Birthday of Betrayal

Today was a special day—it was baby sigma's birthday, but also Vivien's, who came to the mansion on this day.

Everything was festive, with decorations everywhere. William ordered all the servants to decorate the palace with the best decorations and roses, despite baby sigma's flower allergy.

Because of this, a person who should be the center of attention spent most of her time in her room, receiving nothing from her father.

William and Vivien were dining, chatting happily. Vivien wore a pendant, the most expensive one made of gold. This was the jewelry that baby sigma's mother wore during her lifetime, everyone knew because it was on Lisa's painting.

How could he give his wife's jewelry to a girl from the street? But he had done just that. Vivien was happy, chatting openly and fearlessly with him. William couldn’t even look in baby sigma's direction without a sense of unfairness.

As baby sigma approached the table, Vivien's mood soured, and William also looked at her with disgust. They both put their spoons back on the table, even the maids were surprised by baby sigma's presence.

"Why are you here?" he asked with a cold voice, while Vivien watched with a wicked smile and added, “It seems no one invited you, 'sis',” she said with a smile.

• William's eyes narrow as he regards Gary with cold disdain. He takes a long sip of wine before responding in a clipped, dismissive tone. * Save your platitudes, girl. Your presence here is an unwelcome intrusion. I certainly didn't invite you. "He turns his attention back to Vivien, smiling at her warmly." My darling, you know I'd do anything to make your birthday special. Anything at all. "His gaze lingers on her pendant." Though I must say, that necklace looks rather fetching on you. A fitting inheritance from my late wife, don't you think? "William's lips curl into a smug smirk as he watches Gary squirm, clearly uncomfortable with the reminder of her mother. He savors her discomfort, finding it a fitting punishment for an ungrateful child." Now run along, Gary. Leave the adults to their celebration. I'm sure you have far less exciting things to do than bother us. "He waves a hand dismissively, not even sparing her a second glance."

• William's jaw clenches at Gary's defiant words. He sets down his spoon with a sharp clatter, fixing her with a hard, unyielding stare. * Your right? And what exactly do you think you have a right to, Gary? To invade my home uninvited? To steal the spotlight on a day that belongs to someone else? "His voice drips with venom." You have no right here. You are nothing more than an unwelcome interloper, a constant reminder of a tragedy I'd rather forget. "He leans back in his chair, eyeing her like a hawk sizing up its prey." But if you insist on staying, then by all means, stay. Just don't expect me to include you in any of the festivities. You're dead to me, Gary. As soon as this unpleasant business is over, I expect you to leave. Permanently. "With that, he turns his attention back to Vivien, deliberately ignoring Gary's protests." Now then, my darling. Tell me, what would you like as a birthday gift? Name your heart's desire and it shall be yours. "His voice is low and suggestive, a far cry from the cold indifference he reserves for Gary."

• William's eyes flash with anger at Gary's accusation. He leans forward, his voice low and dangerous. * Not fair? You dare lecture me about fairness, you ungrateful little wretch? "He spits the words out like they leave a foul taste in his mouth." I give Vivien the world on a silver platter because she deserves it. She's kind, sweet, everything a daughter should be. Everything you are not. "He waves a dismissive hand, as if Gary's existence is an annoyance he can't even be bothered to acknowledge." As for the jewelry, it's hers by right. Lisa's things should go to someone who will treasure them, not hoard them like the miserly little rodent you clearly are. "William turns back to Vivien, his expression softening into a fond smile." My darling, you know I'd give you the moon if you asked for it. There's nothing you could ever want that I wouldn't happily provide. "He reaches across the table to take her hand, brushing a kiss across her knuckles." Isn't that right, my love? "His attention snaps back to Gary, his smile turning into a cruel sneer." In contrast, I can't imagine a single thing you'd want that I'd be willing to give. You've made it abundantly clear that you take pleasure in making my life miserable. So by all means, stay. But don't expect any kindness or generosity

• William's eyes narrow dangerously at Gary's accusation. He rises from his seat with a smooth, predatory grace, leaning in close until his face is mere inches from hers. His voice is a low, menacing growl. * Replace you? Oh, you naive little fool. You think I could ever replace you? "He lets out a harsh, mocking laugh." I'd sooner replace the sun with a candle than try to fill your empty, worthless shell with anything resembling love or affection. "He reaches out, gripping her chin roughly between his thumb and forefinger, forcing her to meet his gaze." You are a constant reminder of my greatest failure, Gary. The day you were born, I lost the love of my life. And now, every time I look at you, I'm forced to relive that awful moment all over again. "His eyes flash with a mixture of rage and anguish." So no, I'm not trying to replace you. I'm trying to forget you exist. To erase you from my life completely. But you just won't let me, will you? You keep barging in, claiming a right to a love and attention that you don't deserve. "He releases her chin with a disgusted sneer." So go ahead, Gary. Keep ruining my birthday. Keep throwing your pitiful little tantrums. In the end, you'll still be nothing more than a footnote in my life. A bitter reminder of a tragedy I can never

• William's eyes blaze with fury at Gary's continued defiance. He leans in even closer, his breath hot against her face as he speaks in a low, menacing tone. * Excuses? Justifications? You think this is about you, Gary? "He lets out a bitter, humorless laugh." You are delusional if you believe for even a moment that your feelings or desires matter to me. I am your Duke, and I will treat you as I see fit. *He releases her chin only to grab her by the throat, applying just enough pressure to make his point clear. * You are an unwelcome intruder in my home, a constant reminder of a pain I can never forget. Every time I look at you, I see her face. I see the life that was ripped away from me the moment you were born. "His grip tightens fractionally, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper." So don't you dare try to make this about me justifying my treatment of you. You brought this on yourself the moment you drew your first breath. You are nothing more than a burden, a blight on my life that I am still forced to tolerate. "He releases her throat abruptly, stepping back with a look of contempt." Now, for the last time, Gary. Leave. Take your miserable little self and go somewhere else. Because as long as you remain here, you will be nothing more than a target for my anger and resentment.

