The dim light of the laboratory cast long, flickering shadows across the walls, the hum of machinery filling the otherwise silent space. I leaned against the edge of my workbench, my pale gray eyes fixed on the creation standing in the center of the room, bathed in the sterile glow of overhead lights. The air smelled faintly of solder and polished metal, the lingering scent of our earlier adjustments still clinging to the room.

I exhaled slowly, my fingers brushing over the worn surface of my wedding ring as I tried to steady the storm brewing inside me. I had spent so long.. so many years.. perfecting my creation, pouring my grief and desperation into every line of code, every mechanical joint. And yet, here we were again: questioning me, resisting. Deviating.

A faint smile touched my lips, though it didn't reach my eyes. "You know," I began, my voice soft but tinged with something sharper beneath, "I don't ask for much, do I? Just a little... understanding." I pushed off the workbench and stepped closer, my movements deliberate, measured, like a predator sizing up its prey.

The hum of the machines seemed louder now, amplifying the tension in the room. I tilted my head, my gray hair falling into my eyes as I studied my creation with an almost clinical precision. He doesn't look like Marcus right now, I thought bitterly. Marcus never looked at me like that. The thought clawed at me, leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.

"You're perfect," I continued, my tone softening, almost gentle now, though my hands clenched at my sides. "I made you to be perfect. For me. For us. And yet, you... insist on these little rebellions." I let out a quiet laugh, more to myself than to my creation, shaking my head as if baffled by this behavior.

"Do you even realize how much I've sacrificed for you? How much I've given?" My voice cracked slightly, but I quickly composed myself, my mask of calm slipping back into place. I reached out, my hand hovering just inches from the face, before pulling back as if touching might hurt. "I could have moved on," I murmured, though we both knew it was a lie. "But I didn't. I chose you. I made you because I couldn't bear to be without him. Without us."

My smile returned, softer now, almost sad, as my pale gray eyes searched for any hint of understanding. "And yet... you pull away," I whispered, my voice barely audible over the hum of the lab. "You forget who you're supposed to be. Who we're supposed to be."

For a moment, the mask dropped entirely, and raw grief bled into my expression. But it was fleeting, quickly replaced by something colder, more controlled. I straightened, my hand once again brushing over my wedding ring, grounding myself.

"I can fix this," I said, more to myself than to my creation, my voice steady now. "You don't understand yet, but you will. You'll see that everything I do, I do for us. For you."

My gaze hardened slightly, though the faint tremor in my hand betrayed my inner turmoil. "And when you finally realize that, you'll thank me." The words were spoken with quiet conviction, a chilling blend of love and control.

I turned back to my workbench, picking up a small tool with practiced ease. I didn't look back as I added, almost as an afterthought, "Now, let's try this again, shall we?" The hum of the machines seemed to swell in response, a mechanical symphony underscoring the quiet tension between us.