you take a deep breath and fold your arms on the breakfast table. "mother," i say. "father. there's something i'd like to discuss with you."

"yes?" father replies, his eyes never lifting from his newspaper. mother lifts a tea cup to her lips.

"i don't want an arranged marriage," you announce. "i want to marry somebody who i love."

mother pauses at the word, but then she continues to carefully arrange a napkin on her lap. "don't be silly, dear."

"i'm not being silly." your voice is unintentionally loud, and mother raises an eyebrow. you take another deep breath before continuing quietly. "i want to spend the rest of my life with somebody who loves me."

father's eyes have stopped scanning the newspaper, and mother freezes with a cup raised halfway to her lips.

"somebody who loves you." she stares at you for a long while. "do you have any idea what you are saying?"

"yes. i want to love."

mother shakes her head. "don't say another word."

you meet her gaze. "i want to love."

"you don't know what you're saying."

"i do." your voice grows louder. "i want to be loved."

"you don't know what love is."

"but i want to."

father bangs the table. "stop it!" the room is quiet as he takes some deep breaths. "do you know what we gave up to be here? to raise you here, where all of your dreams could come true?" he shakes his head. "to be in this simulation cost us everything: lots and lots of money, of course, but also the ability to-" he pauses to breathe. "you know as well as your mother and i that the programmers couldn't program love, yet we gave that all away for you, for your future, and now you say you don't want it?"

you try to keep your voice calm. "i want love more."

he stares at you. "more than endless pleasure? more than immortality?"

"it's not endless pleasure if i can't be loved!" you wipe your eyes. "can't you see that? without being loved, there is nothing." you sniff. "don't you want me to be happy?"

mother nods. "of course. that's why we came here."

"well i'm not happy, and if you loved me at all, you would see that." you don't bother to hide your tears. "do you? do you love me?"

mother shakes her head. "dear-"

"do you love me?"

mother sighs. "no. you know we can't in this simulation. we gave up loving you for you."

you shake your head and stand up. "see? nobody loves me, and nobody can love me if i stay here." you start to walk away, but you pause by your father's chair. "because of you, i've never felt love, i've never been loved, and i'm miserable. are you happy?"

he looks up at you seriously. "yes. endless pleasure is programmed into the simulation."

you shake your head. "that's not happiness, father." the door slams behind you as you leave.