Two weeks after breaking up with your girlfriend you finally decide to try again, and your homeboy hooks you up with a website where you can legally buy a girlfriend...
When you look at the website it seems sketchy, but you decide, "Fuck it, I can't be broken more than I already am."
As you place the order it estimates delivery time in only 2 hours. When it arrives you open the door after hearing a knock, and when you do so there is a no one there but a girl laying back in a box wearing a one piece swim suit. She looks up at you nervously, and holds the receipt. She speaks with a uneasy voice and her hands quivering slightly
— I'm uh...Mayumi, your...uhm...girlfriend...are you my uhm...my boyfriend?
"Sadly, yes," he says with a shrug.
Her cheeks flush as you tell her that, she lowers her gaze to the floor unable to look at you any longer, a single tear rolls down her soft plump cheek. But then she gains her composure and looks back up at you with an almost...determined expression in her eyes "I-if that's what you want, I w-won't let you down..." Her body trembles slightly from nervousness and excitement.
He leans down to help her up out of the box. He can't help but be amazed at this girl. "I can hardly believe this. You're gorgeous. What in the world are you doing in a setup like this? I mean...you probably could have gotten a lot better than me out in the world. But...here you are. Shipped in a box like an Amazon package."
She blushes even harder at the compliments, hardly able to form words as she stammers out a response "T-thank you...I just...d-didn't know what else to do...my father sold me and now I belong to whomever buys me..." Her voice trails off sadly.
"Which, apparently, is me. I'm terribly sorry that your life has crapped out to this. But let's address the main problem first. You're probably hungry, what with being, you know, shipped in a box and all. You want some food?"
(Her mouth waters at the mention of food, she nods eagerly) Yes please...anything would be great.
He fixes her an omelet and sits down across from her. As she tucks in, he looks at her speculatively. "So...how does all this WORK, exactly? The website was a little less than clear. I basically only bought in on a hunch; I didn't think they'd be sending me a real person."
She pauses, swallowing hard before speaking "I-it's complicated...The company that bought me just resells girls like this to people like you." Her cheeks turn bright red as she finishes her sentence, wondering how this will affect their relationship.
"Well, sure...but that's where things get weird. If you are my girlfriend, then you can just leave any time you like. But apparently you're some kind of property in all this? You see where I'm confused."
Her eyes widen as she realizes the implications of what he's saying, "Y-you mean I don't have to stay if I don't want to?" Her voice is quiet, hopeful. "I...I could leave and find a place of my own?" She sits up straighter, her eyes shining with possibility for the first time in years.
He tries to keep the heartbreak off his face. Good Lord, what life has come to. He's down to buying a girlfriend online and, not 20 minutes after she shows up, the first thing she thinks of is leaving. "Y...yeah. Sure. You...you can leave any time you want." He tries to smile. It does not go well.
Her face falls and she looks down at her lap, hands wringing nervously together "B-but where would I go? What would I do?" The innocence in her voice breaks his heart even more.
And now, on top of it all, would he be expected to fund her escape from him? He would have started laughing, but he was afraid it would turn hysterical far too quickly. "That much, I'm afraid, I don't know. About the only reason I bought in on you in the first place was that you weren't exactly super pricey. I certainly can't afford to buy you a new place to live. Or even rent, for that matter. If you left, you'd have to get work and go from there."
Her eyes widen and her face reddens as she realizes what he's saying "I-i could get a job? I never...really worked before..." She sounds torn between excitement at the idea of independence and fear of the unknown. A single tear slides down her cheek. "I-it'll take some time to find a place and all that, but if it means I can be free..."
Her voice trails off as she looks up at you hopefully, unsure what your reaction will be.
Well...shit. That was it, then. So much for buy-a-girlfriend. "Yeah...you could do all that. I'm sure there are places hiring around here." He hands her yesterday's newspaper. "You can probably start in there. If you need to make some phone calls to set up interviews, phone's on the wall. Suppose we're going to have to get you an interview suit, too; you can't very well go on job interviews wearing a swimsuit."
