At a party, my asthma flared up. I fumbled for my emergency inhaler, but the canister was empty. My boyfriend, Jake, explained, “Aria said her throat was dry, so I gave it to her. Just have a cough drop. It’ll help.” But my breaths were becoming shallower, more desperate. “Her throat was dry? Couldn’t she just drink some water? What is wrong with you people? You’re going to kill me!” He frowned, his voice laced with annoyance. “Can you stop being so dramatic? You always act so fragile, like you’re made of glass or something. Aria was right. You’re just looking for attention.” I stopped arguing. I sent a text to my mother. Asthma attack. Jake took my inhaler. 1 Jake saw the notification pop up on my screen and sneered. “There you go again. Running to your mommy over every little thing. Are you five?” He snatched the phone from my hand, holding it high above my head, looking down on me with contempt. I tried to get it back, but as I stood, the world went black, and I collapsed back onto the sofa. “I’m having an asthma attack. Help me,” I gasped. Just then, Aria sauntered over, casually waving my inhaler. “Oh, sweetie, are you really having a hard time? You’re not just trying to get everyone’s attention, are you?” She let out a sigh. “This is why I hate having girls at our hangouts. So much drama.” I struggled to breathe, my eyes locked on her. She was Jake’s childhood best friend, one of those “cool girls” who was always one of the guys. Jake had mentioned her to me countless times, always praising her for being a “real one,” not like other girls. At first, I’d actually been looking forward to meeting her. When our relationship got serious, Jake introduced me to his friends. Aria always put on a big show of being a “girl’s girl.” “Wow, Jake, you hit the jackpot! Where’d you find this angel?” “Come on, gorgeous, let’s ditch these losers.” But underneath the compliments, I could feel the malice in her eyes whenever she looked at me. It was a subtle, insidious campaign. She praised me to my face, but her actions were designed to isolate me. She’d always bring up inside jokes and childhood memories at parties, conversations I couldn’t possibly join. Then, when I was sitting alone, she’d call me out with a breezy, dismissive laugh. “What’s wrong, sweetie? You’re not upset that I’m talking to Jake, are you?” I’d tried to explain to Jake how she made me feel, but he always brushed it off, calling me sensitive and saying Aria was just trying to be friendly. But now, her malice was out in the open, sharp and undisguised. “Poor little princess,” she taunted. “Are you upset we’re not all fawning over you? Is that why you’re faking sick?” A few of the guys snickered. “I’m not faking. I can’t breathe. Please, give me the inhaler.” My voice was getting weaker. The room went quiet for a beat, then erupted in even louder jeers. Aria draped an arm over Jake’s shoulders, a smirk on her face as she watched me struggle. “Wow, she’s really committed to the act. Don’t tell me you’re falling for it, Jake.” The others piled on. “Yeah, Jake, don’t turn into one of those whipped husbands.” “Don’t embarrass us, man! The man is the head of the house. If your woman steps out of line, you put her back in it.” Jake, of course, couldn’t stand being called out like that. He squared his jaw and refused to look at me. “Who’s falling for it? She needs to be taught a lesson. Always making a scene over nothing.” The air was being squeezed from my lungs. I reached for his sleeve, a desperate rasping sound escaping my throat. “Help… me…” He hesitated, a flicker of concern in his eyes. But then Aria spoke again. “Come on, Chloe. We’re all tough guys here. No one’s buying the damsel in distress routine.” I knew it was useless. I tried to stand, to escape the suffocating room, but Aria pushed me back down onto the sofa. “The party’s not over. Where do you think you’re going? That’s just rude.” Her grip was surprisingly strong. I lost my balance, and the back of my head slammed against the wall. A sharp thud echoed in my ears, and the world tilted. Before I could even react, Aria let out a theatrical gasp. 2 She covered her mouth, her eyes wide with mock horror. “Wow. You are really something else.” “I barely touched you, and you slammed your own head against the wall just to frame me. That’s next-level manipulative.” Jake’s expression hardened, his gaze turning to ice. “Chloe, that’s enough.” I bit my lip, trying to fight through the fog of pain and oxygen