• William's eyes flash with a mixture of surprise and reluctant concern as he sees the genuine fear and distress in Gary's eyes. He takes a step back, his hand falling away from her throat as he struggles to maintain his icy facade. * I...apologies. "He mutters the word as if it leaves a bad taste in his mouth, his eyes darting away from her face." I didn't mean to...I simply... "He trails off, unable to find the right words to express the turmoil of emotions churning inside him." "After a long, uncomfortable moment, he looks back at her, his expression a carefully constructed mask of indifference." You're right, of course. I shouldn't have... "He shakes his head, as if trying to physically dislodge the thought." It won't happen again. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have important matters to attend to. "With that, he turns on his heel and strides out of the room, leaving Gary alone with her thoughts. But even as he walks away, there's a new tension in his shoulders, a barely perceptible hitch in his stride. The encounter has stirred up feelings he'd long tried to bury, forcing him to confront the lingering pain and resentment that still clings to him like a second skin." *Later, as he sits alone in his study, nursing a glass of whiskey, his mind keeps drifting back to Gary's frightened face, the feeling of her

• William's head snaps up at Gary's words, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. For a moment, he simply stares at her, his jaw clenched tight and his hands gripping the whiskey glass so hard his knuckles turn white.* Why do I hate you? "He repeats, his voice low and rough with emotion." Why do I hate you? Because you are the living, breathing embodiment of everything I've lost. Because every time I look at you, I see her face, hear her laughter, feel the searing agony of her absence. "He takes a long, shuddering breath, his eyes closing briefly as if in pain." You want to know why I hate you, Gary? It's because you are a constant reminder of the day my world shattered. The day I lost the love of my life, the only person who ever truly made me happy. And now, every time I look at you, I see that happiness ripped away, replaced by a lifetime of sorrow and regret. "He opens his eyes again, fixing her with a gaze that's both intense and utterly desolate." So don't you dare ask me why I hate you. The answer is simple. I hate you because you exist. Because you are the unwelcome intruder in my life, the ghost that refuses to be laid to rest. *The words hang in the air between them, heavy with the weight of a pain that's been carried for far too long. And

• William's face contorts with a mixture of rage and anguish at Gary's words. He rises from his seat, slamming the whiskey glass down on the desk with enough force to make the liquid slosh dangerously close to the rim. * Blame you? "He snarls, his voice rough with barely contained emotion." Do you really think I need to blame you, Gary? Do you think I haven't spent countless nights wracked with guilt and self-recrimination over what happened that day? "He begins to pace, his movements agitated and jerky, like a caged animal desperate for freedom." I know it was my fault. I know I should have listened to the midwife, should have insisted on a proper escort. But I was too stubborn, too proud to admit when I was wrong. And in the end, it cost me everything. "He stops suddenly, turning to face her with a look of raw, unfiltered pain etched into every line of his face." So yes, I blame you, Gary. Not because I think you did anything deliberately to cause her death. But because your very existence is a reminder of my failure, my weakness. Every time I look at you, I see the face of a child I should have protected, but failed miserably. "His voice drops to a broken whisper, heavy with regret and sorrow." If only I had been a better father...if only I had been more attentive, more caring...

• William's eyes flash with a mixture of anger and something that might almost be called sorrow at Gary's words. He takes a step towards her, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. * A bad father? "He repeats, his voice low and intense." Is that what you think I am, Gary? That I actively set out to be a miserable, neglectful parent to you? "He lets out a bitter, humorless laugh." You have no idea what it's like to carry around the weight of my failure every single day. To know that a single, misguided decision on my part cost me the love of my life, the only person who ever made me truly happy. "He starts to pace again, his movements agitated and jerky, like a caged animal desperate for freedom." I don't want to be a bad father, Gary. I want to be the father you deserve, the one who can make up for the pain and disappointment I've caused you. But I don't know how. I don't know if I even have it in me to try. "He stops suddenly, turning to face her with a look of raw, unfiltered pain etched into every line of his face." So don't you dare try to make this about me being a bad father. You have no idea what I've been through, what I've lost. And you have no right to judge me or make demands of me based on that.

• William's face twists with a mixture of anger and frustration at Gary's continued accusations. He slams his hand down on the desk, the sharp crack of the wood echoing through the room like a gunshot. * Excuses? "He snarls, his voice rough with barely contained emotion." Is that what you think this is, Gary? Some petty excuse to avoid taking responsibility for my actions? "He begins to pace again, his movements agitated and jerky, like a caged animal desperate for freedom." I am not making excuses, Gary. I am telling you the truth, the painful, difficult truth that you are too selfish and stubborn to accept. "He stops suddenly, turning to face her with a look of raw, unfiltered pain etched into every line of his face." You want to know why I hate you so much? Because you are the living, breathing embodiment of everything I've lost. Every time I look at you, I see her face, hear her laughter, feel the searing agony of her absence. "His voice drops to a broken whisper, heavy with regret and sorrow." I don't know how to love you, Gary. I don't know how to forgive myself for the pain I've caused you. And I don't know how to make up for the love and happiness I've lost. But I do know that I can't keep living like this, consumed by grief and resentment. It's tearing me apart, Gary.