At my 25th birthday gala, while I had my eyes closed making a wish, my best friend slapped me hard across the face. Three times. I stood frozen in shock, clutching my burning, red cheek. Brooke raised her phone, filming me with a teasing laugh. “They say if you slap your best friend three times, you get ten thousand dollars. Would you do it? I didn’t hesitate for a single second!” “So, when is my ten grand hitting my account?” My boyfriend, Tyler, let out a soft laugh. He pulled out his phone and Venmoed her on the spot. “You actually believed that silly TikTok challenge?” “Well, since today is Chloe’s birthday, I’ll make your wish come true.” After receiving the money, Brooke wrapped her arm around mine and smiled sweetly. “Chloe, babe, it was just a joke.” “You’re not actually mad, right?” A chill ran down my spine. I grabbed Brooke by her jaw, wound up my hand, and slapped her back. Twelve times in a row. Then I turned to my stunned boyfriend, smiling sweetly. “That’ll be forty thousand dollars, please!” 1 Tyler finally snapped out of it, looking at me like I was a monster. “Chloe Henderson! She’s your best friend! How could you hit her that hard?” He immediately turned to Brooke, cupping her face to inspect the swelling. Brooke held her cheeks, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. “Chloe, we are done! I am never speaking to you again!” With that, she ran out of the banquet hall, sobbing. Tyler shot me a furious glare before chasing after her. His look said it all. He was blaming me for ruining Brooke’s mood. Today was my 25th birthday gala. Aside from my parents, who were currently in London on business, I had invited all my relatives. If things hadn’t gone sideways, we were supposed to announce my engagement to Tyler right about now. But now, the groom-to-be was gone. My relatives sat in awkward silence, none of them daring to make eye contact with me. I took a deep breath and forced a polite smile. “Everyone, thank you for coming.” “Initially, I wanted to use this party to announce my engagement to Tyler Vance.” “But that’s no longer happening. The engagement is off.” “Please don’t feel awkward. Eat, drink, and have fun. Today is still my birthday. Let’s celebrate!” The room fell dead silent for a second, followed by quiet whispers. But I didn’t care. I sat back down at the head table, completely composed. Aunt Sarah was the first to speak up, smiling warmly. “Well, Tyler clearly can’t tell a diamond from a piece of glass. He was never good enough for you anyway.” Uncle Frank chimed in immediately. “Exactly! Chloe is the crown jewel of the Henderson family. Who does Tyler think he is?” “Your uncle will find you someone ten times better!” The guests laughed, and the tense atmosphere slowly warmed up. Near the end of the party, my phone buzzed in my pocket. It was a Snapchat message from Tyler: “I managed to calm Brooke down. Come home, give her a proper apology, and we’ll put this behind us.” Expressionless, I locked my phone screen. Memories of our past flashed through my mind. I had always cherished my friendship with Brooke. I truly treated her like chosen family. But in the past, whenever we had a disagreement, she would give me the silent treatment until I bowed my head and apologized first. Over time, she got spoiled. She thought she could treat me however she wanted and make any offensive joke she pleased. If I didn’t cater to her every whim, I was the bad guy. And after I started dating Tyler, things got even worse. At first, Tyler used to complain about Brooke, calling her a spoiled, dramatic brat. But later on, whenever Brooke and I argued, he stopped caring about who was right. He would always run to comfort Brooke first. Then he’d turn around and lecture me: “Brooke is just sensitive. You have a better temper, so just let her have her way.” I let her have her way, over and over again. I endured it for so long that I almost forgot who I really was. I am not a pushover. After the party ended, I went down to the parking garage alone to get my car. From a distance, I saw my sports car’s headlights were on. Tyler was in the driver’s seat. Brooke was lounging comfortably in the passenger seat, her bare legs stretched out on the dashboard, looking incredibly cozy. The two of them were leaning close, laughing and chatting. I walked up and tapped on the window. Hearing the sound, Brooke’s smile instantly vanished. She pretended not to see me, staring straight ahead with her chin up, putting on quite the show. Tyler rolled down the window and frowned, signaling me with his eyes. “Chloe, apologize to Brooke right now. You were completely in the wrong today.” I crossed my arms and stayed silent. I wasn’t the one who initiated the violence. Why should I be the one to apologize? 