01

IRIS’ POV.

As I looked around the place, I couldn’t help but smile at myself proudly. I tucked my hair behind my ear as I shifted the table a little to the left.

“Better here, Miss?” One of the workers called out to me and I turned.

I licked my lips as I bent my head to the side. “A little higher, please. He’s tall, so he might bump into them.” I told him and he nodded as he adjusted it like I’d asked.

“Perfect.” I muttered as I smiled.

I rushed back to the kitchen as I continued with the cake I was baking. I really hoped Dave would like all of this. I had put in so much effort, even baking the cake myself so that he could hopefully feel all the love I had for him as he hated it.

I tucked my hair behind my ear as I grabbed the icing, blushing as I boldly wrote his name on the cake with a happy birthday and a flirty heart and kiss indicating that after the party, we would have a spicy night after.

I could feel the shivers travel down my spine as I thought of this, biting my lips.

“Someone’s having nasty thoughts.” I heard someone say as she nudged at me playfully.

“Trish!” I called, excitedly as I extended my hand for a hug. “Thank you for making it for Dave’s birthday, I really appreciate it.”

“Of course I would. I mean, you invited me yourself.” I smiled at her words as I finished up with the cake.

“Perfect.” I muttered to myself as I boxed it before placing it on the counter.

“And where’s the celebrant? I mean, he has to be around since he’s making you blush so much.” She teased and I chuckled.

“He’s not here yet, but he'll be here soon. I already sent him the address. He just has some work to do, but he'll definitely be here. Soon.” I told her, and for some reason, it felt like I was trying to convince myself that he would make it here, especially with how things had been going lately.

I shook my head as I took a deep breath. I had to stop thinking negatively. It was his twenty sixth birthday. I had made all these preparations, so he would definitely be here, regardless of how tired or how much work he had.

“You’ve spent so much here, Iris, don’t you think?” She asked me as she caressed the counter. “This presidential suite, decorators, food, the invites, cake, everything, Iris. Isn’t it a little too much?”

I stared around the place as I smiled slightly. “Nothing’s too much for Dave. I mean, if I’m being honest, I know I spent quite a lot on all of these, but, I’m hoping this will make him happy. Things have been going at work for him. He’s always busy and all. I just hope this will be the right stress reliever for him.” I smiled at her and she nodded as she patted my hair.

“I’m so glad I don’t have to deal with all of this.” I chuckled as I pushed her playfully.

.

“When will your husband be here, Iris? It’s been hours already.” One of my friends asked me and I forced a smile as I looked at my phone, staring at the unreturned calls.

I ran my fingers through my hair, doing my best to force the tears back in. “Just a little more time, please. I’ll put another call across.” I told the guests as I excused myself, to the bathroom to call Dave, for the fiftieth time.

I took a deep breath as I called again. “Please, take the call. At least, talk to me. Take the call.” I muttered to myself, but the beep at the end of the call left me feeling dejected, again.

I sat on the water closet as I buried my face in my hands. What was going on? How busy was he that he couldn’t even return any of my calls? Could there be something going on? He had promised to be here, after all.

Just as I was lost in thought, I received a call. Seeing Dave’s name pop up caused me to quickly wipe all my tears as I took the call.

“Are you here yet? Are….” I had even forgotten all the anger I was supposed to be feeling, but then, he cut me off.

“I’m sorry, Iris. I’m caught up with a lot of work. I won’t be able to make it. Don’t wait for me.” He told me, and before I could even say anything, he hung up.

.

I gasped as I felt the tears freely start to stream down my cheeks. I watched the door close after the final guest walked out of the suite and I felt my heart shattered into many pieces.

We couldn’t celebrate his twenty-fifth birthday together, so he had promised we would spend his other birthdays together, but here we were, on his twenty sixth, not spending it together, again.

I grabbed the bottle of wine on the table as I drowned myself in it, hoping I would be able to drown all my pain away with it and that was all I could recall before finally falling asleep, my heart thumping as my eyes got heavy with all the tears.

.

“Thank you for your time with us, Ma’am.” The receptionist told me as I handed her the master card for the suite I had spent the night in.

I forced a smile as I nodded, watching her finish all the formalities. I ran my fingers through my hair and just as I turned, standing right across me, hands thrown around another woman as they kissed, was none other than my husband, the man who couldn’t celebrate his birthday with me because he was “caught up with a lot of work”.

“Dave!” I called, my heart in my throat as I felt my eyes start to water.

Shocked, he broke his embrace with the woman and as they both turned to me, I felt my heart sink into my stomach as I realized the woman was none other than my own step sister, Tiffany.

“Dave? Tiffany? You….” I wiped my tears as I walked up to them, giving Dave a huge slap across the face as I gasped in disbelief.

“This?? This is the work you were caught up with?” I yelled at him as I pulled him hard by the shirt. “You were with my stepsister yet you freaking lied to me. You….” Before I could finish speaking, he grabbed me as he started to drag me outside.

“Not here, Iris. You can’t be doing this here,” he said amidst gritted teeth as he dragged me towards the car outside, locking the door.

“Dave!” I screamed as I banged hard on the door of the car. “Shouldn’t you at least explain to me? Shouldn’t you at least try to defend yourself? You….”

Ignoring me, he turned to the driver. “Take her home.” I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces as I kept trying to get out of the car.

I deserved an explanation, at least. How could he do this to me? After everything we had been through together, he crawled into the arms of none other than my step sister?

“Dave!” I screamed as I banged harder on the car’s window. As I banged, he turned, taking a call.

“Are the divorce papers ready?”

Divorce papers? I felt my hands slowly slide from the windows of the car as like someone who had just been shot, I fell, unable to feel anything.