out of the bathroom and pulled on a sharp, structured black trench coat.

She left the dismantled robot and the glittering diamond ring sitting in the grease and dust on the workbench. She grabbed her leather tote bag and walked out the door.

The heavy metal door slammed shut behind her, the loud bang echoing down the hallway, locking the humiliating corpse of her marriage inside forever.