Chapter 2
Ryan probably didn't even realize how distracted he was.
The waiter called out to him several times, "When should we start?"
Her voice caught the attention of a few classmates, but he didn't seem to hear her at all.
His so-called surprise was falling apart at the seams, but I had to pretend I didn't notice.
Ryan finally snapped out of it and nodded quickly.
The lights dimmed instantly, and music started playing.
Someone in a fuzzy cartoon mascot costume wheeled in a cake—a massive three-tiered one with a tiny dancing princess figurine on top.
When I was little, my favorite things were cartoon characters and Barbie princesses.
Ryan suddenly stood up and took my hand, pulling me forward.
I knew he'd been lying to me, but in that moment, the tears came anyway. I couldn't stop them.
For just a second, I wanted to lie to myself—to pretend the boy I'd grown up with hadn't betrayed me.
"Why are you crying? Too happy to handle it?" Ryan smiled at me like he had for years, and his hand wrapped around mine as we cut the cake together.
We sliced it into small pieces and loaded them onto plates, handing them out to our classmates one by one. Everyone gave me their sweetest wishes.
"Happy every day, Sophie."
"Good luck with everything, Sophie."
It was perfect—exactly like the birthday parties Diana used to throw for me when I was younger. But there's always someone who can't let things stay nice.
When the cake reached Emily, her face darkened.
I pretended not to notice and set the plate down on the table in front of her.
The next second, she swept it off with one violent motion.
The plate hit the floor, and the delicate china Ryan had carefully chosen shattered on impact.
My heart lurched, and shattered porcelain flew everywhere. A sharp piece sliced across my arm.
I crouched down instinctively to pick up the pieces, but Ryan pulled me into his arms. He looked me over quickly, and when he spotted the red streak on my arm, his expression darkened.
Emily's eyes were already red-rimmed, and Ryan's protective gesture made her voice crack with tears.
She shot me a vicious glare. "Cut the act. If it weren't for you and your mom, I could've had birthdays like this too! Your mom is nothing but a—"
I slapped her before she could finish.
Ryan flinched, and his arm around my shoulders loosened.
Emily clutched her cheek and turned to Ryan with tears in her eyes. "I've never had a birthday party. No one's ever celebrated my birthday, do you understand? And it's all because of Sophie—because of her and her mom!"
Whispers erupted around us. I felt everyone's eyes on me, judging, evaluating. Some looked at me with disgust.
I saw a few classmates put down their cake and shove their plates away.
I sighed inwardly. It was my last birthday party with these people, and I wanted everyone to be happy.
I tried to say something, but then Ryan looked at Emily with such concern that my chest tightened painfully.
Emily couldn't take it anymore and ran out.
Ryan let go of me and started to move.
"Don't go." I grabbed his arm, my eyes pleading.
Ryan hesitated and glanced at me. Disapproval slowly filled his expression, and he turned his head away and brushed off my hand.
His voice was heavy with reproach. "Why did you hit her? Emily's clearly upset, and if something happens to her, are you going to take responsibility?"
Ryan left without hesitation, and it didn't just embarrass me—it made everyone else uncomfortable too. The whole party fell apart after that, and my classmates started making excuses to leave one by one.
I gripped the little princess figurine from the top of my cake, and its sharp edges dug into my palm. It hurt, but I didn't let go.