The Forgotten Birthday
June sat at her desk, her fingers idly tracing patterns on the smooth surface. The entire morning had felt off, like a dream where everything was just slightly wrong. She had told her friends not to make a big deal out of her birthday this year, she always did, but they never listened. Every year, without fail, they would wake her up with calls, cheerful voices filling her ears before she was even fully conscious. Messages would flood in, sometimes even embarrassing voice notes from Dora or Jane, singing off-key just to annoy her.
But today? Silence.
Her phone screen was blank. No missed calls, no messages, nothing.
She told herself it was fine. This was what she wanted, right? No unnecessary fuss, no reminder of the day that carried more pain than joy.
Yet, the longer the silence stretched, the more uneasy she became.
Had they really… forgotten?
Her friends weren't exactly known for following instructions, especially when it came to her birthday. Every year, they ignored her protests, determined to make the day special in some way. So why was this year different?
A bitter laugh bubbled in her throat. Maybe they finally listened to her, but instead of feeling relieved, a strange hollowness settled in her chest.
She sighed, unlocking her phone for what felt like the hundredth time in the past hour.
Still nothing.
Her fingers hovered over Dave's contact. If anyone shouldn't have forgotten, it was him. They had been on the topic just last night. He'd teased her, asking what she would do if he threw her a party, and she had rolled her eyes, warning him not to.
He wouldn't forget. Would he?
A sharp knock on her office door pulled her out of her thoughts. Before she could answer, the door pushed open, revealing Linda striding in with her usual air of authority.
"June," Linda called, her heels clicking against the floor as she approached.
For the first time all morning, June's lips parted slightly in relief. The sight of the bouquet in Linda's hands made her heart jump.
Finally! Someone remembered.
She almost smiled, already imagining Linda handing her the flowers with a curt but well-meaning birthday wish.
But instead, Linda stopped in front of her desk and extended the bouquet, toward herself, inhaling the scent briefly before setting them aside like an afterthought.
June's lips parted, her hope flickering.
"Can you help me with a dress choice? I have a dinner with an investor tonight," Linda said, completely bypassing any mention of June's birthday.
The smile that had barely begun to form died a swift death.
Her fingers curled into a fist beneath the desk.
A dinner?
She swallowed the lump in her throat, keeping her expression neutral.
"Excuse me?" she said, her voice dangerously close to betraying her disappointment.
Linda raised an eyebrow. "You heard me. I need your help choosing the perfect dress. It's an important meeting."
Important.
So was today.
June forced a breath through her nose.
"You're asking me for fashion advice?" she asked dryly, eyeing Linda's always-impeccable outfit.
Linda smirked. "Don't flatter yourself. I just trust your judgment on what's appropriate for the occasion."
June clenched her teeth. Appropriate for the occasion. Oh, the irony.
Her gaze flickered back to the flowers, still sitting on Linda's desk.
A small voice in her head whispered: Maybe she's testing you. Maybe she's waiting for you to bring up your birthday, just to see if you care that no one has wished you yet.
But no.
This was Linda. Direct, no-nonsense, all business.
And if she had remembered, she would have just said it.
The little hope that had sparked moments ago fully extinguished.
Even her parents hadn't called.
Her mother might be a tyrant, but she never skipped June's birthday. Every year, she would either call with a stiff, obligatory wish or send a delivery of June's favorite cupcakes with a curt note. It was predictable, routine.
Yet today, her phone remained silent.
June swallowed, pushing down the sharp sting of disappointment.
Linda was still watching her expectantly, waiting for an answer.
She should refuse.
Tell Linda she had other things to do, maybe throw in a vague excuse about work.
But instead, she found herself rising to her feet, voice eerily calm.
"Why should I?"
Linda tilted her head, unfazed. "Because I asked. And because I don't trust anyone else's opinion on this."
Before June could form a rebuttal, Linda grabbed her wrist, tugging her toward the door with her usual efficiency.
"Come on," she said. "Let's not waste time."
June let herself be pulled along, her heart sinking with every step.
Has everyone really forgotten?
….
"I owe you this one," Thomas murmured, his voice carrying the weight of guilt as he bowed his head. His fingers trembled slightly as he reached for Lizzy's hand, the very same hand now attached to tubes and strings that fed into her veins.
She lay in the hospital bed, fragile but still so full of unspent fury.
"I should have told you the truth earlier," he admitted. "You deserved more, and I kept holding you back."
A confession, raw and unfiltered.
But it wasn't enough.
Lizzy scoffed, a bitter sound filled with nothing but pain. "Is that all you have to say?" Her voice cracked, but she refused to break, not yet.
Tears threatened, burning at the edges of her eyes, but she forced them down.
