The necklace was stunning, featuring a rare red diamond set in heart-shaped platinum—a symbol of a love that was meant to be unique and irreplaceable.
But that love wasn’t hers to claim.
“No, thank you,” Mia said, shaking her head with a polite smile. “This is a gift from Nick to you. How could I take something so precious away from someone else?”
If it wasn’t meant for her, she wouldn’t take it.
She wouldn’t accept the necklace and she wouldn’t accept the man who gave it either.
“What’s with the attitude?” Nick suddenly snapped, his frustration boiling over. “So I forgot your birthday because I was busy with work. Is it really such a big deal? Do you have to act like this?”
Mia was stunned. She didn’t understand what she had done wrong.
She hadn’t cried or caused a scene. She had smiled the entire time and spoken with perfect courtesy. So why wasn’t he satisfied?
“I wasn’t being sarcastic,” Mia said softly, lowering her gaze to hide the exhaustion in her eyes. “Nick, what do you want me to do? Do you want me to take the necklace? If that’s what you want, I’ll take it.”
With that, she took the necklace and genuinely thanked Xena. “Miss Quinn, thank you for the gift.”
As a stand-in, Mia felt she had already been as accommodating, cooperative, and respectful as she could possibly be to save Nick’s pride.
But for some reason, after she accepted the necklace, Nick became even angrier.
“Mia, you’re unbelievable!” he spat before storming out, slamming the door behind him.
Whether she refused the necklace or accepted it, Nick was furious.
That was when Mia understood that it was never about the necklace. No matter what she did, he would never be satisfied.
“Those who are loved can get away with anything, while those who aren’t can never do anything right,” she concluded.
The birthday cake from Zoe was enormous, but no one joined Mia to eat it. Not wanting to waste Zoe’s thoughtful gesture, she forced herself to eat the entire five-tier cake on her own.
By the time she finished, she was so painfully full that she ended up in the bathroom, throwing up for what felt like forever.
