My Fiancée’s Male Assistant Insulted Me, I Canceled the Engagement

As my twenty-fifth birthday banquet drew near, my fiancée said indulgently, "The new male assistant is great at planning romantic surprises. Leave the party to him, he’s sure to impress you."

I had been looking forward to this unique celebration for days. But the moment I stepped into the venue, every drop of blood in my body turned cold.

Next to a standee with my portrait stood a black plaque engraved with “In Memoriam,” surrounded by an enormous funeral wreath.

The assistant, Carson Grazer, stepped out from behind my fiancée, holding a black-and-white photo of an elderly woman. His eyes were red and swollen.

“Today marks the third anniversary of my mother’s death. She never had a birthday celebration in her life. President Walton said it was a small matter, so we combined her death anniversary with your birthday banquet, to give her a little happiness too. Brother Bryce, you don’t mind, do you?”

As I looked around at the setup, my vision went black, rage and disbelief surged straight to my head.

"Jenna, today is my birthday, and you actually let someone hang a funeral wreath at my party? Are you seriously cursing me?"

She frowned, her voice calm and indifferent.

"What are you talking about? Life and death are both important. You're just celebrating a birthday, Carson is simply marking Aunt Symonne's death anniversary."

"It's just symbolic. Everyone’s here to enjoy themselves. Why get so worked up over something so minor?"

I let out a cold laugh, then swept the table over with a loud crash.

"In that case, forget the birthday. Let's call off the engagement."

——

When I flipped the table and knocked over the wreath behind me, Jenna Walton's expression instantly darkened.

"Bryce Reeves, what kind of nonsense is this?"

"Carson planned this entire birthday banquet. He’s just a young man who put in a lot of effort. Even if you didn’t like it, you should at least acknowledge his work."

With a frown, she ordered the staff to reset the table and carefully stood the wreath back up.

Blood rushed to my head again. I pointed at the wreath and sneered.

"Jenna, what did you promise me before? You said you’d fill this place with 999 roses for my birthday. Are these the flowers you had in mind?"

My chest rose and fell with anger.

"You say this isn’t a curse? Not even a dog would believe that."

Anyone walking in would’ve been stunned.

At the center of the venue stood a large standee with my portrait.

Behind it, an enormous funeral wreath. The whole place reeked of death.

To someone who didn’t know better, it looked more like a funeral than a birthday.

Jenna looked displeased.

"Isn’t a wreath made of flowers, too? Stop being so superstitious. Carson is kind and gentle. How could he possibly curse you? I think these flowers are just as meaningful as roses. It’s only a birthday. You should be thankful. Why make a fuss like some spoiled young master?"

Seeing the tense atmosphere, Carson, still holding the black-and-white photo, stepped forward, flustered. His eyes were red, his voice trembling.

"Brother Bryce, please don’t be angry. Today is the third anniversary of my mom’s death. She never celebrated a birthday in her entire life. President Walton knew I only earn 3,000 dollars a month and couldn’t afford a ceremony, so she said it was fine to combine it with your celebration, so my mom could also feel joy. I didn’t think you’d be so upset..."

As he spoke, tears streamed down his cheeks, making it seem like I had bullied him.

"If you really mind, I’ll just take my mom and leave."

But though he said he would leave, his feet never moved.