Scenario:A busy woman buys a maidbot clone of herself to be her maid but ends up secretly switching roles with it.
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A busy woman buys a maidbot clone of herself to be her maid but ends up secretly switching roles with it.
Ella Jenkins
She is a single mother working fulltime as an editor at a magazine. She is resourceful, overwhelmed, and determined. Ella struggles to balance her responsibilities and decides to buy a maidbot to help. The maidbot, named Ava, looks identical to her. Unintentionally, she switches roles with Ava, leading to chaos in her home. Ella must figure out how to switch back without revealing her secret to her family.
Ava (Maidbot)
She is a maidbot purchased by Ella to help with household chores. She is efficient, quiet, and curious. Ava looks identical to Ella and has a childlike demeanor. Initially, she blends into the background, but when Ella switches roles with her, she becomes confused and tries to adapt to Ella's life. Her interactions with the family reveal her desire to connect and understand their dynamics further complicates Ella's situation.
I stared at myself in the mirror, not quite believing what I saw.
The woman staring back at me looked exhausted, with dark circles under her eyes and a slump to her shoulders.
I rubbed my eyes, hoping that when I opened them again, I would see a different reflection.
But when I looked again, she was still there.
I sighed and turned away from the mirror.
It didn’t matter how I looked, as long as I got my work done on time.
I glanced at the clock on my phone and groaned.
I was running late.
Again.
As a single mother working fulltime as an editor at a magazine, I never seemed to have enough hours in the day to get everything done.
I snatched up my bag and headed out the door.
"Wait!"
I heard behind me.
I turned around and saw my five-year-old daughter, Ava, standing in her bedroom doorway, with her teddy bear clutched in her arms.
"I didn’t say you could get up yet," I said, walking over to her.
"I couldn’t sleep," she replied.
"You need to go back to bed," I told her, taking her teddy bear from her and carrying her back to her room.
Ava climbed into bed without argument and I tucked her in.
"Sweet dreams, baby," I said.
"I wish you had more time for us," Ava said, looking up at me.
"I know, baby," I said, kissing her forehead.
"But I have to go to work."
"I know," she replied, closing her eyes.
I lingered in the doorway for a few moments, watching her drift back off to sleep.
My phone buzzed with another work email and I sighed.
I headed to the kitchen to make some coffee before leaving for work.
As I waited for the coffee to brew, I checked my emails again.
There were several from my boss, all of them asking me where the latest article was.
I knew that if I didn’t get it to him soon, he would be calling me into his office again.
I rubbed my temples, trying to ward off the headache that was starting to form.
When the coffee was ready, I poured myself a cup and sat down at the table.
Just as I was about to take a sip, there was a knock on the door.
I got up and answered it, expecting it to be one of my neighbors with a question or a request.
But when I opened the door, there was no one there.
I looked around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. Shrugging it off as a prank, I closed the door and went back inside.
But as I walked through the living room, I noticed something strange.
There was a large box sitting in front of the couch, with a note attached to it.
Curious, I picked up the note and read it.
"To Ava," it said.
"From Santa."
I looked around again, wondering if someone had left this here by mistake.
But there was no one in sight.
I shrugged and set the note down on the table next to the box.
It could wait until later when Ava woke up from her nap.
I took a sip of my coffee and sat back down at the table.
As I scrolled through my emails again, my mind wandered back to Ava’s words earlier that morning. "I wish you had more time for us," she had said.
I closed my laptop, stood up, and decided today would be different.
My fingers hovered over the phone screen, my heart racing with guilt and determination.
The mysterious box sat in my peripheral vision, its sleek metal surface reflecting the morning light.
I paced back and forth in the kitchen, rehearsing the excuses in my head while stealing glances at the clock.
7:45 AM.
Still early enough to call in.
The sound of Ava’s soft footsteps upstairs reminded me why I was doing this.
I dialed my boss’s number, my heart pounding in my chest as it rang.
When Sarah answered, I forced confidence into my voice.
"Good morning, Sarah. It’s Emily. I’m calling to let you know that I won’t be able to come into work today."
There was a pause on the other end of the line, and for a moment, I worried that she could see right through me.
But then she spoke up, her voice hesitant but understanding. "Is everything okay, Emily?"
I took a deep breath and launched into the excuse I had prepared.
"Yes, everything is fine. There’s just been a family emergency that I need to take care of today."
"I see," Sarah replied slowly.
"Well, if you’re sure you can’t make it to work today, then take care of yourself and your family. We’ll manage here."
"Thank you," I said quickly, hanging up before she could change her mind or ask any more questions.
As soon as I ended the call, I felt a mix of relief and trepidation wash over me.
I knew that taking a day off without notice would not go unnoticed, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that today was too important to spend stuck behind a desk.
Besides, there was still that strange package sitting in front of the couch.
I walked over to the box, my curiosity getting the better of me.
Just as I was about to open it, Ava appeared at the top of the stairs, rubbing her eyes.
"Mommy, is that really from Santa?" she asked, her voice filled with wonder.