Joke’s on Them

On matriculation day, I carried my acceptance letter to the campus grounds to register alone. But before I could cross the threshold, the guards drove me back into the street with their anti-riot forks. Humiliated and bewildered, I reached for my phone to call my childhood friend, Daisy Reid. A sharp laughter rippled through the receiver. “Violet, are you truly that blind behind those glasses? The letter you swept off the desk was a forgery I mocked up. Your actual one is still sitting at home.” Panicked, I hastily booked a return ticket and hurried back to search for my letter. I scoured the house for hours, turning up nothing. Just then, Daisy’s personalized ringtone sang out from my palm. “Stop looking. “Bryan has it. He’s over at Millfield now.” Without a moment’s hesitation, I boarded the train to Millfield. But the second I stepped out onto the platform, a video call from Daisy flashed onto my display. “You gullible fool, did you genuinely travel all that way to hunt down Bryan? “It was just a joke. “Truth be told, the guards didn’t chase you off because of a counterfeit letter. I tipped them off that you were hauling concealed explosives…” She swung the phone around, showing Bryan Hawke, another childhood friend, who was dotingly fanning her with a brochure. Directly behind them stood my brother Harry, who was supposedly halfway across the globe on an extended getaway. “Hey Violet, what’s with the face? Learn to take a joke for once,” he teased with a chuckle. I could not move an inch. Turned out his elaborate cover story of an overseas holiday was nothing more than a ruse to escort Daisy to her new college. Gazing at the three laughing faces, something dawned on me. Their cruel entertainment, paid for with my dignity for eighteen years, had run its course. Chapter 1 I hauled my sixty-pound suitcase to the main gates of Westbrook University once again, still on my own. Harry and Bryan were already doubled over with laughter at this point. Daisy pulled out a tissue and patted away the sweat on my forehead. “Violet, with an IQ like yours, how on earth did you get admitted here? “I was just making a joke, but look how you bought it.” I bit hard on my lower lip. Gazing down at my feet, I realized I had lost one of my shoes while sprinting in panic. I rubbed my hands together in burning embarrassment, eyes brimmed with hurt. “Daisy, that wasn’t funny at all.” After being dragged back and forth across cities, only 200 bucks remained out of my 1,500 monthly allowance. How was I supposed to survive the rest of the month? “I didn’t mean it like that.” Daisy stared at me for a few seconds before her eyes slowly welled with tears. Bryan stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “Come on now, it’s a happy day. Don’t throw a tantrum out of nothing.” Not finding myself throwing a tantrum, I looked toward Harry, hoping my brother would speak a word of justice on my behalf. Instead, he knitted his brows and lectured me: “Violet, don’t be such a killjoy. Uptight like that, no one at school’s gonna like you.” “Alright,” Daisy chimed in, slinging an arm around my shoulder, walking me toward the campus. “I had no ill intentions. You’re overthinking. “And don’t worry, I have no interest in stealing your brother—he’s always been my brother to begin with.” My footsteps ground to a halt. “What… what do you mean?” She leaned in close to my ear, whispering in a secretive tone, “Your parents picked you up in an orphanage. I’m their actual daughter. Why else do you think they treat me so much better?” A violent ringing echoed through my brain. It all came back to me—how Daisy and Bryan always got the best food, while I was given the leftovers. How they were always given more pocket money. Seeing me frozen in shock, Daisy flashed a triumphant grin and slapped my back hard. “Silly girl, how did you fall for it again?” Harry burst into a laugh. Bryan shook his head, a little smirk touching his lips as he reached out to ruffle my hair. “You should see your face. “Getting accepted here must be pure luck. You should’ve ended up at a community college.” I lifted my teary eyes to stare at him. He had been my desk mate throughout high school. He knew how hard I worked for it. I woke at five every morning and studied till midnight. I worked through countless pens and filled sixteen notebooks. And now he was claiming my admission to a top-tier university was nothing more than sheer luck. “I’ve never been into jokes, even as a kid. “You guys… should cut it out.” I gathered every ounce of courage to speak the truth I had buried deep inside for years. After a fleeting silence, sharp, piercing bursts of laughter exploded around me. Chapter 2 Bryan couldn’t hold it in any longer, slapping his thigh as he let out a ringing laugh. “You’re not into jokes? But weren’t you the one laughing the loudest when you were a kid?” I clenched my fists tight. All my grievances accumulated over the years poured out in an instance. Terrified of being cut out back then, I would always offer a silly grin no matter how cruelly they played me for a fool. When I was eight, they tricked me into climbing the mountain to hunt for a cure-all herb to fix my mother’s cold. While my back was turned, they slipped down the mountain on the sly, using the pocket money swiped from my bag to buy candy and toys. By the time the police found me, I had