Chapter 3 · Tomorrow, I Choose Me

I clicked play on the hidden file.

On the screen, my past self didn't smile.

There was no soft vulnerability in her dark eyes. She sat in icy, commanding composure.

"If you're watching this..."her voice cut through the silent room like a blade, "he finally did it."

Past-Maeve leaned closer toward the camera lens.

"Those 365 videos were never what he thought they were, Maeve. They weren't your cage. They were his second chances. Every single morning, you woke up with a clean slate and consciously chose to forgive him. You gave him 365 opportunities to be a decent man."

She looked straight into the lens, her expression cold and resolute.

"Tonight, he ran out of chances. He didn't destroy your memory, Maeve. He set you free."

Past-Maeve reached down and held up a small brass key.

"Under the bed is a locked safe. Code: 0000. Inside, you'll find your passport, your own savings account details, and the life you put on hold for him."

The smart lock on the front door chimed outside the bedroom.

Heavy, uneven footsteps entered the foyer, accompanied by Clara's quiet giggles. Conrad was home, looking for a target for his arrogance after a long night out.

"Maeve! Get out here!"Conrad's voice roared through the hallway. "Are you still throwing a pity party over those deleted videos? You have nothing without me!"

My hands didn't shake. I unlocked the safe under the bed, grabbed my passport and personal documents, and packed them into a sleek cabin suitcase.

Then, I pulled up our smart-home app and permanently revoked Conrad's master access key to the master bedroom.

The wall clock struck midnight.

A heavy, familiar wave of neurological fatigue washed over my brain. The daily memory reset was taking hold.

In eight hours, I would wake up with zero memory of Conrad's face, his voice, or years we spent together.

Outside the bedroom door, Conrad tried to punch in his entry code. The lock chimed red: Access Denied.

"Maeve! What the hell did you do to the lock?"he shouted, banging furiously on the wood. "Open this door right now!"

I lay down under the covers, pulled the blanket up, and whispered into the dark as my mind began to fade to white.

"Goodnight, stranger."

Chapter 3

I clicked play on the hidden file.

On the screen, my past self didn't smile.

There was no soft vulnerability in her dark eyes. She sat in icy, commanding composure.

"If you're watching this..."her voice cut through the silent room like a blade, "he finally did it."

Past-Maeve leaned closer toward the camera lens.

She looked straight into the lens, her expression cold and resolute.

"Tonight, he ran out of chances. He didn't destroy your memory, Maeve. He set you free."

Past-Maeve reached down and held up a small brass key.

"Under the bed is a locked safe. Code: 0000. Inside, you'll find your passport, your own savings account details, and the life you put on hold for him."

The smart lock on the front door chimed outside the bedroom.

Heavy, uneven footsteps entered the foyer, accompanied by Clara's quiet giggles. Conrad was home, looking for a target for his arrogance after a long night out.

"Maeve! Get out here!"Conrad's voice roared through the hallway. "Are you still throwing a pity party over those deleted videos? You have nothing without me!"

My hands didn't shake. I unlocked the safe under the bed, grabbed my passport and personal documents, and packed them into a sleek cabin suitcase.

Then, I pulled up our smart-home app and permanently revoked Conrad's master access key to the master bedroom.

The wall clock struck midnight.

A heavy, familiar wave of neurological fatigue washed over my brain. The daily memory reset was taking hold.

In eight hours, I would wake up with zero memory of Conrad's face, his voice, or years we spent together.

Outside the bedroom door, Conrad tried to punch in his entry code. The lock chimed red: Access Denied.

"Maeve! What the hell did you do to the lock?"he shouted, banging furiously on the wood. "Open this door right now!"

I lay down under the covers, pulled the blanket up, and whispered into the dark as my mind began to fade to white.

"Goodnight, stranger."