Today was her birthday, and she didn’t know how she felt. On one hand, she was happy and grateful because Liam had planned a whole day of activities for her, including brunch with bottomless mimosas, bowling, and dancing later on that night with all of their friends. He was so thoughtful and organized everything for her.

However, another part of her was anxious and crestfallen because she hadn’t heard a peep from her parents. After seeing her dad’s post on Facebook, she thought that they had something planned for her, even if it was a simple dinner so that they could all talk. However, they hadn’t reached out at all. A few times, she wanted to reach out first, but she held herself back. Maybe they could call her any moment.

Ying Sheng felt incredibly guilty about feeling this way after all of the work Liam had put into today. She didn’t want to feel so upset about her parents and have her focus taken away, but she couldn’t help it. Today was supposed to be the day where everything was fixed between them. She could move on from the past and stop letting it hold her back.

”It’s your turn, birthday girl,” Liam’s voice sounded above her.

Ying Sheng looked up from the chair that she sat in, a smile being forced onto her face as she gazed up at him. She needed to refocus, especially after all he had done for her. She didn’t want his efforts to go to waste over a relationship that she couldn’t change.

”I’ll be right there,” she promised him, wanting to check something real quick.

Liam’s smile wavered, but he nodded and backed away to talk to their friends, who surrounded the table that Ying Sheng sat at.

Ying Sheng tapped on her Facebook app and typed her dad’s name into the search bar, figuring she could find a clue or two as to what they were up to. She scrolled down her dad’s profile and suddenly felt like she had gotten punched in the stomach. They were celebrating today, but they weren’t celebrating her birthday. They were celebrating the launch of their biggest property ever.

She clenched her jaw tightly, trying to keep her bottom lip from trembling as her eyes started to sting. The sight of that made her nauseous and ashamed. She couldn’t believe that she had actually thought that her parents cared about her at all. They never had, so why did she think that they would ever change, especially for her?

She had to look over the post again to ensure that she wasn’t making it up in her head. However, it was real. They weren’t even thinking about her. Anger started to flare through her, prompting her to hastily dial her dad’s phone number. She brought the phone to her ear and listened to it ring on and on until it hit her voicemail. They wouldn’t even pick up the phone for her.

Ying Sheng tightened her grip around her phone as she lowered it from her ear, her eyes glossing over as she sank back into her thoughts. She didn’t know what to do at this point. She had woken up this morning thinking that things were going to change, but the opposite happened. Nothing had changed, and she felt stuck in place, darkness all around her.

”Hey, you okay?” Liam murmured as he walked back over to her, his hand reaching out to touch her shoulder.

Ying Sheng looked up at him, her eyes blinking rapidly to try to clear her eyes of her tears, but she knew that he had already seen them. He was the only one that she wanted to talk to right now.

”No. Can we go talk somewhere?” She asked him, trying to hide behind her hair so that her friends didn’t see her like this. She didn’t want to be questioned. She just wanted to rant.

Liam looked concerned as he nodded and motioned for her to follow him.

”We’ll be back, guys,” he told the others before leading Ying Sheng outside of the bowling alley and to the side of the building where it was more secluded. He turned back to her and tilted his head at her. “What’s the matter?”

Ying Sheng glanced around as she sniffled quietly, trying to find the words to say. Her mind was such a cluttered mess that she didn’t even know where to start. She didn’t like that she had to bring this up in the first place, especially at her own birthday celebration.

”You know how I thought my parents were going to reach out to me on my birthday?” Ying Sheng asked him. She was pretty sure he remembered since he had supported her thought process on what her dad’s post meant. She wished that she hadn’t been wrong, but she should’ve known better than to give her parents the benefit of the doubt.

Liam seemed to almost pale at the question, but he nodded.

Ying Sheng dragged her fingers through her hair, a sigh breaking from her.

”Well, that post that my dad made wasn’t about me. It was about a new real estate property they’re putting on the market,” Ying Sheng ranted to him with a shake of her head. “I mean, it’s just obvious now that they care more about their job than me! It’s my birthday! Their daughter’s birthday!”

Liam listened to her talk, a frown steadily growing on his face.

”I know, I know. I’m so sorry,” he murmured.

Ying Sheng wasn’t done yet. She had plenty of thoughts about her parents, and none of them were nice now. She had been willing to give them a chance to make up for all that they had done to her, whether it was the abandonment or the awful words they told her, but they had basically spat in her face.

”I just don’t understand what I did wrong! Am I that awful of a daughter? Did I disappoint them so much that they just don’t want anything to do with me anymore?” Ying Sheng spat out as she paced on the spot, feeling the anger flow through her. She couldn’t shake it, and it kept building the more that she thought about the situation.