Someone seemed to snap out of it.
"Oh, right, it's Effie's birthday today too. Effie, what's your birthday wish?"
Flora cut in first, smiling as she said,
"Her birthday wish was to date Edmund. Already came true."
She turned to look at me.
"Effie, why don't you dance for us? You've had a bad leg since you were little, always sneaking looks at me dancing. You must really want to try, don't you?"
Someone in the crowd spoke up.
"Come on, her leg's bad, how's she supposed to dance?"
Flora tilted her head, her voice all innocence and concern.
"It's because her leg's bad that she should dance even more. You all keep treating her like an invalid and letting her off, and she'll never get past it."
The words had barely landed when a hard shove pushed me into the middle.
"Dance! Dance! Dance!"
I lost my balance and hit the floor hard.
My left leg wouldn't hold. I struggled twice and couldn't get up.
The drinks on the table went over, all of it spilling down onto me.
Liquor dripped from my hair and stuck wet against my face.
Laughter broke out all around.
I looked over at Edmund. The smile still hadn't left the corner of his mouth.
My gaze moved across his arm, and I saw the horrifying scar was gone.
So today, coming to celebrate Flora's birthday, he hadn't even bothered to stick the fake on to fool me.
My chest clenched hard, something sour surging up.
Flora reached down to help me up.
"You awful people, don't you dare laugh at my sister!"
"She didn't choose to have a bad leg."
She looked at me, beaming.
"Happy birthday, sis. Come to our dance studio next time and I'll teach you."
Someone egged him on.
"Mr. Gilbert, what birthday gift did you get?"
Edmund took out two boxes and handed one to Flora first.
She opened it. A gemstone necklace, the shine of it almost painful to look at.
The box in my hands got plucked away by Flora and opened.
Five pairs of white socks. Cheap, off a street stall.
Plain white, coarse, cheap.
Like me in Edmund's eyes.
Edmund's tone was flat.
"Effie, you never wear jewelry, so I got you something practical."
The room went quiet for a beat.
Then someone snorted out a laugh.
I dropped the socks and turned to walk out.
As I pushed the door open, Flora called after me,
"Sis, what's wrong? We haven't even cut the cake yet."
Edmund threw out an arm to stop me.
"Stop! What's with the temper?"
His brow furrowed, his voice full of impatience.
"Get back here. Don't ruin the mood."
I stopped, turned around, and looked straight at him.
Then I said it slowly.
"Let's break up, Edmund."
The air went silent all at once.
Edmund froze for a second, then jerked his head up.
His brow knotted tight.
"Effie, you really have to make a scene right now?"
I didn't answer. I gave a small, bitter laugh, turned, and left.
Flora's voice drifted after me.
"My sister's been like this since she was little… her leg's bad, and she's very sensitive. It's my fault, I helped Edmund pick out the gift, I should've thought it through more…"
Her voice was full of apology.
"Should I go find her and explain?"
Edmund gave a cold laugh.
"Let her go! We'll keep celebrating."
The next day, my mother sent a message telling me to come home.
I'd barely pushed the door open when a slap landed across my face.
My cheek stung, burning in an instant.
My mother glared at me, shoving her phone up to my face, her voice shrill.
"What is this?! Effie, how could you be so shameless?!"
My face went white in an instant.
On the screen was the video from that day in the car, the one Edmund had coaxed me into letting him film.
