Chapter 6 Forgotten Moments

Liana awoke slowly, the early morning light filtering softly through the half-closed blinds of her apartment. It was a gentle dawn, the kind that whispered of new beginnings, but all she felt was the cold absence beside her. Ryan's side of the bed was empty, the sheets untouched, no sign of his presence. She blinked a few times, trying to shake the lingering haze of sleep, hoping that maybe she had just dreamed of the silence.

Today was her birthday.

A day that used to fill her with excitement, with anticipation of warm wishes, surprise plans, and quiet moments of closeness. But as the seconds ticked by, the absence of any sign from Ryan sank in like a stone.

She reached for her phone on the nightstand with trembling fingers, heart pounding. Maybe a text, a missed call, something.

Nothing.

Her thumb hovered over the screen as if willing a message into existence. But the screen remained stubbornly blank.

A bitter wave of disbelief crashed over her. Was this happening? Had he forgotten her birthday?

Or worse-had he simply chosen not to remember?

Liana rose and went to the bathroom. She stared at herself in the mirror, studying the tired woman reflected. Sharp cheekbones, dark circles beneath eyes that had seen too many sleepless nights, lips pressed tight against a growing ache inside.

She splashed cold water on her face, trying to wash away the doubt. Her phone buzzed suddenly, making her jump.

She grabbed it quickly, heart leaping with a flicker of hope. But the message was from Jenny, her assistant:

"Happy birthday, Liana. Hope you get a moment to breathe today."

Jenny's kindness was like a small beacon, but it only highlighted what was missing.

At work, the usual celebrations were nonexistent. No balloons floated above desks, and no cards were passed around for signatures. The sterile conference room, where birthday cakes had been shared in past years, was quiet and untouched.

Liana felt the weight of invisibility pressing down on her.

Jenny approached cautiously with a small box wrapped in pale blue paper.

"Happy birthday," she said softly, setting the gift on Liana's desk.

Liana managed a smile, the fragile hope in her chest shuddering beneath the weight of reality. She peeled back the paper carefully to reveal a delicate silver bracelet-simple and elegant.

A small reminder that someone cared.

Yet, throughout the day, the silence from Ryan gnawed at her.

She forced herself to focus on her work, burying the growing ache beneath spreadsheets and conference calls, but every buzz of her phone made her heart race with unfulfilled hope.

During a coffee break, a message popped up on her screen-from an unknown number. "You deserve better than him."

No name. No clue who had sent it.

Her breath caught in her throat. Was this someone reaching out in sympathy? Or a stranger watching from afar?

The words echoed the truth she'd long resisted. The next day, Liana's world tilted again. During a rushed coffee break, her phone buzzed with another message.

This time, a photo.

Her hands trembled as she opened it. Ryan was pictured with another woman-smiling intimately, his arm casually draped around her shoulders. They looked happy, and comfortable in a way that shattered something inside Liana. How long had this been going on? Her mind reeled.

The subtle changes she had ignored, the whispered phone calls, the canceled plans-they all came flooding back like broken shards. That night, Liana sat in the quiet of her apartment, the bracelet glinting faintly on her wrist.

Her thoughts were a storm of memories: The nights she'd waited alone, heart pounding, while Ryan worked late without a word.

The birthdays and anniversaries she'd celebrated in silence after he canceled at the last minute. The little lies she'd excused, convincing herself they were harmless. But now, the truth was undeniable. Her trust was broken. Determined to find clarity, Liana called Ryan the following evening.

Her voice was steady despite the pounding in her chest.

"Ryan, it's my birthday. Why didn't you call?" A long silence followed.

"I was busy," he finally said. "Work got hectic. I didn't mean to forget."

"You didn't mean to," she repeated bitterly. "But you did. You chose not to."

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "Can we talk? Please."

Liana's throat tightened. "I don't know if I can trust you anymore."

"I'll prove it to you. Just one chance." She closed her eyes, torn between the love she still felt and the pain he caused.

"I need time," she whispered, then ended the call. The days that followed were tense and cold. Ryan tried to explain, to bridge the growing gap, but his excuses felt hollow. Liana found herself building walls around her heart, brick by brick. And yet, in the quiet moments, a new feeling took root: clarity.

She was no longer willing to defend the unseen wounds or forgive the forgotten moments.

One evening, Liana met Marissa for dinner-a rare break from the relentless pace of work and heartache.

Over glasses of wine and shared laughter, she opened up.

"I don't know how I let myself believe he was different," she confessed.

"How I ignored the signs." Marissa reached across the table, her hand warm on Liana's. "You deserve someone who remembers you, who chooses you every day."

Liana nodded, a tear slipping down her cheek. "Maybe it's time to stop waiting for what never comes." Back home, Liana prepared for bed, the city lights twinkling through the window.

Her phone buzzed with a new message. "Remember who you are. Don't settle for less." No name. No number. But this time, Liana smiled. She was beginning to remember herself-the woman strong enough to walk away, smart enough to rebuild, brave enough to hope again. And though the future was uncertain, one thing was clear:

She would never again let herself be forgotten.