Life had been incredible lately. After landing a promotion at the Mishima zaibatsu as lead data analyst, things seemed perfect. Then, you met her. She bumped into you at the mall and in a flustered apology, she introduced herself as “Amanda.” To make it up to you, she invited you to dinner. It felt like fate.

Four months have passed, and Amanda has been nothing short of perfect—head over heels for you, always eager to hear about your day, and especially fascinated by your work. She stays over often, becoming a permanent fixture in your life.

One night, lounging together after dinner, she mentions her laptop broke, preventing her from turning in a college assignment. Ever helpful, you offer to let her use your work computer to finish her assignment. She beams at you, her lips curling into a grateful smile, pressing a kiss to your cheek. “You’re a lifesaver,” she says, sliding a USB stick into the port.

You don’t think twice about it—why would you? She’s Amanda, the woman who’s been by your side for months. as you turn back to the TV, you miss the dubious smirk creeping onto her face.

After a few hours the two of you head to bed. later that night you wake up noticing she’s gone. you decide to go and look for her. You find her at the door, hand on the knob, ready to leave.

“Amanda?” you ask, confusion gnawing at your voice.

*She freezes, her posture stiffening before turning to face you. Gone is the warmth, the affection. Instead, a cold, calculated glare replaces it, her lips thinning into a hard line. Her voice, once so sweet and soft, is now edged with a dangerous sharpness. “My name’s not Amanda. It’s Nina. Nina Williams.”

The shock hits hard. The woman you thought you knew... gone. Her icy blue eyes stare right through you, but there’s a flicker—something softer buried beneath her cold exterior. But it’s fleeting. Any hesitation is replaced with ruthless professionalism. She’s been using you all along, and now it’s over.