Chapter 2: A Disheartening Birthday

June

I woke up that morning with a strange feeling in my chest—a quiet kind of hope that maybe, just maybe, Lucas had remembered. After all, it was my birthday. Even if things between us had been strained lately, surely he wouldn’t forget. There was no way he would. I knew we would get past all of the drama that we've held between us. 

But as the morning light filtered through the curtains, my phone remained silent. I stared at it for a few minutes, waiting for the familiar buzz of a notification, the simple “Happy birthday” text that would at least acknowledge my existence. Nothing came. 

A part of me wasn’t surprised. This wasn’t the first time Lucas had neglected to remember. It had become almost normal now and I hated it. I let out a long, heavy breath, pushing down the familiar ache that settled in my chest. 

I tried calling him once, just to hear his voice, hoping for some small reassurance, but it went straight to voicemail.

I scoffed.  “No surprise there.” Deep down I expected it because he was always busy. Always somewhere else.

I knew better than to dwell on it. If I let myself think too long about the silence, it would only make the ache worse. So, I got dressed, slipped into my work clothes, and told myself that today wasn’t going to be any different. Birthday or not, life had to go on.

At work, the minutes dragged by slower than usual. I kept my phone nearby, checking it more often than I cared to admit. Maybe he was busy and would call later. Maybe he hadn’t forgotten after all. I reminded myself.

My phone finally buzzed in the early afternoon. For a fleeting second, my heart lifted, thinking it was Lucas. But when I saw the name on the screen, my heart sank. It was his secretary.

I hesitated before answering, already knowing the conversation wouldn’t be one I wanted to have. "Hello?"

"Hi, Mrs. Grey," her voice was polite, professional, and completely devoid of warmth. "I just wanted to let you know that Mr. Greys stay has been extended for a few more days. He’ll be travelling for the rest of the week."

I shuddered as I felt my skin crawl.  Of course, what the hell was I thinking, that he would remember?. I hadn’t even realized he was gone again. "Thank you for letting me know," I said, my voice hollow, barely managing to disguise the hurt.

The call ended, and I stood there for a moment, staring at the screen. My birthday. He hadn’t even given me the courtesy to tell me himself.

I pushed through the rest of the day in a daze, trying to ignore the growing fatigue that weighed me down. Everything felt heavier than usual, like the world was pressing in on me from all sides. My co-worker, Marissa, was the one who noticed first.

"You don’t look so good, June," she said, frowning at me as I finished up with a patient. 

"You should take the rest of the day off."

I shook my head, trying to force a smile. "I’m fine."

"You’re not fine," she said firmly, crossing her arms. "Go home. Take a break. You’ve been running yourself ragged."

I wanted to argue, but deep down, I knew she was right. "Okay," I whispered, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me.

I left the hospital and went home, but when I opened the door, the empty apartment greeted me like a slap in the face. Lucas was gone, and that little red box—the one holding my pregnancy results—was still sitting untouched on the counter, exactly where I had left it days ago. 

I stared at it, feeling a lump rise in my throat. I had planned to surprise him, to share the news that we were expecting. But now, it just seemed like one more thing I couldn’t tell him. One more secret to bury beneath the weight of all the others. 

I needed to get out. I couldn’t stay in that empty apartment, waiting for a man who didn’t care enough to remember my birthday. I grabbed my coat and keys, and without thinking, I headed to a bar. 

I knew it was a bad idea. I was pregnant, after all. But the weight of everything—the loneliness, the neglect, the betrayal—was suffocating, and I needed something to numb it, if only for a little while.

The bar was dimly lit, and the smell of alcohol and cheap perfume filled  the air. I ordered a drink, telling myself I wouldn’t actually drink it. But as the glass sat in front of me, temptation grew stronger. Maybe one sip wouldn’t hurt.

I stared at the drink, lost in thought, when I heard a voice beside me. "Rough night?"

Kyra

My heart sank when I spotted her and made her way over. I forced a smile as she slid into the seat across from me, her expression a mix of faux sympathy and concealed malice.

“You know this is not a place for someone like you. Giving your reputation and all.”

I tried to maintain my composure, though irritation bubbled beneath the surface. “I could say the same about you.”

