Chapter 10
D
Joanne’s POV
It was my birthday.”
After Derek’s childhood friend smashed a cake into my face, covering me from head to toe in frosting, I looked him straight in the eye.
“I want to break up,” I said, barely holding it together.”
The hand he had extended to help his precious childhood sweetheart wipe off the whipped cream finally froze in midair.” That was it. A flicker. A pause.
The only reaction I got.
Then Derek glanced at me with disapproval.
“Joanne, do you seriously have to kill the mood right now?” he said, annoyed.
I looked at Derek, standing shoulder to shoulder with Melody, and all I felt was exhaustion. Not anger or shock, just a deep, bone–deep tiredness.
I wiped the frosting off my face and said calmly, “Derek, I really don’t think there’s any point anymore. Let’s just end it.”
–&
That got Derek’s attention.
He caught up to me and grabbed my wrist, his whole attitude turning cold and defensive.
“Joanne, Melody was just messing around! Do you really have to blow this out of proportion and start talking about breaking up?”
My face was smeared with cream, and my carefully done makeup and hair were completely ruined. Even the moment I had been looking forward to, which was blowing out the candles, was now just a joke.
I found myself laughing at my own anger, pulling my hand away from Derek.
“I’m not joking,” I said firmly. “Derek, I’m dead serious. I don’t want to be with you anymore. Let’s break up.”
I didn’t want to stay in that room for another second. I couldn’t stand to look at either of them. I just wanted to escape this suffocating place.
But of course, Melody had to follow me, stepping in front of the door and blocking my way.”
“Joanne, don’t be such a stuck–up. It was really just a joke. Derek and I have always been like this. We’ve been close since we were kids. I mean, cake fights at birthday parties are totally normal, right? No one actually takes it seriously. I thought you saw us as family, too, so I figured you’d be fine with it.”
Melody made it seem like I was overreacting and being overly dramatic, while portraying herself as the wronged party, joking only because we’re close. She used guilt to manipulate me. If I didn’t back off, I’d seem unreasonable, and it worked every time.
Whenever she pulled this stunt in the past, I was the one who had to suppress my anger and keep a smile on my face. But now, I didn’t want to play along anymore.”
Just as she looked at me, fully expecting me to fold like I always do, I bent down, grabbed a handful of whipped cream from my shirt, and threw it right at her.”
“If it’s all in good fun, let’s all join in.”
But before it could land, Derek stepped in like a bodyguard. He took the hit to his chest and moved in front of her as if I had thrown a rock, not cake.
Derek glared at me fiercely, as if I had crossed an unforgivable line.
“Joanne, are you insane?!”
Right after he said that, he yanked my wrist again, this time harder, and shoved me aside. I stumbled. The back of my head hit the wall with a dull thud. I raised my hand, pressing my palm against the growing ache, trying to stay upright when I heard him start yelling.
“Melody came out to apologize, and you’re still making a scene? You just need everyone else to be miserable so you can feel better, is that it?“E
Rubbing the back of my sore head, I looked up.#
Derek stood in front of Melody like she was some fragile flower that needed constant protection.
God, I felt like laughing.
Even though I had long recognized the distorted nature of our relationship, his open favoritism still struck me like a punch to the chest in that moment.K
1:34 AM P P
“Derek…“”
I tried to keep my voice steady, even as my chest tightened.
I didn’t want to let my emotions show, but the cold look in Derek’s eyes broke something inside me.
“Can’t you at least try to be fair? Today is my birthday. Mine. All I wanted was to blow out some candles and make a wish. Instead, your so–called childhood friend smashed a whole cake into my face. And when you saw I was upset, you didn’t even blink. You just laughed and called it a joke, because it was her.“”
I looked him straight in the face and asked directly, “If it was really just a joke, then why can’t I joke back?“\
3/3
