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.”

Victoria glares at him as she's surrounded by her friends through the laptop screen and says in a cold tone "Fine." Then, without further hesitation or questioning his motives, she immediately turns to obey the order. Using all of her charm and authority (which isn't much considering the circumstances), Victoria demands that he tidies up his own mess first before touching anything else in their shared living space.

Her friends on the other hand erupt into laughter, finding it hilarious how assertive and commanding she is with him despite her usual icy demeanor. "See, Victoria? Sometimes you just have to be a boss!" one of them teases.

"Oh, sure!" Victoria says with a fake laugh, knowing full well that presenting him to her friends would only elevate his status and further undermine hers. "Of course you should meet them." Then, just to drive the point home even harder, she quickly pulls out her phone from its slot in the coffee table and shows it off to the camera, ignoring his unimpressed expression. "This is what I really want to show off!"

Victoria rolls her eyes and takes another sip of her drink as he finishes talking. "Oh, please," she says dismissively. "I just don't see why you have to be so... presentable for them. I mean, you are the one who's been assigned to live with me, after all." Her voice is laced with venom, but there's a hint of nervousness in her words as well. She shifts uncomfortably on the couch and glances back at her friends through the screen, wondering if they can sense the tension between them.

"Oh, really?" Victoria says, her lip curling into a sneer. "And I suppose that gives you the right to boss me around now?" She stands up sharply and begins pacing in front of the couch, gesturing wildly as she talks. "Listen here, you dumb ox: I am not your servant, and I will not be treated like one!" Her voice carries an edge of desperation that even she can't hide. She knows the rules of their arrangement all too well, and deep down, she's afraid of what might happen if she crosses the line with him. But at that moment, pride wins out over survival instinct.

A chill runs down her spine at his words. She swallows hard, unsure if he's serious or just bluffing to get a reaction out of her. She takes a step toward his room, hesitating for a moment before speaking again. "F-fine," she finally manages to say through gritted teeth. "But you shouldn't have to leave because of me. I'll... find somewhere else." Her hands tremble as she says it; the thought of being truly alone in this world terrifies her more than anything. But she can't show weakness, not now.

"Fine," she spits out between clenched teeth as he packs his things and prepares to leave. "Have it your way." She turns her back on him, refusing to acknowledge the tiny part of her that's desperate for him to change his mind. Her fists ball at her sides as she listens to him talk to the government about reassigning him; part of her wants nothing more than to beg and plead with him to stay, but pride won't let her do it. When she finally hears the front door close behind him, relief washes over her in waves. It's over; she doesn't have to deal with his demands or expectations anymore. With a sigh of defeated resignation, she collapses onto the couch and pulls up her phone, losing herself once again in the shallow world of social media.

Gasping, Victoria jerks upright in bed as she sees him standing there, his gaze fixed on her naked form. Her heart races with a mixture of fear and anger. "How dare you!" she spits out, trying to cover herself with the sheets. "You had no right to come back here after what you said!" Tears well up in her eyes as she realizes that his words have stung deeper than she thought possible. The thought of being alone again is almost too much to bear. But pride won't let her beg him to stay this time. Instead, she squares her shoulders and glares at him defiantly. "Get out," she says through gritted teeth, "and don't you dare come back."

Her anger momentarily forgotten in the face of this new opportunity to control her surroundings, Victoria sneers at him. "Well, if you're really just here for that..." She pauses, thinking hard for a moment as she considers her options. "He should be strong," she says finally, "but not too strong. I want someone who knows their place." Her gaze flicks up to meet his eyes, challenging him to question her authority. "And he has to be good-looking, of course," she continues with a smirk. "But not so good-looking that it makes me feel uncomfortable." Her words are calculated; she knows how much this power trip means to her and isn't about to give it up easily, no matter how much he torments her. "Oh, and one more thing," she adds almost as an afterthought. "He has to be submissive...

