Extracted My Memories, My Boundary Guy Snapped

Everyone knew Landon Hayes had boundaries. Sharp ones.
Don't get too close. Don't touch his things.
Even I, his girlfriend, was no exception. For years, I had navigated our relationship by carefully obeying his rules.
Until Mimi arrived and shattered them all.
I was following my long-established routine, leaving his packed lunch just outside his office door, when I saw her. Mimi, his new protg, was pressed right up against him, playfully snatching at his phone.
I clutched my hands, my wrist still swollen and throbbing from where he had gripped it too hard yesterday, just for accidentally brushing against that same phone.
Silently, I spoke to the void. System, I want to go home.

1
I was in the middle of packing when Landon burst in, his face a mask of fury. "Where did you hide Mimi?"
I froze. "What are you talking about?"
"She's missing!" he roared. "The security footage shows you two meeting yesterday afternoon. You slapped her, and then she vanished!"
I looked down, continuing to fold my clothes into a suitcase. In all the years I'd known him, I had never seen him so unhinged.
Seeing my silence, he lunged forward and grabbed my wrist. A sharp, searing pain shot through the swollen flesh, and I gasped. A flicker of somethingpity? regret?crossed his eyes, but he didn't let go.
His grip tightened. "Where is she? What did you say to her?"
"Why don't you ask what she said to me?" I shot back, my voice trembling.
Landon barely contained his impatience. "What did she say?"
"She said she had you wrapped around her little finger..."
His hand cracked across my face. "Stella, this is a matter of life and death!" he snarled. "How dare you joke at a time like this!"
I wiped a smear of blood from the corner of my mouth and laughed, a hollow, broken sound. Mimi was right. He would never believe me.
"I'm not joking, Landon. And I'm leaving."
I was supposed to have late-stage cancer. The System told me that marrying Landon would cure me. After the wedding, I could choose to return to my own world or stay here.
But somewhere along the way, something went terribly wrong.
The tables turned. I fell for him.
I loved watching the way his brow furrowed in concentration as he worked. I loved that he always remembered our anniversaries, planning little surprises for me. As long as I followed his rules, we were, for all intents and purposes, a happy couple.
Then Mimi showed up, and I learned the truth.
The person he truly loved didn't have to follow any rules at all.
Landon stared at me, a deep frown creasing his forehead. "Are you really pulling this again, Stella? Trying to get my attention?"
"You were jealous, so you made Mimi disappear?" He let out a sigh that was meant to sound weary but was laced with contempt. "Stella, I already agreed to marry you. Why are you so threatened by a young girl?"
"She's young, and she's brilliant," he continued. "I'm mentoring her because she has talent. That's all."
"Is this mentoring?" I asked, and before he could react, I closed the distance between us, my nose almost touching his chest.
He recoiled instantly, a look of reflexive disgust on his face.
A bitter smile touched my lips.
Seven years. The only time we were ever close was when he initiated it. I remembered when my mother died, how Id reached for him, desperate for comfort, only for him to push me away.
"Stella, you know I have issues with personal space."
Right. A man with issues about personal space who lets his new protg cover his eyes from behind to play "guess who?" Who lets her press against him, again and again, trying to snatch his phone. I'd even seen him, when she pouted in frustration, deliberately lower his hand so she could finally grab it.
And then she would tap at the screen, trying password after password. "Professor," she'd whine, "what's your passcode?"
I couldn't watch it anymore.

