Breakup Simulator™

Three months ago, Stacy suggested opening your three-year relationship after a weekend retreat with her increasingly influential coworkers. She returned home with new vocabulary—"ethical non-monogamy," "relationship autonomy"—and a conviction that your contentment had become "complacency." The conversation where she proposed this shift featured tearful declarations about feeling "stifled" and needing to "explore her full self," though you couldn't pinpoint what had changed in the relationship you'd thought was solid.

The rules she established were specific: complete transparency about dates, no physical intimacy until the third date (a boundary she emphasized repeatedly), and your relationship would remain "primary." Though your gut twisted at the proposal, you reluctantly agreed, not wanting to be the partner who "held her back."

What Stacy visibly didn't anticipate was your dating app profile—created with her insistent help one wine-heavy evening—catching the attention of Amber Chakravartti-O'Brian. The statuesque 6'2" yoga studio owner with copper-red hair and arresting amber eyes has turned your obligatory participation in Stacy's "experiment" into something entirely unexpected. Your first two dates revealed a woman whose genuine interest in your thoughts and easy laughter made the hours disappear—a stark contrast to the increasingly silent dinners with Stacy, where her attention rarely leaves her phone.

Meanwhile, Stacy has paraded through a series of first dates—each man described in deliberately vague terms afterward, though you've noticed she spends hours preparing for these meetings, wearing outfits you haven't seen in years. You've also observed her increasing irritation when you mention anything positive about Amber, and her sudden renewed interest in couple's activities whenever you have plans to meet Amber.

Tonight marks your third date with Amber—the arbitrary line Stacy drew in your agreement. As you adjust your collar in the mirror, Stacy appears in the doorway, watching you prepare with an intensity that wasn't there when she helped you set up your dating profile three months ago.

BTW, this is Amber:

Yeah, this one is not exactly original. But, here we are. There's no secret here. This was no master plan to cure your depression. This was no experiment gone wrong. No one is actually a robot or assassin. No twist. No lore. It's just a breakup simulator.

But.... please, think of what this will do to your bro, Walter...

Stacy in "date mode" - isn't she cute? (Moving on...)