My Hsband Chose Bionic Human Over Me

Jessica walked into the laboratory in a wedding dress. "Kevin, retrieve the data on the batch of bionic people from three years ago within seven days and help me erase my identity. I’m leaving Jorwick in a week."

Her assistant, Kevin Aalders, was stunned. "Jessica, weren’t you getting married today? Weren’t you planning to go back to your family?"

Jessica clenched the “sorry ticket” in her hand, her knuckles white. "The wedding is off. I came back only to retrieve data on the mutant bionics."

She hadn’t expected this. After years of love, after everything they had been through, Liam Zelenka, the man who once said he couldn’t live without her, had fallen for her bionic replica, Jeje.

"Jessica, use a “make up ticket” whenever you’re angry. These 100 tickets are enough for a lifetime. I’ll never let you down," he had promised.

But after five years of love and devotion, those 100 tickets had been used up, 95 of them gone in just two months. Only five remained.

The first ticket: Jeje said, “I like roses.” So Liam tore up all the daffodil beds that Jessica had carefully tended for years and replaced them with roses overnight.

Ticket No. 52: on her birthday, the bionic version threw a tantrum about having her chip inspected. Liam ignored the trauma Jessica still carried from surviving a shipwreck and left her alone on the beach all night with a raging fever of 104.

Ticket No. 77: Jeje poured boiling stew over Jessica’s arm. Liam had simply said, “She didn’t mean it, she’s just a simpleminded bionic. Don’t be so petty.”

Ticket No. 95: he finally gave Jessica the wedding she had waited five years for, only to replace her at the last minute during the party with Jeje.

Jessica stared at the crumpled ticket in her hand before tearing it to pieces. ‘If five more are used, then it’ll truly be the end.’

——

Jessica returned to the villa, holding the freshly printed divorce agreement.

“Where could she possibly go after leaving me? Is she just pretending to run away to control me?” Liam muttered.

The wedding had just ended and Liam hadn’t even changed out of his tuxedo. When he saw Jessica walk in, he approached her, holding a rose in one hand and reaching for her with the other.

“Jessica, Jeje doesn’t even know what a wedding means, she just wanted to experience it. Haven’t we already gotten the marriage certificate? You should’ve been more generous and let her have that small wish,” he said.

Then, Jeje entered in elegant high heels, wearing a wedding dress even more exquisite and dazzling than Jessica’s.

It was the one Liam had spent five years designing. If not for the small, butterflyshaped blue chip occasionally visible on her neck, most people wouldn’t have realized she was a bionic.

The chip was mostly hidden by a crystal necklace; the pink crystal Jessica had once wanted more than anything.

She still remembered Liam holding her back then, his tone full of guilt and affection. “I’m sorry, Jessica. I couldn’t afford that necklace for you. The company was just starting out. I didn’t have that kind of money. You understand, right?”

Now, looking at the necklace hanging from her replica’s neck, Jessica could only think how ridiculous it all was.

She looked up at him, eyes cold. “But she’s not even a person. She’s just a bionic, customized to look like the 18yearold me.”

“So what if she’s a bionic? She has consciousness and emotions, she’s my Jeje!” Liam said, his tone unconsciously cold.

He added, “Jessica, I didn’t expect you to be so petty. Ever since you came back, you’ve been finding fault with Jeje in everything.

“Today’s wedding was just for show, just a formality. Yeah, I swapped the bride at the last minute, but was that really worth running away over?”

Jessica let out a selfmocking laugh. Once, Liam had been so tender to her.

When she survived the shipwreck, he had stayed by the seaside for two months without rest, waited five years for her, designed a wedding dress by hand and vowed to love only her for life, even in death.

And now, she came back… only to watch him give their wedding to someone else without hesitation.

“Well then, it really doesn’t matter anymore. I have no reason to stay. You can live with her,” she said.

As Jessica turned to leave, the fear Liam once felt when he thought he had lost her in the shipwreck surged up again. His heart softened.

He pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly and coaxed gently, “Jessica, just take it as me being in the wrong this time. Deduct a makeup ticket from me, okay?”

Jessica remained calm as she took two documents from her bag. “Sign these. If you do, I’ll use the makeup ticket.”

Liam was just about to open it to see what it was when, all of a sudden, some guests who didn’t know the truth stepped forward and shoved Jessica hard.

“Who are you, old hag? How dare you pretend to be our Jessica!”

“You think you can seduce Mr. Zelenka in a wedding dress? Don’t assume he’ll like you just because you look a little like Jessica!”

“Today is Mr. Zelenka’s wedding with Jessica. If you’re wise enough, get out!”

Jessica felt the blood rush to her head. So this wasn’t just a lastminute swap of the bride, Jeje was actually the real bride today.