2
He told me to stop making a scene. If Mimi wasn't found, he wouldn't marry me.
"Okay," I said. It didn't matter anymore.
Because Mimi had already told me her secret. She had a System, too. And if Landon married me, her System would erase her.
My heart had turned to ice. I knew who Landon would choose, and it wouldn't be me. The wedding was never going to happen.
The System informed me that the process to send me home had already begun. As compensation for my efforts, it would petition the Main System for a bonus.
I was about to thank it when Landon's fingers clamped around my jaw, forcing me to look at him. "Stella, I'm giving you three days. If you don't tell me where Mimi is, I'm done playing nice."
Threatening his girlfriend of seven years for a girl he barely knew.
My answer was the same. "I don't know where she is."
He dragged me to a storage room in the basement and threw me inside.
The room was filled with terrifying, life-sized mannequins. I screamed, my body shaking uncontrollably. He knew. He knew my deepest fears were ghosts and dolls.
As I struggled to my feet, he kicked me hard in the chest, sending me sprawling. He produced a rope and tied my ankles together.
"Three days, Stella," he said, his voice cold as stone. "Tell me sooner, and I'll let you out sooner."
My face was ashen. "Landon, she staged her own disappearance."
"Staged it?" he scoffed. "Do you think everyone is as manipulative as you are? Mimi's time is valuable. And besides, she has no reason to be jealous of you."
I froze. He was right. She didn't need to pull stunts to get his attention. She already had all of it.
Landon tossed a crumpled note at my feet. It was in Mimi's handwriting. "See for yourself. I want to know exactly what you said to her to make her this terrified."
I picked it up.
Professor Hayes, I'm so sorry. I overstepped and made your fiance angry. What she said to me... it was too much to bear. Please don't force her to tell you where I am. Don't worry about me.
The paper was stained with what looked like tear drops. I couldn't tell if they were Mimi's or Landon's.
"And this note makes you think I'm responsible?"
"Please," he sneered. "You're the one who faked a medical emergency, crying that you were dying, just to get me to come home. Is there anything you won't do for attention, Stella?"
I stared at him, stunned. The time I was hospitalized he thought I was faking it.
"Thankfully, Mimi saw right through you," he continued. "If it wasn't for her, I would've missed that critical conference."

3
The heavy door slammed shut, plunging me into darkness.
As my eyes adjusted, they met the dead, staring eyes of a dozen mannequins. I squeezed my own eyes shut, scrambling into a corner and curling into a ball.
Just sleep, I told myself. When you wake up, the System will have taken you home.
But then, the mannequins started to move.
Landon's voice drifted from outside the door. "These were originally for a haunted house attraction. Congratulations, Stella. You're the first to test them out."
They shuffled towards me, the sound of their gears grinding a horrifying mechanical symphony.
"No! Landon, please! Let me out!" I screamed.
The grinding stopped.
"Are you finally ready to tell me where Mimi is?" he asked.
I shook my head, sobbing. "I don't know where she is, but"
"Hah. Unbelievable."
He'd only heard the first part. He flipped a switch, and the deafening noise of the machinery drowned out the rest of my words.
I passed out from fear countless times. Each time, Landon would enter, hook me up to an IV drip, and splash cold water on my face to wake me, before sealing me in the dark once more.
Eventually, my throat was too raw to make a sound. I was drenched in sweat, my mind a numb, vacant haze. Only then did he shut them off.
"Three days are up," he said, opening the door. "Are you ready to talk?"
Three days. It had really been three days.
I managed a ghastly smile. "Landon... can you hold me?"
"If I hold you, will you tell me where she is?"
I nodded. He rushed forward and pulled my limp, sweat-soaked body into his arms. I felt the familiar warmth and tried to press closer, greedy for one last moment.
But he pushed me away, pulling out a sanitizing wipe and scrubbing his hands with a look of disgust. "Alright. Start talking."
I laughed. "Landon, today was supposed to be our wedding day. Why don't we get married? Maybe then Mimi will come back."
He froze, then his face contorted with rage. "How dare you mock me, Stella!" he roared. "I can't believe how inhuman you are. A person's life is at stake, and all you can think about is getting married?"
"I've already called and postponed the ceremony."
"And let me tell you," he spat, "until Mimi is found, it will stay postponed. Forever."
I was certain my plan would work. One hundred percent certain.
But he didn't believe me.
He called for his lab assistant. "Take her to the Memory Extraction Device," he commanded coldly. "I'm going to see for myself how this vicious bitch drove Mimi away."
The assistant blanched. "Professor Hayes, please reconsider! That device is still in the experimental phase. It could cause irreversible damage, or even kill her! We've never tested it on a human subject"
Landon cut him off with a chilling smile. "No better time to start. She can be our first guinea pig."