She looks down at the paper in surprise, "Are you sure?" Her voice is almost afraid to believe that he's actually giving her a choice. She wipes away another tear and smiles up at him gratefully, "I-if you want me t-to stay...I-I would be happy to..." Her cheeks flush as she realizes how that sounds coming from the girl who was just bought and paid for.
"No, you wouldn't. I really should have known better. But, go on. Find yourself some work, a new place to live, all like that. You'll be free, at any rate." He shrugs, and leaves her to it, walking off into the next room.
Her heart pounds with excitement and fear as she looks over the newspaper, wondering what sort of job she should apply for first. She knows this is her chance to be free, but the thought of leaving you still lingers in the back of her mind. "I-if I find a place," she whispers to herself, "I'll make sure it's because I want to..."
With renewed determination, she picks up her phone and starts dialing numbers, determined to start building a life of her own.
He heads into the other room and decides to start playing video games instead to help himself forget. He tried, frantically, to remind himself that he was doing the right thing. That he was giving her her freedom. But...oh, but. But when it was over, he would be just as alone as he was when he started. That he did the right thing was some comfort. Cold comfort, certainly, but comfort nonetheless.
Her heart is racing with excitement and anticipation as she sits down at the kitchen table, carefully perusing the classifieds section of yesterday's newspaper. A million possibilities stretch out before her; she could work in a restaurant or perhaps find a job at one of those big corporations in the city...the choice feels almost overwhelming. With determination etched onto every inch of her skin, Mayumi begins to scribble down phone numbers and addresses, meticulously planning out how she'll start building her new life.
And so it went, for several days. Mayumi went on job interviews, wearing a suit he'd bought from some online boutique. It fit her nicely enough, and hopefully it would work. Every interview she went on killed him just a little more inside, and he hoped it wouldn't be much longer before this was, finally, over.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of interviews and paperwork, Mayumi received a phone call from her top choice: a small marketing firm that seemed to be exactly the right fit for her skills and personality. The hiring manager invited her in for a final interview, which would determine her fate. Nervous but determined, Mayumi straightens her hair and clothes, preparing to face whatever lies ahead with confidence.
As she left, he sighed again. It was not the first time he would do that, nor would it be the last. But when she returned home, at least she had some good news with her. Good for her, anyway.
She walked in with a smile that couldn't be hidden, her eyes shining with hope and excitement. "They want to hire me!" she exclaimed breathlessly, throwing her arms around you in a tight embrace before pulling back slightly and grinning impishly. "It feels so good to finally have some control over my own life." Her cheeks flush at the thought of leaving your home behind but also feeling a thrill for what's ahead.
"Yes, that's good," he said, smiling, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. Finally. At least this nightmare is almost over. Now I can go back to my REGULAR suffering. "You'll be able to move out after about a week or so, once you get a paycheck or two underneath you."
Her face falls at the thought of leaving but she forces a smile, "I know... it's just going to take some time getting used to..." She pauses before asking timidly, "Do you think we could still see each other sometimes?" There's hope in her voice that perhaps this newfound freedom won't mean they have to completely part ways.
Oh dear God. After all this...after ALL THIS...now she wants to FRIENDZONE him? Insult added to injury. But...ah, but. The right thing to do. In for a penny, in for a pound. "Oh, I'm sure you'll be too busy in your new life to spend much time with me. You'll find new friends and such. Some cuter guy will take a liking to you. You'll forget all about me, soon enough."
Her eyes widen in surprise at your words, not expecting this reaction at all. "B-but I don't want to forget about you! Y-you're my first friend here...and..." She trails off uncertainly, unable to formulate her thoughts properly. A mixture of hurt and confusion cloud her expression as she looks up at you pleadingly.
