Chapter 2

"Look, I know I messed up, okay? I won't play that kind of joke again."

Tyler said the words, but the smug grin on his face couldn’t be hidden.

I thought his friends would call him out for being a psychopath, but instead, they laughed and patted his shoulder.

"Man, you're crazy! A literal prank god."

"Don't beat yourself up over it. It’s not entirely your fault."

"Yeah, who knew the old lady had no common sense? It was just a joke, and she rushed out without even thinking."

"Exactly! Maybe it was just her time to go. She was destined to die on her son's wedding day anyway."

Tyler clapped his hands, looking thrilled that they appreciated his "genius."

"Chloe, listen to them! It really wasn’t my fault," Tyler said. "The old lady just didn't use her brain. I prank you guys all the time, right? Has anyone ever died from my jokes? No!"

The others laughed and nodded, mocking my mother's death as if it were just bad luck.

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms. A burning rage consumed me.

What disgusted me more was that Chloe didn't yell at Tyler. Instead, she just shook her head with a fond, indulgent smile.

Suddenly, someone yelled, "Holy shit! Is that a hickey on your neck, Chloe?"

"Hahaha! Spill! Who did you spend last night with?" Chloe’s best friend teased, leaning in to inspect the mark.

Tyler smirked, looking incredibly proud of himself. "Who do you think?"

Everyone looked at each other. Realizing what Tyler's smug face meant, the room erupted.

"No way! You slept with her?"

"Is that even a question? Ethan’s been busy running around throwing a funeral for his mom. When would he have the time or mood to sleep with Chloe?"

"So Chloe got lonely and went to Tyler to get her fix. Damn."

Tyler gave the guy a thumbs-up.

My heart didn't just burn with rage; it sank into a bottomless pit of despair.

What a sick joke.

After my mother passed, I was so worried about Chloe feeling neglected. The moment the funeral ended, I rushed over to find her.

Yet, she didn’t care about me at all. My mother died because of them, and while I was grieving, she was sleeping with the murderer, throwing salt on my bleeding wounds.

"Man, Ethan is seriously pathetic."

"If he finds out Tyler's prank killed his mom, and that you're sleeping with Chloe, do you think he'll sue?"

Tyler laughed scornfully. "With what evidence? He has nothing. What can he do to me?"