Chapter 4 The Birthday Humiliation

"Why did you cancel the wedding attire order? Didn't you like that set?"

A strange feeling stirred in my chest.

Jillian had never once cared about any of the planning or the details for the two whole years between our engagement ceremony and our constantly postponed wedding. So, why was she suddenly concerned about my wedding suit?

"It was ugly," I answered casually. "I didn't want it anymore."

"What's with your terrible taste? That suit was last year's haute couture from Gaul." Her familiar arrogance and sharp tongue surfaced once again as she looked down on me. "Throwing a tantrum is one thing, Josh, but don't take it so far that you end up embarrassing yourself."

I couldn't help but stare at her dazedly for a second as I wondered just how spineless I was for the past five years. I couldn't help but wonder how I'd managed to feed that ridiculous confidence of hers so much that she was now convinced that I'd never leave her.

Perhaps the incredulity on my face was too obvious because she got to her feet and scurried out of the room before I could say anything in retort. If I didn't know anything, I'd say she was fleeing like a bat out of hell.

That thought almost made me laugh.

…

I could wrap up my work soon. So, I shipped my belongings home in batches over the next few days, preparing for my departure.

Sadly, Jillian just had to call me before I could tender my resignation. "Josh, come to the office. I need to talk to you."

She sounded unusually anxious.

I hadn't planned on seeing her again, but I ended up hailing a cab and heading to her company after giving it a moment's thought.

It was already noon when I arrived, so everyone should've broken for lunch. Yet, the lobby was eerily quiet, completely deserted. A sense of unease crept over me as I pushed open the company's front door.

The next second, countless party poppers exploded overhead, showering me in colorful confetti. Before I could even react, a crowd rushed toward me with cakes in their hands, smearing frosting all over my face and hair.

My entire face was covered so completely that I could barely breathe.

Then, my vision suddenly went dark. Something caught my foot as I crashed heavily onto the floor. I immediately waved my hands frantically, shouting for them to stop.

Before they could react to my yells, someone carrying a bucket of ice water ran over with a grin and dumped the entire thing over my head, drenching me from head to toe.

Charles stood there in a perfectly tailored suit, his hair carefully styled. "Happy birthday, Josh!" he called out, laughing gaily before snapping photo after photo of my miserable state.

However, the surrounding employees had quieted down, sensing something was off.

Meanwhile, Jillian was seemingly oblivious to my miserable state as she helped me to my feet, then handed me a gift box. "Josh, are you happy with this year's birthday surprise? Go on, open your present."

I stood there dripping wet, looking like a complete clown. Yet, she still had the audacity to ask if I liked this so-called surprise.

I couldn't stand it any longer. So, I slapped the gift box out of her hands and stomped toward the restroom.

Jillian frowned and shouted after me, "Don't be so ungrateful, Josh!"

…

I immediately started wiping the cake and water off myself with paper towels once I was inside one of the restroom stalls.

A few employees came in not long afterward.

They were speaking in hushed tones. One of them muttered, "Charles clearly did that on purpose. Who smears cake all over someone's face like that? And the ice-water challenge was his idea. I can't believe Ms. Oakley actually okayed that."

"Exactly. Look at him! All dressed up like some prince, while he turned the birthday guy into a beggar."

Their voices gradually faded as they left.

I took a slow, deep breath in an attempt to compose myself.

…

After I cleaned myself up as best I could, I walked out carrying a bucket filled with filthy water.

Charles stood proudly in the center of the lobby, entertaining the crowd. Jillian was smiling as she sat at the piano, accompanying his performance. A few of her younger admirers had even started openly shipping the two.

I beelined for Charles, sneaking up behind him. I was going to execute my plan, and no one was going to stop me. So, I wasted no time lifting the bucket and dumping every last drop of the dirty water over his head the second I was close enough to breathe down his neck.