Chapter 2
Brielle had just caught her breath when she saw what I was doing and screamed, "You lunatic! What the hell do you want now?"
I ignored her and walked straight up to her.
She thought I was going to force more wine down her throat, so she scrambled back, panicking.
Instead, I just twisted off the cap and poured it right over her head, soaking her carefully styled waves.
"You want a hair wash? Well, there are twelve bottles here. Let's see if that's enough for you today!" I said.
The cold wine splashed all over Brielle's head, and she screamed like a pig being slaughtered.
"Oh my god! My hair! My clothes! Zachary! Mom! She's totally nuts!" she cried.
Zachary finally snapped out of it, roaring as he rushed at me and shoved me hard. "Jasmine, that's enough!"
He put all his strength into it, trying to knock me down.
But today, I felt like I had endless energy.
I used the momentum from his shove to spin around, my arm whipping through the air, and landed a solid slap right across his face.
Smack! The slap was crisp and loud.
Everything went silent.
Zachary clutched his rapidly swelling left cheek, his eyes wide as saucers.
His gaze was a mix of shock, humiliation, and disbelief.
"Jasmine... Did you just slap me? That's my sister! And right in the middle of the New Year!" he shouted.
He spat out each word through clenched teeth, like I was some unforgivable criminal.
Clatter. Leona flung the plate she was holding onto the floor.
She dropped herself onto the cold tiles, started slapping her thighs, and made a huge scene, rolling around and wailing.
"Oh my lord! This is just too much! What did our Vance family ever do to deserve a curse like her marrying into our home?" she cried.
"She hit her sister-in-law, and now her own husband! Is she trying to turn the world upside down? Zachary! Why are you just standing there? Divorce this viper right now! Kick her out!" she demanded.
Her screaming was piercing and dramatic, all for show.
Usually, whenever Leona did this, Zachary would come over and urge me to apologize to her, telling me to be the bigger person.
But today, I just stared at her with icy indifference.
That cursed stat was ticking up again, right on my retina display.
[Suppression Meter: 60%. Warning! Don't stop now. Your life is in danger!]
I took a deep breath, my gaze falling on the table loaded with food I'd spent the whole day making.
Eight hot dishes, six cold dishes, a family fortune barbecue, and there was a radish flower I'd carved myself, sitting right in the middle.
Every single dish was filled with my sweat and all the resentment I've endured.
And now, they're eating my food, drinking my wine, living under my roof, and still expect me to put up with it like some obedient mutt.
Why should I?
I looked around at the living room, a total mess thanks to Leona's tantrum.
I saw Brielle glaring at me with pure venom in her eyes, and Zachary just standing there, holding his face, totally at a loss.
I smiled.
"If none of you want me to have a good New Year, then guess what. No one gets to celebrate. We're all done here."
My voice was calm, so calm it stunned everyone for a moment.
The very next second, I walked over to the dining table and grabbed a corner of the tablecloth.
Zachary must've realized what I was about to do. His face went white. "Jasmine! Don't you dare!"
But it was too late.
I yanked hard with all my strength.
Crash! I whipped the silk tablecloth off the table, sending plates, bowls, glasses, and food flying everywhere.
In a split second, she lost all support and flew up into the air like scattered petals from a heavenly maiden, then slammed hard onto the floor.
The sound of shattering porcelain, exploding glass, and hot soup splashing mixed, creating a chaotic symphony.
Piping hot seafood soup splashed all over Zachary's pants, and he yelped, jumping up in pain.
The greasy braised pork sauce splattered across Leona's head and face.
She just sat there on the floor, her cries stopped cold, completely stunned.
Brielle shrieked and tried to dodge, but a plate of salad still drenched her from head to toe.
The whole house was a total mess.
And I stood right in the middle of the mess, seeing their shocked and furious faces, feeling a thrill like I'd never felt before.
[Pleasure Meter: +50! Suppression Meter: 20%! Lifespan increased by ten years! Congrats, host! Your total lifespan is now sixty-two years!]
So this was what it felt like to finally snap.
Shit, this was so fucking satisfying.
"Jasmine! Fuck you, you crazy bitch!" Zachary yelled, his voice hoarse with fury.
He finally snapped out of his pain and shock, his eyes bloodshot with rage. He charged at me like an enraged bull, fists raised and ready to strike.
This time, I didn't dodge.
I just pulled out my phone, pulled up the recording, and held it up for him to see.
"When Brielle dumped red wine on me and called me an ungly freak, I accidentally left my phone recording. So, everything's on tape," the voice said.