A heartfelt proposal
What she saw next, paused her for a while. A familiar birthmark on the woman's forehead. Where did it suddenly appear from? She never saw it on the woman's forehead. She squinted her eyes but recovered quickly. Then, she flashed a warm smile. Daniel hugged her tight & led her to the birthday cake.
A huge BlackBerry Forest was set in the middle of the trolley. The candles '25' were shining brightly. She blew the candles & started cutting the cake.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to dear Alice
Happy birthday to you
May God bless you
May God bless you
Happy birthday to you
Everyone clapped as Alice fed each of them a piece of cake, starting with Daniel. It was time for her gifts.
Eddie gave her an exclusive watch from Titan, "You need it now!" Alice accepted it with a smile.
Next, Jake presented her diamond jewelry. It was an exquisite piece & the only one in the entire world. Papa Adley & the woman presented her a pristine bracelet. Finally, she made her way to Daniel, "Where's my gift?"
Daniel pointed his chin to a side. Alice squinted & followed his gaze. A giant cardboard box was sitting on the table.
"What's that?" Alice was curious.
"See for yourself", Daniel smirked.
Alice squinted before she headed towards the box. Unknown to her, Jake & Eddie, Papa Adley & the woman were smiling. She saw that the box was simple & was wrapped with a lace ribbon. She unwrapped it & opened the box. As soon as she opened the box, a few heart-shaped balloons floated out. The last one had a sparkling object tied to it with a letter. She undid it. A ring & a letter!
The letter was written in beautiful calligraphy. It said,
"Alice, I have been waiting for this day earnestly & finally we are here. I just want to ask you a question. Will you marry me?"
Alice's eyes were filled with tears. She turned to look at Daniel. He smiled & walked towards her. Then, he squatted down on one knee, took the ring from her hand & extended his right hand, "Will you marry me?"
She was so happy that her tears threatened to fall. She smiled through tears & placed her right hand in the nook of his palm, "Yes." He slipped it on her ring finger & then stood up. With one swift movement, he pulled her in for a hug. The others in the room applauded.
Alice spoke while still in his arms, "Thank you for making it the most memorable birthday of my life."
"You should thank Zach", Daniel smirked.
"What?" Alice pulled away & gave him a dirty look, "What the hell are you talking about?"
"If he hadn't kidnapped me that day, I could haven't planned it for today."
Alice smiled at his words. Just then, Eddie interrupted, "Well, how was the cake? It's your favorite, right?"
"Hmm...it was delicious."
"Guess who made it", Eddie managed to cook up some mystery.
"Who?" Alice raised an eyebrow.
"Mom!", Eddie glanced at the woman, "Who else?"
Alice's eyes drifted towards the woman who flashed her a warm smile. She smiled back somewhat absent-mindedly. Eddie, then, pulled everyone to the dining table. All the dishes were also cooked by the woman.
...
Late at night, when everyone in the villa was asleep, a shadowy figure escaped under the veil of the night.
---
Somewhere in the city
In the dark chamber
Lilith finally let go of her veil & drew in a sharp breath. After many requests that woman allowed her to be present at her daughter's birthday. It's been 25 years & she attended the very first birthday of her daughter. Lilith sighed deeply.
"Welcome back, Lilith!", a hyena cackle could be heard at a certain distance.
Lilith's back stiffened as she felt a chill run down her spine. Her breathing became stifled as the woman came in front of her eyes. Her eyes were cold & an evil glint flashed through them as a smirk stretched across her face. Lilith lowered her head & glanced down at her feet.
"So?" the woman circled Lilith slowly, "Your daughter turned 25, huh?"
"Yes", Lilith gulped.
"She is lucky to have survived 25 years", The woman smirked.
Lilith shuddered at her words which made the woman cackle again, "Pull down your clothes. I'll return tomorrow again." With that, the woman left & Lilith sat down on the chair heavily. This woman always took her identity whenever she wanted to enjoy, pushing all the hardships towards her. Lilith was a graduate from Princeton College, with a degree in economics & business. Whenever there was a meeting she needed to attend, The woman would switch back to her identity & let Lilith handle it. After all, Lilith was a born prodigy with business in her blood which the woman lacked. In the past years, this woman used her evil ways to suppress her & enjoy her limelight. If she lacked in good qualities, was that Lilith's fault?