I tightened my grip on the nut chocolate, still trying to refuse politely.

Yvette noticed my lack of enthusiasm and shot a glance at Alicia, a colleague she was close to.

Alicia slipped behind me and jabbed me in the waist with a stealthy finger. The sudden pain made me gasp out loud.

Seizing the moment, Yvette crammed a piece of the nut chocolate into my mouth.

With a triumphant grin, Alicia grabbed a drink and started pouring it down my throat.

As the chocolate and nuts went down, my throat felt like it was being scraped raw, and a fiery sting spread fast.

Then came an overwhelming feeling of swelling, choking me from the inside.

My breaths turned shallow and rapid, and my face and neck broke out in a rash that was both itchy and painful.

"Ugh! Ack, ack!"

I coughed violently, trying to clear the blockage in my throat, but it was useless.

Yvette watched with folded arms, a sneer playing on her lips. "Wow, what a performance, huh?

"Ella, you're wasting your talent. You should be in film school."

Alicia joined in the mockery, "Seriously, you're all red in the face, really giving it your all. People might think we're poisoning you or something."

Keith let out a disgusted snort. "That's enough, Ella! Quit the drama, you're ruining the vibe! If you can't stand being here, then just leave!"

I tried to push myself up from the table, but my legs were unbearably heavy.

My sight grew foggy, as if I was looking through a thick curtain of water.

I clawed at my neck frantically, feeling my airway closing up, inch by inch.

"My medicine. I need my medicine..."

Words forced their way through my clenched teeth as I mustered every ounce of strength to reach for the handbag perched on the chair.

The bag tumbled to the floor, spilling its guts–lipstick, keys, tissues...

Frantically, I pawed at the ground, my fingers finally closing around the small medicine box: my lifeline.

My hands shook as I clawed open the box, only to be met with something else.

The white pills that should have been there had vanished, replaced by a few shards of chocolate.

How could this happen? Where was my medicine? Panic surged within me.

I was sure there had been at least three spare pills when I checked before leaving home.

Despair clutched at my heart like a vice.

Yvette's laughter rang out, cruel and merry. She crouched down, flaunting the empty medicine box before my eyes.

"Ella, is this what you're looking for?" Her voice dripped with glee. "Give up the search, I've disposed of it for you."

I snapped my head up, glaring at her through eyes streaked with red.

"Why?" I wheezed, each word etched in pain.

"Why?" Her grin widened, gleaming with malice. "You're always so delicate, so quick to suffer allergies. It's surely from all those drugs you take.

"They say every medicine has its poison. You'd be better off with sweets to boost your energy. That was why I sweetly swapped your pills for chocolate. Aren't I thoughtful?"

Her words, though soft, struck like lightning, reverberating in my ears.

She had tampered with my medicine!

She had known about my allergies all along, and with that vile act, she sought to end my life!

The air in my lungs was growing scarce, each breath searing like inhaling shards of hot glass.

I could not die there, not like this.

With a desperate instinct to survive, I dug into my pocket with the last bit of strength I had and pulled out my phone.

My fingers, trembling from lack of oxygen, managed to hit the speed dial I knew by heart, and I quickly typed out a text.

[Dad, help. Allergic reaction, at Victoria Garden Hotel, 3rd floor, Crystal Ballroom…]

As I hit send, my phone slipped from my limp grasp.

That was when I felt a stabbing pain in my leg. Yvette had jabbed me with her stiletto heel.

"Hey! Quit faking!

"Everyone, check this out. The show's getting real. She's twitching now! Should I call her an ambulance and get the spotlight on her?"

Laughter broke out, cruel and loud.

"Yvette, that's too much. Ella's just acting, let her be," someone chided.

"She's probably just trying to win Mr. Johnson's pity after losing face in the vote," another sneered.

Keith looked on, detached, merely sipping his drink without a hint of intervention.

Emboldened by his indifference, Yvette grabbed a chunk of chocolate from the box and forced it into my mouth.

"You like the drama, don't you, Ella? Here, have your prop. Eat up, and you might just snag an Oscar!"

The sharp edge of the chocolate with nuts tore into the corner of my mouth, the broken pieces mingling with my blood. The taste was so revolting I felt the urge to throw up, but I could not even muster the energy to gag.

My throat was clogged, the last wisp of air cruelly snatched away.

The world spun into a blur of colors before my eyes, the jeers around me fading into a distant echo.

'Dad, please hurry... I can't take it much longer...' I thought desperately.

As I teetered on the edge of unconsciousness, the banquet hall's doors were flung open with a bang.

The noise snapped everyone's attention to the entrance.

The man at the forefront bellowed with urgency, "Ella! I've come for you!"