Chapter 7

• By the time she got home, her mood had settled, but the day she'd planned to leave was creeping closer.
• She went to her favorite singer's concert alone, capturing the ocean of blue lights and the thousands of voices cheering in unison. She pinned the video to the top of her feed and then went through her posts, deleting everyone that had anything to do with him.
• Her closest friends, knowing she was chasing her dreams, sent her messages of encouragement.
• "Vilma, I hope I can be your number-one fan someday!"
• "The future star! Can I get an autograph?"
• To her surprise, Frederic liked the post. A red heart appeared.
• She paused, surprised. Frederic never posted or interacted with anyone on social media. Not until she saw a few messages from Desiree did the pieces click.
• "Vilma, I added that woman on WhatsApp, and it's driving me crazy!" Desiree texted.
• Attached were a few screenshots, each showing Barbra's posts. The sunset by the sea, flower fields, candlelit dinners... every post had a comment from Frederic.
• "Why didn't you post the one of me?"
• "I heard the cherry blossoms on West Mountain are blooming. I'll take you there in a couple of days."
• "The shrimp's a bit tough to peel, but since you like it, I don't mind."
• It was like reading the daily routine of a couple in love. He'd been paying attention to Barbra all along, liking her posts without thinking, all the while.
• Vilma let out a quiet sigh, offering a few words of reassurance to Desiree before she turned back to sort through all the gifts, the couple items, the photos, the journals Frederic had given her over the past three years.
• She carried the boxes downstairs, deciding she would get rid of everything. Just as she was about to toss it all, she heard Frederic's voice.
• He appeared at the door, smiling, in a good mood. "What's in the box? Are you throwing all this away?" he asked, walking toward her.
• "Just some junk," she replied, her voice flat.
• He nodded and handed her a cake, bending down to help her with the boxes.
• Vilma froze for a moment, staring at the cake in his hand. "Why'd you suddenly decide to buy a cake?"
• At her words, Frederic stopped, his expression turning slightly serious. "You don't remember? It's my birthday today."
• Vilma's mind spun for a moment before the memory clicked. She had been thinking about his birthday a month ago, wondering what gift to get him.
• But after everything—after realizing she was nothing more than a replacement—and deciding to leave, she had completely forgotten. After all, he was about to be her ex, so why should she remember his birthday?
• Seeing the shift in her expression, Frederic's breath hitched.
• People had wished him a happy birthday at midnight, but Vilma hadn't said anything. At first, he thought she was planning a surprise, but now...
• He wondered if she had forgotten.
• It wasn't a huge deal, yet something tightened in his chest.
• In the past, whether it was an anniversary or his birthday, Vilma had always made it special.
• She'd spent weeks planning, making sure everything was perfect. He wondered How she had forgotten this year. She had always been the one who loved him the most... hadn't she?
• Frederic was about to say something when his phone buzzed with a flurry of new messages.
• It was from Barbra, letting him know she'd arranged a birthday party for him. As he read the address and teasing comments from his friends in the group chat, the frown on his face softened into a small smile.
• He was typing out a reply when he started to leave, but Vilma called out to him. "Your birthday..."
• Frederic paused, glancing back at her. "I've got something to take care of now, but I'll be back later. We'll celebrate then."
• Vilma nodded quietly, watching him walk away.
• Once he was out of sight, she threw the boxes into the trash, her mind lingering on his excited expression.
• Deep down, she knew he wouldn't be coming back to celebrate his birthday with her. For some strange reason, a weight lifted off her chest.
• The trash can was almost full, so she tossed the cake in as well and turned to head upstairs.
• A few hours later, Vilma received a message from Alton, "We leave tomorrow at nine in the morning. I'll pick you up."
• She had just replied with a simple "Okay" when a voice message from Frederic's friend popped up. "Vilma, come to the Hilton Hotel, Frederic's in trouble, hurry!"
• Vilma froze at the urgency in his voice. Before she could process it, Desiree's call came through, her voice shaking with panic. "Vilma, he... he's..."
• Only then did Vilma understand the gravity of the situation. She rushed downstairs and flagged down a car.