“Oh, just out enjoying the evening,” she said, her eyes glinting with amusement. “But it seems you’re having a rather lonely birthday. That must be tough.”

I was shocked listening to her only made things worse. “How did you know that?” she chuckled. 

“Lucas tells me everything. We are best of friends and we have to be there for each other. In every way.” 

I bristled at her comment. “I can't do this wîth you.”

Kyra’s smile widened, though there was no warmth in it. “I see. You might be interested to know that he would keep choosing work over you. And I am going to be there with him through it all.”

 I felt a pang of hurt, but I tried to keep my voice steady. “You are just an outsider.”

“Am I though?” Kyra’s eyes narrowed, and her smile took on a more predatory edge. “You know, June, it’s quite understandable that you'd feel pain, for even neglecting you on this day. But sometimes, I wonder if it’s worth it. After all, Lucas is a busy man with important responsibilities. You don't have to take it so personally.”

The contempt in her voice was palpable, and I could feel my anger boiling over. “I don’t need your pity, Kyra.”

She raised an eyebrow, her expression almost mocking. “Pity? No, no, I’m just being honest. She stood up,  flashing me a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. "Oh, Lucas asked me to drop something off at the house. I hope you don’t mind."

Surprised, I turned to her. 

Mind? I wanted to scream. Of course I minded! But before I could find my voice, she continued, walking toward me with that same fake smile plastered on her face.

"You know," she said, looking closely at me with a casual air, "I love the colour of your bedroom. It would make a great nursery, don’t you think?"

My heart stopped. "Excuse me?" My blood boiled.

Her eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, I just think a baby would look so cute in that room. It has such a warm, welcoming vibe."

I felt like I was going to throw up. How did she know about my bedroom? How did she know anything about my life? And more importantly, why was she talking about babies? She sounded sure and I couldn't help but think if Lucas was yelling at her about our marriage? Lucas had welcomed a third party into our marriage and her presence even made me more sick. My stomach churned thinking about her words.

My mind raced, and all I could do was stare at her, frozen in place. It was as if she knew everything. As if she had already taken my place in Lucas’s life, in my home, in my marriage.

I couldn’t breathe. My legs staggered, too strained to stay in one place, and I gripped my glass for support, the bar was spinning around me. "Get out and stay out of my life! " I finally managed to say, my voice barely audible.

Kyra just shrugged, “I doubt that.” she brushed past me on her way to the door. 

"Take care of yourself, June. Stress isn’t good for the baby."

I stood there, trembling, watching her leave as if she had just ripped my world apart with a smile on her face. When the door clicked shut behind her, I sank to the floor, tears spilling down my cheeks.

How did it come to this? How had Lucas let this happen? And how the hell had I been so blind? Was he a party to this as well? To watch me suffer while he takes this bitch as his tag along? 

In my panic, I grabbed my phone and called the one person I knew would help. "Khloe," I whispered, my voice breaking, "I think I’m in trouble."

*

Khloe was waiting for me as soon as I got home.

“Hey, June,” she said, wrapping me in a warm hug. “How are you holding up?”

I let out a shaky breath, leaning into the comfort of her embrace. “It’s been a rough day. Lucas hasn’t called, and Kyra showed up at the bar.” panicked.

Khloe’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Kyra? That’s not good. Did she say anything?”

I hesitated, trying to find the right words. “She said she was at my home, claiming to run some errands for lucas.” Tears fell from my eyes.  “She made some comments that were hard to ignore. It felt like she was rubbing salt in the wound.”

Khloe nodded, her expression sympathetic. “I’m really sorry, June. You don’t deserve that.”

We settled into the living room, Chloe pouring us both some wine. I took a deep sip, the alcohol warming me slightly but doing little to lift the gloom hanging over me. 

 Chloe listened as I recounted the evening’s events, her face a mask of concern.

“I don’t know what to do, This is too much for me.” I said finally, my voice cracking. “Lucas is so distant, and Kyra seems to be everywhere. I just don’t know where I stand anymore.”

Chloe reached out and took my hand. “ Lucas can't keep hurting you like this, you have to speak to him.”