spent an entire night stranded on that peak—freezing, starving, and on the brink of death. Yet the moment I opened my eyes, my first instinct was to smile at them: “That was fun. But next time… could you please not leave me behind?” The painful memories flooded back. Tears spilled down my cheeks, but Bryan and Daisy only laughed harder. Only Harry showed a flash of impatience. “What’s with all the tears? “You’ve been unable to take a joke since you were little. We would be having a good time, and you would stand there with a long face as if bullied.” Just then, my dad, who was supposed to be away on an out-of-town business trip, suddenly pulled up in his car. “Get in. I’m taking everyone for a drive downtown.” I pointed at my heavy suitcase. “But I haven’t dropped my stuff off yet.” He knitted his brows. “I wasn’t talking to you. “Can’t fit all three of you in here.” I froze for a split second. “Just kidding!” Dad adjusted his sunglasses. “You’re my daughter—of course I’m taking you with me. “Leave your luggage with the guard. Hurry and hop in.” I dragged my heavy suitcase into the security office as fast as I could. My knee slammed hard against the sharp corner of a desk, but I didn’t even have time to register the pain. One last time. I told myself, as long as this wasn’t another prank, as long as my parents were genuinely taking me out this time, I would let go of all my past grievances. But when I stepped back out, their car was already gone. Messages from Daisy flashed on my phone: “Haha, gotcha again! “Not my idea though. It was Bryan’s. “He said you have only one brain cell and use it to do whatever you’re told. Can’t believe how true it is!” Along with the texts was a short video. In the clip, she had her arms wrapped around my parents, while Bryan had his arm around her, and Harry was carrying everyone’s bags and buying ice cream. The ice cream parlor was a spot at the top of my bucket list. “Glad you’re having fun.” After offering an accommodating reply like I always did, I turned around and walked to the student affairs office. “Hello. I’d like to withdraw my enrollment, please.” The staff across the desk looked up in shock, adjusting her glasses. It was as if she hadn’t heard me properly. “What did you say?” I repeated myself, steady and clear: “I’d like to withdraw my enrollment.” Before stepping into the office, I had opened my mailbox on my phone to accept the full-scholarship offer sent by Crestview University half a month ago. My parents had said Crestview was too far away—they couldn’t bear to be separated that far from me. And Bryan and Daisy had convinced me to attend Westbrook University with them both. I had made my choice based on them. But now, I couldn’t squeeze into a home made for four. Neither was there any space for me in a friendship made for three. Since that was the case, I had no reason left to remain in their lives. Chapter 3 I needed some documents to finalize the paperwork for my admission. So I took advantage of the time they were out having fun to make a quick trip back home. It wasn’t far—less than an hour’s flight. Yet the second I pushed open the front door, confetti burst out all around and over me. A whole crowd of Bryan’s close buddies materialized before my eyes. “Surprise!” Startled, I used my hands to shield my face from the falling flakes. “Aww, look who’s acting shy now?” “Bryan arranged this whole thing for you. He spent months on it.” My chest hitched. It felt as if a long open wound was suddenly beginning to heal. A long time ago, I had indeed told Bryan how girls love romantic confessions—complete with colorful confetti and fresh flowers. He actually remembered. “Here, Damask roses, your absolute favorite.” A huge bouquet was thrust into my hands. I could hardly believe it. “Is this… really for me?” The guy standing beside me nodded enthusiastically. “Of course! You know Daisy, Bryan took this dry run far more seriously than next week’s main event. “For Violet, he only ordered a cheap silver ring online. But for you, he bought a full thousand dollars’ worth of fresh roses. “Said he was saving the best for you. “Doesn’t matter you’re just helping him practice his confession. My guy refused to skimp.” My hands dropped slowly. My small, pale face was drenched in tears at this point. In an instant, the room fell silent. “Vi… Violet?” Just then, the bedroom door swung open from the inside. Bryan stepped out dressed in a sharp suit, staring at me in complete stupor. “What… are you doing here?” I clenched my fists, unable to hold myself back any longer. I lunged forward and slapped him straight across the face. “You’d better drop it now! I won’t accept it! I’ll never accept you!” The door swung open a second time. Daisy walked in, humming a cheerful tune under her breath. “So, how was my idea? Pretty brilliant, right? “Send her an AI-generated video and she’ll never realize we actually came back long ago—” The moment her eyes landed on me, the wine bottle slipped from her hand. Dark red wine splashed across the floor like spilled blood. A few stray drops landed on my cheek. “Violet… why are you here?” Forcing down the scalding rage in my chest, I kept my voice as steady as possible: “Came back to grab a few things.” Without sparing them another glance, I walked straight into my bedroom as if they were invisible. Outside, Daisy’s soft sobbing suddenly broke out. “It’s