CRYSTAL.

"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."

Our voices filled the tiny apartment. It was off-key and uneven, but full of effort.

Jason's little hands clapped with excitement as he stared at the cake on the table like it was a miracle.

It was barely a cake.

A small, lopsided one, bought cheap from the corner bakery. The frosting was cracked, the candle bent. But to him, it was magic.

And to me... it was enough.

He grinned up at me, his teeth flashing through the crooked smile he got from me. "Mommy, look! My name's on it!"

I swallowed hard, forcing the lump in my throat down. "Of course it is, sweetheart. You're the birthday boy."

"Come on, buddy, make a wish!" Noah said, leaning closer to Jason with a grin big enough for both of them.

He had the kind of excitement a father would.

He wasn't Jason's father, but sometimes I forgot that.

He'd been there for every fever, every hospital run, every time Jason collapsed mid-play.

Noah had been my lifeline for the past three years now. He was more than even a brother to me.

If there was ever a man God sent to stand in for the broken ones, it was Noah.

He'd given me more help than I ever deserved, taken Jason as his own son, picked him up from school sometimes when I was too busy to, bought him clothes from the thrift store, carried him when he couldn't walk for too long, and lost his breath... God. What more could I ask for?

Jason squeezed his eyes shut, made a wish, and blew out the candle.

We clapped, cheered, and pretended for a second that we weren't drowning.

Noah lifted Jason off the chair, spinning him gently in the air. "Four years old already? You're getting big, champ."

We didn't really believe in the crowd. Jason, Noah, and Karla, Jason's friend who lives down the street, always made the perfect crowd.

Jason giggled, breathless and happy. "Uncle Noah, I'm almost as tall as you!"

I smiled, but my hands were shaking as I wiped the frosting off the knife. That small cake cost half of what I made in a week. The rent was already due. The hospital bill was piling up. And now, Kristy had threatened to take seventy percent of my next salary.

But Jason didn't know any of that.

He just saw balloons taped to the wall and a candle with his name on it.

He didn't know that I'd skipped lunch all week to buy that candle.

"Thank you, Noah," I hugged him, as I fought the tears that threatened to fall.

***

When the laughter faded, Noah turned to me. "Hey," he said softly. "Come outside for a second."

I hesitated, then nodded. We left Jason and his little friend Karla to wrestle over who got the biggest slice.

There wasn't even any music for them to dance to. God, I was pathetic.

"What did Kristy say?" He whispered, his kind, hazel eyes searching mine worriedly.

I looked away. "She threatened to have me arrested." My voice cracked before I could stop it. "She said management can't loan me any more money."

He exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through his blonde hair. "God."

"Yeah," I muttered. "God."

He paced a few steps, hands on his hips. "Crystal, he needs that surgery. We both know it. The doctor said..."

"I know what the doctor said!" I snapped, then instantly regretted it. My voice softened. "I know, Noah. I just... I don't know what else to do."

He turned back to me, and I saw how tight his face was with worry. "What do we do then? The surgery costs more than we'd make in two lifetimes. You're barely eating, and I'm working double shifts, and it's still not enough."

My gaze rested on his worried face, and I felt like pulling him in for a warm hug... The kind I'd never given to any other man except Jaden. But I just couldn't.

Noah's worry over my child pricks my heart each time.

Sometimes I wondered if he saw me as a friend or as a burden he couldn't walk away from.

He'd spent his savings and daily earnings on Jason. And at some point, I feel guilty about it.

He was just a deliveryman. How much does he even make?

"You have to stop. Stop worrying. I'll come up with something," I placed a hand on his shoulder, "You've worried enough about us."

He shook his head, taking a step closer. "You both are my family. It's not about worry. It's about not standing by while..."

He stopped himself and sighed, rubbing his face. "Look, I have some savings. Not much, but we could take him to the doctor tomorrow. Maybe there's another option - medicine, a temporary treatment, anything to buy us a few weeks."

I gave a small, hopeless laugh. "It's CHD we're talking about, sunshine." My voice softened at the nickname I was used to calling him. "Nothing can fix a hole in the heart except surgery."