deprivation. “I have severe asthma. If you don’t want a dead body on your hands, you’ll stop this right now.” Every breath was like inhaling shards of glass. Aria just dangled the inhaler in front of my face, then took a long, dramatic puff. “Can’t. My throat is dry,” she said with a shrug. “You know, for something so expensive, it really does work wonders.” I lunged for it, but she just laughed and held it out of reach. “Nope. Not for you.” My vision swam with black spots. Jake stood by, arms crossed. “Look at yourself. You’re pathetic. Aria’s just using it. Stop being so selfish.” “She saw your medical report, Chloe. You don’t have asthma. You just get a little short of breath sometimes.” I forced myself to stay calm. “Jake, you’ve seen me have an attack before. Why would I lie about this?” Before he could answer, Aria cut in. “For attention, obviously. It’s what girls like you do. Faking illnesses for sympathy.” She leaned in closer, a cruel glint in her eyes. “Let me guess, you also have depression, right? Just like all the other little princesses on the internet.” The guys roared with laughter. Someone whistled. “Man, Jake, your girlfriend is so high-maintenance. Aria’s way cooler.” “Yeah, dude, you’re in for a rough ride if you marry this one.” I gasped for air, making one last, desperate grab for the inhaler. My fingertips brushed against the plastic, but she snatched it away. I lost my balance and fell to the carpet. “Wow, what a performance!” Aria exclaimed. Then she knelt down, her voice a venomous whisper only I could hear. “Just die already. It’ll make things so much easier for me and Jake.” She stood up, her voice ringing out for everyone to hear. “Chloe, stop messing around and get up! We’re all waiting to do shots with you and Jake!” Something in my appearance must have finally broken through Jake’s bravado. He stepped forward and helped me up. “What’s going on with you? Are you really not feeling well?” “Help… me…” I managed to choke out, my grip on his wrist weak. “In…haler…” His brow furrowed, a genuine flicker of panic finally appearing in his eyes. He looked at Aria. “Aria, maybe you should just give it to her.” Her face fell. She clutched the inhaler behind her back like a petulant child. “Jake, are you blind? She’s faking! Have you forgotten what a spoiled brat she can be?” She turned to the others. “See? This is what these manipulative girls do. And he’s falling for it.” The guys immediately backed her up. “Dude, Aria grew up with us. She wouldn’t mess with you.” “These rich girls are all the same. Always looking for drama. You can’t let her walk all over you.” Jake’s expression shifted. His grip on my arm loosened. I could feel him wavering, caught between my obvious distress and his friends’ taunts. “But… her face is really pale…” 3 His gaze fell on my bloodless lips. Aria smacked her forehead. “Oh! Right! I saw her in the bathroom earlier. She was grabbing a pad. She’s probably just got cramps.” She turned to me, her voice dripping with fake sympathy. “Chloe, if you have cramps, just say so. Why lie about having an asthma attack? You’re making Jake worry for no reason.” At her words, Jake visibly relaxed. The concern in his eyes was replaced with stern disapproval. “You can’t joke about things like that, Chloe. You scared me.” I had no strength left to argue. The only reason I was still conscious was the preventative medication I’d taken before leaving the house. If not for that, I’d already be dead. Aria, hiding behind Jake, shot me a triumphant smirk. She pulled a small tin from her purse. “Here, have a throat lozenge. It’ll help.” She forced it into my mouth before I could protest. The minty flavor burned my already raw throat, making the pain even worse. I tried to spit it out, but she clamped her hand over my jaw. “Swallow it! What is wrong with you? See? You’re just faking it for sympathy.” Only when I started to dry heave did she let go. She turned to Jake. “See? She won’t even take it. What more proof do you need?” Jake looked from me to the half-dissolved lozenge on the floor. The last trace of worry vanished, replaced by pure irritation. I was just overreacting. Being dramatic. He sighed heavily and shoved me back onto the sofa. My back hit the armrest, and I gasped in pain. “Alright, that’s enough. Don’t do this again.” “But… I…” I tried to speak, but only a choked gasp came out. Aria patted Jake’s shoulder. “Come on, let’s go have a drink. If we ignore her, she’ll get over