Caleb #2
I looked at her, and for a split second I did a double-take.
Jiya’s face appeared in front of me instead of Tatiana’s.
The image startled me enough that I had to blink and steady myself before answering.
“Yes,” I said, trying to regain my composure.
“She let me plan this with her, you know?”
“My mother?”
“Yes. I told her what I had in mind compared to the boring parties that you’ve had before, and she agreed we should do something different,” she said, smiling.
“Great,” I said, hoping she understood me well enough to keep the affair small and intimate.
Arriving at the house, the second we entered the backyard, my hope disappeared.
“Happy Birthday!” everyone screamed.
My stomach recoiled.
Walking through the crowd of at least two hundred people, I recognized a few familiar faces and far too many strangers.
Celebrities, business tycoons, distant relatives from Tatiana’s side of the family… introductions blurred together until I stopped retaining names seconds after hearing them.
“I’ll be right back,” I told Tatiana, kissing her cheek.
“Yeah, sure,” she replied distractedly, barely looking at me.
I escaped into the house, headed upstairs, and shut myself inside my room.
Sitting on the bed, I let out a slow breath and appreciated the silence that filled the space.
Closing my eyes, I leaned back.
I would have preferred one of my mother’s business parties to this. At least they had fewer people than Tatiana had planned.
A knock on the door made me open my eyes.
“Come in!”
Sophia, Simon, and Cat walked in together.
“We came to check up on you,” Sophia said. “How are you holding up?”
“It’s not what I expected,” I admitted, sighing before forcing a small smile.
Sophia sat beside me on the bed.
“Are you sure this is what you want?” she asked quietly.
“We’re concerned about you,” Simon added, studying me carefully.
As I looked at him, I noticed a few white hairs on the side of my eldest brother’s brown head—small signs of time passing. He was a brother I had always looked up to, and now he was also my groomsman.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because you don’t look happy,” Cat said bluntly. “You pretend to, but you’re not.”
“The last couple of weeks,” Sophia continued after a brief pause, “you seem happier at work than with your fiancée. Is everything okay?”
They knew me too well… at least parts of me.
I knew exactly where my heart and mind were, but I couldn’t tell them.
Not yet.
I couldn’t tell them about Jiya.
The more time I spent with her, the less that letter made sense to me. The woman I saw now—the way she cared for her children, the fear and guilt in her eyes earlier that day, the thoughtful gifts she gave me—felt nothing like the person who had written those cruel words years ago.
I had reread that letter countless times, searching for answers, but lately all it did was leave me questioning everything I thought I knew.
I knew Jiya.
I had loved her.
She could not have changed so completely. If she had betrayed my family and me, there had to be a reason.
There had to be more to the story.
And I needed to uncover the truth before it destroyed me.
“Everything’s fine,” I said finally, standing up. “There’s no need to worry. Come on, let’s head back out.”
We rejoined the party, and I forced myself to mingle with everyone. After all, my mother and fiancée had planned the evening because they believed it was what I wanted.
“Thanks, Mum,” I said, kissing her cheek. “It’s a great party.”
“I’m glad you like it,” she replied with a satisfied smile. “Your fiancée and I went through a lot to make it perfect for you.” Her lips curved slightly. “Did you meet the Morrisons?”
For a brief moment, my mind drifted back to Lucas’s birthday party.
The laughter. The warmth. The intimacy of being surrounded by people who actually mattered to him.
Not strangers making small talk they would forget tomorrow.
The rest of the party passed in a blur.
More introductions followed by handshakes, polite smiles, cake-cutting, dancing, and endless business conversations.
I tried to dull the noise and the emptiness inside me with alcohol, hoping the distraction would quiet the restlessness building in my chest.
As midnight arrived and everyone gathered to sing, the crowd cheered and celebrated the start of my birthday.
Eventually, the guests began leaving, and by two in the morning, the mansion finally grew quiet.
Tatiana and I stayed the night.
She was already asleep when I walked into the bedroom.
Just as I slipped into bed, my phone buzzed softly against the nightstand.
I picked it up and unlocked the screen.
A video message appeared.
The second it started playing, warmth spread through my chest.
Jiya and the children smiled brightly at the camera while wishing me a happy birthday. Emma’s excited little voice echoed through the speaker while Lucas grinned beside her.
For the first time that night, a genuine smile touched my lips.
I replayed the video once more before setting the phone down carefully beside me.
I could not wait to see her and the children again.
Holding onto that thought, I closed my eyes and drifted into sleep.