My Boyfriend Kissed a Little White Flower at His Birthday Party

I came back to the country in secret, wanting to give my boyfriend, Sean Holt, a surprise.

Instead, at his birthday party, I saw him with his arm around another girl while everyone around them egged them on to kiss.

The moment their lips met, I turned on my phone's camera and flash:

"Go on, keep kissing! I'm recording!"

"You'd better get your fill, right?"

...

Before Sean Holt's birthday, he sent me a message.

"I know my Miss Sinclair has been busy lately. Just remember to give me my birthday present when you can."

After I read that, I decided against telling him I was coming back to celebrate his birthday.

I wanted to give him a surprise.

I'd already contacted the bar they mentioned in the group chat.

After convincing them I just wanted to give my boyfriend a surprise, I successfully passed myself off as a server for their private room.

The plan was to reveal myself and surprise him right as he closed his eyes to blow out the candles.

Wearing a mask and a hat, I huddled at the edge of the private room, sneaking a peek.

After our last hurried farewell, I hadn't seen Sean Holt for three months.

Whenever I was free in the evenings, I would want to video call.

Sean Holt would always put me off with excuses, like it was too late and he wasn't dressed, or he was too tired from work and just wanted to rest his eyes.

I hadn't seen him in such a long time.

Seeing him today, he looked the same as before, but I just felt like something about him had changed.

After all, we hadn't seen each other for three months; a little change was perfectly normal.

I tried to reassure myself, attempting to banish the wisp of unease from my heart.

The door opened, and a very beautiful girl walked in.

She had long black hair and wore a white dress. She radiated a gentle grace, like a beam of light shining into the dim private room.

'I wonder whose girlfriend she is. He's a lucky guy,' I muttered under my breath, walking over to close the door.

I turned back, and my gaze fell upon Sean Holt. With a cigarette dangling from his lips, he expertly grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her down to sit beside him.

Then, he wrapped his right arm around her.

My breath caught in my throat. I felt sick.

The air conditioning must have been set too low.

The girl wrapped her arms around herself and rubbed them.

Sean Holt saw it, took off his own jacket, and draped it over her shoulders before pulling her close again.

Someone beside them teased, "President Holt really knows how to take care of a woman. None of us guys can even compare."

The girl next to Sean Holt smiled bashfully and lowered her head. Sean Holt's mouth twisted into a smirk, the cigarette still between his teeth.

"Fuck off," he said. "Stop messing around. Can't you see she's sensitive? She's so shy she's hiding her face. Now I can't even see her."

"Ooh, if that's the case, shouldn't President Holt give her a kiss to make her look up?"

A chorus of catcalls and whoops erupted.

'I wonder what dumbass set the lights so low today.'

Amid the uproar, I saw a moment of perfect stillness: the look in his eyes as he gazed at her.

"Light the candles, light the candles! They should kiss right when he makes his wish! Hey, you, the server! Yeah, you! Hurry up and light the candles."

That voice, a rush of an idea, was nearly swallowed by the surrounding clamor, but I heard it.

'Not a bad idea, actually,' I thought. 'Kissing by candlelight while making a wish. It's kind of romantic.'

I lit the candles. The cake now sat precisely between me and Sean Holt.

The candle flames flickered, dancing before my eyes.

I watched Sean Holt lean closer and closer to the girl, like a predator stalking its prey. She tried to shrink back, but his hand held her firmly in place.

She struggled for a moment, then stopped, closing her eyes as if in anticipation.

I watched Sean Holt kiss her.

It wasn't a fleeting peck, nor was it a tentative touch.

It was a passionate kiss, the likes of which I had never seen from him.

Thunderous applause erupted, the cheers especially loud, as if this were some grand banquet.

As if this was how Sean Holt's birthday party was supposed to be.