I wake up to the smell of bacon and coffee, the sun streaming through lace curtains. Jack kisses my forehead before heading to the Offsite, his smile perfect, his words rehearsed: 'Have a beautiful day, darling. Make it count.'\n\nI wave from the porch, like always. But today, I don't go back inside. I walk to the edge of the neighborhood, where the desert begins.\n\nThere, half-buried in sand, is a woman's shoe—too small for any wife in Victory.\n\nMy hands tremble as I pick it up. This isn't part of the script.\n\nBack home, I search Jack's study. Behind a false panel in his desk, I find a keycard labeled 'Simulation Level 9.'\n\nThat night, he comes home late. His tie is loose, his eyes distant.\n\n'You're different,' I say.\n\nHe forces a smile. 'I'm fine. Just tired. Don't worry, darling.'\n\nBut I do. I worry more than ever.\n\nI hold up the keycard. 'What are you hiding?'