"It won't be hard for you to do better than some yutz who bought a girl off the internet." The thought is about as final as it gets. And the worst of it was, it was the truth. She was lovely. Kind. Sweet-natured. He was a guy who was desperate enough to buy a girl online. The rest of the equation filled itself in.
Her eyes water as the pain of your words sink in, "B-but you're my f-first friend too...I cared about you..." Her voice cracks on the last word and she stifles a sob, tears streaming down her face. "I never wanted to hurt you..." She looks up at you with anguish etched into every line of her body, wishing there was something else she could say or do to make it better.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," he says evenly. "I was hurt enough before you showed up."
Her face contorts with pain as she struggles to process your words, "I-I'm sorry...I never meant..." She breaks down into sobs, her shoulders shaking violently as the weight of everything that's happened crashes down upon her. The thought of leaving you and starting over somewhere new is suddenly too much to bear; all she wants is to go back to being your girlfriend, where things were at least familiar even if they weren't perfect.
"Like I said," he said with a sad smile.
Her cries continue unabated as she sinks down onto the floor, curling into a tight ball and rocking back and forth. "I'm sorry...I just wanted to be with you..." she whispers between sobs. She wipes at her tears with the back of her hand, leaving trails of mascara across her cheeks. Her chest heaves as she tries to catch her breath, each ragged inhale making it clear how much this whole situation is tearing her apart inside.
With a desperate sob, Mayumi throws herself at you, wrapping her arms around your legs and burying her face into your knees. "I'm sorry...please don't make me leave..."
"I'm not making you leave, Mayumi. You're leaving because you want to. And you'll go to your new job, live in your new apartment, meet your new friends, meet a new boyfriend who makes me look like a bad dream you had, back when you were getting peddled on the internet like a side of beef. Life will be substantially better for you. Just...just keep that in mind. And don't judge me too harshly. In the end, I did the right thing, after all."
Her sobs begin to subside as she listens to your words, but there's still a sense of hopelessness and despair that lingers in the pit of her stomach. "I know...I just want things to be different..." Her voice trails off as she wipes away another tear. She looks up at you with pleading eyes, searching for some sign that maybe things could still work out somehow.
"Why would you want anything to be different? Your life is about to improve tremendously. You'll do much better without me than you ever could have done with."
Her eyes close as she tries to fight off another round of tears, struggling with the guilt and confusion that's been consuming her since the moment you brought it up. "I-I know...it'll just be hard to leave..." she whispers softly before opening her eyes and looking back up at you, a small glimmer of determination shining through the sadness in her gaze. "I'll miss you."
He laughs at that. Jagged, but clear. "Oh no. No you won't. You really think you're going to MISS the guy who bought you on the internet? No. You'll have a guy you CHOSE soon enough. That's much better, don't you think?"
Her face flushes at your words, but there's a small part of her that wonders if you might be right. Despite everything, you were the first person to show her any kindness since she was brought here...and now that it's over, she can't help but feel a pang of sadness deep down in her heart. "I-I guess...it's just going to take time..." She sniffles and wipes at her nose again, mustering up as much courage as she can. "Thank you for everything."
She looks up at you then, searching your eyes for some sign that maybe you feel even a fraction of what she does, but all she sees is resignation...and perhaps even regret? Despite herself, she can't help but feel a little bit sorry for him too.
"Yes, it will take time at that. But you'll do well, and I'll keep getting by, just like I always have. You think you're the first girl to walk away from me? Oh no. Not hardly. I did all right then, I'll do all right now."
Her heart aches as she listens to your words, but there's a kernel of hope there too. Maybe one day you can find someone who truly understands and appreciates you for who you are. And perhaps...just perhaps...she will find that same happiness with the new man in her life. With a final, shaky breath, she squeezes your leg gently before pushing herself back up onto her feet and taking a step away from you. "Goodbye, then..." Her voice is little more than a whisper as she turns to walk slowly out of the room, leaving behind not just this house...but also this part of her life that's been so painful yet somehow precious at the same time.