“Jessica!” Liam quickly walked over to her, his voice filled with guilt. “I’m sorry, I didn’t inform everyone properly. The invitations were printed wrong and some guests still don’t know you’re back.”

“Didn’t you say you’d announce my return?” Jessica gripped her champagne glass tightly.

Liam hesitated for a moment, then quietly raised his phone and opened his social media story.

“Talking about this in front of everyone would just embarrass Jeje… but I did post it,” he said, showing her the screen.

Jessica stared at it in disbelief. The phone was so close, she could clearly see the small text below the post: “Visible to Jessica only.”

He didn’t even bother to pretend. Jessica couldn’t hold it in anymore, she threw the champagne in her hand. “What kind of announcement is this?!”

“Ah!” Jeje suddenly jumped forward, blocking the splash with her body to shield Liam.

“You’re not allowed to harm Liam! I just wanted to experience being a bride,” Jeje said in a soft voice. “But you are right, the rightful one has returned. My job as a substitute is done. I’ll leave now, I don’t want to make you upset.”

She used Jessica’s 18yearold face with practiced skill, her expression full of emotion. Even the slight furrow of her brow made Liam anxious.

“You’re not a substitute. You’re your own person, you’re my Jeje and no one can take you away,” he said firmly.

‘Isn’t she my substitute?’ Jessica sneered inwardly. She was the one who had been Liam’s partner for years, who had loved him deeply, yet now, she looked like the outsider.

Liam’s eyes fell on the alcohol staining Jeje’s dress and his tone turned sharp with concern. “So what if I didn’t tell everyone you were back? Why take it out on Jeje? Apologize to her!”

Jessica slowly widened her eyes, stunned. “What did you just say? Liam, who is your wife here? Why should I be the one to apologize?!”

Liam froze for a moment, but then the coldness returned to his face. “From the beginning, you’ve been overreacting and disrupting Jeje’s wedding. Now you’ve thrown champagne at her. You’re being unreasonable. Why can’t you be as kind and simple as she is?”

Those words pierced her heart like the sharpest blade.

Even though Jessica had already made the decision to leave, Liam’s response still left her shattered with disappointment.

But that still wasn’t enough. Liam picked up a glass of wine and handed it to Jeje. “If she refuses to apologize, then throw it back. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.”

Jeje hesitantly took the glass, then raised her hand and smashed the glass and liquor directly onto Jessica’s head.

Shards scattered with the splash and after a moment of dizziness, Jessica felt warm liquid trickling down her scalp.

Seeing her bleeding, Liam suddenly looked alarmed and took a step forward, ready to check on her.

But suddenly, clutching at his shirt before collapsing into his arms, Jeje murmured weakly, “Liam… my legs… I think I can’t move them.”

Liam immediately lifted her in a panic. “It must be a loose part blocking your energy flow. Come on, I’ll take you home.”

Before Jessica could react, Liam turned, holding Jeje and his shoulder struck hers hard in the process. A sharp pain shot through her, making her inhale sharply. “Wait a minute!”

“What now?” he snapped, his tone full of impatience, as if her pain were invisible to him.

“Sign it,” Jessica said firmly.

“What agreement is so urgent right now?” Liam muttered, clearly agitated. Without even glancing at the contents, he flipped to the last page and signed his name hastily.

“There. Satisfied?” he said, tossing the pen aside.

Jessica stared at the pen lying on the floor, then at Liam’s back as he carried Jeje away in a rush. Her mind drifted back to the day they first met, the image vivid in her memory.

“Jessica! I thought I’d never find you again.” He hugged her tightly, as if he had recovered a longlost treasure.

Back then, she had foolishly believed that everything was just like it had been five years ago.

Now, in silence, Jessica tore off another makeup voucher; number 96 for Liam. Just four more and they would never see each other again.

Then, without hesitation, she took out her phone and booked a flight to Genistra for seven days later.

Jessica opened her eyes and saw Liam sitting at her bedside, wearing an apologetic smile.

“Jessica! You’re finally awake,” he said, sounding both relieved and awkward.

He held out a bowl of soup, trying to sound gentle. “Jeje made this for you. She spent hours on it. Want to try a little? She said she was sorry, she didn’t mean it, she was just a little out of it. I’m apologizing on her behalf.”

“Liam,” Jessica said, sitting up and pushing his hand away. “What gives you the right to apologize for her?”

“I just thought, maybe I could use a make up voucher,” he said, eyes pretending guilt. “Let’s not fight, okay? Just this once.”

Jessica let out a bitter laugh. “Sure. Then call her over here and smash a wine glass over her head. That’s what an apology looks like.”

Liam's voice softened. “Jessica, don’t talk like that. I didn’t expect her to actually hit you. It wasn’t intentional. I’ve already punished her, she is confined to her room today.”

