Chapter 4

After getting Vivian to sleep, Elias stood alone on the balcony, smoking. His tall figure seemed to merge with the night, with only the glowing tip of his cigarette visible. His face was expressionless, and he repeatedly rubbed the cigarette with his thumb, a clear sign that something was deeply troubling him.

I lingered a little over an arm's length away, watching him with indifference. They had just confessed their feelings for each other, so I couldn't fathom what could be bothering him.

Oh, right. We hadn't broken up yet. Maybe it was just the frustration from earlier, a desire left unmet, I mused.

Suddenly, his phone chimed. Elias immediately checked it, his dark eyes glued to the screen. A moment later, disappointment flickered across his face.

Curiosity got the better of me, and I drifted over to peek at his screen. What I saw left me stunned.

Elias had opened our chat on WhatsApp. We hadn't spoken since that massive argument. The last message was from me: "Hey Elias, your birthday is in a week! What would you like as a gift?"

He probably hadn’t replied because he was busy with work that day or maybe at the hospital with Vivian.

Now, Elias was absentmindedly scrolling up and down, refreshing the chat as if hoping a new message would appear.

I didn’t know how to react. As I was lost in thought, Elias sent a message.

Elias: "It's 11:30 PM."

I immediately understood his reminder. It was half-past eleven at night, and his birthday was almost over.

I had never missed his birthday in the past five years. I would always prepare him a special birthday meal, and this year, I hadn’t even wished him a happy birthday.

But I would never say it again. Not now, not ever.

Because I'm already gone.