Chapter 18

Chloe's POV 

After closing hours, I practically bolted out of the school gates, keeping my distance from both Maya and Tristan, completely consumed by the thought of Friday night. 

“Kane’s house,” I muttered. The biggest party of the year. I was going to walk in there on Jaxon’s arm, and no one was going to stop me.

When I finally reached home, I pushed the front door open, expecting the usual quiet atmosphere. Instead, Maya's mom was standing by the counter, sorting through a stack of ironed dress shirts, while her dad was on the phone, speaking rapidly in Japanese with a massive smile on his face. 

The smell of traditional celebratory sukiyaki was already in the air.

"Ah, Maya! You're home," her mom said, turning around with a bright, beaming smile. She wiped her hands on her apron and rushed over to me. "Wonderful news. Your father just found out today, his company is giving him the regional promotion he has been working toward for five years!"

"Oh. Wow. Great," I muttered, trying to sound enthusiastic while dropping the heavy backpack onto the floor. "Congrats."

"They are holding a special recognition dinner and conference at the corporate hall," her mom continued, her eyes shining with pride. "The executives want the whole family there to support him. It is very big honor, Maya. It’s this Friday afternoon, right after school. From about 4:00 to 5:00, and then a family banquet right after."

My stomach dropped. The happiness and joy I had carried since lunch vanished.

"Wait, Friday?" I stammered, my voice rising. "Right after school? No. Uh-uh. I can't go."

Maya’s dad paused his phone conversation, lowering the receiver to stare at me. Her mom’s smile completely faltered, her brow furrowing in confusion. 

"What do you mean you can't go? Maya, this is your father’s biggest night. We have to be there to support him."

"I have plans," I insisted, crossing my arms defensively. "Important plans. I can't just cancel them."

"Plans? What plans could be more important than your family?" her mom asked, her tone shifting from excited to deeply disappointed.

Frustration flared up in my chest. Over the last couple of weeks, I had actually been trying hard to learn Japanese. At first, it was just a survival tactic so I wouldn't get caught, but then I started practicing more just so I could communicate better and navigate Maya's life without constant suspicion. But right now, the stress was boiling over, and the words tumbled out of my mouth in a sharp, defensive mix of the language I’d been forcing myself to study.

"行けません！(I can't go!)" I snapped, my accent clunky but the anger behind it was crystal clear. 

"本当に無理です。(It's truly impossible.) I already said yes to someone else! Why do I always have to do what everyone else wants?"

Maya’s dad slammed the phone down on the cradle. "摩耶、その態度は何だ？ (Maya, what is that attitude?)" he demanded, his voice echoing off the kitchen walls. "家族のお祝いだぞ。(This is a family celebration.) You will come with us, and you will support this family. There is no discussion."

"No!" I yelled back, reverting to English as my temper completely took over. "You don't understand! This is my life, and I am not ruining my Friday night for some boring corporate dinner! I'm not going!"

"Maya!" her mother shouted, stepping forward, her face pale with shock. "How can you be so selfish? This is your father's hard work!"

"I don't care!" I screamed.

I grabbed my backpack from the floor, spun on my heel, and sprinted up the stairs before they could say another word. 

I slammed Maya's bedroom door so hard the framed sketches on her wall rattled. I threw myself onto the bed, trembling with absolute rage. They were going to ruin everything. Jaxon was expecting me. If I missed this party, the illusion would shatter, and I’d be stuck back at the bottom of the social ladder forever.

I wasn't going to let them lock me down. I was going to that party on Friday night, even if I had to sneak out of the window to do it.

But as I lay there, staring at Maya's closet full of oversized flannels and baggy jeans, a horrific realization hit me. I couldn't go to Kane’s house looking like a total charity case. If I was going to debut as Jaxon's girl, I needed to look the part. I needed a killer outfit, professional makeup, and hair supplies. I needed my old resources.

A slow, scheming smile crept across my face as a perfect solution formed in my mind.

I grabbed Maya’s phone, unlocked it with an aggressive swipe, and dialed a number I knew by heart. It rang three times before the line picked up.

"Chloe?" Maya’s voice came through the speaker, sounding exhausted and tense in my original, beautiful voice. "Why are you calling me?"

"Shut up and listen to me, Maya," I interrupted. I leaned against the headboard, tapping my nails against the mattress. "I need you to do something for me. Go into my walk in closet. Look inside the top drawer of the jewelry vanity, right behind the velvet watch box."

There was a long pause on the other end. "What? Why?"

"Because," I smirked, my eyes gleaming with total defiance in the dark bedroom. "You’re going to take my black credit card out of that drawer, and you are going to bring it over to your house for me tonight. Don't be late.”