over… she knows everything now. “It’s all my fault for insisting on the rehearsal. Now the surprise is ruined—what if she refuses you?” Bryan offered a low, reassuring murmur: “It’s fine. She’s had a crush on me for years—this whole thing is unnecessary. One word from me and she’ll come crawling.” The emotions I had suppressed for an entire day finally exploded. Clutching the documents, I barged out of the room. “Enough! “You were gonna show me your love with a cheap ring, after splurging a grand on flowers for her, and expecting me to say yes? “I’ve had enough with you! Stop pushing your luck!” But Bryan cut me off with a look of impatience: “I never realized you care so much about money. “Can money measure real affection? “Besides, today was just a joke—why do you always have to make such a fuss out of nothing?” Daisy nodded in agreement. She stepped over and grabbed my arm, attempting to soothe me with the familiar intimacy of our childhood. “Come on, it really was just a joke. “Bryan was worried he’d be too nervous and mess up, so he asked for my help. “If there were romance between us, do you really think it would be your turn?” I lifted my eyes and shoved her hand off me with everything I had. “Three people are too many for a couple. Count me out. “And from now on, stop making jokes at my expense. I will take them seriously.” With that, I tightened my grip on my documents and walked into the bathroom, not turning back once. Once I packed the last few items for my skincare, every trace of my existence in this house would be wiped clean. Chapter 4 Half an hour later, the bathroom door was slammed open. Mom burst inside and grabbed me viciously by the ear. She dragged me out and shoved me into the center of the room. My foot slipped and I hit the floor in a thump. Stars exploded across my vision. The spilled red wine on the ground coated my clothes in dark, hideous stains, leaving me in total disarray. Mom pulled a diagnostic report for severe depression from her pocket and threw it in my face. “Look at this! “Haven’t you always held a grudge over us treating Daisy better? This is why! “Playing pranks on you was to help lighten her mood. Not one of us can be happy while Daisy’s miserable.”Beside Mom, Daisy’s eyes were already brimming with hot tears. “Please, she doesn’t need to know. “She’ll feel burdened by it. “It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have played jokes on her… To be honest, when she said she wanted to break off our friendship just now, my heart almost stopped.” Bryan immediately turned to her with concern, checking to make sure she wasn’t about to collapse from a heart attack. I let out a bitter laugh. In order to make Daisy happy, they made a sport out of pranking me, watching me run around in circles like some circus animal. Was that really so funny? “Depression doesn’t work like that, Daisy.” I stepped forward and, for the first time in front of everyone, peeled back the watch strap on my left wrist. Layers of raised, pale scar tissue were exposed. “Depression is not something you just talk about. Why don’t you show everyone your proof?” A brutal blow struck my face. The sheer force of it made even Mom take half a step back in shock. A violent ringing tore through my left ear, yet no tears came to my eyes. Harry pointed a finger at me, his voice raw with fury: “Wretched thing, you’re faking scars now! “Which makeup artist did you hire to do those? They don’t even look real!” Bryan’s friends began whispering snidely among themselves, and one of them even snapped a photo and posted it online. “Idea for your next novel: girl paints fake scars to win family’s attention.” In an instant, the post racked up twenty-five threads of hateful comments. A flash of smug triumph gleamed in the depths of Daisy’s eyes. Yet she buried it almost instantly. She stepped forward with a display of concern, “Violet, even if no one else believes you, I do. Please stop acting so unhinged, okay? “Come, apologize to your parents and brother. “And to Bryan and his friends too—everyone came over to have fun, not for a scene.” I smiled. I swept my gaze across every face in the room. “What about you all? When are you gonna give me the apology you’ve owed me for eighteen years?” Mom stared at me in disbelief, her neck flushing red with rage. “Violet Alder! How dare—” Leaving her sentence half-finished, she seized a vase from the nearby table and hurled it at me. I dodged the throw and bolted out of that house without looking back once. After landing safely in Crestview, I took a page out of their book and sent a short text to the family group chat: “Just kidding earlier.” Mom, Dad, and Harry all sat staring at the message, falling into a confused silence. What on earth was the joke? Early next morning, sick with worry, they rushed to the campus to look for me. Yet after checking the roster and making a few calls, the guard turned to them with a confused frown: “There’s no freshman named Violet Alder.” Mom shook her head frantically, shouting: “How is that possible? We all came here just yesterday! She even left her luggage here with you!” The guard slapped his forehead as realization struck him. Then he shook his head with a sigh of pity. “That girl, she withdrew her enrollment yesterday.” “Wh… What?” Mom and Dad exchanged horrified looks, then collapsed on the pavement as their legs gave out under them.