A seemingly innocuous cake delivery abruptly changed the mood of Tom’s exuberant birthday celebration from happy to chilly. The room was stunned into silence when the cake was revealed to disclose a shocking secret, exposing Tom’s betrayal of friends and family. I was running around the house getting everything ready for Tom’s birthday celebration. There were colorful accents everywhere, with streamers hanging from the ceiling and balloons floating in the corners. The sound of happy greetings and the aroma of home-cooked meals filled the living room as early guests began to arrive, bringing with them laughing and conversation.
The doorbell rang as I was assembling the snack table. After wiping my hands on my apron, I quickly answered it. There was a delivery man holding a big box with a happy “Happy Birthday!” sticker slapped all over the side. “For you,” he added, passing the unusually weighty box to me. As I signed for the package, I muttered, more to myself than to him, “Oh, I did not order this.” I thought it was a surprise from Tom’s relatives or friends. Despite my busy schedule, I promptly thanked him and put the cake box on the kitchen counter to finish off later.
Tom was the life of the party, laughing and giving his friends high fives as the festivities got bigger. He exuded an effortless charisma that put everyone at ease. Grinning widely, his parents, Jane and Michael, brought in a baked pie. They gave me hugs and complimented the interior design and welcoming feel. Following closely behind them was my closest friend Lisa, who was adding to the happy chaos with her kids in tow and arms full of gifts. I finally got a chance in the kitchen to put the mystery cake in the refrigerator. My curiosity overcame me, and I cautiously removed the lid to take a quick look. The cake had a picture on it, but it was not the cheerful birthday greeting I was hoping for. I could not make out the specifics, but it appeared to be a screenshot of a text conversation.
“Anybody in here need help?” Lisa’s voice brought me back to the present. With a big smile on my face, I shut the cake box swiftly. I said, “I am just trying to make place for everything,” as I pushed the box into the refrigerator. I dismissed the uncomfortable feeling as we made our way back to the living room. I figured it was probably simply a funny joke from Tom’s coworkers. They were continually competing with each other to give the funniest gifts.
