Chapter 2Quitting this Family after Being Abandoned for Laughs

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."