Chapter 6

Rebecca's face fell when she heard those words.

"Matteo, is Ms. Walsh still mad at me over what happened last time? If that's the case, I'll just leave so I don't intrude on you two."

As she spoke, she turned to leave. Matteo quickly grabbed her arm and frowned at Evelyn.

"She meant well, Eve. Don't you love animals? Just take it."

Seeing the displeasure in his eyes, Evelyn clenched her hands tightly and turned to his assistant, Zachary Warner, instead.

"Mr. Warner, I'm wearing heels, so it's inconvenient for me to hold the puppy. Could you take care of it for me?"

The people around them started making snide remarks again, mocking her for being ungrateful and acting too high and mighty.

Matteo also assumed she was deliberately giving Rebecca a hard time. His expression darkened as he led Rebecca inside.

The party quickly emptied out, leaving Evelyn alone.

She poured herself a glass of water and took a slow sip, trying to calm the panic and anxiety in her chest.

She used to love dogs.

But five years ago, on a stormy night when the power went out, Matteo had come down with a high fever. She ran out into the rain to find help.

A neighbor's guard dog had chased her the whole way, tearing a chunk of flesh from her calf.

Despite the pain, she forced herself to bring a doctor back. Only after confirming that Matteo was safe did she finally take care of her own injury.

Since then, she had developed a deep fear of dogs. However, to keep him from worrying, she had never told him about it.

Even now, through the fabric of her dress, she could still feel the outline of that old scar.

The guests at the party were all social climbers, reading the room and adjusting their attitudes accordingly. Seeing how Matteo was acting, they no longer bothered hiding their disdain toward Evelyn.

When it was time for the cake-cutting, everyone surrounded Rebecca instead, as if she were the one celebrating a birthday.

Matteo, finally in a better mood, called Evelyn over to blow out the candles.

She walked up in silence, just about to make a wish, when Rebecca suddenly gasped in excitement.

"Oh wow, what a coincidence! Ms. Walsh, you and Elmo share the same birthday! Why don't we celebrate together?"

The moment those words left her mouth, the room filled with stifled laughter.

Seeing the challenge in Rebecca's eyes, Evelyn dug her nails into her palms.

She took a slow breath, her voice carrying a cold edge. "In that case, let the puppy blow out the candles. Everyone can sing for it instead. I won't get in the way."

As she turned to leave, Matteo's temple twitched in frustration. His voice dropped into a warning tone as he called after her.

"Eve! This party was thrown for your birthday. If you leave now, what kind of message does that send?"

Evelyn ignored him and kept walking toward the door.

Finally losing his patience, Matteo caught up to her, grabbed her wrist, and leaned in to whisper something in her ear before pushing her back toward the cake.

"Don't make a scene! Everyone here is part of the elite circle. If you storm out like this and the Gallagher family hears about it, they'll be even more against us."

Against them? What was there to be against? Hadn't he already married Rebecca?

Then, the cheerful tune of "Happy Birthday" filled the room.

Evelyn forced a faint smile, but she stood there like a lifeless statue, her expression void of joy.

Then, out of nowhere, someone picked up the puppy and shoved it into her arms.

A shiver ran down her spine, and goosebumps broke out across her skin.

Halfway through the song, the restless puppy wriggled free and jumped down.

It bolted forward, knocking over the towering champagne display. The cascading glasses came crashing down straight toward Evelyn and Rebecca.

Screams echoed through the hall as the shattered glass reflected in Evelyn's widened pupils.

She watched, frozen, as Matteo instinctively pulled Rebecca into his arms and shielded her.

Meanwhile, glass shards and champagne rained down on Evelyn.

A sharp sting shot through her shoulder as broken glass cut into her skin, leaving a long, bloody gash.

Blood trickled down, staining her already-soaked white dress with a deep red.

She collapsed onto the floor with a muffled groan, cold sweat breaking out across her forehead.

Hearing the sound, Matteo turned back. He saw her injured and was about to walk toward her when Rebecca suddenly screamed.

"Ah! Matteo, Elmo scratched me! What if I get rabies?"

Matteo's eyes flickered to the small, barely visible scratch on her ankle.

He hesitated for a brief moment, then gave Zachary a quick order. "Take Eve to the hospital to get her wound treated."

And with that, he hurried off with Rebecca.

The other guests followed suit, not missing the chance to get in a few more jabs before leaving.

"Elmo, Eve… Ms. Walsh sure has a knack for picking names! Look at her now. Doesn't she just look like a stray dog?"

"Don't insult Elmo! He's adorable. Unlike some desperate mutt trying to climb the social ladder."

Every single word cut through Evelyn like a blade.

She looked down at herself, drenched in champagne, covered in cuts, humiliated beyond words.

Her nose burned, and tears welled up in her eyes.

The birthday banner above her swayed before finally falling, landing right in front of her.

She picked it up, looking around at the now empty, chaotic venue.

Finally, with no one left to see her break, her tears fell freely.

And just like that, her 23rd birthday ended in ruins.