I Always Carried Every Joke Too Far

My name is Ivan Barnes. I was born a people-pleaser, always going above and beyond to meet others’ demands.

The nanny wouldn’t let me eat ice cream, saying hot water was better for my health, so I brought her boiling water to drink.

My cousin said he deserved a share of my property, so that evening at the family dinner, I actually pulled him aside and asked my parents to adopt him as their son.

Over time, no one dared to act out in front of me.

As long as I’m around, everyone speaks with caution.

The year I graduated from college, my parents arranged a fiancée for me, Rylee Lynch.

She has a deeply bonded foster brother named Finley Lynch.

That day on the yacht, Finley raised his glass and smiled at me, "Ivan, Rylee is your benefactor from a past life. The butterfly birthmark below her chest is the proof."

"You must repay her with a lifetime of gratitude!"

The deck burst into laughter instantly. Rylee’s friends covered their mouths, giggling, and egged me on to swear to be a good husband.

I put down my glass and said to the gentle and elegant woman sitting beside me, "Take off your dress, let me see your proof."

Everyone on the yacht looked at each other in disbelief. They all thought they had misheard.

Finley awkwardly scratched his head and said, "Ivan, what are you talking about?"

"I’m just joking, why take it seriously? You’re embarrassing Rylee."

I snapped my fingers, and the surveillance footage appeared on the big screen, while the music from the speakers stopped.

The screen lit up, the speakers played again, and his joke from moments ago repeated over and over.

I stared at Finley’s pale face and smiled slightly. "Sorry, I’m the kind of person who always believes what I hear."

"If I tear Rylee’s dress and find no birthmark, it means what you said isn’t about past-life romance but an affair between you two. I’ll post the video online and make sure you both become famous."

The crowd around was stunned.