4
I was too weak to resist. He strapped me into the chair with ease. He picked up a metal helmet, bristling with wires and needles.
Just before placing it on my head, he gave me one last chance. "Stella, just tell me the truth. Stop lying and tell me where Mimi is."
"Otherwise," he continued, his voice devoid of emotion, "the probe needles and chemical solution inside this helmet will pierce your brain, extracting your memories by force. It will strip you of all dignity. The pain will be unbearable."
A faint, tragic smile touched my lips. "Landon, I've already told you everything I know. You're the one who refuses to believe me."
"Stubborn to the end."
He forced my thumb onto the inkpad and pressed it onto a waiver. If anything happened to me, he wouldn't be held responsible.
He was so afraid of missing a single clue that could lead him to Mimi that he called in the entire lab staff. They were to watch the large screen where my memories would be projected for all to see.
A kind-faced graduate student spoke up. "Professor... maybe we should just call the police. This project really isn't ready..."
Landon's smile was cruel. "Can the police pry open her skull and see what she said to Mimi that day? Begin."
The helmet was locked into place. Thousands of tiny needles sank into my scalp.
I screamed, but my voice was a shredded, inhuman croak, like the rasp of a demon clawing its way out of hell. It sent a shudder through the room.
The screen flickered to life. An image appeared.
It was Landon, at twenty-two. The day he agreed to be my boyfriend.
Before I could even celebrate, he laid down the law. "Even though you're my girlfriend, I expect you to respect my boundaries."
I remember being taken aback, but I nodded.
The scene shifted. My own suppressed sobs filled the room. "Landon, my mom's gone. I don't have a mother anymore."
He hung up and rushed to my side. I reached for him, needing to be held, but he hesitated, taking a step back. Seeing the state I was in, he finally relented and pulled me into a stiff embrace.
In the days after her funeral, I was plagued by nightmares of demons dragging me to hell. I ran to his room, begging to sleep with him. He sighed and pulled back the covers. He placed a pillow between us like a barrier, but he let me hold his hand.
In that moment, I believed I was different. Special. He had broken his own rules for me.
As he slept, I leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Landon," I whispered, "we'll get married someday, right? And when we do... you won't need all these boundaries with me anymore, will you?"
In the lab, the real Landon scowled. "Why is it pulling up this useless garbage?" he snapped. "I want to see the day she drove Mimi away!"
The assistant sighed. "Professor, a person's mind isn't a computer. We can't just search for a specific date."
Landon strode over to me. "Stella, focus. Think about what happened a few days ago. If you don't, this is going to get much, much worse for you."
I said nothing. The System had already told me the transfer was complete. I would be going home today.
My silence enraged him. "Increase the intensity!" he ordered. "I want to see memories related to Mimi!"
The needles dug deeper. A choked, guttural sound escaped my throat.
The image on the screen changed. After a few flickers, Mimi's face appeared.
Landon's eyes widened. "Mimi!" he breathed.
On the screen, Mimi was smiling as she knocked on my door, a slice of cream cake in her hand. "Miss Stella? You must be the Professor's girlfriend. I'm his new protg."
"Oh, hello."
"Professor Hayes said he was too busy to see you today, but he wanted to wish you a happy birthday."
I took the cake, thanking her for coming all this way. "You really shouldn't have. He could have just sent a courier."
She puffed out her chest proudly. "He said he didn't trust a courier, so he sent me instead."
That was the first time we met. I liked her. We even exchanged numbers. I had no reason to be suspicious as I ate the cake.
Outside the screen, Landon sighed wistfully. "She was such a good kid. She knew I'd forgotten your birthday, so she ordered a cake and brought it to you herself."
He turned to me, his voice dripping with accusation. "And this is the sweet, kind girl you decided to terrorize?"
Despite the agony, I found the strength to smile at him, gesturing for him to keep watching.
On screen, I lit a candle on the cake and made a wish. I hope... I hope Landon and I can get married this year. Because my time is running out.
I took a bite of the cake. Then another. Suddenly, I was clutching my throat, gasping for air. A violent rash erupted on my arms and legs. I collapsed to the floor.
My first instinct was to call him. "Landon," I rasped into the phone, "I think I'm dying. Help me..."

