Chapter 1

At the party, my asthma flared up.

I fumbled for my emergency inhaler.

But the bottle was empty.

My boyfriend, Liam, casually explained,

“Chloe said her throat was dry, so I gave her your inhaler. Just take some throat lozenges; they’ll help too.”

My breathing was already getting harder, each breath a struggle.

“If her throat’s dry, why can’t she just drink water? You guys are trying to kill me!”

He frowned, clearly annoyed.

“Can you stop being so dramatic? You always act so delicate, like you’re made of glass.”

“Chloe’s right, you’re just being extra.”

I stopped arguing, sending a frantic message to my mom:

“My asthma is flaring up, but Liam gave my inhaler to Chloe.”

Liam saw the message and just shrugged it off.

“Here you go again with this? Always running to your mom, are you in elementary school?”

He snatched my phone, holding it high above his head, looking down at me with contempt.

I tried to grab it back.

The moment I stood up, my vision blurred, and I stumbled back onto the couch.

“My asthma’s really bad, please help me,” I gasped, desperate.

Just then, Chloe strolled over, still flaunting my inhaler in her hand.

“Oh my, Princess Scarlett, are you *really* feeling bad? Or are you just trying to get attention?”

“Ugh, I told you guys, women shouldn’t be at our guy’s nights. They’re always so whiny and just stir up drama, trying to compete with each other.”

I fought for air, my eyes fixed on Chloe.

She was Liam’s childhood best friend.

She’d always been super chummy with guys, treating them like her brothers.

Liam had mentioned Chloe more than once to me.

He always said she was a real ‘one of the guys.’

At first, I actually had a good impression of the easygoing ‘female buddy’ Liam described.

After our relationship became stable, Liam introduced me to his friend group.

Chloe always went out of her way to act like a huge supporter of women.

“Oh my god, Liam, you have such good taste, where did you find this princess?”

“Swoon! Girls stick together, let’s ditch these smelly guys.”

But deep down, I always sensed a hint of malice in Chloe’s eyes when she looked at me.

Her methods were subtle, almost brilliant.

She’d preach ‘girl power’ but then deliberately ignore me in her actions.

For example, she’d constantly bring up their childhood memories at parties.

I’d have nothing to contribute, so I’d just sit there silently.

Then, she’d suddenly turn to me, all casual and friendly.

“What’s wrong, Princess? You’re not mad because I’m talking to Liam, are you?”

I’d mentioned to Liam that it made me uncomfortable.

But he’d always just say I was being petty.

He claimed Chloe was just trying to liven things up and that I was too sensitive.

Now, though, Chloe’s malice was completely undisguised.

“Princesses are just princesses, aren’t they? Are you upset we’re not all fawning over you, so you’re faking being sick?”

The guys around us snickered, a wave of mockery washing over me.

“I’m really not feeling well, give me the inhaler!”

I raised my voice, a desperate plea.

My sudden outburst made the room go silent for a second.

Then, the mockery erupted even louder.

Chloe draped her arm over Liam’s shoulder.

She watched me gasp for breath, doubling over with laughter.

“Oh my, she’s really good at faking it, Liam! Are you actually feeling sorry for her?”

The others joined in, egging Liam on.

“Yeah, Liam, you’re not gonna be whipped after you get married, are you?”

“Don’t disgrace us, man! The man’s the head of the house, if a woman disobeys, you gotta teach her a lesson!”

Liam couldn’t handle that kind of challenge.

He stiffened his neck, refusing to look at me.

“Who’s feeling sorry for her? She needs to be taught a lesson, always looking for trouble.”

I couldn’t breathe.

I desperately tugged at Liam’s sleeve, gurgling sounds escaping my throat.

“Help… me…”

Seeing my state, Liam hesitated for a moment.

But Chloe spoke again, her voice dismissive.

“Alright, alright, Scarlett, we’re all just regular guys here, we don’t fall for the damsel-in-distress act.”

Knowing it was useless to reason with them, I tried to leave the private room.

But as soon as I pushed myself up, Chloe shoved me back down.

“The party’s not over, why are you leaving? You’re disrespecting me!”

Her grip was surprisingly strong.

I wasn’t careful, and the back of my head slammed against the wall.

*Thump!* My head spun even more.

Before I could react.

Chloe screamed first.