- 4.
I saw Sarah pull at his sleeve.
“Mandy, Mark’s like a brother to me. I just got
back and he thought I’d have fun here.”
“I should be going. You two shouldn’t fight
because of me.”
“Mark, it’s Mandy’s birthday. Don’t be a kid,
let her win.”
Mark grabbed her wrist and frowned. “It’s
your birthday too.”
Something inside me snapped.
That was it.
It all made sense.
This party wasn’t for me. It was for her.
Г
The paintings weren’t of me, they were of her.
I looked like a joke, thinking it was a surprise
for me.
Thinking Mark would propose.
I thought of when we first met. I dropped my
ID, and Mark picked it up. He looked shocked
when he saw my birthday.
He asked if it was real.
I thought it was weird.
It was just supposed to be a date set up by
our families. I didn’t think Mark would show
up so often after that.
<
He chased me hard, even put a message on
the city’s biggest billboard saying he liked me.
Everyone in our circle was talking about how
the city’s most eligible bachelor had finally
fallen.
I remembered when I said yes to being his
girlfriend, and he’d hugged me and said he’d
make up for what he hadn’t done before.
I thought he meant birthdays and
anniversaries.
It all came together.
I was slow.
A tear fell, but I brushed it away.
<
I wanted to throw a drink in his face and
scream.
I wanted to destroy everything and tell the
world I would never be a replacement for
anyone.
I was calm.
My voice sounded distant: “Mark, we’re
done.”
Not a question, a statement.
As I walked out, I heard Mark’s voice.
“I don’t agree.”
