On my boyfriend’s birthday, I had planned a surprise in the bedroom and hid away. But what I saw next shocked me so deeply that I still haven’t recovered…

Emily was eagerly waiting for her boyfriend, Michael, to come home from work. She had put so much effort into this day because today was Michael’s birthday. Emily had spent the whole day cutting out paper flowers and arrows, writing little notes, and drawing a large poster that read, “Happy Birthday, My Love!”

Her plan was simply genius. As soon as Michael entered the house, he would see the colorful arrows on the floor in the entryway. Then, the arrows would guide him through the house, eventually leading him to a small cabinet in one of the rooms, where he’d find a note with instructions on what to open next.

At every location, Michael would find another note. The notes were hidden in cabinets, drawers, even the microwave and the oven.
Eventually, the arrows would lead him to the bedroom, where the floor was covered in paper flowers.

On the wall hung the “Happy Birthday, My Love!” poster, and on the bed was a beautifully wrapped gift. Emily had put on a brand-new, gorgeous dress and hidden herself behind the curtain in the bedroom. She wanted to secretly watch Michael open the gift and enjoy the surprise.

Then she’d come out, kiss him passionately, take his hand, and lead him to the garden where a romantic dinner for two was prepared under the gazebo. She imagined how surprised and happy he’d be, because no one had ever done anything like this for him before. He was always so serious, always busy with work—and suddenly, all this romance.

Her daydreaming was interrupted by the sound of an engine and the creaking of the gate. Michael had arrived. After a while, Emily heard the crunch of gravel on the pathway.

Half an hour passed. Michael still hadn’t shown up, although, based on her calculations, the whole scavenger hunt shouldn’t have taken more than 15 minutes. Emily perked up her ears.

No footsteps in the house. She stepped out from her hiding place and cautiously peeked from the bedroom. She listened… and nearly collapsed at what she saw.

Her heart was pounding in her chest. From the top of the stairs, she looked toward the hallway, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. All her colorful arrows were still there, untouched on the floor, pointing toward the path Michael was supposed to follow. But he was nowhere to be seen.

Emily quietly walked down the stairs, trying not to make a sound. Maybe Michael had just parked his car and gone back out to grab something? But when she got to the hallway, she noticed the front door was ajar, letting in a chill draft.

She walked to the door and looked outside. Michael’s car was parked in front of the house, but there was no sign of him. Then, she heard a muffled sound coming from the back, in the direction of the kitchen.

With her heart ready to burst, Emily moved toward the kitchen. As she got closer, she could hear voices. One was Michael’s. The other belonged to a woman. They were laughing softly, whispering to each other.

“I can’t believe you actually brought me to your house,” whispered the woman.

“It’s my birthday. I can do whatever I want,” Michael replied, followed by the sound of a kiss.

Emily’s knees buckled. She leaned against the wall, breathing heavily, trying to control her shaking. Carefully, she edged closer to the kitchen door and peeked through the crack.

Michael was standing next to the kitchen table, holding a woman in his arms—someone Emily instantly recognized. It was Sarah, his new secretary at the office. Her hair was in an elegant updo, and her red dress was way too fancy for a regular workday.

“These arrows are cute,” said Sarah, pointing to one that had made it all the way to the kitchen. “What do they mean?”

Michael shrugged, unconcerned.

“No idea. Probably another one of Emily’s surprises. She always gets too excited about birthdays.”

“And it doesn’t bother you to ignore her surprise?” Sarah asked, raising her eyebrows.

“I’ll go to her later. First, I want to enjoy the gift I got for myself,” Michael said with a smug grin, holding her tighter.

Emily felt the world go dark before her eyes. All her effort, all the love and care she poured into this surprise… and he didn’t even care. Worse—he had brought his mistress into their home on his birthday, completely ignoring everything she had prepared.

In a moment of clarity, Emily noticed the two of them were about to leave the kitchen. She quickly backed away and hid in the pantry, leaving the door slightly ajar so she could still see.

Michael and Sarah walked through the hallway, holding hands. He was showing her the house as if it were her first visit.

“Let’s go upstairs,” he said. “I’ve got a bottle of champagne in the bedroom.”

Emily bit her lip until she tasted blood. The bedroom! That was where her surprise was waiting, where she had planned everything for him.

She listened as their footsteps climbed the stairs, then heard Sarah’s surprised exclamation.

“Oh my God, Michael! This is amazing! Look at all these flowers! And a banner! And a present!”

Emily tiptoed to the base of the stairs, hiding in the shadow of the hallway. From there, she could hear everything.

“I told you—she’s overenthusiastic,” Michael replied with a bored tone. “Go ahead, open the gift. I want to see what she got me this time.”

The sound of tearing gift wrap followed, then another gasp.

“An Omega watch! Michael, this is stunning! It must’ve cost a fortune!”

Emily’s eyes welled with tears. She had saved for six months for that watch. Worked extra shifts, skipped buying new clothes, avoided going out with friends—sacrificed everything that wasn’t essential. And now, his mistress was admiring it instead of him.

“She probably spent all her money on it,” Michael commented. “Actually, I should check our bank statements. I hope she didn’t dip into our savings.”

Sarah chuckled softly.

“Who cares? It’s a gorgeous watch. Maybe you should be a little nicer to her, at least for this.”

“Maybe. Let’s drink that champagne and head out. I’ve got a reservation at that Italian place I told you about.”

Emily couldn’t take it anymore. She stepped out of hiding and marched up the stairs. When she entered the bedroom, the two of them were standing by the bed, and Michael was just opening the bottle of champagne.

All three froze, staring in silence. Emily’s whole body trembled with rage and humiliation. Sarah covered her mouth with her hand. Michael slowly set the bottle down.

“Emily, I can explain—”

“No, you can’t,” she cut him off, surprised by the calm in her own voice. “You didn’t even try to follow the arrows.”

Michael blinked, confused.

“What?”

“The arrows. I made them for you. To follow. To find the notes. To get here for your surprise. But you brought her straight here, without caring about anything I prepared.”

Sarah grabbed her purse from the bed.

“I think I should go.”

“No. Stay,” Emily said, looking her directly in the eyes. “Stay and enjoy his birthday. I’m leaving.”

She turned to Michael, who looked like he couldn’t find the words.

“The watch is yours. The gift is yours. Everything’s yours. But I’m not anymore.”

She walked to the closet and pulled out a suitcase. She started throwing clothes into it, moving like she was in a trance. Michael and Sarah stood there, unsure what to do.

“Emily, let’s talk,” Michael tried. “You can’t just leave.”

“Yes, I can. And you know what’s the saddest part? That it doesn’t even hurt as much as it should. I think a part of me knew all along—but I just didn’t want to see it.”

She zipped the suitcase shut and walked to the door. As she passed Michael, she paused for a second.

“Happy birthday, Michael. I hope you enjoy your gift.”

She walked down the stairs, out the front door, and got into her car. She didn’t know where she was going, but for the first time in a long time, she felt free. The shock was still there, the pain too, but somewhere deep inside, there was also relief.

On the back seat lay the bag with the champagne and ingredients for their romantic dinner. She gave a sad smile. One day, she would find someone to share them with. Someone who would’ve followed her colorful arrows with excitement. Someone who would’ve loved her surprise.

She started the engine and drove off without looking back. In the rearview mirror, the house she had shared with Michael grew smaller and smaller—until it vanished completely from view.

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