"My baby is gone because of you," she whispered, each word laced with agony. "And all you can say is this?"
Even a monster has a heart when it comes to its child.
And what was she, if not just a human, a woman who had given everything, only to be discarded?
A shaky breath left her lips as she stared at him, searching his face for something, anything, that could lessen the pain clawing at her chest.
"Did you ever love me?"
Her question made him flinch.
For the first time since he entered the room, Thomas couldn't meet her eyes. His gaze dropped, avoiding the weight of her sorrow.
The silence stretched.
And then
"At first, I thought it was love," he admitted quietly. "But with time… I realized I still love her."
Lizzy felt something inside her snap.
A sharp, broken laugh tore from her lips as she turned her head away, blinking back the wetness in her eyes. God, why does it still hurt this much?
During their years together, not once had she strayed, not once had she even considered loving another. But him?
The moment his ex-wife returned, he had gone running back to old memories, back to her.
He made it look so easy.
Like she was nothing.
Like her love, her devotion, her sacrifices, had meant nothing.
Even a white lie would have been easier to bear than this brutal, gut-wrenching truth.
Her hands curled into fists, nails digging into the sheets beneath her.
"By 'with time'… you mean after she came back?" she said slowly, her voice low, dangerous. "So up until then, I was just… a replacement? A perfect substitute for you and your daughter?"
Her throat tightened.
She wanted him to deny it.
She needed him to say she was wrong.
But his silence told her everything.
Her breath came out shaky, her vision blurring as the realization set in.
She had never truly been his first choice.
She had only been a temporary fix, a second option, something to keep him warm until he could return to the woman he truly loved.
And it was his fault, all of it.
If she became something cruel, something unrecognizable, it was because he made her this way.
"I'm sorry," Thomas murmured. "Lizzy, you deserve more. And I know one day, you'll find someone who truly loves you."
Oh, now he wanted to say goodbye?
Now, after years of making her believe she was his world, after making her dream of a future that would never come, he wanted to set her free?
No.
No, this wasn't the end.
Before she could say another word, the door swung open.
"Dad, shall we go?" His daughter's voice cut through the air like a blade. "I'm getting late for practice."
Lizzy's chest tightened.
She watched as his hesitation lasted only a second before he rose to his feet, already turning toward his daughter.
He left her there.
Just like that.
Forsaking the silent plea in her eyes.
Abandoning her, again.
He walked out the door, leaving her behind to suffer alone.
With the physical pain.
With the emotional pain.
With the gut-wrenching loss of a child who would never open their eyes again.
With the betrayal of a man she had given everything to.
She lay still, numb, staring at the ceiling as the sharp sting in her chest grew heavier.
Was it worth it?
All the love she had given, all the care, the devotion, was this the reward she got?
A life full of emptiness?
Her fingers trembled as she touched her stomach, where her child had once been.
A tear slid down her cheek.
And then, just as quickly, she wiped it away.
No more tears.
No more weakness.
This wasn't the end.
Her lips curled, though there was no joy in it, only something dark, something broken.
"Thomas," she murmured, her voice steady, chilling.
"You'll lose what I've lost."
….
The night wind wrapped around June's bare skin, sending a chill down her spine. She rubbed her arms, trying to fend off the cold as she took another careful step forward.
"Where the hell are they taking me?" she wondered, irritation bubbling inside her.
Jane and Dora had called her out here, to this dimly lit, uneven path where her heels had already missed a step or two. The ground was riddled with broken patches her eyes couldn't make out clearly. To make matters worse, the sky was as moody as she felt—starless, the moon hiding its glow behind thick clouds.
June huffed, regretting her decision to let Linda choose this dress for her. It clung too tightly to her stomach, squeezing the very life out of her. And these heels? Absolute torture. This was no outfit for wandering around in the dark.
"This better be good, or I'm killing them both."
Just as she was about to call out in frustration
"Surprise!!!"
A chorus of voices crashed into her ears, making her jump back in shock. Her heart slammed against her ribs as bright lights flickered on all around her, illuminating the scene she hadn't realized she had walked into.
Her body tensed, her hands clutching the sides of her dress as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness.
And then she saw them
All her close friends and family, gathered in a beautifully decorated outdoor space, their faces glowing with joy.
She blinked rapidly, trying to take it all in.
Jane and Dora, the traitors who had lured her out here, stood in the front, laughing at her stunned reaction. Linda, the mastermind behind her outfit struggle, smirked knowingly.
Her mother stood beside them, the same woman who had earlier called to ask what shoe color she should wear to a friend's party. June had thought it was odd, but now she realized—it was a lie.
And her mother-in-law… The woman who had texted her pictures of her son, claiming they were on a special day out, stood grinning.
