Chapter 1

My boyfriend, Ethan, and I had already agreed that our parents would finally meet on my birthday.

Out of nowhere, my cousin Victoria came running over to me.

"Chloe, Ethan told me he prepared a massive surprise gift for you this time!"

"And guess what? There’s this couple vlog contest trending right now with a hundred-thousand-dollar grand prize!"

"If you film an unboxing video of whatever he got you, you’ll definitely go viral and win!"

My eyes lit up, and I was just about to say yes when a floating line of glowing text flashed right before my eyes.

[Major spoiler alert! The most tragic female lead of the year is about to log in!]

I blinked hard, thinking my eyes were playing tricks on me.

Just as I opened my mouth to speak, another comment popped up in midair.

[My heart aches for her. She's about to get ruined by that snake of a cousin!]

Before I could even process it, more floating comments flooded my vision.

[In one year, Chloe dies in a brutal car crash on her twenty-fourth birthday.]

[Her cousin steals the deed to her dream house, hooks up with her boyfriend of three years, and goes public with him before Chloe's body is even cold in the ground.]

Instantly, my vision went dark, and I nearly slipped off my vanity chair.

"Chloe, what’s wrong?"

"Why do you look so pale?"

Victoria reached out and shook my arm.

"Is your blood sugar low? Let me get you some sweet juice."

I stared at her "concerned" face, my stomach churning with pure revulsion.

The comments kept scrolling.

[Look at her fake innocent act. Hollywood owes this girl an Oscar.]

[She’s the one! She swapped the gift! She replaced the deed to a multi-million-dollar penthouse with a chipped, nine-dollar plastic music box!]

[I'm so mad! Wake up, girl! Don't let her fool you!]

I took a deep breath.

If these floating comments were real...

Then Victoria, standing right in front of me, was a venomous viper.

I couldn't blow my cover yet. My mind raced until I finally came up with a counterattack.

I forced a weak, fragile smile onto my face.

"I'm fine... Just a little nervous, I guess."

I gripped the vanity table and pulled myself up, letting my voice sound deliberately shaky.

"Victoria, I think your idea is amazing."

"Let’s do the unboxing tomorrow at the party, right in front of everyone."

"It'll finally show all those judgmental relatives who say Ethan isn't good enough for me just how much he truly loves me."

[???]

[Can she not see our comments? Why is she jumping straight into the trap?!]

[It's over, she didn't believe it. She's doomed.]

[No, please! Look at us! Don't fall for it!]

A chorus of panic erupted across the floating screen.

Meanwhile, an uncontainable gleam of triumph flashed in Victoria's eyes.

"That's wonderful! Chloe, don't worry about a thing!"

"I promise I’ll make tomorrow huge. Everyone is going to be so jealous of you!"

I sneered coldly on the inside.

Fine. Let's see.

At tomorrow's birthday party...

Who is going to end up as the ultimate laughingstock?