On Her Birthday

Alexandra Lexi

I paced up and down the bedroom, skimming at the huge clock that was appropriately hung in the wall from time to time. As I glanced at the clock, I darted my gaze to my daughter, Isabelle, who was sleeping peacefully on the bed and then to the beautiful dinner date setting at the corner of my bedroom with candles lit around the chairs and tables to set the perfect atmosphere for the evening. Carefully, I carried Isabelle in my arms, took her to her bedroom, and tucked her in the bed. A beautiful smile was etched on my face as I stared at her oval white face that looked exactly like mine. She was the sole reason I hadn't gone crazy in this house. She was the reason I have been holding the humiliation and maltreatment in.

"Goodnight, darling," I mumbled, pressed a kiss on her forehead as I coated her with the duvet. Afterward, I went to switch the lights off and walked out of her room.

"He has done it again," I said in my head, nibbling on my fingernails as I struggled to suppress the emotions sizzling within me. It wasn't worth it. This was not the first time he would be doing it. He missed her first birthday too.

It was my daughter's second year birthday, and we've decided to celebrate it in the house, amongst ourselves, since he didn't like us showing our faces to the public. He hadn't been home for seven days, but I sent him a text three days ago just to inform him of his daughter's birthday. I mean, even if he hated me so much for marrying him, he wouldn't hate his daughter, would he?

It was past 12am, and he wasn't home yet. At this point, all hope was lost. He didn't come for his daughter's birthday. He missed my beautiful angel's birthday for the second time.

Tears rushed to lids as I retracted my gaze from the clock. With a sigh, I wiped the little tears in the corner of my eyes and reclined on one of the chairs.

I wouldn't cry. I don't want to shed a tear for what wasn't working despite everything I have invested in it. My time, career, dreams, strength, everything. Yet it didn't work. Pulling my hands forward, I grabbed one of the wines on the table and poured some into the glass in front of me.

"Ryan Middleton! You are such a dick!" I seethed, chugging the content of the glass in a go. I poured myself another one and did the same.

"Tssk..." I chuckled, reminiscing on how we started. It must have been so foolish of me to think we could work things out knowing how he was forced to marry me five years ago. I was just a young girl who worked as a cleaner in his grandmother's company, and the old woman took a liking to me on the same day she saw me. She didn't propose the marriage immediately, but she wouldn't miss the opportunity to tell me how wonderful her grandson was and how we would be perfect for each other.

Did I think about what she said? Oh, yes. I did. I thought it would be nice if I could end up with his grandson, who I had unintentionally bumped into once in the company. I thought it wouldn't be bad to be Cinderella, forgetting that Cinderella was just a fiction. It was just mere imagination. I forgot that the reality was harsher, but Ryan Middleton and his family wouldn't stop reminding me.

I was already tipsy by the time I finished the first bottle, but I didn't stop there. I opened the second bottle and began drinking it before I decided to boost the atmosphere with some music. Thankfully, I had everything all planned out so I didn't have to go to the living room to listen to music. Staggering and slurring, I walked up to the home theater I set in the bedroom for the dinner date and turned it on. I made sure it was in the highest volume and began swinging my body to the rhythm while singing along with the lyrics.

"Oh yeah!" I shouted on top of my voice, climbing the bed, swinging my body, and swirling my hands in the air.

Will I regret tonight? Yes.

But am I scared? Hell No. I have absolutely nothing to lose anymore. Whatever happens tomorrow, I will take my responsibility.

*

"Lexi! Lexi!! Open the door, you leech!" I could hear the venomous voice in my dream.

"It will be that bastard, Emily. What the hell does she want? Why does she have to disturb me in my dream too?" I grumbled, twitching my face as I opened my eyes. My brain stopped working for a few seconds when I realized that I wasn't dreaming. It wasn't a dream.

"I am going to break this damn door down if you don't open it," Emily shouted on top of her lungs, thumping on the door tirelessly. She was Ryan's sister and one of the devils I have in the Middleton's family.