"They were all in on this."
Then, just when she thought she had processed it all, large banners with her face were lifted high by the guys, their teasing grins wide. Samantha stepped forward, holding tiny figures of her in a swing, a touch that nearly made June's throat tighten with emotion.
She should have known.
Since when did her mom ever call her for fashion advice? Since when did Linda care that much about picking the right dress?
Her lips parted in disbelief, and despite herself, a small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.
"Good for them," she thought. They had managed to pull this off.
Her chest warmed as Dora stepped forward, carrying a cake, her voice rising in song. The others quickly joined, clapping and cheering as they approached.
June swallowed the lump in her throat, her fingers grazing the side of the cake as Dora held it up.
"They did all this for me."
"Make a wish," Dora said, her tone softer now, filled with affection.
June closed her eyes, letting the moment settle in her heart.
For years, her birthday had been nothing but a painful reminder, a day she had long since abandoned celebrating. But tonight, surrounded by the people who loved her, she felt something shift.
Maybe this year could be different.
She took a breath, made her wish, and blew out the candles.
As the crowd erupted in cheers, she found herself wrapped in warm embraces, her mother, her mother-in-law, even Linda pulled her into a tight squeeze.
But even as joy spread through her, a small part of her still felt unsettled.
She pulled away slightly, her eyes scanning the crowd, searching.
Something, or rather, someone, was missing.
"Are you looking for Dave?"
James' voice cut through her thoughts, and she turned to find him smirking knowingly at her.
June hesitated for only a second before nodding.
Her heart had been waiting for his wish the most. Everyone else had wished her, hugged her, celebrated with her—but he was nowhere in sight.
Where was he?
Her fingers tightened around the hem of her dress as she looked past James, hoping maybe Dave was waiting with another surprise.
But he wasn't there.
Her patience began to thin.
"Sorry to say, but he won't be available tonight," Edward joked, his chuckle only making her glare sharpen.
"Stop messing with her," Dora scolded, nudging him with her elbow. "Tell her where her man is."
"And be quick about it," Jane added, linking arms with James. "Mrs. Deen here can't wait much longer to have her guy in front of her."
"If he takes too long, we might have to admit her," Samantha teased, laughing as she pointed at June's expression. "She's already looking ready to lose her mind with worry."
June narrowed her eyes. They're all enjoying this too much.
James raised his hands in surrender before finally relenting.
"A patient of his called," he explained. "It was an emergency, so he had to go. But he'll be here soon, there's no way he'd miss this. He planned everything, after all."
June let out a breath, part relief, part frustration.
"He better be."
Or his head would be served to the birds.
….
At the other end of the city, Dave found himself watching over Bella who had call crying for help. Being her doctor and kind , he ran to her aid.
"Bella!"
Dave's voice echoed through the apartment, bouncing off the quiet walls. A moment ago, she had been sitting right there, curled up on the couch while he stepped away to grab her some water. But now, the space where she had been was empty.
His brows furrowed as he turned toward the hallway.
"She couldn't have left. Not in her condition."
A loud crash shattered the silence.
His heart pounded as he rushed toward the sound, his feet carrying him straight to her bedroom.
The sight that met him sent a cold wave of dread through his spine.
Bella stood in the middle of the room, her hands shaking violently, fresh blood staining her pale fingers. A shattered vase lay at her feet, its jagged edges still clutched in her grasp.
Her wide, unblinking eyes weren't on him, though.
She was staring at something else, something invisible to him.
"Don't come near!" she shrieked, staggering backward. The vase trembled in her grip, its sharp point angled toward her own body.
Her lips quivered as she continued speaking, not to Dave, but to the empty air in front of her.
"I told you to stay away! Don't you dare come closer, or I swear I'll stab you! I mean it!"
Dave froze.
His breath was steady, his hands at his sides, but his mind worked quickly.
She wasn't seeing him. She was seeing someone else.
"Bella," he called softly.
Her head snapped toward him, her panicked gaze flickering between him and whatever phantom loomed in her mind.
"You can hand me the vase," he coaxed, his tone firm yet gentle. "I'll protect you. I won't let him hurt you."
Something in his words soothed her, confirmed what she believed.
Her breath hitched, her gaze still darting between Dave and the empty space she feared, but she took a hesitant step toward him. Then another.
Slowly, carefully, he reached out and pried the broken vase from her fingers. The blood smeared his skin as he took it away, but she didn't resist.
His eyes flicked to her hands, to the thin streams of red running down her wrist.
He exhaled sharply and moved to the closet, where he knew she kept her first-aid kit. Even after all these years, she was still a neat freak, everything had a place, everything was in order.
She was still the woman he once knew.
Or at least, she had been.
