Chapter 4

Victoria had to bite her inner cheek to suppress her laughter.

Stepping forward, she adopted an intensely sympathetic tone. "Oh, Chloe, sweetie, don't be upset."

"It's a gift! It's the thought that counts, right?"

"Sure, the music box looks a little... cheap, but I'm sure Ethan spent a lot of time picking it out, didn't you, Ethan?"

She turned toward the dazed man with faux pity. "Ethan, don't take it to heart."

"We all know your family isn't wealthy. Putting together a big setup like this was already a huge effort on your part."

"Chloe isn't a materialistic girl. She won't blame you."

The whispers intensified. The guests looked at us with a toxic mix of pity, disdain, and pure schadenfreude.

If I hadn't seen the spoilers, I probably would have broken down right then and there.

Tears, accusations, a public breakup—exactly what Victoria had scripted.

But now...

I lifted my chin.

My eyes locked directly onto Victoria's smug, victorious gaze.

And then, right before everyone’s stunned eyes, I threw my head back and laughed out loud.

The entire room went blank.

Including Ethan. And especially Victoria.

[???]

[Why is she laughing? Did she lose her mind from anger?]

[Wait, this isn't right! This wasn't in the script!]

I pulled the mic to my lips, laughing so hard my shoulders shook.

I reached out and wrapped my arm snugly around Ethan's.

Then, I projected my voice clearly into the microphone:

"Hahaha! Ethan, you lost! I told you I could fool you!"

Ethan froze. "Wait... what?"

The look on his face was the definition of absolute bafflement.

I turned back to the equally bewildered guests, smiling brightly as I explained:

"I am so sorry, everyone! Please forgive us! Actually, this was just a prank Ethan and I cooked up!"

"We made a bet to see if I could pull off a prank gift at my party and trick him into thinking his actual present got lost."

"Look at his face! He looked like he was about to burst into tears! Clearly, I won the bet!"

As I spoke, I gave Ethan's arm a playful, triumphant tug.

A weird, heavy silence settled over the room once more.

After a few beats, an aunt hesitantly asked,

"So... that plastic music box is fake? Chloe, you put it in there yourself?"

"Of course!"

I replied without missing a beat.

I reached out and grabbed Victoria's hand, pulling her into the spotlight with me. "In fact, I specifically asked Victoria to help me buy this cheap little toy off Wish!"

"Victoria even told me back then that it looked hilariously tacky and would be the perfect prop to freak him out. Right, Victoria?"

I turned toward her, beaming with pure, innocent affection.

Victoria's entire face turned to stone. She was completely pinned under the scrutiny of fifty pairs of eyes.

She instinctively tried to yank her hand back, but my grip on her fingers was ironclad.

She wanted to deny it. But only half an hour ago, she had loudly proclaimed that she would 'cover for me' and preached about how 'the thought is what counts.'

If she claimed she knew nothing about the music box now, wouldn't that completely contradict her previous performance?

Her mouth opened and closed like a dying fish. Finally, she managed to squeak out a strained, muffled sentence through gritted teeth.

"...Y-yeah... It really did look... pretty convincing."

"See?" I winked playfully at the crowd and released her sweaty, trembling hand.

"Victoria knows me best! When it comes to finding the perfect prank props, she's the ultimate wingwoman!"

[GENIUS! ABSOLUTE MASTERCLASS!]

[She turned the tables in two seconds! The snake just got framed as an accomplice to a prank!]

[Look at her face! It looks like she just swallowed a whole hive of wasps but has to smile and say it tastes like honey!]

[HAHAHAHAHA her expression! She's turning fifty shades of green!]

[Ethan: Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?]

Looking at the explosion of cheering comments in front of me, and then at Victoria’s violently twitching cheek, the suffocating anger in my chest finally found its first release.

Sorry, Victoria.

Today, the person who ends up crying isn't going to be me.