The next morning, he woke up alone. On his pillow: a note. "The divorce papers arrive Monday. Keep the synth. You'll need something to sleep with."

"Just looking," he whispered to the bathroom mirror. "Not buying."

(“It wasn’t a game where I went to a black market auction without telling my wife.”) Title: The Silent Bid

"NekoNoKage," she said softly, "is my username."

Kenji opened his mouth. No sound came.

He handed over the cash—his secret savings—and cradled the synth like a newborn. The men dispersed into the rain. Kenji stood alone, heart hammering. What have I done?