"I know," he whispered. "But we have to try. You never know what tomorrow might bring."

I looked at him, and something inside me trembled. The way he said it, the quiet desperation behind it, the unspoken 'I can't lose either of you.:

He leaned in too close, and I felt my heart picking up speed.

But before I could push him away, we heard Jason's little voice from behind us.

"Uncle Noah? Can I get the toy car we saw down the road the other day as a birthday present?"

We quickly pulled away.

"Uhm... Yes. Of course, buddy. Let's go get it now." Noah said awkwardly with his hands on his waist.

"No, you shouldn't," I said quickly, clearing my throat. "He already got you a gift. It's not polite to ask for another one."

Jason pouted, looking between us. "Please, Mommy?"

"Noah," I started, shaking my head.

"It's fine," he cut in gently. "I'll buy it for him. Come on, champ."

Jason cheered. "Karla! Let's go!"

Three of them jumped happily as they walked away.

Jason's small hand was tucked in Noah's. Karla skipped ahead, and Noah turned back once to flash me that same smile that said 'don't worry, I've got him.'

I smiled weakly and waved. "Don't jump too much, honey!" I called after them, but they were already gone.

I leaned against the doorframe, pressing a hand to my chest. My heart was pounding too hard.

The fear was always there for every time he ran, or every time he laughed too hard.

Because I never knew which breath would be his last.

***

I checked the time again.

8:42 p.m.

They'd been gone for almost an hour.

My fingers worried the hem of my shirt as I cleaned up the kitchen, stacking the chipped plates one by one. I told myself not to panic - they'd just gone down the street. Jason probably convinced Noah to buy him ice cream, too.

Still, my heart wouldn't settle.

I picked up Jason's toy truck from the couch and placed it gently on the table.

I smiled weakly at it, trying to push down the knot of unease forming in my stomach.

He'd be fine. Noah would never let anything happen to him.

Right?

My thoughts scattered when a soft knock came at the door.

I froze mid-step.

A second knock followed.

I frowned. "Noah?"

No answer.

I tried to shake off the tension crawling up my spine. It was probably them trying to mess with me. Noah had done that once before - pretending to be a stranger until Jason gave them away with giggles.

"Very funny," I muttered, wiping my hands on a towel as I walked toward the door.

Another louder knock came. And this time, it wasn't playful.

My pulse quickened. For a second, I considered peeking through the window - but I stopped myself. It had to be them. Who else would come here? No one else even knew where I lived.

I forced a smile, "You two think you're so smart, don't you?"

My hand reached for the doorknob and twisted it open. The hinges creaked as the door swung open.

And then... just like that, the air left my lungs. And the towel slipped from my hand.

I couldn't breathe.

I couldn't even blink.

Because standing there, tall, immaculate, and larger than life, was the one man I'd spent four years trying to erase from memory.

The one man I'd do anything to keep away from our lives.

Jaden Astor.

CRYSTAL.

The universe was surely playing a trick on me.

For a long moment, I just stood there, frozen, staring at him like my mind needed time to catch up with what my eyes were seeing.

"Ja... Jaden?" I whispered before I could even summon the decency to stop myself.

He blinked, like the sound of his name from my mouth had hit something deep. "Crystal?" He called me.

He actually called my name.

It was his voice. Only, it sounded deeper than I used to know.

I almost laughed. But I let out a bitter, shaky, and painful scoff. Of all the cruel jokes the universe could play on me, this one had to be the worst.

He had changed. He now had a cleaner haircut, sharper jawline, and expensive clothes that screamed power.

He looked like a man who had conquered the world and walked straight over the pieces of mine to do it.

I took in every polished inch of him. The gold watch, the designer suit, the faint smell of his usual cologne that I used to cherish on my pillow back then.

He looked good, rich, and untouched. The world had obviously treated him kindly, while it had chewed and spat me out.

And me? I was standing there in a faded T-shirt that didn't hide the exhaustion under my skin. My hands were calloused, my body thin from working too much and sleeping too little.

I knew quite a lot about him. Even when I left home five years ago, I was still obsessed with this man right here. I kept checking the news, the Internet, even gossip sites, just to keep up with his life.

