Chapter 1

Before leaving work on Thanksgiving, my younger sister, Mia Summers, sends a message in the family group chat with the address of our new home.

I take five different buses to get there, only to discover that the address leads to nothing but a desolate, overgrown wilderness.

Mia sounds smug on the other end of the phone as she says, "Bingo! The prank worked! The last bus has left. What are you going to do now?"

As I stand there dumbfounded, my parents burst into laughter. "You actually fell for that? I wonder who you got your stupidity from. We're having a family dinner. Walk back yourself."

After that, they start to argue over who I resemble more on the phone.

In desperation, I use the last bit of battery on my phone to call my boyfriend, Simon Ziegler.

The call connects, and I hear the same familiar background noise. Simon chuckles mockingly. "Chelsea, your parents also told you to make your own way back. It's not the first time Mia's pulled a prank on you. Don't be such a sore loser."

Then, he hangs up on me without another word.

In the past, I would call them in tears and beg them to get me. But this time, as I look at the distant lights across the city, I finally decide not to give in.

Mia loves her Thanksgiving pranks, and my entire family indulges her.

Two years ago, she threw peach fuzz into my cup and triggered my asthma. Last year, she switched out my shampoo with hair removal cream, ruining an important job interview.

This year, my family has helped her trick me into going to the middle of nowhere, even though they know I'm afraid of the dark.

And at the dinner table, they're betting on how many minutes it'll take before I call and beg for mercy.

However, I don't cry or plead. Instead, I walk into the darkness, away from home. I'm ending this cruel game, whether they like it or not.

Chapter 1

Chelsea's POV

My surroundings were pitch black.

On the other end of the line, my family sat around the dining table with their four phones placed in the middle. They were betting on how long it would take before I called and begged for mercy.

My younger sister, Mia Summers, said resolutely, "One minute."

When I was ten years old, Mia poisoned my dog during Thanksgiving. I cried and begged for mercy. I even rushed into my parents' room and pleaded with them to take the dog to the vet.

However, my parents didn't seem to care that I was crying hysterically. They simply said, "Mia is just playing a prank. If the dog dies, we'll just get another one."

And so, my dog convulsed in my arms before he finally went still. It took exactly one minute.

After the incident, they promised to get me another dog. No one ever brought this up again.

When it was my parents' turn, they answered in unison, "Five minutes."

The only time I ever celebrated Thanksgiving with my family, Mia swapped my cola with pesticide. My stomach twisted in pain, and I writhed on the floor for a full five minutes before I finally begged for mercy.

That day, I had to get my stomach pumped in the hospital while they spent Thanksgiving in the north of town. After that, I never spent another Thanksgiving with my family, fearing that I'd become the target of Mia's cruel pranks again.

Meanwhile, Simon Ziegler, who had remained silent the entire time, suddenly seemed to remember something. As everyone laughed, he sprang to his feet, grabbed his coat, and headed for the door.

I instinctively tightened my grip on the phone. Just as I was about to send my location to him for help, I saw him stop at the door.

Simon looked up at the clock on the wall and said confidently, "I bet Chelsea won't call to beg for mercy tonight. The cell tower covering that part of the suburbs is managed by my company.

"I just had my assistant send out a maintenance notice. After midnight, the area where she is will be a dead zone."

My heart sank at his words.

Mia was delighted to hear that and rushed over to hug Simon. "That's why you insisted on changing the address to the outskirts! Simon, you're truly a prank master!"

Simon had never let me anywhere near this area. He always said it was still undeveloped, with drifters roaming around and stray dogs known to attack people. He was afraid I'd get into danger.

But this time, he willingly let me be stranded there overnight just to go along with Mia's prank. My family huddled together, cheering over the addition of yet another capable accomplice to their prank. And with that, the last flicker of hope in my heart finally died.

Before my phone lost its last minute of signal, I replied to the transfer offer that would relocate me to Myria in three days.

I had hesitated accepting the offer because Myria was too far away, and I didn't want to be separated from my family during the holidays. However, this wasn't the kind of family I wanted. I no longer wanted it.

When the clock struck midnight, my phone became nothing more than a useless slab. I picked up a stick and forced myself to keep walking.

As I walked, I suddenly realized I was no longer as afraid as I had been. It turned out that when I had no one left to rely on, I somehow found the courage to be brave.

Chapter 2

Chelsea's POV

At dawn the next day, I dragged myself forward, my pants damp and caked with mud.

