"Happy birthday, Rome!"
Rome forced a smile at one of the company directors who greeted him.
The day of his and Daniel's birthday had finally come. But unlike the excitement he once felt counting down to this day, he now only wished it would end quickly.
This was supposed to be the day he would propose to Sylvia, the day he had imagined kneeling before her, offering his love and a future together. Instead, that dream had crumbled before his eyes, replaced by the cold reality forced on him.
It had become the very day he despised most. Because instead of Sylvia standing by his side as his fiancée, it would be Ingrid.
Every time he thought about how his plan to marry Sylvia had turned out so differently, it felt like the world was mocking him on what should have been the most special day of his life.
Rome clinked glasses with another guest, his lips curling into a practiced smile. But inside, he felt hollow.
