I opened my mouth to refuse, but the door swung open again before I could speak. Adeline entered, her arm wrapped intimately around Brian’s. A sweet, fake smile bloomed on her face. She hurried over to me, grasping my hand as if we were the closest of sisters.
Her voice turned soft and coaxing as she said, "Lilian, come on, just go. Brian’s been planning this for a long time to make you happy. If you don’t go, he’ll be sad."
Brian stood behind her, watching me closely with a faint glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.
"Let’s just go take a look, alright?"
The two of them were perfectly in sync, like they were performing a well-rehearsed duet. I felt as if a heavy stone was pressing down on my chest, suffocating me. But with Adeline tugging at me and Brian’s eyes fixed on me, I had no choice but to follow. I was dragged downstairs like a prisoner.
In the yard, a makeshift stage had been set up. A fire-breather was performing, sending blazing orange-red flames shooting high into the air. The heat was so intense that it burned my face from where I stood.