Celina's expression flickered—offense, then calculation. Without a word, she turned aside, picked up a crystal ornament from the display, and hurled it to the floor. A shard sliced across her foot, and she crumpled with a pitiful cry, tears streaming down her face.
Before I could react, Luca stormed in and struck me across the face. The blow rang through my skull like a gunshot.
"Enough of your tantrums!" he roared. "Celina took time away from her duties to help prepare your party, and this is how you repay her?"
"If you don't like it, do it yourself!"
He didn't wait for my explanation. He swept Celina into his arms and carried her out, leaving me alone in the hollow silence of the room. The stillness pressed down like a weight, heavier with each passing moment.
The next morning, no one came.
It wasn't surprising, really. In ten years, Luca had been my only friend—my only connection to the world outside these walls.
When the cake arrived, I opened the box and cut a small slice. I placed a single candle in the center and lit it. Closing my eyes, I made my wish:
May we never meet again.
My allergy meant I couldn't even taste the cake. The sweetness would have been lost on me anyway.
My phone alarm sounded—the countdown had ended. I grabbed my suitcase and walked out without looking back.
On the way to the airport, I sent Luca one final message:
"Let this be the end. There's no need for further contact."
It wasn't even a proper farewell. Just the quiet conclusion of ten years of my life.
I powered off my phone before boarding, but even then, it had been ringing incessantly—Luca calling over and over, like a man possessed.
The plane lifted into the night sky, and I watched the city lights shrink below me until they were nothing but scattered embers in the darkness.
I was finally free.