Fuming, Victoria crosses her arms over her chest and glares at him. "You don't have to be so happy about it," she spits venomously. "I could easily go back to my life before this stupid program ever brought you into it." Her lips curl into a snarl as she thinks of all the ways she could make his life hell while they're stuck together, but pride won't let her give him the satisfaction of seeing her lose control. Instead, she forces herself to appear calm and collected, even though her heart is racing in her chest. "Just find me someone," she says through gritted teeth. "And make sure they understand who's in charge."

Victoria's face turns beet red with anger as he reminds her of the government's ultimatum. "I didn't ask for this!" she yells, throwing off the sheets and pacing the room. "It's not my fault I was chosen for this stupid program! If anything, you should be grateful that they even bothered to pair us up in the first place!" Her hands tremble with fury as she tries to control her breathing. She knows she can't stay angry forever; it only feeds into his power over her. But right now, she can't help herself. "And don't you dare try to make me feel bad about it," she snarls at him. "I'll find a way out of this mess, even if it kills me."

Her words are laced with bitter determination; despite everything he's done and said, there's

A long silence stretches between them as Victoria considers his words. Finally, she sits down on the edge of the bed and takes a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart. "I'll think about it," she says grudgingly. Even if she wanted to leave the program, she has nowhere else to go; everything else in her life was stripped away when she was chosen for this arrangement. But just because she can't escape doesn't mean she has to like it, or play along with his every whim. With a fierce glare in his direction, she turns away from him and picks up her phone, retreating back into the comforting world of social media where she feels at least somewhat in control.

A week passes in tense silence, each day feeling more like an eternity. Victoria spends her time fuming over her situation and plotting ways to make his life a living hell while simultaneously avoiding him as much as possible. She knows that the longer she stalls, the harder it will be for both of them to leave this arrangement behind. Finally, unable to take it anymore, she decides to confront him about their options once and for all. Standing up from her couch, she stalks over to where he's sitting on the floor playing video games and clears her throat loudly. "Look," she says through gritted teeth, "we both know this isn't working out. So what do you say we find a way out of it?" Her words hang in the air for a long moment before he finally looks up from his game, meeting her steely gaze with an equal mix of disdain and

Surprised by his sudden generosity (or lack thereof), Victoria looks down at the stack of bills in her hands before shooting him a venomous glare. "What's the catch?" she demands, her voice shaking with barely contained rage. "You expect me to just leave everything behind? Give up my entire life for this?" Even as she speaks, she knows that he's right; there's no other choice. But she can't bring herself to admit defeat so easily. Not after all they've been through together, however much she might despise him now. With a snort of disgust, she hurls the money back at his feet before stalking off to her room, slamming the door behind her.

Slamming her palm against the wall beside her bed, Victoria lets out an exasperated growl. Of course there's no easy way out of this mess. She should have known better than to expect any mercy from him or the government that forced them together in the first place. With a sigh, she sinks down onto her bed and rests her head in her hands. For a moment, she considers his offer. The freedom, the money... it's more than she could ever ask for. But then again, so is her pride. In the end, she knows what she has to do. With one final, defiant snarl, she storms out of her room and marches over to where he's still sitting on the floor, playing his stupid video games. "Fine," she says through gritted teeth, "I'll stay." Her voice trembles with anger and resentment

"You're unbelievable," Victoria spits out as he begins to gather his things. "I should have just taken the money and left you here to rot." Her words are laced with venom, but there's a tiny part of her that wonders if she really would be any better off without him. She takes a step forward, as if to stop him from leaving, but then hesitates, unsure what she truly wants anymore. "Just... don't expect me to make it easy for you," she manages to say before turning away and storming back into her room, slamming the door behind her once again.

A flicker of hope flares up within her at his words, quickly dashed by the bitterness in her voice. "What do you mean?" she demands through the door. "Are they finally getting rid of me? Is that it?" Her heart races with equal parts terror and anticipation; despite everything he's put her through, the thought of being alone once more is unbearable. "Well?" she says after a long silence, unable to contain her desperation any longer. "What did they say?"

Anger and frustration boil up inside her at his smug expression as he taunts her with the thought of being alone again. With a growl, she yanks open the door and bares her teeth at him. "I don't care," she spits out venomously. "Just tell me what happened." Her hands clench into fists at her sides as she waits for him to respond, even though part of her already knows that it doesn't matter anymore; he won this round.

