Midnight Exposure

The living room fell silent.

I opened the cake box and scooped a bite of frosting into my mouth.

It was cloyingly sweet, with a faint trace of bitterness underneath.

I let out a hollow laugh before tossing the rest of the cake into the trash.

After that, I took out my phone and opened an app.

The master bedroom appeared on the screen.

I placed a surveillance camera on the nightstand for convenience so I could check on my cat whenever I was away.

She had been staying at the animal hospital these past two days because one of her wounds had gotten infected.

And now, that same camera was pointed straight at the bed.

On the screen, I saw Sophie pacing the room in frustration. Meanwhile, Sean sat on the edge of the bed, looking perfectly at ease.

"Come on, Sophie. Don't be mad," he soothed her. "It's just one night. We can think of it as a late-night gaming marathon."

Sophie let out a sigh. "I'm angry because he doesn't trust me. We've been friends for years, and he still has to twist it into something disgusting."

"Max has always been petty," he replied. "How many times has he already misunderstood us?"

Then, Sean stood up, walked to the wine cabinet, and grabbed a bottle of red wine. Pouring her a glass, he came back and offered it to her. "Forget about him. It's New Year's Eve. Have a drink and calm down."

Sophie hesitated for a moment before accepting the glass.

"You're the only one who knows how to handle things." She sipped her drink, her expression softening as she gazed at him. "Everything would be so much simpler if Max had even half of your maturity."

Sean seized the chance to pull her onto his lap, his eyes fixed on her face.

He murmured, "Sophie, we grew up together. If the Prestons hadn't forced you into this engagement, do you think maybe we would've..."

The air in the room shifted instantly.

Yet, Sophie was still holding back.

She moved away slightly, creating some distance between them. "Sean, stop," she whispered gently. "I'm with Max now."

A flash of frustration flashed across Sean's face, but he quickly hid it.

Then, he tilted his head back and drank the rest of his wine in one gulp before leaning in close to her ear and whispering, "The door's locked. Max won't know anything. We can just blame it on the alcohol. Once morning comes, we'll pretend this never happened."

Sophie wavered.

The alcohol only intensified the longing she had been holding back.

Eventually, her arms rose and wrapped around Sean's neck. "Sean..."

A victorious gleam lit up his eyes.

Then, he kissed her.

They both fell back onto the bed, holding each other tightly.

I stared at the scene on my phone, sick to my stomach.

Then, I calmly hit stop, saving the video.

...

Fireworks and cheers exploded outside just as midnight struck.

The new year had arrived.

I opened Sophie's family group chat and sent the video.

Then, I shared it publicly with the caption, 'So this is what they call a pure friendship. I learned something new this year. Consider this New Year's gift delivered.'

After that, I stepped onto the balcony and watched the fireworks bloom in the distance. They were brilliant and fleeting. Yet, they were still bright enough to cut through the dark.

...

Early the next morning, Sophie heard urgent pounding shake the bedroom door. It was quickly followed by her father's furious voice. "Sophie! Open this door right now!"

It took a long while before the door finally opened.

Sophie stood there in rumpled clothes, her face still flushed from sleep and alcohol. Her irritation was visible as she snapped, "Dad? Why are you all here so—"

'Smack.'

Richard Bennett slapped her hard across the face.

Sophie froze in shock. "Dad! Why did you hit me?"

He trembled with anger. He didn't say a word.

Instead, he pushed his phone right in front of her face. "Take a good look at what you've done."