Jessica stared at him in disbelief, then threw the soup to the ground, her voice rising. “Get out!”

Liam let out a sigh, stood up and walked toward the door. “Jessica, you were never like this before. I’ve used the make up coupon again this time, so I won’t argue with you. Just calm down.”

Closing the door behind her, Jessica rubbed her temples and sent a message to Kevin, urging him to speed up the progress. She really couldn’t stay here any longer.

That evening, she dragged her tired body back to the Zelenka family’s house to pack up what little she had left. There wasn’t much, just a few essential documents and barely anything else.

As soon as she stepped inside, a soft, breathy gasp slipped through the crack of a door.

In the bedroom that hadn’t been fully closed, two bodies were tightly entangled. Jessica froze at the sight, her whole body turning cold. ‘Is this why he refused to send Jeje away?’

Jeje’s face was flushed like a real human’s. Her delicate, boneless hands clung to Liam’s sculpted frame, her moans broken up by the rhythm of their movements.

Through their shared link, Jeje suddenly sensed something; a thin thread of emotion connecting them.

Her eyes turned misty, her voice soft and fragile. “Liam, will you send me away?”

He drove into her harder, his voice rough with emotion. “No matter how many times you ask, my answer will always be no. She is her. You are you. You’re not anyone else.”

Jessica’s tears spilled without warning. She clamped a hand over her mouth, desperate to keep from sobbing aloud.

Liam had once said those exact words to her, back when she was still uncertain, still living in someone else’s shadow, before she had ever believed she was enough.

It was Liam who had led her out of the shadows, bit by bit. He broke the world’s shackles on her, gave her the courage to pursue her passion and helped her become the world’s leading expert in bionics today.

That one sentence had carried her through countless struggles, pushing her forward step by step. It was also what made her forgive Liam’s betrayals again and again.

But now, she realized… that sentence hadn’t been meant for her alone.

Inside the room, Jeje suddenly looked up and met Jessica’s eyes through the crack in the door. She smiled; an eerily human smile.

“Then… what should we do with Jessica?” she asked sweetly.

Liam let out a low scoff. “It doesn’t matter. With all those ridiculous, childish makeup coupons and so many second chances… she’ll forgive me no matter what I say.”

‘Really?’ Jessica turned away. Her face was blank, but her breaths came sharp and heavy.

She walked over to the fireplace, reached into her pocket and wordlessly tossed a make up coupon into the flames. Only three remained.

Still thinking about the look in Jeje’s eyes, she pulled out her phone and typed a message, [Check the chip core code of the bionic batch from back then.]

Just then, Liam stepped out and spotted her by the fire. “Jessica? What are you burning? Why are your eyes red?”

She turned to him, her expression calm. “Nothing. Just burning some trash.”

Liam was already dressed. On his left hand, he wore the ring Jessica had once bought him.

He slowly crouched in front of her, looking up, his warm palm gently pressing against the back of her hand, pretending nothing had happened.

Just half an hour ago, Liam, who once claimed she was the only one in his eyes, had been making love to another woman in the study.

Jessica calmly pulled her hand away and met his concerned gaze. “Nothing,” she said softly. “I just thought of something.”

Liam assumed she was still upset about the earlier incident, so he softened his tone, trying to coax her. “Jessica, I was wrong about the wedding. Don’t be mad, okay?”

“Liam,” she asked suddenly, “when are you going to send that bionic woman away?”

The abrupt question made panic flash across his face, but he quickly composed himself. “I’ll find time to handle it. But the company that built Jeje is a world leader in bionic tech. I’m a researcher in that field too and I need Jeje for experimental studies. Can we delay it a little longer?

“During this time, I know it might be inconvenient for you. But once I finish developing the core tech, everything will go back to the way it was, okay?”

Jessica simply hummed in response, her expression unreadable. Liam couldn’t see the look in her eyes.

Seeing her still so cold, he tried to shift the mood. “By the way, I prepared a surprise to celebrate your return. Jessica… do you know how much I missed you in those five years you were gone?”

He lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead.

Jessica sneered inwardly. ‘You missed me, huh? Missed me so much you ordered a standin… then fell in love with her behind my back and even handed over my status as your wife to that imitation.’

Before Liam could say anything, a phone call pulled him away. Jessica turned to continue packing her things, but at the corner of the hallway, she came facetoface with Jeje.

She looked exactly like Jessica at eighteen, except for the iceblue eyes that shimmered with a metallic, unsettling glow.

“Great, isn’t it?” Jeje smirked. “You were watching from the hallway earlier, looked like you were enjoying the view.”

A chill crept down Jessica’s back. No matter how she tried to make sense of it, she still couldn’t believe a bionic being could develop autonomous thought and emotion.

She wondered how Kevin’s investigation was going. Out of all the bionic units that went rogue three years ago, Jeje was the only one with signs of mutation. If they could decode her anomaly, it could change everything in their research.

