The AI Proved Your Love Fake

After Grace died in the climbing accident, I lost thirty pounds in a single month.

I fed decades of our chat history into an AI, desperate to create a virtual version of her to keep me company for the rest of my days.

But after thirty seconds of deep processing, the AI spat out a cold truth: She never loved you.

Later, they finally recovered Grace's body.

During the avalanche, she had used her own body to shield Kyle.

When they died, there was no fear on their facesonly a quiet, mutual peace.

After burying my wife and my best friend, my body gave out. I collapsed in the cemetery, coughing up a mouthful of dark blood.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Back to the morning of the SATs.

At the entrance of the testing center, the two of them were frantic, sweating in the heat because Grace's grandfather had suffered heatstroke.

I took one look at them, turned around, and walked away.

This time, I wanted nothing to do with either of them.

I just wanted to live for myself.

I walked through the crowd, keeping my head down.

Just as I was about to step through the gates, a frantic male voice called out from behind me.

"Liam! Come over here and help! Grace's granddad passed out from the heat."

I paused, but I didn't turn around.

The icy wind of the cemetery still seemed to whisper in my ears, and the faint, copper taste of blood lingered in my mouth.

Suddenly, a warm, soft hand grabbed my wrist.

"Liam, please. You're the only one who can help me."

Eighteen-year-old Grace was wearing a faded school hoodie.

Her eyes were as clear as mountain lakesthe kind of eyes you could easily drown in.

But I wasn't that eighteen-year-old boy anymore.

In my past life, terrified that this would ruin Grace's exams, I had offered to take her grandfather to the ER myself.

By the time I rushed back to the testing center, I was thirteen minutes late. I couldn't finish the essay section.

That single mistake derailed my scores, forcing me into a mediocre local state college.

Meanwhile, she and Kyle went off to Columbia together.

Years later, on our wedding day, Grace told me that if it hadn't been for eighteen-year-old me, she would never have achieved everything she did.

At the time, her expression had been complicated.

It took me a lifetime to realize that her look wasn't just gratitude; it was the suffocating weight of obligation.

I shook my head. "I can't help you, Grace."

"Taking him to the hospital means missing the start of the test."

Disbelief flickered across Grace's face.

"That's exactly why we're asking you," Kyle snapped from beside her. "Grace is the top of our class. The whole district is counting on her to get into the Ivy League. You can't let her ruin her future over this."

Kyle's voice grew increasingly frantic.

I took a deep breath. "I know. That's why I'm not going."

"Liam!" Kyle's voice shot up an octave. "Your future at some state school doesn't compare to Grace's. How can you be so selfish?"

I froze, staring directly at Kyle.

With my actual academic level, a normal performance would easily land me in a solid university. But here he was, already writing me off as state-school material.

"Grace is your girlfriend. How can you stand there and do nothing?"

Grace pulled him back. She let out a soft sigh.

"Stop, Kyle. This is my family's problem. He has every right to say no."

"But if you miss the chance at being valedictorian, it's a tragedy," Kyle said, his eyes rimmed with red.

I looked at Kyle, my voice dead calm. "If you're that worried, you take him."

Kyle choked on his words.

"It's fine, Kyle. Don't worry," Grace said, her tone softening as she turned to soothe him. "I'll take Granddad to the ER and run right back. Just focus on your test, okay?"

She patted Kyle's shoulder reassuringly.

Suddenly, Kyle threw his arms around her.

"Just hurry back!"

Grace's hands hovered in the air for a few seconds.

Those hands. I knew them better than my own. They had cooked for me, adjusted my ties, and once worn a wedding band I placed on her ring finger.

Slowly, her hands descended, gently patting Kyle's back.

"I will. Focus on the exam."

Grace turned to look at me, but I had already averted my gaze. I turned and walked away.

When the proctor began reading the exam instructions, my mind was still in a haze. But I forced myself to calm down.

It didn't matter who Grace truly loved anymore.

What mattered was the thirteen minutes I had just bought back for myself.

It wasn't until the final exam of the week ended that I saw Grace again, waiting by the gates.

Kyle tapped her shoulder. The moment she turned around, he leaned in and kissed her on the lips.

Grace froze, but she didn't pull away.

It took her a few seconds to gently push him back. "What if Liam sees us?"

Kyle pouted. "So what if he does? Were you planning on hiding it from him forever?"

Passing students turned to look. Once they recognized the top two students in our class, their faces softened into knowing, supportive smiles.

I walked past them. Their hands were still reluctantly parting.

"How's your grandfather?" I asked.

Grace pulled her hand back completely, her voice turning cold. "He's in the hospital. He's going to be fine."

"Good."

I turned to leave, but Grace caught my arm.

"Let me drive you home."

I pulled my arm out of her grasp.

"No need. You should take Kyle instead."

Grace's eyes darkened.

In my past life, our friendship had spanned fifty years.

