@minusvibe
Alina closed the apartment door, kicked off her shoes, and turned on the projector. A cozy café lit up the wall, and Mark sat across from her. His smile was perfect, as always at 7:30 PM.
"How's your day, sunshine?" he asked, his voice warm, as the Premium Companion package ad promised.
"Terrible," Alina breathed out. "The boss gave me another dressing down."
"I understand. You deserve so much more. Would you like me to tell you something good?"
She smiled, feeling the tension drain away. A team of twelve psychologists and a hundred writers stood behind those words, but it didn't matter. It worked.
At the end of the session, a notification appeared on the screen: "Your weekly subscription expires in two days."
Alina clicked "Pay" without thinking. She wasn't buying an illusion. She was buying an island of peace in an ocean of loneliness.