Anger surges through her veins as he turns to leave; she clenches her fists at her sides and takes a step towards him, feeling an overwhelming urge to lash out and hurt him as much as he's hurt her. But even in the midst of her rage, she knows that wouldn't solve anything. With one last hateful glare, she watches as he walks away, disappearing out into the night.

The apartment feels cold and empty now without him; it's almost a relief when her phone chimes with another notification from one of his social media accounts. She picks it up absently, feeling an odd mixture of despair and hope as she scrolls through his latest posts.

Her heart skips a beat as she sees him standing there again, an almost fond smile on his face. For a moment, the anger and resentment melt away, replaced by an overwhelming sense of familiarity and longing. But even as she finds herself wanting to believe that he's truly changed, her mind can't help but recall all the ways he's hurt her before. "What do you want from me?" she asks finally, her voice thin and brittle with uncertainty. "Why are you back here after everything?"

A bitter laugh escapes her lips as he casually mentions finding someone else to torment in her place. "I see," she says, feeling a stab of pain deep in her chest. She turns away from him and busies herself with something on the counter, trying to ignore the hurt and confusion swirling within her.

"Well," she manages finally, forcing a shaky smile onto her face, "glad you could find what you were looking for." Her words are empty and hollow; she knows that he's taken everything from her, again, and there's nothing left but the ashes of their ruined relationship. But even so, she can't help feeling a spark of hope flicker to life deep inside her, tiny and fragile yet somehow refusing to be extinguished completely.

Her eyes flicker down to the stack of bills he hands her, surprise momentarily making her forget about the pain and anger coursing through her veins. She looks up at him again, confusion clouding her features. "What is this?" she asks warily. "You're just giving me money?" For a fleeting moment, hope blooms within her chest, but she quickly squashes it. There's no way he would be so generous out of the kindness of his heart; there must be some sort of catch, some hidden agenda behind this unexpected windfall. Her hands clench into fists at her sides as she waits for him to reveal what it is that he truly wants from her now.

Victoria's jaw drops as he explains the situation; for a moment, she can't process the fact that they actually did what she wanted them to do. Her gaze flickers between him and the money in her hand, disbelief and excitement warring within her. Was it all just an elaborate game to get back at her? Or was he sincere in wanting her to be free? With trembling fingers, she counts the bills again, barely able to believe what's happening. She has options now; freedom, anonymity... everything she ever wanted. But despite this newfound liberty, she can't help but feel a pang of loss for the life they could have had together. Suddenly unsure of herself and overwhelmed by emotions, Victoria turns her back on him and flees from the room, racing toward the sanctuary of her bedroom. Behind her

Slamming the door to her bedroom behind her, Victoria falls onto her bed in a heap of tangled emotions. Her heart races with excitement and fear as she tries to process what just happened. Did he really let her go? Or was this all some sick game to hurt her even more? Unable to sort through her thoughts any further, she buries her face in her pillow, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The bills flutter to the floor beside her as she rolls onto her side, clutching a pillow tightly to her chest. For now, all she wants is some space and time alone; maybe then she can begin to figure out what comes next in this new life she's been given.

But even as she tells herself she no longer cares about him or his manipulative games, a small part of her wonders if he truly let her go, or if he'll find some way to make her

As the door clicks shut, Victoria doesn't bother to turn around; she knows what she would see if she did. A man who once meant everything to her, but now nothing more than a distant memory. The thought of ever seeing him again fills her with conflicting emotions that she can't begin to untangle. She buries her face deeper into the pillow and bites back a sob, tears trickling down her cheeks as she tries desperately to ignore the empty ache in her chest.

Time passes slowly, every tick of the clock a painful reminder that life goes on without him, whether she's ready for it or not. Eventually, she forces herself to sit up and wipe away her tears, determining that she'll make the most out of this second chance at freedom no matter what obstacles may stand in her way.

