Chapter 2Her Deadly April Fool’s Rebound

Bernice whipped her head around, glaring at me with pure, unadulterated venom.

I had hit her deepest insecurity. I had the effortless aesthetic, the wealthy background, the million followers who loved my lifestyle vlogs. Bernice spent her days photobombing my posts, desperate for a crumb of clout, barely scraping together a fraction of my audience.

Now, I was calling her out in front of half a million eyeballs. She was practically vibrating with rage.

One of the frat boys jumped to her defense.

"Harriet, you're being a bitch. She said she feels sick. Why are you forcing it? It's just a game, drop it."

Another chimed in, eager to earn points with Corey. "Seriously. Zero empathy. No wonder Corey says you're exhausting to date."

Bolstered by her audience, Bernice let her legs give out. She collapsed neatly against Corey’s chest, letting out a frail sigh.

"Corey, my head is spinning. I can't breathe. Can you help me up?"

Corey immediately wrapped a protective arm around her waist. He turned his head, his face a thundercloud of resentment, and barked at me.

"So you have some internet followers, who cares? Stop acting like you're better than everyone!" He stood up, hoisting Bernice with him. "I'm taking Bernice home. Sit here and think about how you're acting."

He began half-carrying her toward the door.

I stood up, taking one massive stride to block the entryway.

I held the yellow sticky note right at Bernice’s eye level. My voice was ice.

"It's one sentence. Read it, and you can walk out that door." I paused, letting my eyes bore into hers. "Otherwise, I have every reason to believe you're using this 'prank' as a cover to actually wish death upon my family."

Everyone in the room stared at me like I belonged in a psych ward.

The loudest of Corey's friends pointed a finger in my face. "Are you psychotic? There's a limit to being a jealous girlfriend! Cursing your family? What is this, a CW teen drama?"

I stood in the doorway, an immovable object.

Seeing I wasn't going to budge, the guys started groaning.

"Bernice, just read the damn thing so we can leave. Placate the crazy lady."

I had backed her into a corner. If she didn't read it, she proved she was terrified of the words.

She shot me a look of pure hatred, snatched the sticky note, and scanned it.

The color drained from her face, leaving her a sickly, ashen gray.

Her hand trembled violently, though she tried to mask it with an exaggerated scoff.

"Jesus, Harriet, your handwriting is atrocious. I'm too dizzy to even focus on this. I'm not reading it."

She moved to crumple it up.

I grabbed my phone from the tripod and shoved the camera lens inches from her face.

"Can't read it? Want me to have two hundred thousand people decipher it for you? Bernice, if you don't read this right now, the second anything happens to my family, the police will be knocking on your door. And my entire comment section will be the witnesses."

The live chat was moving so fast it was a blur, thousands of voices calling her out for being fake, dramatic, and suspicious.

Bernice ground her teeth. Her jaw locked.

She took a shallow, shaky breath, and read the words with the enthusiasm of someone walking to the gallows.

"Whatever misfortune befalls Harriet’s family, it will rebound onto me, ten times worse."

The room erupted.

Corey's friends exploded, yelling over each other.

"Harriet, you are a toxic, vindictive bitch!"

"Wishing karma on her? That is so dark. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

A sharp, humorless laugh tore its way out of my throat.

"Five minutes ago, she wished rape and death on my family, and you all sat there clapping like seals!" I swept my gaze over the room of hypocrites, letting it land squarely on Corey. "But when I simply hand the exact same energy back to her, suddenly I'm the dark, vindictive one?"

I clicked my tongue. "The double standards in this room are suffocating."

Corey’s face went dark.

He stepped forward and shoved me hard in the chest.

"Enough, Harriet! I never realized how utterly ugly you are on the inside."

My back slammed against the entryway console table. Pain shot up my spine.

I touched the wood to steady myself, a cold smile pulling at my lips.

"You just realized? Perfect."

I stared him dead in the eye. Every ounce of love I had ever held for this man had evaporated in my previous life.

"We're done. We're breaking up."