At the birthday party, Marvin's friends crowded around me in the private room and pushed the biggest slice of cake right in front of me. "Marvin says you love cake. Have some."

Marvin looked away, pretending not to notice.

The moment the cake touched my lips, a sharp bitterness rose in my throat, and nausea hit me hard.

But Shirley pressed me down while shoving the unfinished cake back into my mouth. "It's my birthday today. It'd be rude for you to spit out my cake. Come on. Finish it!"

Suddenly, my lower stomach clenched with pain, unbearable and sharp.

Marvin's friends started teasing and laughing, treating me like part of some cruel joke.

After finishing the cake, I rushed to the bathroom, vomiting until I felt the world spin around me. From the private room came satisfied laughter—clearly, it was another prank of theirs.

"Is your stomach still bothering you?" Marvin handed me warm water with mint leaves floating inside, an old remedy for nausea he taught me when we first met.

I couldn't respond as my body was wracked with sharp, stabbing pain, like needles piercing through me.

I looked down and froze. Blood was trickling from between my legs, running down my thighs. It was terrifying.

I grabbed Marvin's arm, trembling. "Take me to the hospital…"

But Shirley stood blocking the door, grinning. "Marvin, it's just irregular bleeding. Girls get that all the time. Don't worry about it."

"Move!" Marvin snapped, his voice sharp.

That was the first time he'd ever gone against Shirley.

When I woke up, I overheard Shirley teasing Marvin's friends outside the exam room, "Did you put too much of the drug? Didn't we agree just to embarrass her in public?"

One of them chuckled. "Marvin should be thanking me for helping him get rid of a burden."

"Yeah, it's been three years. If Serena had a baby, how would he get away from her?"

Marvin stayed silent for a long moment, then said, "Pranks are one thing, but you shouldn't mess with her health."

Shirley looked surprised, then angry. "You said you wanted to 'make the bookworm fall from her high horse' to avenge me, remember?

"You suggested humiliating Serena in public for my birthday. What, are you in love with her now?"

Marvin shook his head like he wanted to run from the question. "No way! You're the one I love."

Outside, laughter and cheers started again.

They celebrated the 98th prank's success and immediately began planning the 99th.

I touched my flat belly, the dull ache there a painful reminder.

The baby and I were just part of their game, wrapped up in a bow as Shirley's birthday present.

I wiped my tears and, with shaking fingers, canceled the surgery. It turned out I didn't need to do that because the baby's father had already sentenced it to death.

Just as I was about to call my father, Marvin came in. I shut my eyes tight and pretended to be asleep.

I heard him whisper in a guilty, hoarse voice, "I'm sorry…"

I knew exactly what he was sorry for.

After I recovered and was discharged, Marvin told me his friends and Shirley wanted to apologize and invited me to climb Mount Chessier with them.

He said they wanted to pray for our lost child at a monastery on top.

I knew it might be another prank, but thinking about the baby made my heart ache.

This would be my last goodbye before I left for Frontania.

All the way up, they clustered around Shirley, laughing and flattering her while ignoring me completely.

When we passed by a tree adorned with ribbons on which people had written their wishes, Marvin bought a ribbon strip, and we wrote a prayer for the baby together.

Shirley stood nearby, smiling sweetly at me. "You're such a good mom."

I ignored her false kindness.

There wasn't much space left on the tree. To hang mine, I had to lean over the fence a bit.

Suddenly, someone shoved me hard from behind.

"Ah!"

I fell forward without any chance to brace myself and tumbled down the steep slope. A sharp, unbearable pain shot through me, deep into my insides. My right leg was so badly injured that I could barely move it. Then everything went black.

Half-conscious, I felt Marvin pick me up, his eyes red.

"Selene, don't worry. I'm taking you to the hospital."

"Why…" I whispered, tears blurring my sight. "Why do this to me?"

Though my body was wounded, it felt like my heart was breaking into pieces.

Marvin's eyes were full of guilt and fear. His voice shook as he explained, "I didn't know they'd go this far. I really didn't know…"

Then my world faded into darkness.

When I woke up again, my right leg was wrapped in a thick cast.