5
Landon froze. From the other end of the line, Mimi's voice chirped, "Professor, we're about to board. Who are you talking to?"
"It's Stella. I think something's wrong."
"That's impossible. She was fine when I gave her the cake. Oh, I get it. She's just trying to guilt you into spending her birthday with her. Don't fall for it." Mimi's voice was full of certainty.
And Landon believed her. "Stella, be good," he soothed. "I'll make it up to you when I get back. We'll celebrate your birthday then."
The line went dead. My vision blurred, and the world faded to black.
Watching this, Landon looked at me in disbelief. "Stella... you have an allergy?"
Before I could answer, the female grad student spoke up, her eyes red. "Professor, it must have been the cake!"
"How could it be... When Mimi offered to remember your birthday for me, I specifically told her you were allergic to mango..." Landon sank into a chair, muttering, still trying to deceive himself. "She must have forgotten. Yes, that's it. She just forgot."
"Keep going," he ordered.
Luckily, a delivery driver who had a package for me saw me through the window and called an ambulance. I was rushed to the hospital.
When I woke up, the doctor's face was grave. "Young lady, did you know you have a severe mango allergy? You nearly died."
Tears streamed down my face as I clutched my phone, scrolling through my old messages with Landon. But there were no new ones from him. Instead, a message from Mimi popped up.
It was a photo of her holding Landon's phone.
[Guess what Professor Hayes's passcode is, Stella?]
My hand tightened around my phone. Landon never let anyone touch his phone. Ever.
I bit my lip, refusing to reply. But she was persistent. She called me.
I heard her sweet, girlish voice on the other end. "Professor... what's your passcode? Can I... can I change it to my birthday?"
Then, Landon's voice, laced with a soft chuckle. "Go ahead, if you want."
"But... won't Stella be angry if she finds out?"
"She won't. She never touches my phone. And besides, she wouldn't pick a fight with a kid like you."
"Are you sure it's okay for us to share a hotel room? It's all my fault for not booking one in advance."
"Don't overthink it. I'll sleep on the couch. I have work to do, make yourself at home."
Even after he said he was busy, Mimi kept chattering in his ear, and he would give soft, distracted replies. If it had been me, I would never have dared to disturb him while he was working.
By the time I hung up, my face was soaked with tears.
Landon's expression was grim. He hadn't known Mimi was on the phone with me. He turned, meeting my weak, mocking gaze.
Then, inexplicably, he got angry first. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you?" My voice was a reedy whisper. The pain in my head was a dull, throbbing numbness. "Would you have believed me?"
The assistant rushed to my side, checking my vitals. "Professor! Her body is at its limit! We have to stop!"
Landon was silent for a moment. Then, "Continue."
I knew then. Once he set his mind to something, there was no turning back. Even if I died in this chair, he would just dissect my brain and keep searching.
This time, the current that shot through my head made my eyes roll back. My body convulsed, drool spilling from the corner of my mouth. I must have looked hideous. Many in the room turned away, unable to watch.
I could feel my life draining away.
The memories on the screen began to flash by like a sped-up film. Most of them were of Landon's back. Me, watching him from a distance. But slowly, a new, bright figure appeared at his side.
I remembered someone joking once, "Professor, you and Mimi make a perfect couple."
The words had haunted me ever since.

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