WARNING: This chapter contains sexual content that may upset some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Syra
Click, click, clack. I was typing out an essay for my Critical Literary Theory class. It was a paper on Disalienation. A concept I was working on about how emotional intellectual development and awareness is what grows people's understanding and empathy towards anyone they aren't familiar or can't relate to. As a kid, I always grew attached to the characters in stories and movies because a part of me felt like I was a friend watching over their life's obstacles. And I wanted people to better understand people around them and learn to respect everyone for who they are and wanted to represent themselves as. Because, you never know a person's story. I think everyone might be suffering from something you might not know about and I want to show a sense of caring for everyone I meet, a kindness and love that I think everyone deserves. Because I knew how it felt to be on the other side all alone and never seen. Because that's what I wanted. Someone who would try to understand me and be kind to me.
I finished typing. Eleven-fifty P.M. and only ten minutes to spare. I quickly downloaded my paper into a PDF document and turned it in online. Finally, I'm done.
I looked down on my phone. Huh. One missed call from Kori.
That was about three hours ago.
He didn't say he was done playing his games but maybe he is. But I don't know if I want to call him right now because I hate listening to him having fun with his boyfriends.
Fine, I'll video call you.
I listened to the dial ring and click as the call was picked up. It was pitch black. It was normal that he would play games in the dark but usually the light from his computer lit his face.
Then I heard it. Soft moans growing louder followed by disgusting sounds of—. I wanted to quickly end the call but something tugged at me, nagging at me that he wouldn't believe me if I didn't have evidence. I thought I could maybe handle a minute but I only recorded about thirty seconds because...
"Kori.." I heard a woman's voice moan. BEEP. I ended the call and the recording.
I sat there shocked. My breath grew heavy, pacing faster with my heart beat. My stomach felt queasy, twisted with confusion and rising anger.
When did he and another woman all started happening? Suddenly, my chest sank deeper. I wish I didn't think about it. Kori had two phones. I remember the few times when I would overhear him talking during our overnight calls. I thought he was sleep talking sweet things to me. I guess he was talking to her while I was sleeping. Being a military man, he used to date girls from other countries after all. Ugh, I wanted to puke, but nothing came out.
He IS such a liar! Playing games with his boyfriends my ass!
I've decided. We're done officially. I know I won't regret this. I grabbed everything I could remember that he bought me and grumpily stuffed them into bags. I walked out and dumped all the bags in the dumpster. I went back inside and spotted the stuffed duck sitting on my chair. I picked it up and grabbed a knife, ripping it up to shreds. I put them all in a small bag and went outside. I sat on the brick porch and lit each piece of cotton and fiber, sniffling with tears, laughing with bitter anger. I watched them burn and sighed satisfyingly. I pulled out my phone and sent a short video of it to Celine.
I stared at the moon above me.
Men suck. If I was reborn as a man, I'd make sure I treat everyone, especially women better. One day, I hope I meet someone who will actually look at me and my heart.
I picked up the pieces that didn't burn out and scooped up the ashes and threw them away with the rest of the ugly trash. I returned to my room. I turned off the lights and layed in my bed. I clenched my fists and trembled in the shadows of my room. I cried for hours and fell asleep.
Bzzt. Ugh. That better not be Kori.
I picked up my phone and looked at my notifications. Celine had sent me her spam of reels. I smiled a little. I hope she's okay. Nothing from Kori. Good. I don't need him right now.
Celine had responded to my video of me burning up pieces of fabric.
"What's that?" she texted.
"My vengeance," I texted back with a sticker of an evil smiling rabbit.
"Lol, for what," she texted.
"I found out Kori cheated on me today so I cut up the stuff animal he gave me and burnt it into a crisp hehehe," I sent with a sticker of an animated cat holding a shining knife.
"OMG, how did you find out?" she asked.
So I told her what happened.
"I'm so sorry, Hun. Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah, I'm okay," I started to type but then deleted it.
"No, not really. I'm going to break up with Kori sometime after I get my thoughts figured out. Are you doing okay? Did you get to talk to your husband?" I texted.
She sent me a sticker of two rabbits hugging.
"Yes, we talked it out and he reassured me that there's nothing going on with him and others, so that helped. Not gonna lie though, I still feel a little uneasy," she texted.
"Well, I'm glad you got the chance to talk to him about it," I said.
"Me, too. I'm going to head to bed now. Sweet dreams, Sis," she texted.
I smiled. I loved it when she called me Sis. We really were like sisters and I loved that about us.
I started to scroll on my phone, watching videos of cats playing in the snow. But there was this one advertisement that kept replaying for the past month. StarMates Eternal, a virtual reality game created by GemiUni, a gaming company that uses AI technology. This time they are collaborating with Melodyamond, an AI digital music tool creating company. Apparently the company, GemiUni that created StarMates Eternal had remade their first game StarMates from over a hundred years ago with new features. After seeing pictures of the advertisement everywhere on the internet, my curiosity started to peek in. I clicked on the advertisement.
The animated video played. A topless, blonde man with creamy, wet dripping skin appeared, slicking his hair back with his fingers.
"Have you met your soulmate yet? No? We can help with that. Get ready to meet new friends and maybe your soulmate from different parts of the world! Create and meet AI personas of other people and enjoy the universal dimensional simulator. Visit worlds you've never seen before and experience relationships and adventures with people around the universes and different dimensions," it said.
My heart ached, still thinking about how Kori ditched me for his friends at the last minute and that call. I felt the dread of loneliness and horror of betrayal creep into my mind. I wanted to block everything with the comfort of a blanket of music. But tonight I really wanted to know what the hype was about this game. I had the time for it now that finals are over. And... I needed a distraction away from Kori.
I wasn't really interested in the games of the newly developed virtual reality simulator, LifeScape, because I was too busy with school. My brother had bought me the simulator for my birthday but I just never had the time to check it out. I guess it's time to try it out. But I had to download a game first. I guess I'll see what StarMates Eternal is all about. From the advertisements, it looks similar to virtual dating simulators. I used to play virtual dating simulators in high school. I kind of feel a little excited to explore romantic storylines since it's been awhile. I needed a little romance in my life that my boyfriend dried up throughout the past years. And even if I don't experience anything romantic, I would be happy enough making a new friend. I really wanted… No, I need a friend right now.
All my other friends were offline now. They lived from different parts of the world so they had different time zones. My time zone was later than theirs so I was often left alone by the evening while the others would get ready to make dinner and leave for bed. Celine was too busy with her mom life and I couldn't dare to ask her to spend time with me when she is struggling with life at the moment with her two kids and her husband.
I slipped on the virtual reality goggles and wristband and sighed. I wish I could be with Celine right now. I miss her.
The room was digitally constructed before me and I was sitting in an office surrounded by a cloudy blue atmosphere. It was like in a movie where I was sitting in an office floating in heaven. Clouds floated past my legs. I was met with a brightly smiling woman. Her hair was a silver white like the moon and her eyes were a topaz hazel. Her skin was silky white and she had a mole near her lower right side of her chin. She wore a flashy crimson red lipstick and lavender eyeshadow. She looked like a goddess in her tight, white, frilly office dress. Lavender transparent digital wings fluttered behind her back.
"Hello, I'm Faena, one of the GemiUni supporting management members," she reached out to shake my hand and I shook it.