The doctor said I might have permanent damage. I lay there silently, tears streaming down my face.

Marvin sat beside the bed, looking worn out. His face was tight with pain, his eyes full of guilt and sorrow.

He drew a tiny moon on the cast and said softly, "Selene, I'll stay with you until you get better."

I closed my eyes, and he gently tucked the blanket around me, moving carefully so as not to wake me.

He was busy all morning, running back and forth to bring me everything I needed in the hospital. After almost an hour, he finally got to catch a breath.

He was acting like the most responsible boyfriend when he was the one who caused all this.

I pretended to sleep, but my heart was pounding, aching inside. Marvin stayed up all night and sat by my side.

Every now and then, he kissed the name "Selene" he'd written on the cast, tears falling as he held my hand tight, as if I'd disappear if he let go.

"I'm sorry, Selene. This is all my fault. I shouldn't have listened to them and hurt you.

"At least I still have a chance to stop this. I won't ever hurt you again. You're my reason to live, Selene.

"I almost lost you. I'm so sorry..."

He spoke in a choked voice, watching over me the whole night.

I knew he was hurting because I was injured.

Last time, in front of Shirley and the others, he said it was just a prank and told them not to cause me real harm.

Part of me softened, but I also found it ridiculous.

Marvin's loyalty was to Shirley.

This was the 99th prank. I was still the toy to please her. Marvin had allowed it again.

But who could say what would happen on the 100th prank? Perhaps he still would be an accomplice to hurting me.

The next day, while Marvin went out to get breakfast, I called my father and asked his bodyguards to come get me. I was planning my escape through a fake plane crash.

While I waited, Shirley showed up, glowing with triumph and pride.

"Breaking your leg was part of my plan. That's prank number 99."

I kept my cool, glaring at her with hatred.

Shirley looked me up and down, then adjusted the luxury shawl on her shoulders.

"The 100th prank will be at the Innova Gaming Competition. You'll be accused of plagiarism. Marvin gave me all the drafts for your game.

"He's already bribed the judges. All your submissions will be three minutes later than mine. Prepare to face the biggest humiliation in your life."

The Innova Gaming Competition was the most prestigious game design contest in the country. I'd been preparing for two years, and I'd saved everything on my game, Ashen Mythos, on my computer.

My anger flared as I slapped her hard. "You steal my work and my boyfriend. You're nothing but a trash bin, picking up after me!"

Shirley raised an eyebrow, grabbed my wrist, and twisted it, ready to slap me back.

"You're the one who's picking up after me!"

But the slap never came down.

"What are you doing?" Marvin came back, followed by my father's bodyguards.

For once, he snapped at Shirley.

Shirley understood Marvin couldn't break up with me yet because he still had one last prank to pull on me, so she just sulked and left.

Before Marvin could explain, the bodyguards pushed a wheelchair toward me, ready to take me away.

He sensed something was wrong and stopped it, looking worried.

"What's going on?"

I looked down and said, "I'm going to Frontania for treatment. My dad's really worried."

Marvin didn't want to let me go. He wasn't convinced.

But since he was the one who caused my injury, he had no choice but to agree, especially after I insisted that my father wanted to see me soon.

Then, as if he couldn't wait, he booked a flight for tomorrow right in front of me, promising to come find me and even asking for my flight number.

I hesitated, then told him it was ZX9217.

He wanted to see me off, but suddenly his phone rang.

It was his friend. "Shirley fell down the stairs! Get here now!"

Without a word, he dashed out.

I gave a bitter, cold smile and told the bodyguards, "Let's go."

At the airport.

"Ms. Davison, everything's going according to plan. Mr. Davison said the crash scene will be perfect."

The gate screen flashed QL4032.

I nodded and boarded the plane to Frontania.

It was December 24th, the day we first met, according to Marvin.

No matter the truth of that statement, I chose this day to make sure he would never forget me.

I wanted to make sure he'd remember I died because of his stupid prank game, so he'd regret it forever.

One second before the crash, I sent Marvin my last text.

[For your 100th prank, I'll risk my life to play along!]

My phone exploded with calls and messages.

The ZX9217 crash was complete.