Never for once did he look for me.

He lived a happy life. I also heard that his lovely wife had a son for him exactly six months after they got married, which only meant one thing: They were already in an affair even when he was still deceiving me just to get into my pants.

Oh, how foolish I was.

It took several months to stop checking and torturing myself with every new success he attained, and every photo of his perfect life. I had to teach myself to stop bleeding every time I saw his name or heard about him.

It was too painful, especially after he inherited his father's company like he always dreamed of.

I snapped out of my daze when those ugly memories flooded back in.

I crossed my arms, forcing my voice to steady. "You're a long way from home, Mr. Astor."

His expression didn't move, but his eyes softened a little. "So are you."

His confidence made my skin crawl.

"What the hell are you doing in my house?"

The concern that flickered on his face a second ago disappeared. His eyes softened in a way that only made me angrier.

"Crystal..." He sounded careful, almost like he was talking to something fragile. "Please. We need to talk."

"Talk?" I barked out a short, humorless laugh. "After five years? About what? Stocks? Your wedding? The kid you had with your fiancée six months after you left?"

His brows lowered slightly, the air shifting around him. "It's not what you think."

"Then what is it?" I snapped. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks exactly like you got everything you wanted - the company, the perfect woman, the family name - while I got left to rot."

He took a step closer, "Don't," he said, calm but sharp. "Don't turn this into something I never intended."

I immediately stepped back. "Don't. Don't come any closer." I scoffed, "And, oh, I'm sorry," I bit out. "You didn't intend to ruin me?"

He stopped. His hands went up in surrender, but his gaze didn't move from me. "You disappeared, Crystal. I came back and you were gone. I've been looking for you," he said quietly. "Everywhere."

"I guess you've finally looked far enough, huh?" I folded my arms and smiled, "So here. See? I'm alive and living perfectly without you. Now, leave!"

I tried to shut the door but he held it open with his hand and I gasped.

His eyes scanned over me and his expression softened again, "What the fuck happened to you? You..."

I laughed, "You actually care now? And what's wrong with me? Huh? I don't look like the kind of woman you could have ever had by your side, isn't it?" I sniffed, "You already made it clear with your actions. Now, leave!"

I didn't want him here by the time Jason gets back. But he didn't look like one who was even willing to move an inch.

"Please," he said again, stepping forward while ignoring my warnings. "I just want to talk."

"I don't care what you want!" I shouted. "You lost that right the moment you walked back home with another woman!"

The words came out trembling, and I hated that he could still see me crumble.

I swore never to let him see me break. But I was failing.

He exhaled, "It's not what you think, I swear, Crystal." He closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath before pulling them open again, "I heard about the pregnancy... Was it mine?" He asked and the question stung really hard.

He must be stupid to have asked such a question when he was the one who actually took my virginity.

"I lost your baby, Jason." I looked away immediately. "We have nothing else binding us together. Now, get the hell out."

"Crystal..."

"I said get out!" I shouted again, and I swear, I heard my voice echoing off the walls.

He stood still at first. Then, suddenly, he pushed the door open wider and stepped in.

"Leave! Jaden!" I yelled, following him inside, as I grabbed his arm and shove at his shoulder. "You can't just walk into my life like this!"

"I'm not leaving," he said flatly, pulling his arm free.

My hands shook with untamed rage. "You don't belong here, Jaden!"

"I belonged wherever you were," he muttered, glancing around the small room.

And that's when he saw something I wish he never saw.

The toy car on the table.

I froze.

His eyes lingered on it for a moment too long - the shiny red car Jason had begged Noah to buy when he got good grades in school last month.

He looked back at me ever so slowly. "What's this?"

"It's nothing," I said quickly, moving to grab it.

But he was faster. He picked it up before I could reach it, turning it over in his hands, with his brows drawing together. "It's... new."

"It's just a toy, Jaden," I said quickly. "Don't make a scene out of everything."

His eyes shifted to the half-eaten birthday cake sitting beside it - Jason's cake, the candle stub still sticking out of it.

"What the fuck is going on here?"