Page 65 of The Substitute Fiancée

But even while laughing, even while talking, part of me remains elsewhere. Suspended.

Still waiting.

When I finally slip into bed, convinced he won’t text me tonight either, my phone vibrates.

My heart leaps.

Alexander: The day was endless. I’m thinking of you. Good night.

That’s all. No question. No opening.

I reread the message. Once. Twice. Searching for what isn’t there.

I type a reply. Delete it. Start again. Delete it again. Then I simply write:

Sam: I’m thinking of you too. Good night.

I turn off the screen and place it on the nightstand. Face down.

In the dark, eyes wide open, one thought settles in, stubborn and persistent.

He’s there—but he’s not committed. Not the way I need him to be.

And with a heavy heart, I finally drift into restless sleep.

22. Algorithm

Alexander

The rumor has no identifiable source. That’s what makes it dangerous. Because it can’t be confronted head-on.

It emerges on social media like a collective whisper, a suspicion shared without an author: MatchMapping allegedly doesn’t present certain profiles. A narrative without a face.

No one accuses anyone directly.

No one cites a specific document.

And yet, the same words keep resurfacing, again and again.

Bias.

Silent exclusion.

Elitist algorithm.

A few weeks before the IPO, it’s a disaster. The worst possible timing.

Internally, the teams talk about a “perception crisis.” Investors want reassurance. Legal insists there is no formal proof linking the company to intentional discrimination. Everything is technically defensible.

But the numbers tell a different story.

Atypical profiles—nonlinear career paths, niche interests, fragmented social networks—systematically receive fewer recommendations. Not because they’re rejected outright, but because of an accumulation of reasonable criteria: too few shared data points to justify the risk. Death by optimization.

The algorithm is only doing what it was taught to do: avoid uncertainty. Reduce noise. Maximize predictability.

Suddenly, the memory of Kristel slams into me.

That conversation was about two months ago.