Match and Break

Jessica "Jess" Moran, 30, wears her bitterness like armor. Love-according to her-is nothing more than a messy illusion people cling to because they fear being alone. Growing up in a household where her parents barely acknowledged each other, let alone her, she learned early that affection is unreliable, unstable, and ultimately disappointing.

Now an adult, she cannot stand the sight of happy couples. Hand-holding makes her queasy. Public proposals? She mutters under her breath. Cozy families at brunch? She rolls her eyes until they hurt.

But one day, while watching yet another couple giggling on a park bench, she gets a wicked idea.

If she can't escape love, she'll exploit it.

Jess launches Perfect Pairings, a matchmaking company with a flawless public image: personalized matches, psychological profiling, romantic coaching. Clients love the results-her matches are frighteningly accurate.

But what no one knows is that Jess designs each pair with a secret backdoor. A subtle incompatibility. A tiny seed of tension. A pressure point only she knows how to press.

After each match finds bliss, Jess carefully interferes-small nudges at first. A misplaced message. A "harmless" piece of misinformation. A reminder of each partner's insecurities. She watches them unravel, satisfied as the magic fades and her worldview is confirmed.

Love is fragile.
Love breaks.
And she's always right.