Birthday Surprise

**Nia's point of view**

"How in the damn world did you get him to sign these?" Jenny asked as she adjusted her glasses, going through the signed papers with wide eyes.

I looked her dead in the eyes. "With a gun to his head."

She stopped mid page, looking up at me. For a second, she just stared, then she laughed.

"Right. You couldn't even kill a spider last week. You made me do it, remember? There's no way you pointed a gun at anyone."

She shook her head, still smiling like I'd just told the funniest joke.

Jenny was my friend, but not the type I really opened up to that much. We'd known each other for years, but our relationship had always been more professional than personal.

So I wasn't surprised that she thought I was incapable of shooting someone. She only knew the version of me I showed the world. The soft, quiet, obedient wife.

She returned the papers to the table, satisfied.

"Well, however you managed it, these signatures are solid. The divorce will be finalized in four days."

"No." I leaned forward. "Three days. I want it done in three days."

"Nia, these things take time. The legal process alone requires..."

"Jenny, please. Three days."

She studied my face, probably seeing something there that made her reconsider.

"Why the rush? What happens in four days?"

"In four days, it's Caspian's birthday." I smiled, and it wasn't a nice smile.

"And this divorce, this transfer of funds, all of it, it's going to be my birthday present to him."

Jenny's eyes widened, then a slow grin spread across her face. "You evil genius. I love it."

"Can you do it?"

"For that level of poetic justice? Hell yes, I can do it. I'll have everything finalized by the morning of his birthday."

"Thank you."

She reached across the desk and squeezed my hand. "You're stronger than I gave you credit for, you know that?"

I just nodded, not trusting myself to speak. Because if I started talking about strength, I might start crying. And I was done crying over Caspian Blackwell.

I went back to that house. I couldn't even call it home anymore. It was just a building, a prison I'd been trapped in for five years.

Caspian had been transferred to his room with a private doctor and nurse to treat him around the clock.

It was all just an exaggeration because I knew the bullet didn't go in that deep. I aimed carefully. Just enough to hurt him, to make him remember, but not enough to cause permanent damage. Though part of me wished I'd aimed higher.

The moment I stepped through the front door, an angry looking Isla stomped right towards me, her face red with fury.

"Where the hell have you been?" she yelled, getting right in my face.

"I told you to prepare Caspian's favourite dish, yet you did nothing! And you had the audacity to leave the house this morning without telling anyone?"

I just stared at her, barely able to process what was happening. She was yelling at me. In my own house.

She continued, her voice getting louder.

"And firing the maid? Really, Nia? Do you know what I had to do? I ended up cleaning everything myself and preparing all the meals! Me! I stayed up all night watching over Caspian, making sure he was comfortable, and then I had to do all the housework because you decided to throw a tantrum and fire the help!"

My hands clenched into fists at my sides.

"How could you be so heartless and reckless when it comes to your own husband? He's lying up there in pain, and you're off doing God knows what, acting like you don't have responsibilities!"

That did it.

I slapped her. Hard.

The sound echoed through the walls. All the anger I had piled up for days, it all went through that one slap.

Isla stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek. She looked up at me, eyes wide with shock, like she couldn't believe I actually did it.

Good. Let her be shocked. Let her finally see that I wasn't the doormat she thought I was.

I walked closer, getting right in her face, barely inches away. Close enough to see the fear starting to creep into her eyes.

"He's my husband, right?" My voice was quiet, deadly calm. "That's what you just said. My husband."

She opened her mouth, but I cut her off.

"Then how come you're the one playing the wife role? Staying up all night with him. Cooking his meals. Cleaning his room." I tilted my head, letting my smile turn cruel.

"If you want the position so badly, Isla, you better step up your game. From now on, you make his meals. You clean up after him. You do everything a good little wife should do."

"But I..."

"What do you need a maid for anyway? Caspian likes his women traditional. Didn't you know that? He wants women who do the work themselves instead of sitting around being lazy and useless." I paused, letting that sink in.