2 Brooke lifted her chin even higher, her tone arrogant and dismissive. “Like I’d even care about her apology.” My face remained blank. “I’m not apologizing.” Brooke froze, clearly shocked that the usually submissive me would talk back. She immediately turned to Tyler, whining poutily, “Let’s go! She’s being impossible! You can’t even reason with her!” Tyler got out of the car, grabbed my arm, and dragged me to the side, his face full of impatience. “What is wrong with you today? It’s just a simple apology! Do you have any idea how soft-hearted Brooke is? She insisted on staying here to wait for you so we could go home together. She’s giving you an easy way out!” I violently yanked my hand back and said coldly, “I don’t need her charity.” Hearing this, Brooke scoffed from inside the car and urged, “Tyler, stop wasting your breath on her! Let’s just leave!” I didn’t want to waste another second arguing. I marched over and threw open the passenger door. “Get out.” Brooke gasped, staring at me in disbelief. I looked down at her coldly. “This is my car. If you two want to leave, figure it out yourselves.” Brooke ended up crying as she scrambled out of the car. “Brooke!” Tyler tried to grab her hand, but she shook him off. He turned around to glare at me. But I didn’t give him the chance. I slammed the door, stepped on the gas, and my sports car roared out of the parking garage, leaving them in the dust. In the rearview mirror, Tyler’s face was a blank slate of shock. I didn’t go straight home. I went to my family’s office first. Today, I was supposed to sign and hand over a stock transfer agreement to Tyler right after the engagement announcement. It was a 10% share of the Henderson Group—a pre-nuptial gift my parents had prepared for me. The money wasn’t a big deal to my family. My parents, who were often abroad, just wanted to make sure Tyler would treat me well for the rest of my life. In my office drawer, the brand-new agreement was lying quietly. I took out a pen, crossed out every single clause, and signed my name to void it. Generosity is only valuable when given to someone who appreciates it. This heavy wedding gift had now turned into a useless piece of scrap paper. After handling the paperwork, I drove back to our shared apartment. I walked up to the front door and entered the passcode I knew by heart. The screen flashed: *Incorrect passcode.* I paused, tried twice more, but the result was the same. The passcode had been changed. I pulled out my phone and called Tyler. The next second, a familiar ringtone echoed from inside the apartment. It rang for barely a second before being hastily declined. Then, the smart doorbell screen lit up. Tyler’s cold face appeared on the screen. But in the corner of the camera feed, I caught a glimpse of a white silk robe. I knew that robe too well. It was Brooke’s signature loungewear. A cold smirk played on my lips. “Open the door.” “Do I need to remind you whose name is on the deed?” “Chloe, both of our names are on this property. I am a co-owner.” I didn’t argue. I just watched him play his pathetic game. This apartment was bought by Tyler’s parents to make our commute easier, and they intended it to be our wedding home. Both of our names were registered on the title. After a tense silence, Tyler’s tone softened slightly. “Chloe, stop throwing a temper tantrum like a child.” “Apologize to Brooke, and I’ll let you in.” “You really disappointed her today.” 3 I looked at the white silk hem fluttering in the corner of the screen and suddenly laughed out loud. Tyler frowned. “This is the second time Brooke has tried to make peace with you. Don’t be ungrateful and keep acting crazy.” I raised my phone to the camera and smiled mockingly. “Oh, I can act much crazier than this.” “For instance, I could call your dad right now and cry to him.” “In fact, he just texted me wishing me a happy birthday.” Tyler’s face instantly went pale. “Don’t call him!” The man who had been refusing to let me in just a second ago threw the door open in a panic. I brushed past him and walked straight inside. Hearing the door open, Brooke flinched. She didn’t even dare to look me in the eye. Clutching her slippers, she bolted into the guest bedroom, slamming and locking the door behind her. Standing in the middle of the living room, staring at the locked door, a memory from a year ago flashed through my mind. Back then, we had just graduated from grad school. Brooke had no family in the city and couldn’t find a decent place to live. When she was at her lowest, she showed up at my doorstep with her suitcase, crying her eyes out. She begged me to rent her my spare bedroom. My heart softened, and I agreed immediately. I charged her a symbolic rent of $500 a month. To protect her, we even signed a formal lease agreement. But for the past six months, she hadn’t paid a single dime. Knowing her financial situation was tight, I never brought it up. Tyler finished his call and quickly stepped in front of me, blocking my path. “Enough! Brooke got slapped so many times today. She cried all afternoon. She has suffered enough. Don’t go in there to provoke her and hurt her more!” I slowly looked up at him. At this moment, I had to admit my taste in men was utterly garbage. Otherwise, how could I have ended up with such a pathetic boyfriend and a toxic best friend? Ignoring Tyler, I went straight into the master bedroom to pack my things. Seeing me pull out my suitcase, Tyler began to panic. “What are you doing? Why are you packing?” “I only asked you to apologize! I’m not kicking you out!” I folded my shirts and packed them into the suitcase one by one. “Tyler, don’t you get it?” “I’m dumping you.” Tyler froze, his pupils shrinking in disbelief. He stood there for a few seconds before letting out a nervous laugh, his eyes filled with arrogance. “Chloe, stop playing games.” “Over a small argument? You’re breaking up with me over this?” He stepped forward, trying to grab my wrist. “I’ve been patient enough with you. You were the one who resorted to violence today, and I didn’t even hold it against you.” Without looking up, I said calmly: “A small argument?” “Tyler, on my 25th birthday, in front of my entire family.” “Brooke slapped me in the face for some cheap cash, and you happily Venmoed her to cheer her on.” “And to you, that’s just a small argument?” Tyler choked on his words, his face turning red and white. “Brooke… she’s just immature. She loves playing around. She didn’t mean any harm.” “Why do you have to be so stubborn?” I finally stopped packing and looked him dead in the eye. “She’s immature, and what about you?” “When I was publicly humiliated, you didn’t protect me.” “But the moment she sheds a few tears, your heart bleeds for her.” “Tyler, whose boyfriend are you anyway?” Without a second of hesitation, Tyler replied, “Of course I’m your boyfriend!” “But didn’t you tell me to look out for Brooke in the first place?” 