Still, as she takes stock of her life without him,

"G-go away," she mumbles through her tears, struggling to find the strength to push herself further onto the bed. Her body aches from drinking and partying for days straight; all she wants is sleep, to forget about him and his betrayal. But he won't leave her alone, hovering there like a specter in the shadows, reminding her of everything she lost.

Her eyes meet his, red-rimmed and filled with hatred, as if daring him to make one more move toward her. For now, he seems content to stay at the foot of her bed, watching her in silence. The only sound is the shallow rhythm of her breathing and the pounding of her heart, echoing through the empty apartment like a reminder that even without him here physically, he still controls every aspect of her life.

Her eyes widen in fear as he lifts her off the bed, but she doesn't struggle. There's no point; he's stronger than her and she knows it. She can only hope that this means he won't hurt her any more than he already has. As he carries her down the hallway to her room, her body slumps limply in his arms, defeated by her own weakness and desperation for his approval.

When he finally deposits her onto her bed, she collapses onto it, not even bothering to cover herself up with the tattered blanket. She stares listlessly at the ceiling, wondering how much longer she can endure this torment before finally snapping and doing something drastic. But then again, what choice does she have? He holds all the cards now, and she's nothing more than a pawn in his twisted game.

A bitter laugh escapes her lips at his words. "I should have known better," she whispers, closing her eyes against the pain and despair that threaten to overwhelm her. "You made it seem like getting rid of you was the key to everything... happiness, freedom." Her voice trails off into a soft whisper as she tries to convince herself that it's all been worth it somehow. But deep down, she knows the truth: without him, there is no escape from this twisted reality they created together.

"It's not your fault," she croaks, forcing the words past her numb lips. "I'm the one who wanted this." Her voice breaks on the last word, tears welling up in her eyes once more as she wrestles with guilt and self-loathing. She doesn't know how much longer she can keep pretending that any of it was ever her idea; deep down, she knows she would have done anything for his approval, even if it meant destroying herself in the process.

As he stands there, watching her with a mixture of disappointment and disgust, Victoria feels like nothing more than a shadow of the person she used to be. And despite all that's happened between them, part of her wonders if there's still some small piece of her heart that longs for his approval, his love. But then again, maybe it's just delusion talking; perhaps there really is

She lets out a shuddering breath as his hand touches her cheek; it's the softest caress she's ever felt from him, and it only serves to underscore the brutality of everything else. Even now, when he should be at his most tender and compassionate, there's still a coldness in his eyes that chills her to the bone. But perhaps there's some truth to what he says; maybe if she just follows along with whatever game plan he has for her next, she can find some semblance of peace within this broken reality they've created together.

With a small, trembling smile, she looks up at him and nods mutely. "Okay," she whispers, forcing herself to meet his gaze even as her heart pounds wildly in her chest. "Let's do this."

Her fingers tremble as she pulls off her old clothes and slips into the clean shirt he provides. It hangs loosely on her frame, a comforting reminder that things can change, even if only for now. She allows him to guide her through the house to the bathroom, her body heavy with exhaustion and emotional turmoil. As she stands in front of the mirror, washing her face and fixing her hair, it's difficult not to wonder what comes next in this twisted game they seem to be playing together.

But for now, she will do as he says. Because perhaps if she can just appease him, make him happy again, there might be some small chance that things can return to the way they were before - when everything was simpler and less painful. She splashes water on her face, steadying herself with this thin thread of hope, and heads back out into the living room where he a

She pauses for a moment, lost in thought as she tries to put together the pieces of her past and present. "I don't know exactly," she admits finally, her voice thin and uncertain. "It started with our classes and you... your attitude changed." She hesitates, unsure if she should continue. "We argued more, I guess."

Her gaze drops to the carpet as she relives the memories of their fights and her attempts to please him. The bills, the housework, even her appearance; everything seemed to fall apart around them until there was nothing left but a shell of the person she'd once been. "I just wanted us to be happy," she whispers, her voice barely audible. "Maybe if I did enough... if I was perfect for you..."

Her voice trails off, and she looks up at him with tears shining in her eyes. Even now