it.” Jake nodded. As he walked away, he gave me one last look, not of concern, but of utter annoyance. “Just behave,” he snapped. “Stop embarrassing me.” The crowd dispersed, leaving me curled in the corner as they all went back to their drinks. I watched, my vision blurring, as they cheered and egged Jake and Aria on to do a “couple’s shot.” “Do it! Do it!” “Don’t be a buzzkill!” “It’s just a game! Your girlfriend can’t be that petty, can she?” Through the haze, I saw Jake glance over at me. Then he wrapped his arm around Aria and kissed her. The last bit of air in my lungs vanished. I really couldn't breathe now. My phone lay on the floor where Jake had thrown it, but I didn’t even have the strength to crawl to it. Just as despair set in, I remembered: I might have a spare asthma pill in my purse. With my last ounce of strength, I fumbled for my bag. My fingers brushed against the zipper, and my heart leaped. I clawed at it, dragging it closer. The opening was just within reach. I tipped it over, and a single pill rolled out onto the carpet. That’s it! It was just an emergency extended-release tablet, not as fast-acting as the inhaler, but it would buy me some time. Tears of relief streamed down my face. But as I reached for it, my fingers just inches away, a stiletto heel slammed down on top of it. 4 The heel ground the pill into the carpet, again and again. It was Aria. She smiled down at me, twisting her foot. “Oops. Almost got your medicine, didn’t you?” A hot rush of rage surged through me. “Get off! I’ll kill you! My mother will make you pay for this!” The suffocation was overwhelming. After that last outburst, I collapsed back onto the sofa, a trapped animal on the verge of death. “Hehe. I love watching you squirm,” she cooed, kneeling down and poking my cheek with a long, manicured fingernail. “You deserve this. You should have never tried to take what’s mine. Jake belongs to me. Even if I don’t want him, he’s not for you.” She grabbed a handful of my hair and yanked. “Now, you can die.” Scalding pain shot through my scalp. I tried to fight back, but I couldn't even lift my hand. “I’m… Ms. Ashford’s…” Through my blurry vision, Aria’s face was a grotesque mask. She cut me off. “Jake’s busy drinking,” she whispered, her voice sickly sweet. “He’s not thinking about you. If you died right now, do you think he’d even be sad?” I tried to bite her, but she easily dodged me. She stood up and patted my cheek, then called out to Jake. “Jake, come look! Chloe’s throwing another tantrum!” He came over, his brow furrowed even deeper. “What is it now? It’s just cramps. Stop acting like you’re dying. Every woman gets them.” “I… I really… have…” My voice was a thread. “Asthma…” He glanced from my pale face to Aria, who just shrugged helplessly. He fixed his gaze on me, his eyes filled with disappointment. “Chloe, I’ve had enough of this. If you keep this up, we’re done.” He turned and walked away. Aria scurried after him, shooting me a triumphant ‘V’ sign over her shoulder. My lungs felt like a deflating balloon, every breath a tearing agony. The black spots in my vision were multiplying. Aria’s face swam in and out of focus, a demonic figure from a nightmare. My eyelids were so heavy. Across the room, the group was cheering for her. In my peripheral vision, I saw Jake clinking glasses with his friends. Aria, pretending to be drunk, leaned against him. He didn’t push her away. He tightened his arm around her waist. “Jake…” I called out, my voice barely a whisper. He glanced over, as if by instinct. Aria immediately leaned in and whispered something in his ear. He frowned and shook his head, annoyed. In that moment, the last bit of warmth in my heart died. I slowly closed my eyes. I regretted everything. Why did I ever get involved with him? Jake was just a poor kid from a working-class family. My mother was a billionaire CEO. I had never told him, afraid he’d feel insecure. He thought my family was just a little better off than his. Aria came back. She knelt in front of me. “I hear you come from a single-parent home. If you die, your mom will be devastated, won’t she?” “But don’t worry. Jake can handle the funeral arrangements, as your grieving fiancé. Maybe your mom will be so touched, she’ll just hand over the family fortune to him…” She was delusional. But before she could finish her little fantasy, the door to the room burst open. “Chloe!” It was my mother’s voice.
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