Chapter 4

When I heard Samuel was meeting with Richard that night and that the "lifelike robot" would be there, I knew what I had to do.

I found their private room and walked straight in.

Tonight, I would expose Samuel and Luna for what they were.

A robot eerily like Luna was strutting a catwalk for a roomful of men. Her gracefully fluid movements earned cheers and applause.

"What a party," I said with a bright smile. "If robots this good are on the table, count me in. Hope you don't mind if I take a closer look."

Samuel froze and rushed to my side.

"Honey, are you still upset? It was a robot that night. Even if I'd lost my mind, I wouldn't sneak a real woman into our home," he said, trying for a helpless look.

I pulled a sharp knife from my purse and began toying with it, my smile never wavering.

"I believe you. But since it's just a machine, you won't mind if I take it apart, right?"

I turned to Richard, pointing the knife toward the Luna-lookalike.

"Mr. Grant, surely your massive company didn't just make one prototype, right?"

Richard clapped his hands and burst out laughing.

"Mrs. Reed, your skepticism is the highest compliment to our technology!"

The other men in the room eagerly agreed, piling on the flattery.

"It's true! If it's good enough to make Mrs. Reed think her husband is cheating, the tech must be incredible."

I closed the distance between us, slowly sizing Luna up. She was a picture-perfect fembot.

The alloy plating, the exposed wires, and the chips were all perfectly arranged to accentuate her hourglass figure.

No wonder Samuel was captivated.

"Mr. Grant, you've made your product so alluring," I said sweetly. "To those in the know, it's robotics. To an outsider, it looks a lot like you're pimping out a honey trap."

Richard put on a folksy expression.

"Mrs. Reed, don't say that. We're a startup! R&D costs a fortune. We designed her this way to generate buzz. That's all. Just trying to get by."

His team nodded earnestly.

"The aesthetic is part of the product appeal," one of his team members cut in.

"Mr. Grant is even planning a male line for equality," said another.

"Exactly! This look has mass-market appeal," a third added.

I was done with the charade. I looked straight at Samuel. "So. Can I take this robot apart, or not?"

His eyes narrowed. Forced to choose, he chose to shield Luna.

"Emily, the internal mechanics are a trade secret. We haven't even signed a contract. Don't put Mr. Grant in this position.

"I swear to you, I've done nothing wrong. Can we please just go home and talk about this?"

"Why are you so nervous? Mr. Grant hasn't said no yet," I shot back, gripping the knife, ready to lunge.

The executives Samuel brought finally lost patience.

"Ms. Carter, don't ruin this. Mr. Reed worked hard to land this project."

"You're pregnant. Go home and rest. We swear Mr. Reed isn't cheating."

"This is business. Think of the big picture."

One of the older board members, a man who had worked with my father for decades, looked at me with open contempt.

"Emily, I heard you dragged your jealousy into the office, and I didn't want to believe it. But to see you harassing a damn robot?

"Look at you, acting like a common shrew. You're shaming your father."

I tuned them out, jerked free of Samuel's hand, and lunged for Luna.

"If this is a partnership, we need to know exactly what we're buying. How do we know you have real tech? For all I know, there's a real woman stuffed in the metal suit to pull a fast one.

"If I don't get to take this apart right now, the deal is off!"

With my knife just inches from its face, Samuel, too far to grab me, stuck out his leg and tripped me.

Richard seized the opportunity, signaling his men to rush the android out of the room.

My ankle buckled, and I slammed stomach-first into the edge of a glass coffee table. A wave of searing pain washed over me, and I crumpled to the floor, gasping.

Only when he was sure the android was safely gone did Samuel rush to my side and try to help me up.

"Honey, are you okay?" he asked with concern.

I slapped his hand away.

The party was over. The room emptied, leaving behind a trail of disappointed glares.

Samuel scooped me into his arms with fake sympathy. "Emily, what am I going to do with you?"

On the silent drive home, he made a phone call to Richard.

By the time we walked through our front door, a lifelike robot was displayed in the middle of our living room, one of its legs removed.

Jane went right for the throat.

"Are you happy now? Are you satisfied now that you've almost torn this family apart? Do you believe him now? What else could that be but a robot!

"So much for being a 'lady.' You have a smaller mind than anyone from my village. It's only because Samuel spoils you."

"My brother spent over three million dollars just to have that leg removed," Sophie added, her voice dripping with jealousy, "all to put your paranoid mind at ease."

I glanced at it once and looked away.

Sophie taunted, "What's wrong? Now that it's in pieces, you can't even look at it? Feeling guilty?

"Or are you going to claim there's an amputee inside? The knife's right there. Go ahead and take off her head."

"That's enough," Samuel snapped. "Emily's not feeling well. Leave her alone."

I closed my eyes. "Get it out of here."

This android, while realistic, was nothing like the one Luna had been playing. It was a cheap imitation.

Just like Samuel said, it was just for show, a way to shut me up.

After that, I never mentioned the robot again.

Samuel went back to his routine, coming home early every night to smother me with attention.

I thought he had finally changed for good until one night, I woke suddenly to strange sounds coming from the study.