Chloe's POV
My jaw almost dropped when Adeline walked through the doors. For a moment, I honestly thought I was seeing someone else. This couldn't be my Adeline.
The Adeline I knew wore cheap dresses from the clearance rack and makeup that never matched her skin tone. But this woman… this woman looked like she belonged on the cover of a fashion magazine. Her dress shimmered under the lights, hugging her in all the right places. Her hair was smooth and shiny, and even her shoes screamed money.
Where did she get the cash for all that?
I forced my face to stay calm, though my heart was beating fast. I couldn't let her see that her sudden glow-up bothered me.
"Adeline! You look… wow," I said, trying to smile. "You look amazing."
"Thanks, Chloe," she said, her lips curling into a small, confident smile. "I thought I'd look nice for dinner. Though, this feels more like an auction than a reunion. Good thing I dressed up for it."
My stomach twisted at her words. How did she know about the auction part? I brushed off the thought. There was no way she could know what I had planned.
The night wasn't over yet. I still had control.
For a whole week, I had been setting this up. I called our old college friends. Sarah, Ben, and a few others and told them Adeline hadn't changed one bit. Still shy. Still awkward. Still easy to push around. I told them tonight would be a little fun, just like old times. We'd tease her a bit, and when she inevitably fell apart, I'd be there to "comfort" her.
She'd cling to me again, just like before.
But that plan started to fall apart the second Sarah opened her mouth.
"Adeline, that's quite the dress," Sarah said, smirking. "Finally get a real job?"
Without missing a beat, Adeline took a sip of her drink and said smoothly, "Good to see you too, Sarah. I heard you got fired recently. That must've been tough."
Sarah's face turned red. She didn't know what to say.
Then Ben, Mark's old friend, laughed and said, "Wow, Adeline. You actually clean up nice. Almost didn't recognize you without your boring sweater."
Adeline gave him a slow once-over and said, "Ben. Still recycling the same jokes after all these years? I guess not everyone grows up."
The group went quiet. Ben forced a laugh, but it sounded weak.
Every time someone tried to take a jab at her, Adeline threw it right back, cool, sharp, and perfectly timed. She didn't flinch, didn't blush, didn't even blink. She was completely in control.
And she was enjoying it.
My skin burned with frustration. I could feel my plan crumbling right in front of me.
"I'll be right back," I muttered, forcing a smile. "Just need to use the restroom."
Once the bathroom door shut behind me, I let out a silent scream and hit the counter with my fist. A few seconds later, Sarah and Ben came in too, both looking furious.
"What was that, Chloe?" Sarah snapped. "You said she was still a pushover! That girl out there is scary. She roasted all of us!"
"I don't know what's gotten into her," I hissed. "But don't worry. I've got a backup plan. Just do what I say."
They looked unsure but nodded.
I fixed my makeup, forced on a confident smile, and walked back out. The charity auction was about to begin. Everyone took their seats, and I made sure to sit right beside Adeline.
Then, right when the first item was being introduced, Adeline frowned and held her stomach.
"Oh no," she murmured, "I think I need to use the restroom. My stomach's acting up."
My heart skipped. Perfect. The little pill I had slipped into her champagne earlier must have started working. It wasn't dangerous, just a mild laxative. Enough to keep her away from the table for a few minutes.
"Oh, poor thing," I said sweetly. "Hurry back before you miss anything exciting!"
As soon as she disappeared down the hallway, I moved. My hands were shaking, but I knew I had only a minute. I reached into my purse and pulled out a small velvet box. Inside was the jade necklace I had quietly lifted from the auction display earlier. It was worth thousands.
My plan was simple: plant the necklace in Adeline's clutch. When the organizers discovered it missing, they'd search everyone. It would be found in her bag, and that would be it. Everyone would see her as a thief. Her perfect little image would shatter in seconds.
I looked around to make sure no one was watching. I slipped the necklace deep into her bag and took a deep breath. My pulse was racing, but I smiled.
When Adeline came back, she looked a bit pale, just as I expected. She sat down quietly and didn't say anything.
Minutes later, the room's cheerful buzz turned into a murmur. The host stepped onto the stage with a frown.
"Ladies and gentlemen," he announced, "I'm sorry to interrupt, but it appears that one of our featured items, a jade necklace has gone missing. No one will be allowed to leave until the item is recovered."
A ripple of shock ran through the crowd. Some people gasped, others started whispering.
This was my moment. I turned to Adeline, ready to watch her face crumble in fear. I'd act just as shocked as everyone else when the necklace turned up in her purse.
But she didn't look afraid. Not even close. She was calm. Almost too calm. Then she slowly turned her head and met my eyes. Her expression was unreadable, cold, steady, confident. And then, she smiled. Just a little. A faint curve of her lips, the kind that said, I know exactly what you did.
My throat went dry. Why was she smiling? A cold wave of panic washed over me. My heart thudded painfully in my chest. Suddenly, the room felt too hot, the air too heavy.
Did she know? No, she couldn't. There was no way. I had been careful.
But that look in her eyes… it
wasn't the look of someone clueless. It was the look of someone who had already won.