Like Grace, my parents worked out of state, and I had been raised by my grandparents.

When I was eleven and got my first wet dream, I had been terrified and confused.

It was Kyle who had knocked on my door with a clean pair of boxers, laughing as he comforted me: "Don't sweat it, man. It just means you're growing up."

It was Grace who had let me ride on the back of her bike, telling me, "From now on, you'll be the one taking care of me."

Later, they went to the same elite university, started a tech company together after graduation, and eventually made the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

And I was the husband, the best friend, the cheerleader standing in the shadows, applauding their brilliant achievements.

Until they went to climb Everest and never came back.

It was only after their deaths that I discovered our fifty years of marriage had left behind a chat history of barely a hundred megabytes on her phone.

But her chat history with Kyle spanned dozens of gigabytes.

The will she kept in her safe stated her wish to be buried beside Kyle.

All she left for me was a single, scribbled sentence: I'm sorry.

But what use was an apology for a wasted life?

The morning after the exams, I was heading out the door with my backpack.

My grandfather poked his head out of the kitchen.

"Starting your part-time job already, kiddo?"

I paused for a second, then shook my head. "No, Granddad. I'm going to the library."

He smiled warmly.

"I don't mind you working, Liam. I just worry you're pushing yourself too hard."

"I know."

Grace's family had always struggled financially, and after her grandfather's hospitalization, her tuition and living expenses became a massive burden.

In my previous life, to help save up for her college expenses, I had started working the very day after high school ended.

For two months of summer, I worked three different part-time jobs, never taking a single day off.

Every night when I finished my shift, she and Kyle would drive over from the library to pick me up.

They had already started self-studying college-level courses, discussing advanced calculus in the front seats.

I would sit in the back, fighting off exhaustion, unable to join their conversations.

Sure enough, when I sat down at the library, I ran into Grace and Kyle.

Kyle looked genuinely surprised to see me.

"Liam? Aren't you supposed to be working at the boba shop?"

He glanced at the thick copy of A Pattern Language on my desk.

"Does a state school really require this kind of reading? I thought you guys just cruised through graduation."

He leaned in. "Instead of wasting time on useless books, you should be paying more attention to Grace. You've got a world-class girlfriend here. If you don't step up, there's a line of guys waiting to take your place. You won't even make the waiting list."

I understood the underlying bite in his words. I just offered a faint smile.

"Grace is indeed incredible. You should cherish her."

Grace remained silent for a long moment. "Liam... when did we become so distant?"

I smiled, offering no explanation.

When did we change?

Probably when I first heard the news of her death, unable to eat or sleep, watching my hair fall out in clumps.

Or perhaps when I exported her chat logs, whispering to an AI model, Sweetheart, I miss you so much.

Or when the AI finished analyzing every single message they had ever sent, displaying its cold, mechanical diagnosis:

[Analysis: The user's interactions with his wife show she initiated conversations only 1.2% of the time. Average response length: 4.1 words. High-frequency words: 'Sure,' 'Okay,' 'Got it.' This relationship exhibits severe emotional asymmetry.]

Grace didn't know that I hadn't slept at all that night.

At dawn, I had sent one last message to the virtual Grace.

Let's get a divorce.

The AI had replied, If that's what you want.

From that day on, I knew I had to let her go.

Because I hadn't been late for my exam this time, my scores were fifty points higher than in my previous life.

It was more than enough to get into a top-tier university.

Grace didn't secure the title of district valedictorian, nor did she make it into Columbia. But her foundation was solid enough to get her into a prestigious state flagship in Seattle.

The day after scores were released, Grace was waiting for me downstairs.

"I'm planning to go to Seattle," she said. "Tell me your scores. I can help you look at colleges in the area that might fit."

I didn't take the bait.

"I've already picked a school in Boston. No need to worry about it."

Grace's brows knitted together.

"Long distance is hard," she said, pausing before adding, "Since I didn't get the top scholarship, money is going to be tight. If we aren't in the same city, it's going to be really hard to see each other."

In my past life, those words would have made my heart ache. I would have thought she was fighting to keep us together.

But now, I understood. She was just calculating the cost.

Is seeing me worth the train ticket? Is it worth the investment?

In my past life, Grace's career soared after graduation. We got married, and I naturally became the one who managed the homefront.

But during our third year of marriage, she and Kyle went to London to set up a European branch.

The cost of flights was pocket change to her by then, yet she didn't come home once that entire year.

During the holidays, I finally called to ask when she was coming back.

She had brushed me off. "Things are crazy with the expansion, Liam. Non-essential things have to take a backseat."

I smiled slightly at the memory.

"Don't worry about the distance," I said, slinging my backpack over my shoulder. "Our priority of seeing each other was never that high anyway."

Grace's face went completely blank. "Liam..."

"What are you guys talking about?" Kyle interrupted, stepping up and patting my shoulder with mock warmth.