I took the earliest bus and borrowed a power bank from the driver. I hadn't gone home all night. After turning on my phone, I saw more than a hundred messages in the family group chat.

There were Mia's photos from Thanksgiving, pictures of my parents' holiday cash gifts, and pictures of Simon's delicious cooking.

The only private message I received was from my company. "Take the next few days off. Once you leave, you'll be overseas for ten years. Spend some time with your family, and be ready to leave the day after tomorrow."

I stood outside my front door for a long time. I had five tickets to Universal Wonderlands. I had spent an entire month working overtime to buy them as a Thanksgiving gift for my family. I wanted us to go together, but there was no longer a need for that.

I kept my one ticket for myself and slipped the remaining four under the door. But the next second, the door suddenly opened from the inside.

Mia grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. Simon poured a bucket of cold water over my head. I was soaked to the bone, drenched from head to toe, as I hit the ground hard.

Mia yelled excitedly, "I bet she'll cry first!"

"And I bet she'll make a scene first." Simon sneered.

Mom and Dad laughed so hard at my disheveled state that they could barely stand. "Come on, look at Chelsea's face! The loser gets a merciless noogie."

They finally looked at me again. However, I didn't cry or make a scene. Instead, I forced myself up, rubbing my bleeding wounds.

I reached out and held my hand in front of Mia's forehead. I said, "You all lost. Each of you gets a noogie."

Mia instinctively closed her eyes and screamed.

Simon shoved me away and questioned, "Chelsea, what are you doing?"

Mom and Dad protectively held Mia between them and said, "Don't take this so seriously! We're just having fun as a family, and you're the only one who's making a big deal out of it."

In reality, I never intended to hurt Mia. I just wanted to know whether my family would also find it amusing if Mia were the one who got hurt. But I already know the answer.

I looked down at the four tickets at my feet. They were soaked in water and had been crushed into pieces.

Mia followed my gaze and thought I was upset because of the ruined tickets. She said, "They're just tickets! Mom and Dad took me to Universal Wonderlands already! What's with the attitude? Spoilsport!"

I froze, and my hands remained still.

I had always longed to make my parents happy like Mia did. So, when they mentioned last month that they wanted to visit Universal Wonderlands together as a family, I remembered it and took it seriously.

It turned out that they had already gone there. I really wasn't a part of their perfect family.

My parents frowned and ordered me, "You scared Mia! Apologize to her now!"

Simon also approached me and said gently, "Chelsea, our engagement is the day after tomorrow. Don't make a scene with your family. It won't look good for you."

He appeared to be taking my side, but he was actually taking Mia's.

As I looked at the four people in front of me, I found their behavior ridiculous. I had returned home just to tell Simon that the engagement was canceled.

But then, I decided to use this engagement party to complete the prank I had tailored for my precious family.

I clutched the hem of my shirt and humbly apologized to Mia, "I'm sorry. This is my fault."

"Hmph! That's more like it," Mia said with a grin.

Then, she turned away and smirked at my parents and Simon. She then whispered to them, "I'll pull off the ultimate prank at the engagement party two days from now. Just wait and see."

Chapter 3

Chelsea's POV

I sensed that something was amiss when Simon offered to have Mia plan the engagement party. However, my parents repeatedly assured me, "Chelsea, you only get married once in your entire life. We wouldn't let Mia cause trouble on such an important occasion."

Simon also tried to persuade me many times. "Mia just wants to help you with the arrangements and make you the most beautiful fiancee."

Only then did I relent.

While my family was out shopping with Mia, I took a USB drive engraved with the words "Chelsea's Happy Memories" from the drawer. I plugged it into the computer.

The moment I opened the video, I heard faint laughter. When I heard that familiar voice, chills ran down my spine.

In the video, my parents and Mia took turns coaxing me to finish my birthday cake.

12-year-old me sat there with a mouthful of black-and-white mush. I asked cautiously, "Mom, Dad, what is this cake made of? I really can't take another bite!"

After I finished eating, ten-year-old Mia laughed loudly, her face turning red. "Cow dung and maggots, you idiot! You'd really eat anything when you're hungry!"

I frantically stuck my fingers down my throat, trying to make myself throw up. My parents laughed so hard at my miserable state that they could barely hold the phone steady. The footage shook the entire time.

Then, I saw the following videos. In one video, I passed out after finding a snake in my bed when I woke up. In another, I was trapped in a malfunctioning elevator, having the scare of my life.

