The Birthday Request
1312 Words
The grand chandelier of the Crestwood Villa cast a blinding, golden glow over the bustling hall. It was the eightieth birthday of Old Madam Hayes, the matriarch of the Hayes family, a clan that sat comfortably in the second tier of Riverton’s social hierarchy. Outside, luxury cars lined the driveway like beetles in a collection, and inside, the air smelled of expensive perfume and aged wine.
Julian York stood in the corner, wearing a suit that had clearly been washed one too many times. The fabric was fraying slightly at the cuffs, a stark contrast to the silk and velvet adorning the rest of the guests. He held a glass of water, his eyes fixed on the main table where his wife, Natalie Hayes, sat with a rigid, uncomfortable posture.
Natalie was undeniably the most beautiful woman in the room. Her skin was like porcelain, her features delicate yet sharp, but tonight, her brow was furrowed with a mixture of worry and exhaustion.
"Grandma, this is a Jade Ruyi I commissioned from Master Lin in the capital. It represents good fortune and longevity! It cost me eight hundred thousand dollars!"
A man with slicked-back hair and a arrogant grin stepped forward, presenting a velvet box. This was Frederick Vance, a young master from the Vance family and a persistent suitor of Natalie, despite her marriage to Julian.
Old Madam Hayes’s eyes lit up. She stroked the cool jade and laughed, the sound rasping like dry leaves. "Good! Very good! Frederick, you truly have a heart of gold. Unlike some people who only know how to take up space."
Her gaze flickered disdainfully toward the corner where Julian stood. A ripple of snickers moved through the crowd.
Julian tightened his grip on the glass. He took a deep breath, set the water down, and walked toward the head table. The chatter died down, replaced by a heavy, mocking silence.
"Grandma," Julian said, his voice steady but low. "Happy birthday. I... I didn't bring a gift today."
"Didn't bring a gift?" Old Madam Hayes’s face darkened instantly. "You live in my house, eat my food, and on my eightieth birthday, you come empty-handed? You truly are a useless piece of trash!"
"I have a request," Julian continued, ignoring the insult that stung his ears. He dropped to his knees with a heavy thud. "Grandma, the orphanage director, Mother Lena, has just been admitted to the ICU with heart failure. She needs an emergency operation tonight. I need... I need to borrow five hundred thousand dollars. I promise I will work to pay you back, every cent!"
The silence in the hall stretched, thick and suffocating. Then, it shattered.
"Five hundred thousand?!"
"Is he insane? He doesn't give a gift and asks for half a million?"
"What a leech! The Hayes family is unlucky to have such a son-in-law."
Old Madam Hayes stared at him, her lips curling into a sneer. She picked up a teacup, hot tea swirling inside and without a second thought, splashed the contents onto Julian’s face.
"Get out!" she shrieked. "You want money? Go beg on the streets! Do not tarnish my birthday with your bad luck! That old woman in the orphanage should just die if she can't afford treatment. Why should the Hayes family pay for a stranger?"
The tea was scalding. It dripped down Julian’s cheek, soaking his collar, but he didn't flinch. He wiped his face slowly, his eyes burning with a humiliation that felt like acid.
"Grandma," Natalie stood up, her face pale. She rushed to Julian’s side, pulling a tissue from her purse to dab his face. "Julian, are you okay?" She turned to the old woman. "Grandma, please. Mother Lena saved Julian’s life when he was a child. It’s a matter of life and death. Can’t we just advance my salary for the next few years?"
"Shut up!" Old Madam Hayes slammed her hand on the table. "Natalie, look at you! You are the beauty of Riverton, yet you protect this waste? Frederick just gave me a gift worth nearly a million, and your husband wants to rob me! If you want to save that old woman, fine. Divorce Julian immediately and marry Frederick. If you agree, I’ll give you the money right now!"
Frederick Vance stepped forward, adjusting his tie, a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Natalie, listen to Grandma. I’ve loved you for years. Why waste your youth on a man who can’t even afford a birthday present? Marry me, and I’ll pay for the surgery instantly. I’ll even transfer the patient to the best private suite."
Natalie bit her lip until it almost bled. She looked at Julian, seeing the water and tea dripping from his chin, the utter defeat in his posture. But then she looked at his eyes. They were cold, deep, and surprisingly calm.
"I won't divorce him," Natalie said, her voice trembling but firm. "He is my husband."
"Then get out!" Old Madam Hayes roared, pointing a trembling finger at the door. "Both of you! If you don't have the money, don't show your faces here!"
Julian stood up slowly. He didn't look at Frederick, nor did he look at the guests mocking him. He looked only at Natalie. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I'll figure it out."
"How will you figure it out?" Natalie’s cousin, Harriet, laughed from the side. "By selling a kidney? Oh wait, even your kidneys are probably trash."
"Get lost, loser!" Frederick jeered.
Julian turned around. The laughter of the Hayes family echoed in his ears. He walked out of the villa, the heavy wooden doors slamming shut behind him, sealing the warmth and wealth inside, leaving him in the cold night air.
He clenched his fists so hard his fingernails dug into his palms.
Three years.
For three years, he had lived as a dog in the Hayes family. He washed their clothes, cooked their meals, and bore their insults, all because his grandfather had arranged this marriage before he passed. He had endured it all for Natalie, the only person who treated him with a shred of humanity.
But tonight, they had crossed the line. They had insulted Mother Lena.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. It was a text from the hospital. “Patient critical. Payment required immediately, or we cease life support.”
Julian’s heart hammered against his ribs. He had no choice. He had exhausted every option, swallowed every ounce of pride, and it wasn't enough.
He walked to a secluded corner of the villa’s garden, under the shadow of a large oak tree. His hand trembled as he pulled out an old, battered Nokia phone from his inner pocket, a phone he hadn't turned on in three years.
He pressed the power button. The screen flickered to life.
He dialed a number that was etched into his memory, a number he swore he would never call.
It rang once.
"Young Master?" A voice on the other end answered instantly, trembling with disbelief and reverence. "Is... is that really you?"
"Sebastian," Julian said, his voice hoarse. "I need money."
"Young Master!" The old man on the other end sounded like he was weeping. "You’ve finally called! The Master has been waiting for this day. The entire York family has been waiting! How much do you need? A billion? Ten billion? I will transfer the entire treasury if you ask!"
"I just need five hundred thousand. For now."
"Consider it done. But Young Master... does this mean you are coming back? The imposed exile period is over. You are the heir to the York Dynasty. The world is yours to command."
Julian looked back at the brightly lit villa where his wife was being humiliated because of his poverty. He looked at the sky, dark and indifferent.
"Yes," Julian said, a cold determination hardening his features. "I'm back."
- Writer