"I've decided to go to Seattle with you guys. Pretty great, right?"

"Even though turning down Columbia is a bit of a bummer, I couldn't bear to leave you two."

I was mildly surprised that Kyle had actually given up an Ivy League offer for Grace.

"Grace told me your scores are good enough for a decent state school," Kyle continued. "Even if you can't get into a top major, a degree is a degree."

I gently slid my shoulder out of his reach.

"I've already submitted my choice. I'm going to Boston."

"Boston?"

Surprise flashed in Kyle's eyes, quickly replaced by a wave of relief.

"Well, look at our Liam, making his own decisions. Boston is great. Beautiful city."

He nudged Grace with his shoulder. "Right?"

Grace didn't answer. Her voice was low and tense as she looked at me. "The portal is still open. You can still change your application."

I shook my head.

"I've made up my mind."

Grace stood frozen for several seconds, her hands slowly clenching into fists at her sides.

"Fine. Do whatever you want."

In my past life, while Grace was overseas, I had taught myself video editing and digital marketing while taking care of our child.

When Grace and Kyle returned, a top media agency based in Boston had reached out to me with an offer.

Kyle had bought me a brand-new Rolex.

"To our incredibly capable Liam! Your channel is really taking off."

"But," he had added smoothly, "if you move to Boston, who's going to take care of Grace and her parents?"

Grace had reached out, pressing her hand down on the contract I was reading, her voice laced with disapproval.

"Liam, why do you always lose sight of what actually matters?"

"The money I make is enough to support us for a lifetime. Why do you need to be some internet influencer? Taking care of this family is your real job."

After weighing everything, I had turned down Boston.

I spent decades cooking, cleaning, caring for the elderly, and running myself ragged.

And what did I get in return?

The strap of my backpack was digging into my shoulder.

I shifted it to the other arm and walked past them without another word.

The library's AC was blasting cold air.

I spent the afternoon taking pages of notes on architectural design.

By the time I walked out, night had fallen.

Passing by a familiar storefront, I recalled working at this very boba shop in my previous life.

As I neared the entrance, two familiar voices drifted out.

"Standing for eight hours straight is literally killing me."

"Grace, my back hurts so bad. Give me a massage."

Looking through the window, I saw Kyle leaning against Grace, whining.

Grace looked startled and took a half-step back.

"Why are you flinching? Liam's not even here."

"Seriously, when are you going to break up with him?"

Grace didn't say anything.

Kyle gave her a gentle shove.

"I could have gone to Columbia, and instead I'm shaking boba cups here every day for you. My wrists are practically broken, and you still won't give me a proper title!"

Grace sighed, saying something completely out of context.

"That summer... Liam worked three jobs a day. It couldn't have been easy for him."

I stood by the entrance, unmoving.

I remembered that hot summer, walking tiredly behind them after my shifts.

Once, my shoelaces had come undone. I knelt to tie them, and when I looked up, they had already disappeared down the alley.

Back then, I thought she was just walking fast because she was in a hurry.

Only later did I realize she simply never thought to look back for me.

I averted my eyes and walked away.

Back home, right after my shower, my phone buzzed.

"Liam, I'm downstairs."

I pulled back the curtains. Grace was standing beneath the old sycamore tree outside my window, looking up at me.

"What is it?"

The amber streetlamp stretched her shadow long and thin.

She just stared at me, silent.

Just as I was about to hang up, she spoke. "I changed my application."

"Five minutes before the system locked."

I let out a soft "Okay."

"Aren't you going to ask me where I changed it to?"

I repeated dryly, "Where did you change it to?"

I heard her take a shaky breath.

"I'm coming to Boston with you."

She looked up at me with an expectation and a tenderness I had never seen on her face before.

I looked away, staring into the dark.

"What time does the boba shop close? You should go pick up Kyle."

"Liam... please don't be like this."

She paused, as if gathering her courage. "I don't know why you refused to come to Seattle with me, but since this is what you chose, I'm coming to you."

I said quietly, "There is absolutely no need."

The night wind stirred the leaves of the sycamore.

I remembered the last time we saw each other at the airport before they left for Everest.

They had walked through security, laughing and talking.

She hadn't looked back once.

"Grace," I said softly.

"Let's break up."

"What?" Her breath hitched.

Under the dim light, she clenched her fists and tilted her chin up stubbornly.

"Liam, why?"

I looked at her and said quietly,

"After the avalanche, it took me a long time to unlock your phone."

"Do you still remember what the passcode was?"

Her shoulders began to tremble.

Silence.

"I know. It was 0924. Kyle's birthday."

I continued, "The night before the climb, you sent him one last message."

"You wrote: 'If there is a next life, I choose you.'"

Under the streetlamp, she stared up at me.

After what felt like an eternity, she whispered, "Liam, what are you talking about?"

She looked completely bewildered, but her hand was gripping her phone so hard her knuckles turned white.

My hand remained on the curtain.