Chapter 4

Calvin returned to the master bedroom just before the first light broke. He was sweaty and dozed off the moment he lay in bed. His snores thundered through the room.

I quietly got out of bed and padded to the guest room, slowly pushing the door open.

Dorothy was in bed, the covers pulled up to her chest, and her breathing even. She had the silicone doll in her arms, her position the same as the night before.

However, the corner of the doll's mouth glistened.

I walked over and inspected the doll up close.

Saliva—it was saliva glistening on the corner of the doll's mouth. But how was that possible when silicone dolls didn't drool?

The comments appeared as if on cue.

"Laura's inspecting the doll. LOL. She won't discover anything."

"Dorothy's already switched her consciousness back to her real body. The connection has been cut off. It's just a normal doll now, nothing more."

"She lost control for a split second when she switched back earlier, and the doll's mouth twitched, hence the drool."

"I bet Laura thinks it's Calvin's drool! ROFL!"

I stood there for a while, then turned and left the guest room.

Dorothy woke up at 8:00 am. She emerged from the guest room in Calvin's sweater, yawning and sporting a terrible case of bedhead.

"Morning, Laura. Where's Calvin?"

"He's still in bed."

"Oh." She helped herself to a glass of water in the kitchen, then leaned against the kitchen counter and watched me scramble eggs. "Did you sleep well last night, Laura?"

"Well enough, I suppose."

"I slept amazingly." She grinned. "It's been a while since I slept so well."

She finished her water and put the glass in the sink. After that, she walked into the living room, picked up the doll, and set it on the couch. Patting its head, she said, "Thanks for last night, darling."

The comments poured in.

"Haha! Dorothy's talking to the doll, and Laura doesn't understand what's going on!"

"Darling? Is she talking to herself? She had a fun night inside that doll."

"Laura's still scrambling eggs in the kitchen. How considerate. Her husband's fooling around with another woman, and she's here making breakfast for his lover."

"Feeling sorry for Laura? Well, don't. She's just an overglorified maid."

I put the scrambled eggs onto a plate and brought them to the dining table.

Dorothy had already taken her seat. Calvin had woken up as well, and he showed up for breakfast wearing nothing but a pair of boxers.

"Could you at least put on some pants, Calvin?" I frowned.

"Why should I have to put on pants in my own house?" He plopped down beside Dorothy, grabbed his fork, and dug into his food.

Dorothy gave him a forkful of her half-eaten scrambled eggs, placing it on his plate. "Try some of these, Calvin. It's delicious."

He took a bite and even licked the tines of his fork.

I watched them as a smile suddenly tugged on my lips. "Calvin, I think that doll is due for a wash, don't you?"

Calvin tensed. "What brought this on?"

"I noticed a stain on the corner of its mouth, like a patch of dried-up drool." I grabbed a napkin and wiped my hands. "Shall I wash the doll for you today?"

Silence fell over the dining table.

Calvin's fork froze in midair, and all the color drained from Dorothy's face.

The comments went wild.

"Holy crap! Laura wants to wash the doll? Won't that mean she'll have to remove Dorothy's sentience carrier in the doll?"

"Dorothy's panicking. She'll say no, for sure!'

"Calvin, don't you dare agree, you dumbass!"

Calvin set his fork down, his voice strained and a little unnatural. "I don't need you to wash it for me. I can do it myself."

"Oh, please. What time do you have, with your job and all? I happen to have today off anyway." I rose to my feet and made my way to the living room.

"I told you there's no need for that!" Calvin's voice rose to a sharp pitch, edged with panic.

I stopped and turned to look at him.

His face was flushed a near-crimson shade. He drummed his fingers against the edge of the table, then squeezed out his explanation, "The doll… is made from a special material. Water will ruin it."

"Then how are you supposed to clean it? Dry-clean?" I asked.

"No!" He shot to his feet, cutting me off from the living room. "Just leave it alone. I'll deal with it myself."

Dorothy perched on her chair with her head low, her fingers tightly clutching the tablecloth.

The comments were no less anxious.

"At least Calvin reacted quickly enough to protect Dorothy."

"That bitch Laura just has to stick her nose where it doesn't belong!"

"Dorothy's about to cry. She must've been terrified about Laura finding the remote control in the doll."

I stared at Calvin, then at Dorothy. A chuckle escaped me. "Alright, then. I'll leave the doll alone."

I returned to the dining table and took my seat again, resuming my breakfast. Calvin heaved a sigh of relief and returned to his seat as well.

But it was obvious that his mind was elsewhere. He poked and pushed his food around his plate with his fork, never actually taking a bite.

Dorothy, on the other hand, looked like she'd seen a ghost. Her face was ghastly pale.

The comments kept coming in.

"Did Laura do that on purpose? Why did she suddenly offer to wash the doll?"

"No way. She doesn't know anything. She was just bored."

"Gosh, she scared Dorothy half to death! Her cover was nearly blown!"

"That dumbass Calvin had better hide that doll tonight!"

I lowered my head and ate a mouthful of porridge, a smirk tugging on the corners of my lips. I said nothing more, for I knew that starting tomorrow, that doll would no longer be just Calvin's toy.