"Oh my God!" I mumbled, jumping on my feet and forgetting how heavy I drank in the middle of the night, which caused me to lose control of my posture, and I staggered backward. Fortunately, I grabbed the chair before I could stumble onto the floor.

"Are you deaf, Lexi? Is this your new way of showing your craziness?" Emily kept screaming and banging the door aggressively. There was venom in her voice.

Ignoring the pang of pain silting my head like a double-edged sword, I rushed to the door, turned the key in the knob, and unlocked it. Emily didn't wait to open it before she kicked it, causing the door to hit my mouth. My lips silted open, and blood spewed out of them.

"Ouch!" I groaned, holding my lips.

Emily sauntered inside, scrutinizing the room with her eyes with a mocking smirk on her lips.

"Wow! You finally showed one of your horrible behaviors," she let out as her eyes fell on the empty bottles of wine on the table and floor. "No wonder you were disturbing the peace of the house with your noise in the middle of the night," she continued. "My brother's personal maid was having the fun of her life."

"Emily!" I called, paying less attention to the blood spilling out of my lips unhurriedly.

"Shut your mouth, Lexi! Don't you dare call my name with that stinky mouth of yours. Who the hell do you think you are?" Emily fired, closing up on me. I took steps backward, planning to avoid her and her troubles. I wasn't feeling well this morning. I didn't know if it was because of the drinks I had, but something wasn't right about how I felt internally that morning.

"Emily, please....,"

"I just told you to shut your horrible mouth!" She growled, spitting in my face. Her gaze darted over me for a few seconds before she shut her eyes and opened them back. "Guess what...!" She smiled, "I am going to turn a blind eye to your misbehavior last night. Go downstairs and prepare breakfast for everyone. You have twenty minutes to do that," she instructed and started walking toward the door.

Without moving, I said, "I don't think I will be able to do anything this morning, Emily. You can ask Auntie Cynthia to do that." My voice was calm but raspy. My breath grew heavy and hot.

"And why would Cynthia do that?" She asked, stopping in her tracks and facing me.

"Isn't it obvious? She's the maid, and Ryan pays her for her work," I answered, struggling with the jumbled weird sensations that were sizzling within me and coursing through my veins. My vision was gradually getting dim, and I felt beads of sweat breaking out of my skin.

Emily smirked and folded her arms. "And what are you? Have you forgotten that you are a maid in this house too? Just because you charmed my grandmother and seduced my brother to bed doesn't make you a wife. You are just a maid. The privilege you are enjoying is because you have a daughter for Ryan, of which I am not even sure if she's his biological daughter. Who knows if Isabelle is a bastard?" She let out without any care in her voice. And that was it. That was my limit. That was all I could endure from Emily.

"Don't you call my daughter a bastard, Emily? What exactly is your problem? If you have a problem with me, face me. Fucking face me and leave my daughter out of it. Not every woman will be as shameless as you are." I growled in her face, forgetting that I wasn't feeling too well.

Emily was taken aback by my retaliation and was forced to tilt her head backward as she glanced at me in shock. The last thing she expected was me talking back at her.

She pursed her lips and forced out a smile. "Please complete your statement, Lexi. What's so shameless about me? I mean, I am not some cheap pauper. I don't force myself on a man who doesn't love me because of his money. I am not a gold digger, Lexi!" She screamed the last statement with her veins puking out of her skin as she was fully enveloped by anger.

"You are not a gold digger, but you are a whore who sleeps with men at every chance she gets." I fired back, and the next thing she did was hit me hard on the face, causing my face to tilt to the side.

"How dare you!" She muttered in between gritted teeth, seething with fury as fireballs danced in her eyes.

My hand went to the spot she slapped, which had turned crimson red as a stinging sensation traveled all over my body. I smiled. However, before I could say something, she slumped on the floor and let out a loud cry. "Lexi!" She winced. And at the same time, the door opened, and Ryan dashed in.

I needn't be told before I realize that I have been set up by Emily.