"I swear he was there," she whimpered as he cleaned the wounds, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dave didn't respond right away. He focused on wrapping the bandages around her hands, securing them carefully, ensuring they weren't too tight.
When he finally spoke, his voice was calm. "It's done. You should be fine now."
He moved to stand, but before he could, her hands shot out and clung to his shirt, pulling him back down with a desperate force.
She held him tightly, her arms locking around him, her fingers pressing into his back.
"I'm scared, Dave," she whispered against his chest, her breath ragged. "I'm scared he'll come back the moment you leave."
His jaw clenched.
With a sharp pull, he loosened her grip and straightened himself.
"There's no one here, Bella. It's just the two of us," he assured her, stealing a quick glance at his watch.
His stomach knotted.
Half past eleven.
If he stayed much longer, he'd be late. June was waiting, her party was waiting. He hadn't even wished her yet.
Bella must have noticed his hesitation because her fingers curled tighter into her bandages.
"Please," she pleaded. "Just a little longer. Please."
Dave swallowed hard.
He had promised to be there for June.
But Bella was here, now, breaking before his eyes.
"I can't," he finally said, his tone regretful. "But you can take your medicine. It'll help."
Bella's expression darkened slightly.
"What if he comes back when you leave?"
"He won't. Not if you take the medicine."
Without waiting for more argument, he grabbed the pill bottles from her side table, uncapping them swiftly. He placed a pill from each bottle into her palm and handed her a bottle of water.
She hesitated, her gaze flickering up to his.
His eyes weren't warm. They weren't filled with love or tenderness.
Just concern.
Pity.
She hated that look.
Grinding her teeth, she forced a small smile and swallowed the pills, washing them down with a gulp of water.
Dave exhaled in relief. "Call me if anything happens," he said.
Bella nodded, her movements stiff.
And then, just like that, he was gone.
The second the front door clicked shut, her body lurched forward, her feet dragging her toward the bathroom.
Her stomach twisted as she jammed her fingers down her throat, forcing the pills back up. It took only a few moments before she coughed them out into the sink, her body trembling.
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, panting.
A soft chuckle echoed through the room.
Bella froze.
Her cat-like eyes flicked toward the mirror, then toward her bed.
A figure lounged there, resting on her elbows, a smirk playing on her lips.
"Why do you go through all this?"
Bella's lips pressed into a thin line. She grabbed a towel, drying her hands as she stepped out of the bathroom.
"Why shouldn't I?" she countered, her voice eerily calm. "If it means getting close to him, then I'm more than willing."
Her gaze darkened, the mask of innocence slipping as pure hatred twisted her features.
She saw her again.
June.
Her hands clutching Dave's arm. Her laughter. Her touch.
Bella's fingers tightened around the towel, her knuckles turning white before she threw it to the floor in a fit of rage.
"How dare she?" she seethed.
The figure on the bed rolled her eyes. "Oh, please. Stop being so dramatic. Did you really expect him to wait for you?"
Bella's head snapped toward her.
"Ten years, Bella. Ten years you were gone. Of course, he moved on.**"
The room was silent.
Too silent.
Bella's hand shot forward, her fingers clamping around the woman's throat in a vice-like grip.
"Keep your lectures to yourself," she hissed. "I know what I did."
A smirk curled on the woman's lips, completely unbothered by the choking grip.
Bella's eyes flared before she finally let go, pushing the hallucination away.
She turned, inhaling sharply.
"I left everything for him. I abandoned my career to come back."
The woman tilted her head. "No, you didn't. You came back because you needed treatment. And now you're using it to manipulate him."
Bella's nails dug into her palms.
The words were true.
Painfully true.
Her company had offered to provide the best psychiatric care, but she had refused. Why?
Because this was the perfect excuse.
This was her way back in.
Dave was too kind. Too soft. He'd believe her.
And if he didn't…
She would make sure he had no choice.
"What will you do now?" the hallucination asked, amusement dancing in her voice.
Bella's lips curved into a slow, twisted smile.
"Set flames where the fuel has already been spread."
Her hand swung wildly, laughter bubbling up from her throat.
"June won't forgive him for missing her special day. And once doubt poisons their love"
Her smile stretched, her voice dripping with venom.
"That's when I'll take him back."
An hour of sitting in traffic had finally come to an end, but as Dave stepped out of the car, his chest tightened at the empty scene before him.
The once lively space was now deserted, no laughter, no music, no signs of the celebration that had once filled the air. The only thing left was a scattering of decorations, a few stray balloons drifting aimlessly in the night breeze.
His jaw clenched as he checked his watch.
1:30 AM.
He exhaled sharply.
Damn.
He was too late.
And one thing was for sure, he was in big trouble.