Introduction

The final code for "True Love AI" glowed on my office monitor, a perfect symbol for my perfect life: successful tech CEO, marrying the woman I' ve loved for five years in seven days.

Then Olivia called, her voice flat, devoid of warmth. "Ethan, can you come home? We need to talk."

When I arrived, she dropped a bomb: she couldn' t marry me. She had to marry Daniel Reed, her ex-boyfriend, to fulfill his "deceased mother' s dying wish."

My world fractured. This multi-million dollar AI, this sprawling estate, our perfect future-all secondary to some archaic notion of filial piety. And then came the sting: she wanted me to fund their wedding, a casual request for $50,000 for "arrangements."

How could she betray me so utterly, and then demand I finance her new life? Could she truly be so cold, so transactional, after everything?

But as I stared at her audacious texts, a small detail from a shared photo clicked into place. If she saw my love as a tool for manipulation, then I, Ethan Miller, would return the favor. My wedding would proceed as planned, but she wouldn' t be the bride.