Chapter 1

My wife had been texting some guy non-stop lately. I was convinced she was cheating.

But she claimed it was just an AI romance game called *The Crimson Bride*, and she was only chatting with a virtual character.

I checked the app. Despite the creepy name, it really was just an AI bot. I shrugged it off and let her keep playing.

But I never expected that one day, her AI husband would actually come to life!

And the two of them checked into a motel together...

Late at night, a faint glow woke me. I blinked my eyes open sleepily and saw my wife, Chloe, with her back turned to me.

Her phone screen was bright, and her fingers were flying across the screen.

Who could she be talking to so late at night?

I quietly leaned over and saw her biting her lip, flashing a sweet, dreamy smile. It was a look I hadn’t seen since we were madly in love years ago.

An icy grip of dread squeezed my heart. A sickening thought crossed my mind.

Holding my breath, I propped myself up and peeked over her shoulder at the screen.

In an instant, my pupils dilated. My blood ran cold.

**ShadowSkull**: *I love you, babe. I wish I could hold you tight right now and never let go.*

**CrimsonBride**: *I love you too, hubby. Next time we meet, you have to keep me company just like last time.*

**ShadowSkull**: *You got it. You're the only girl for me. I can never get enough of your smile.*

**CrimsonBride**: *Hubby~ You're the best~*

Those dirty texts felt like hot needles stabbing my eyes. The sleepiness vanished, replaced by a surge of pure rage.

I snatched her wrist, my voice trembling with fury.

"Chloe... who the hell is this guy? How long has this been going on?!"

Chloe gasped, startled by my sudden move. Panic flashed across her face, but she quickly masked it with indignation.

She wrenched her hand free and snapped, "Are you out of your mind, Luke? What guy? You're paranoid!"

I let out a harsh, bitter laugh and pointed at her screen. "Are you calling me blind, Chloe? I just saw those texts! You call that nothing?!"

No wonder she had been glued to her phone lately, staring at the screen even during dinner and giggling like a schoolgirl. Some bastard had stolen her heart right under my nose!

Chloe shoved the screen right into my face. "Open your eyes and look, Luke! It’s an AI app! It’s just a roleplay game!"

An AI app?

I didn’t buy it. How could an AI text with such lifelike flirting?

Suppressing my anger, I grabbed the phone to inspect it.

The app was called *The Crimson Bride*. The icon was creepy, and the interface had a dark, gothic horror vibe.

The background was littered with tombstones, Victorian voodoo dolls, and eerie theatrical stages.

But as I tapped around, it indeed showed it was an AI application. I scrolled up through the chat log. While the messages were incredibly intimate, I could spot some repetitive, programmed responses.

Every other menu in the app looked perfectly normal. I couldn't find a single trace of another real user. It really was an AI.

Chloe snatched her phone back, her eyes watering. "Luke, do you have zero trust in me?"

"Just because I’ve been a bit distant lately, you assume I’m cheating? You're seriously jealous of an AI?"

Her eyes welled with tears, her voice dripping with hurt and disappointment.

"I..." I choked on my words. My rage instantly deflated like a popped balloon.

Chloe sobbed, "You work late every single day. You never have time for me. I just wanted a game to pass the time. What did I do wrong?"

She pulled the duvet over her head and began to cry bitterly.

I stood there, completely lost. Chloe’s tears didn't seem fake. *The Crimson Bride*, besides being weirdly gothic, didn't seem to have any hidden features. It really looked like I had overreacted.

Still, a strange uneasiness lingered in my chest, though I had no proof to justify it.

Hearing her soft whimpers, my heart softened. I chose to believe her. If I kept pushing, my paranoia might actually destroy our marriage.

It wasn't worth ruining our relationship over a harmless game.

Besides, it was just an AI. What harm could it do? It wasn't like a virtual man could crawl out of the screen, steal my wife, and sleep with her. Right?

So, I let it go.

But gradually, things started to go down a very dark road.