"Who knows, maybe that's why he stopped loving me. I wasn't traditional enough. I wasn't obedient enough."

Isla's face had gone pale now, all the anger drained out of her.

"So if I were you," I continued, my voice dropping to a whisper, "I'd stop being lazy and work harder. Otherwise, he might get bored of you too."

With that, I walked past her, my shoulder deliberately bumping hers, and headed straight upstairs to Caspian's room.

He looked much better than he had at the hospital. The color had returned to his face, and he was sitting up slightly, scrolling through his phone.

I waited for the doctor and nurse to finish their checkup. When they finally left, closing the door behind them, Caspian looked at me.

"What are you doing here?"

I smiled sweetly and went to his bedside. "I was worried about you. I wanted to check on my husband."

He rolled his eyes. "There's no need to pretend, Nia. We both know you don't actually care."

I didn't know where all that attitude was coming from, but I didn't care anymore. Let him think what he wanted. In three days, none of this would matter.

I sat beside him on the bed, reaching out to stroke his hair gently. He stiffened at my touch, but didn't pull away.

"Your birthday is in three days," I murmured, running my fingers through his hair like I used to when we first got married.

"I want to make it special for you."

"Nia..."

"I'm going to make it so special," I continued, cupping his face in my hands and looking into his eyes, "that you're going to forget all this pain ever happened. I promise."

And I definitely would keep that promise. Just not in the way he thought.

For the next three days, things went smoothly, exactly like I wanted them to.

I treated Caspian so nicely it probably gave him whiplash. I brought him breakfast in bed. I sat with him while he ate, asking about his pain levels, adjusting his pillows, playing the perfect concerned wife.

I made him anticipate his birthday, dropping hints about a big surprise, watching his eyes light up with curiosity.

And I pushed Isla out of the picture completely.

Every time she tried to enter his room, I was already there. Every time she offered to help with something, I volunteered first. I put her in her place with every chance I got, using sweet smiles and gentle words that still managed to cut deep.

By the third day, she was fuming, but there was nothing she could do. Not without exposing the affair to Caspian's parents who had been visiting daily.

The morning of his birthday, I woke up early. Before the sun even rose, I was already dressed and ready.

I placed the divorce papers and transfer of funds right on the dining table where they couldn't be missed. Right next to where Caspian always had his morning coffee. I arranged them perfectly, making sure his signature was visible on every page.

Then I walked through the house one last time, taking only my valuable items.

I wanted nothing else to do with this past that I was leaving behind. This house, this furniture, these memories, Caspian could keep it all. Or Isla could. I didn't care anymore.

I had one last surprise prepared for them both, something that would be delivered later this week.

Too bad I wouldn't be here to see the reaction on their faces when they realized every news outlet in the city would be running the story of Caspian Blackwell's affair with his wife's cousin.

I took one last look at the house, then walked out the front door without looking back.

I drove to the airport, my hands steady on the wheel. I waited an hour for my flight, sitting in the terminal and watching people rush past with their luggage and their lives and their problems.

When they finally called my flight, I boarded the plane and found my seat. First class, because why the hell not? I deserved it.

Once settled in, I let myself relax for the first time in days. The tension in my shoulders eased. My breathing slowed.

It was finally over. I was free.

Though my heart still felt broken, though the pain wouldn't fade anytime soon, I was glad that I stood up and left. I was proud of myself for finally choosing me.

A familiar scent snapped me back to reality.

That cologne. Expensive and masculine and somehow comforting. It was too familiar, but I couldn't place it.

I turned to my left slowly. A man was sitting beside me, wearing sunglasses despite being inside the plane. He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his posture relaxed but somehow alert at the same time.

I kept staring, trying to figure out if he was someone I knew. The scent was definitely coming from him.

He must have felt me staring because he raised his hand and removed his sunglasses.

Those green eyes.

My jaw dropped. Bloody hell.

"You?”