I also saw the video of me having my diary about my crush on the most popular boy at the school exposed and being called "Froggy" in high school.

My ugliest, most embarrassing, and most painful moments had been made into a montage by Mia, complete with special sound effects. She wanted to play it at my engagement party, in front of all my relatives and friends.

And my parents and Simon knew about this.

I felt my body turn cold. I felt a wave of nausea, and I couldn't take it anymore. I rushed to the bathroom and vomited uncontrollably.

After regaining my composure, I dragged myself back to the computer and deleted all the videos, replacing them with a video I had prepared.

When my family returned, my parents waved me over. "We picked up your dress. Try it on!"

When I took it over cautiously, Mia scoffed and rolled her eyes. "What's with the act? Are you paranoid? You act like everyone is after you or something."

I didn't respond. Instead, I looked at my parents. "Dad, Mom, do you truly want me to be happy?"

They paused at my words for a moment, then laughed. "Come on! What are you saying? Pranks are just pranks. We still love you."

They held my hand as if they weren't aware of the upcoming prank.

Simon came over and put his arm around my waist. "Come on. Mia is just like that. If you don't like it, I'll keep her in check after we get married," he said, brushing off my feelings.

I pretended not to notice their excitement at watching me embarrass myself.

I quietly pulled away from Simon and said, "Thank you, Mom, Dad, and Mia. You're my precious family, so I also have a gift for you at the engagement party."

Chapter 4

Chelsea's POV

My parents were overjoyed to hear that I had finally come around.

That night, I was packing my bags when Simon came to my room, looking relieved.

He said, "Lately, I've been thinking about whether or not we should get engaged. You have a bad temper and are timid. You even take Mia's childish pranks personally. But after seeing that you have prepared a gift for her, I've decided to continue this relationship."

I froze at his words, unable to believe what I was hearing. "So, you have been helping Mia with her pranks just to test me?" I asked in disbelief.

However, he didn't deny it.

"I don't want to marry someone who can't even tolerate her own sister," he said. Then, he left happily.

…

On the day of the engagement, Mia kept ordering me around before leaving. "Chelsea, you must ride in that white car. White is an elegant color. It'll be a great start for your and Simon's marriage."

My parents also agreed. "Mia drove out early this morning just to get it washed. Don't let her efforts go to waste."

I smiled and nodded in agreement.

Actually, I had no intention of going to the engagement party. After my family and Simon left in another black car, I carried my suitcase out. Before leaving, I went to the parking lot to check out the white car Mia had mentioned.

Three out of the four tires had scratches. If I had taken this car to the party, the consequences would be dire. Just the thought of it made me shudder.

Then, I turned away and stepped into a cab, leaving home behind me.

…

Third-Person POV

Meanwhile, Gabriel Summers and Heather Stone, Chelsea and Mia's parents, were entertaining guests at the engagement party.

To satisfy Mia's mischievous whims, they had invited everyone who knew Chelsea. That included her kindergarten classmates and even a security guard she had only met once. They were about to witness the prank video Mia had carefully put together.

Simon glanced at his watch. There were still three minutes until the prank commenced. He whispered in Mia's ear, "Are you sure the car is fine? What if Chelsea doesn't make it here?"

Mia said very confidently, "Don't worry. Even if she gets into a car accident, she'll still crawl her way here like a pathetic bug."

She smiled mischievously. Then, she asked, "Do you know why I've always had the confidence to prank her for over 20 years?"

Simon turned to look at her. "Why?"

"I was raised by Mom and Dad from the beginning, while she wasn't brought into their care until she was five years old. She craves their love, so she's always been trying to please us. That's why, even if she's bullied, she'll still come crawling back to us as if nothing happened."

Mia was very confident. After all, Chelsea had always been this way.

However, even ten minutes after the engagement party began and everyone was seated, Chelsea still hadn't shown up.

Gabriel and Heather found out the truth after asking the property manager. The suspicious white car had never left the complex's parking lot.

Mia checked the home security camera, only to find that no one was home.

Simon tried to call Chelsea countless times, but no one ever answered. While he was frantically searching for her, he bumped into Chelsea's former superior, who was holding an invitation and looking bewildered.

"How strange. Wasn't Chelsea transferred to Myria for work? Why is she suddenly having an engagement party?" he muttered.

Before Simon could even process what he had heard, the screen at the engagement party lit up. The video that showed up made Gabriel, Heather, and Mia turn deathly pale, and they collapsed to the ground in shock.