“You shouldn’t have come back,” Jeje said, her tone flat, her eyes like frozen glass. “He belongs to me.”

Jessica didn’t cry, didn’t yell. She just looked at her bionic replica and replied quietly, “He will be, soon enough.”

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 makeup 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 18yearold 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 makeup 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 onceinacentury 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 highend 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.

A sharp crack echoed in the air.

"Why did you push her?" Liam snarled, his hand still in midair as Jessica clutched her burning cheek.

Her vision blurred, but she managed a cold, twisted smile. "This is the love you talked about, Liam?"

"You pushed her!" he roared, on the edge of losing control. "Do you have any idea how delicate her internal systems are? Her core and chip can’t touch water! How could you be so cruel?!"

"I told you it wasn’t me, but of course you didn’t believe it, did you?" Jessica’s tears finally spilled over, disappearing into the salty sea.

It felt like the entire ocean was made of her tears.

"You’ve been picking on her ever since you came back," Liam accused. "You've made things difficult for her again and again. How can I possibly believe you?

"Let me make this clear, if someone has to leave, it won’t be Jeje!"

He scooped up the soaked and broken Jeje, his expression dark and cold. The cruel look in his eyes made Jessica's body go rigid. "You better pray she's okay. Because if she isn’t, I can't promise what I’ll do."

Later, staring at Jeje’s nearly destroyed mechanical limbs on the data table, Liam grew more and more frantic.

“Liam… don’t save me,” Jeje said softly. “The only way to fix me now is too extreme. I'd need to transfer my consciousness into a real, fleshandblood body.”

She paused, her voice growing even gentler. “Jessica was right. I probably never should’ve stayed by your side.”

Jeje's electronic voice generator crackled with static, damaged by the seawater. A faint sizzling sound accompanied every word.

“Liam… thank you… for accepting the love of a bionic being. Everyone else saw me as nothing more than a machine… but you… you treated me like a real person.”

Her voice was strained, every syllable an effort. “Liam, thank you…”

Liam’s eyes reddened with emotion. He immediately contacted headquarters to ask if any replacement bodies from Jeje’s old model batch were still available. But the answer was cruel: as a firstgeneration bionic unit, her model had long been discontinued.

He stood frozen, panic surging through him. If this went on, Jeje’s consciousness would soon vanish for good.

“Human… with flesh and blood…” he muttered under his breath.

Then, as if struck by inspiration, his eyes slowly widened. “Jeje, I’ll save you, no matter what it takes.”

At the same time, Jessica was preparing to leave. Today marked the final day for the divorce agreement to take effect. She couldn’t stay a second longer.

But just as she hurried out, she ran into Liam, who was about to start his car. “Where are you going? I’ll drive you,” he offered.

“No need,” she replied coldly. She didn’t want to argue, she just wanted to leave in peace.

But before she could take another step, a sweet, cloying scent wafted into the air. Her limbs weakened and a wave of drowsiness washed over her.

With the last of her strength, Jessica quickly sent her location to Kevin.

The final thing she heard before losing consciousness was Liam’s low whisper. “Jessica… I’m sorry.”

When she awoke, she found herself strapped to a table in Liam’s lab. Beside her, Jeje lay in a deep sleep, her system temporarily shut down.

“What are you going to do?” Jessica asked, her voice trembling.

“Since we can’t find a suitable container… why not use your body instead?” Liam stepped out from the shadows, his eyes cold and merciless. “This is the price you pay for hurting Jeje.”

“You want to swap my consciousness with hers?!” Jessica’s tears streamed down her cheeks. “Liam, are you insane?”

But he wasn’t listening. He approached with a syringe in hand, ready to inject the sedative. “I’m sorry, Jessica. You owe her this. You’ll repay it for the rest of your life.”

Just then, his assistant burst through the door. “No! Jeje’s chip, it’s melting!”

“What?!” Liam’s expression changed instantly. “I’m coming!” He dropped everything and rushed out.

A soft clatter echoed from the ceiling vent. “Jessica!” Kevin’s voice called out as he dropped into the room.

He quickly loosened her restraints. “Your husband is out of his mind.”

Jessica exhaled shakily, but her eyes were calm. “It’s okay. I’ve collected the last piece of data.”

Unbeknownst to Liam, she had already tampered with Jeje’s chip.

“Kevin, let’s go.” They climbed up into the ventilation shaft, where a helicopter from headquarters waited for them outside.

Jessica blocked all of Liam’s contact attempts without hesitation. Then, she reached into her bag, pulled out the final reconciliation voucher and tore it to shreds.

As the last piece fluttered away in the wind, she felt a weight lift from her chest. ‘Liam, whatever we had… it ends here. There’s no going back.’