Caitlin arrived at the family-owned restaurant where she and Tobey used to celebrate his birthday. This time, she trusted her instincts. She was certain—Tobey would come here. Just like the past years: blow out the candles at the same place. Only, now he wasn’t with Caitlin.
“I can’t look too obvious.” Caitlin looked at her own reflection. Thank goodness she hadn’t worn a dress or anything too feminine today.
The only thing on her mind now was how to disguise herself so Tobey wouldn’t recognize her at once. Cat scanned every corner of Daniel’s car, searching for something to cover her face. She spotted a black cap below—it had probably fallen earlier when she recklessly rushed here.
Caitlin examined herself in the rearview mirror, then put on a disposable mask and Daniel’s black cap. She let her hair down so it wouldn't attract attention—also a way to hide herself. Taking a deep breath and exhaling through her mouth, she stepped out of the car and headed into the restaurant.
Half an hour later, Caitlin was watching the couple intently. It was a beautiful night—the sky clear, the stars gleaming. Tobey and his new lover were eating steak. From her vantage point, Caitlin could see them clearly. She smiled to herself; they looked sweet together. Caitlin, from here, stared at them like a hungry lioness.
Smiling? Not because she had forgiven them. This was all part of the wicked little revenge Tobey would never see coming. His new girlfriend was skinny like a stick—Caitlin was sure her chest must be flat as well. She had the strongest urge to strangle the woman whose name she refused to say. Let’s just call her Itchy Slut.
“Hmm, this tastes good,” Caitlin said as she sampled her dish. She grinned darkly at her plate.
Tobey and his girlfriend were chatting. It was his idea to come here—he’d visited the place many times for his birthday. Usually with Caitlin. That’s why some of the waitstaff recognized Tobey and seemed visibly surprised to see him with another woman. Tobey avoided explaining. He just gave them a generous tip and asked them not to ask questions.
“The food’s great, right?” Tobey asked, trying to be attentive.
“Delicious! We should come here more often,” replied the skinny woman.
Their peaceful evening was interrupted by the arrival of three men carrying an accordion, a trumpet, and another instrument Tobey didn’t even know the name of. A female waiter explained this was a special service since it was Tobey’s birthday.
“Don’t be shy—it’s your birthday, isn’t it, sir?” the sweet waitress said.
Tobey nodded, confused. His fiancée was already smiling, watching the three grown men sing the birthday song. For Tobey, it was horrifying. He felt like a child again. Meanwhile, the people upstairs clapped enthusiastically—even a tone-deaf kid joined in like this was some sort of choir.
“This restaurant is wonderful. So kind of them to give us this kind of celebration,” said his fiancée.
“I guess so,” Tobey replied.
The pretty waitress returned, carrying a tiered white cake that looked exactly like a wedding cake. Another server followed, bringing a lighter. Caitlin giggled softly from her seat. A young man nodded when she gave the signal—he deliberately ran and bumped into Tobey and the sweet waitress.
Tobey stumbled and, without warning, face-planted right into the cake. Some people gasped. Others burst out laughing. Kids screamed in delight. The room grew increasingly chaotic as teenagers swarmed them to record the whole thing. Perfect. Exactly what Caitlin wanted. A birthday celebration her shameless ex would never forget.
Caitlin slipped out of the restaurant, smiling in satisfaction. She returned to Daniel’s car, ready to leave this cursed place. There must be no evidence. She had to disappear. Thank goodness for Daniel’s credit card tonight. As Caitlin reached for her seatbelt, the car window was knocked on several times.
“Daniel?” Caitlin was stunned. How had he tracked her this far?
“Open up, Cat! Open it!” he barked impatiently.
Caitlin rolled the window down to greet her new boyfriend—though the term “boyfriend” wasn’t quite accurate. Did Dan even consider her his girlfriend? Maybe she was just a bedmate he could replace whenever he got bored. Daniel stood with his arms crossed, grinning at Caitlin.
“Hi. Can I help you?” Caitlin flashed her sweetest smile. She’d rather run than spend hours arguing with him.
“Out of the driver’s seat. Now,” Daniel ordered.
Caitlin reluctantly unbuckled and slid over to the passenger seat. No point arguing when he was like this. Daniel took the wheel and started driving again. Caitlin didn’t dare ask where they were going. Angry Daniel was new—he usually wore his clown mask when he was with her.
“So… you just used my money to throw your ex a birthday surprise?”
It wasn’t a question—it was a statement. Of course Daniel had every right to be angry, but Caitlin needed to do this. For revenge. She muttered a vague confirmation. Besides, she had lost interest in their sweet little date tonight—after all, it was Tobey’s birthday.
“You mad?” Caitlin asked, not daring to meet Daniel’s gaze.
“Not really.” He snorted. “I just hope you used my card wisely. That’s all. I laughed when the notification popped up on my phone and saw what it was for. Nice job, Cat.”
Caitlin bit back a smile. “I bribed a bunch of people to pull off that surprise.”
“Wanna come with me somewhere? Pack your things—I’ll pick you up tomorrow.”
“Where to?” Caitlin was startled.
“You’ll see. I have to leave and I don’t want you far from me.”
“By plane?”
“Nope. Not that far. It’s where I was born,” Daniel replied.
It was the first time Caitlin had learned something personal about Dan. She’d thought he’d always keep those things hidden. Maybe, just maybe, time really could soften this man. The thought made her smile quietly. It felt nice—to be treated like someone special, even if their relationship was still... questionable at best.
“Happy you pranked Tobey?” Daniel glanced over to tease her.
“Yep! Very happy,” Caitlin answered truthfully. It wasn’t that harsh, but she was sure the video of Tobey’s chaos would go viral by tomorrow.
“Next time, don’t do it alone. You’ve got me—the master of all mischief.” Daniel winked.
“Let’s hope there is a next time.” Caitlin smiled wryly.
Suddenly, Caitlin could imagine her and Daniel someday deliberately crashing Tobey’s church wedding. Even the reception. Marriage? Could the man beside her even be married? Caitlin highly doubted it. She couldn’t even admit she might be pregnant—too afraid he’d leave. Maybe he wasn’t ready for a child and would tell her to get rid of it. So, for now, let it be like this—even if the smallest risk was always there.