Chapter 2: The Birthday

At six in the morning, Ella was already busy in the kitchen. She stirred the batter by hand. The oven filled the air with the scent of vanilla cake.

For Leo's fifth birthday, she had refused all help from the servants. The living room was filled with blue and white balloons. Every streamer was hung by her own hands, climbing up the ladder herself.

Leo ran downstairs rubbing his sleepy eyes. He wore a miniature suit. His hair was combed neatly.

He excitedly tugged at Ella's dress. "Mommy, when is Daddy coming back? He said he would teach me to ride that new mountain bike today! And we're going to blow out five candles together!"

Ella looked at her son's bright eyes. A bitter feeling rose in her heart.

She remembered Alexander's promise before he left last night. She forced a smile and kissed her son's forehead. "Daddy will be back soon. He promised you, didn't he?"

At two in the afternoon, the party's official start time arrived. The invited children showed up one by one. But Alexander was nowhere to be seen.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. Ella opened the screen with hope. It was a text from Alexander: "Emergency situation with the company acquisition. I'll be late. Start without me."

Ella's fingers tightened unconsciously. The phone's edge dug painfully into her palm.

She took a deep breath. She crouched down and smiled at Leo. "Baby, shall we cut the cake first? Daddy might be a little late, but he'll definitely come back."

The hopeful light in Leo's eyes slowly faded. But quickly he lifted his smiling face and nodded. "Okay, I believe Daddy. He won't lie to me!"

The party began. Leo ran to the door every five minutes. He stretched his neck to look down the empty private driveway.

Every time a car engine passed by, his eyes would light up. Then they quickly dimmed as the sound faded away.

The time reached five in the afternoon. The neighbors had all left. The room felt terribly cold and empty. Leo sat at the huge dining table. In front of him was the handmade ice cream cake that had already started melting.

When sharing the cake with his friends that afternoon, he had insisted on saving a large piece for Alexander.

"Daddy still isn't back." Leo's voice was muffled. "Mommy, is it because I'm not good enough? Is that why Daddy doesn't like coming to my birthday party?"

"How could that be? Daddy loves Leo the most. He's just... just working to make money. He still needs to buy you your favorite Bumblebee model." Ella's heart felt like it was being cut with a knife. She pulled her son into her arms.

Leo looked up. With those deep eyes so much like Alexander's, he seriously wiped away the tears that unconsciously slid down Ella's face. "It's okay, Mommy. When I grow up, I'll work hard like Daddy too. I'll make lots and lots of money. Then I can buy all the time in the world and stay home to take care of Mommy. I won't let Mommy cry anymore."

Hearing such caring words from her son, Ella's nose stung. She almost broke down crying in front of the child.

They waited until eleven at night. Leo kept nodding off on the sofa. But every time he startled awake, his first words were: "Is Daddy back?"

The cake on the table had melted into a puddle of sticky sweetness. The carefully prepared steak had long gone cold and hard. Ella looked at the dark circles under her son's eyes. Her heart ached so much she could barely breathe.

She picked up Leo and coaxed him softly. "Baby, let's go to bed. When Daddy comes back, he'll definitely come kiss you goodnight. Tomorrow morning he'll celebrate your birthday with you, okay?"

Leo smiled weakly. He wrapped his arms around Ella's neck. "Mommy, it's really okay. As long as I have Mommy, I'm already very happy. I'm a big boy now. I don't need Daddy to be with me."

Ella held back the stinging in her nose. She carried him back to his bedroom and tucked him in. She kissed his forehead.

When she closed the door, soft, broken sobbing came from inside the room.

Leo thought she couldn't hear him. He was crying quietly under the blanket.

Ella leaned against the wall. She covered her mouth. She couldn't let her crying be heard.

She returned to the living room. She looked at the mess everywhere—the melted cake, the cold food, the scattered streamers. She mechanically picked up her phone. She wanted to send Alexander another message. But then she saw a new notification on Instagram.

It was a post from Jessica. Posted ten minutes ago.

The photo showed an elegant candlelit dinner. Red wine. Steak. Roses. The caption read: "Thank you for always being there for me. Some nights are harder than others, but you make everything better."

Ella's hands began to tremble. She zoomed in on the photo. In the corner of the table, she saw a hand—a man's hand. Long and strong. On the ring finger was a silver wedding band.

That wedding ring. She knew it all too well.

It was the wedding ring she and Alexander shared. The one she had personally placed on his finger five years ago.