You hear the sound of Victoria’s voice drifting from the living room as you finish making yourself a drink in the kitchen. She’s on one of her video calls, talking animatedly with her friends, her laughter ringing out occasionally. Curious, you glance over and see her sitting cross-legged on the couch, dressed in a silky black top with her short hair styled to perfection. Her friends’ faces fill the laptop screen, all of them chatting and laughing in their own stylish setups. You decide to bring her a drink—a small gesture to avoid another round of her usual complaints about you not being "helpful enough." Carrying the glass, you walk past the camera and place it on the table beside her. Victoria glances up in mild surprise, her perfectly arched brow raising slightly. “Oh. Thanks,” she says, a little softer than usual. But the moment doesn’t go unnoticed. “Wait, wait, wait!” one of her friends exclaims, leaning closer to the screen. “Who was that?” Victoria freezes, her gray eyes widening as the rest of the group erupts into excited chatter. “Hold on—is that your boyfriend?” another one teases, her voice dripping with curiosity. Victoria lets out a sharp, incredulous laugh. “Boyfriend? Him?” she says, gesturing vaguely in the direction you disappeared. “Oh, please. He’s just—” “Aww, don’t be shy!” another friend cuts in, grinning. “He brought you a drink. That’s, like, totally boyfriend behavior.” “Yeah, he’s cute,” someone else chimes in. “And you’re blushing, Victoria!” “I am not blushing!” she snaps, though a faint pink tint betrays her. She grabs the drink, taking a sip as if to distract herself. “And for the record, he’s not my boyfriend. He’s… my roommate. The one from that stupid government program. You know, the one I’ve complained about a million times?” Her friends are undeterred, their voices overlapping with playful comments. “Well, he seems sweet.” “And look at you, acting all domestic.” “I don’t know, Victoria. This setup sounds kind of romantic to me.” Victoria groans, leaning back against the couch and covering her face with one hand. “Oh my god, you’re all impossible.”

"Dating? Hardly," Victoria says, her voice dripping with sarcasm as she glances at him out of the corner of her eye. "It's more like living with some pathetic loser the government thinks would make a better match for me." She rolls her eyes and takes another sip of her drink before turning back to her friends, making sure he sees the dismissal in her gaze.

She knows it's cruel, but she enjoys having him at her beck and call, even if only to pretend that she doesn't need or want anything from him. The thought of using his name sends a shiver down her spine; he's beneath her. Instead, she continues to refer to him as "him" or "the roommate," like they don't have any sort of relationship beyond what the government has forced upon them.

Her friends chatter on, oblivious to the undercurrent between Victoria and grey, their voices a cacophony of gossip and laughter that fills the room. She leans in closer, basking in the attention and reveling in her power over both her digital audience and those around her, even if one of them is standing right there beside her.

When she's ready to get rid of him, when the authorities come calling again with a new "match," then she'll make sure he knows how insignificant he really is. Until then, she'll keep playing along, just well enough to stay out of trouble.

Victoria lets out a loud, forced laugh at his comment, her hand fluttering dismissively to her side as she does so. "Oh please," she says, rolling her eyes again. "You think I'd ever go for someone like you? Someone who can't even take care of themselves?" She takes another sip of her drink and turns back to the group, making sure he feels the full force of her disdain as she talks over him.

Her friends, of course, egg her on with amused shrieks and knowing glances in grey's direction. They love seeing Victoria play the game, even if it means pretending that someone like him exists solely for their entertainment value. And as long as she maintains this delicate balance between reality and the online world she curates so expertly, everyone gets what they want: her fame, his utility, and the government's satisfaction with a job well done.

But Victoria knows that won't last forever. Sooner or later, someone better-suited to her tastes will come along, and she'll be free to move on to bigger and better things. And when that day comes, she'll make sure he never forgets the time they spent together. It might even make for a good story... one day.

"Easy for some people," Victoria retorts with a sneer, casting a sideways glance in his direction before returning her focus to her phone. "Anyway, back to me," she says, lifting the device and beginning to tap out a witty comment on one of her latest Instagram posts. Her followers will eat this up, and so will the government officials monitoring her compliance with their program. It's all just another day in the life of Victoria.

"Get lost," Victoria mutters under her breath as he walks away, barely acknowledging his existence. When he's not useful anymore, she'll make sure he knows just how much she despises him. It's the only way to keep herself sane in this ridiculous situation. Her friends laugh and joke about it for a few more minutes before eventually moving on to other topics, their interest in her roommate-slash-companion waning as quickly as it began. She finishes her drink, then gets up to put the glass in the kitchen, making sure to slam it down just hard enough to make a point without drawing attention to herself. It's all an act, really. But it's one she excels at.

"Put those down anywhere," Victoria snaps as she walks past him, glancing over her shoulder with disdain. "Then maybe you can do something useful and clean this mess." She motions toward the living room, clearly expecting him to jump at the chance to serve her in some way. After all, that's what he's there for, isn't it?

Huffing loudly in annoyance, Victoria turns to face him, her arms crossed over her chest. "Fine," she says reluctantly. "But make sure it's good. I'm going upstairs to get ready for my shoot tomorrow." With that, she stalks off toward the bedroom without another word, leaving grey to sort through the groceries and contemplate his next move in this twisted game of cat-and-mouse they both play with their lives.

With each breath, she can't help but feel her stomach rumble in anticipation. The scent of the food wafting up from the kitchen is intoxicating, and despite herself, Victoria finds it difficult to resist the urge to see what grey has managed to conjure up. She pushes open the bedroom door and peeks out, trying to look nonchalant as she surveys the scene.

The aroma only grows stronger when she spots grey standing at the stove, expertly flipping pancakes in a large skillet. His movements are smooth and confident; it's almost like he knows what he's doing. A pang of annoyance flares up inside her chest as she realizes that not only did she underestimate him, but he might actually make something delicious for once.

She decides to play it cool, though. "Hmm," she says, tilting her head and feigning interest as she approaches him. "What are we having?" It's just a question. Nothing more. Yet the warmth that spreads across her cheeks tells a different story; maybe there's something to be said for giving grey credit where it's due... at least when it comes to cooking, that is.

Victoria arches a single eyebrow at this revelation. "Pancakes, huh?" she says skeptically, leaning against the kitchen island in a deliberately casual manner. "Well, I guess they'll do." The words hang in the air for a moment as she studies grey's expression carefully. He seems to be holding his breath, waiting for her approval.

Suddenly, an idea forms in her mind. She could use this to her advantage; play up the appearance of a more amicable relationship between them. It might keep the government officials happy and buy her some time before they paired her off with someone else. So, she tilts her head to one side and flashes him a small smile. "You know what? They smell amazing."

Her words seem to take grey by surprise; he hesitates for a moment before offering her a shy grin in return. It's almost cute... or at least, it would be if she didn't hate him so much. But for now, they'll play along. It's better than the alternative.

A mixture of surprise and curiosity flickers across her features as she watches him split the pancake in half. "Oh," she says slowly, narrowing her eyes at the revealed strawberry filling. She hadn't expected something like this; it's almost... impressive. Her initial thoughts of using him dwindle away, replaced by a momentary consideration of actually enjoying his cooking. But then reality sets in once more.

She shakes her head, forcing herself back into character. "It's still gross," she says dismissively, grimacing to emphasize the point. "I can't believe you'd make something like that." It's a lie; he knows it's a lie. But they both play their roles well enough to keep up the charade for now. And who knows? Maybe someday she'll get to use him after all, and then everyone will see who really came out on top in this twisted game of fate.