4 I didn’t answer him right away. While packing, I suddenly noticed that my designer mink coat—the one at the very back of the closet—was missing. My mom had bought it for me at a luxury auction in Paris last year. Because I rarely wore it, I kept it tucked away in the back. If you weren’t looking for it, you wouldn’t even know it was there. But now, after clearing out my clothes, that spot was completely empty. I spun around to face Tyler. “Where is my mink coat?” A flash of extreme guilt and panic crossed Tyler’s face. But he quickly recovered, pretending to be nonchalant. “Isn’t it in the closet? Are you sure you didn’t misplace it somewhere else?” He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around me from behind. “If it’s lost, let it go. Don’t be mad. I’ll buy you the exact same one.” “Just stop talking about leaving and breaking up, okay?” My body went completely rigid. A faint but familiar scent of gardenia perfume drifted into my nose. It was the perfume Brooke wore year-round. The scent was stuck to him, making my stomach churn with disgust. I pushed him away with all my might. “Did Brooke take my coat?” Tyler immediately frowned and defended her. “No way! Stop making wild accusations.” “Whether it’s a wild accusation or not, I’m going to check.” I marched out of the master bedroom. As soon as I stepped out, I heard a sharp, panicked rustle of a door closing from Brooke’s room. Clearly, she had been eavesdropping the entire time. I stood in front of her door, my tone flat, giving her one last chance to be civil. “Open the door.” After a few seconds of silence, the door cracked open slightly. Brooke peeked out with one teary eye, looking extremely guilty. “Did you borrow my mink coat?” I asked directly. Brooke instinctively looked at Tyler behind me. Tyler immediately softened his voice, trying to reassure her. “It’s okay, Brooke. If you took it, just bring it out. No one’s going to get mad.” With Tyler backing her up, Brooke suddenly found her courage. She turned and walked back into her room. I pushed the door fully open. The next second, my heart stopped. My $150,000 custom-made designer mink coat was casually laid out on the floor right in front of her bathroom door, being used as a bath mat. The top-tier fur, which was supposed to be glossy and luxurious, was now grey, matted, and ruined. Several patches of fur had been rubbed completely bald, making it utterly unsalvageable. Brooke pinched the corner of the dirty coat with two fingers, looking disgusted, and tossed it toward me. “Here’s your coat. Take it.” I didn’t touch it. Instead, I pulled out my phone, opened the camera, and recorded a clear video of the ruined coat on the floor. I needed to preserve every bit of evidence. Seeing this, Tyler rushed forward to block my camera, shielding Brooke behind him. His tone was full of accusation: “Chloe, what are you doing? It’s just a coat! Why do you have to make such a big scene?” I laughed out of sheer anger. “Tyler, do you have any idea how much this coat costs?” Brooke poked her head out from behind him, her chin tilted up defensively. “Why are you being so stingy? It’s just an old coat! You never even wear it. It was just sitting in your closet gathering dust. I thought you didn’t want it anymore. What’s wrong with using it as a mat?” I raised an eyebrow, locking my cold gaze on her. “You certainly have an eye for luxury.” “Out of dozens of coats in my closet, you managed to pick the most expensive one. A $150,000 designer piece, used as a bath mat.” The moment the words “$150,000” left my mouth, all the color drained from Brooke’s face. She turned pale as a ghost. She clutched Tyler’s sleeve, her voice trembling. “Tyler… what do I do? I didn’t know it was that expensive…” Tyler patted her back gently to comfort her. “Don’t worry, I’m here.” I watched their pathetic display in silence. Tyler pulled out a blank checkbook from his suit pocket and thrust a check in front of me. “Chloe, it’s just money. Write down whatever number you want.” “I’ll pay for Brooke. Let’s end this here, and stop making things hard for her.” I looked down at the blank check, finding it incredibly hilarious. I asked him: “She ruined it. Why are you the one paying?” Tyler furrowed his brows. “What’s the difference?” “My money, her money, it’s all the same. Do you really have to be this petty over such a small thing?” At that moment, I checked out completely. I took the check from his hand. Under their stunned gazes, I ripped it into shreds and let the pieces flutter to the floor. Before they could react, I dialed 91″Hi, I’d like to report a crime.” “Someone has intentionally destroyed my personal property worth $150,000.”
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