Even at work, she couldn’t focus.
“Director Lillian, your coffee.”
“Thanks.” Lillian snapped out of her thoughts.
“Oh, right, Director Lillian, we’re holding the celebration dinner at the musical fountain tonight. Do you want to go home and change first?”
“No, I’ll just go like this,” she said, not in the mood for anything.
Because just five minutes ago, Conrad had messaged her again-saying he was working late and would be busy all night.
He had forgotten today was her birthday.
How could she even care about changing outfits?
She didn’t even want to celebrate.
What she really wanted was to sit down and talk to him-ask him what the hell had been going on lately.
Before they had returned to City N, everything had been fine.
His sudden distance was too jarring.
It wasn’t exactly that he was cold to her.
But… he was busier and busier, spending less and less time with her.
She couldn’t handle this kind of shift.
Sitting in her office for a while, she glanced at the clock and finally decided to head upstairs to find Conrad.
But when she got there, Ford appeared out of nowhere.
“Mr. Conrad isn’t here.”
“He’s not? Where did he go?”
“I’m afraid I can’t say.”
Lillian let out a sharp laugh. “So I’ve become one of those people who’s not allowed to know things now, huh?”
She hadn’t meant to sound so bitter.
But she was really starting to get angry.
Without waiting for Ford to respond, she turned and walked away.
On her way downstairs, she checked her phone-no messages from him.
The only notifications she got were irrelevant invitations.
Lillian turned off her phone. For tonight, she didn’t want to hear from Conrad at all.
Back in her office, she still felt uneasy.
Grabbing her bag, she announced, “You guys go ahead with the celebration dinner. I’m taking the night off.”
“No way, Director Lillian! How can we have a celebration dinner without you?”
“Yeah! You’re the one person who absolutely has to be there!”
Lillian really wasn’t in the mood, but with everyone staring at her like they wouldn’t hold the celebration dinner if she didn’t come, she had no choice.
She curled her lips into a slight smile. “Alright, I’ll go.”
She leaned back in her office chair, closing her eyes for a moment of rest. Jasmine would be taken care of tonight.
With her phone turned off, the world finally fell silent.
She thought about where to go after dinner.
Hillside Villa was the last place she wanted to return to.
Before long, she thought of a place.
She wanted to visit her father’s graveyard.
As soon as she got in the car and was taken to the musical fountain, her heavy mood finally found a small window of relief.
The riverside was packed with people. As one of City N’s most famous landmarks, this place had always been a go-to spot for dates.
Tonight’s celebration was being held on a private yacht.
Pandora, and the others had already arrived.
Lillian, dressed simply in a white blouse and slacks, only realized something was off when she stepped aboard. But she quickly pushed that thought aside.
A waiter handed her a bouquet of roses.
The entire yacht had been decorated with a themed setup.
And as far as she could tell, she was the only one who wasn’t dressed to impress-everyone else was in full evening attire.
Lillian suddenly felt a little underdressed.
She had assumed the celebration would just be a casual gathering in a banquet hall, with the main creative team giving a few speeches over dinner.
She hoped things wouldn’t get too extravagant tonight.
But the farther she walked, the more roses she received.
Lillian made her way up to the second deck.
By now, the yacht had already set sail.
Familiar faces were scattered around, glasses of champagne in hand, chatting with acquaintances.
Pandora looked stunning in a golden gown, her long curls cascading over her shoulders. She was surrounded by a few wealthy businessmen, handling their conversation with grace. When she spotted Lillian, she even waved at her.
Lillian nodded slightly in return.
But no matter how grand the occasion, she just wasn’t in the mood for it tonight.
The wind by the river was strong.
As the first firework exploded in the sky, the yacht’s emcee finally took the stage.
“Welcome, distinguished guests! Today is a truly special day worth celebrating.”
Lillian brushed aside the hair that was blocking her view and looked at the host.
In this corner, no one paid her any attention.
“On this day, 28 years ago, a little princess named Lillian was born into this world.”
Lillian froze, stunned. She looked around in shock as everyone applauded and smiled.
Her face turned slightly red as she thought it was a little surprise from the staff at her studio.
This was so awkward.
On the big screen, a photo of Lillian as a newborn appeared, and everyone was exclaiming how cute she was.
Lillian covered her mouth, also surprised they had even found this picture.
She could hardly remember where her father had put it.
“This is a picture of little Lillian at her one-month celebration. Her father’s blessing for her was, ‘May my daughter be safe and happy every year.’ This is the truest, most heartfelt love a father can have for his daughter.”
In the video, the baby slowly grew up, becoming a little girl who smiled like a doll, and later a young woman, smiling in the yard.
Everyone laughed as they looked at the screen, but Lillian felt a turbulent stir in her heart.
She felt like something was stirring within her, but she was afraid it was just her imagination.
“She became an outstanding director, and we are all proud of her.”
“Miss Lillian.” The host suddenly called her name.
Lillian was taken aback as everyone turned to look at her.
“Do you remember me? I was the host at your 18th birthday party. It’s such an honor to be here again, ten years later, for your birthday. You’re still as beautiful and radiant as ever. Please come to the center and open your birthday gift.”
In fact, Lillian had already forgotten the face of the host.
But she was surprised to see who had invited him today.
Everyone was eagerly waiting for her.
Lillian looked toward the center of the deck, where a large spherical object began to rise.
No one knew what it was. Everyone was waiting for Lillian to reveal it herself.
She walked forward, and Melissa, dressed in an evening gown, appeared holding a red tray. Lillian looked at her, stunned, and smiled.
Melissa tilted her head and asked, “Don’t you think this outfit looks familiar?”
Lillian did recognize it, but she couldn’t quite remember where from.
“I wore this at your 18th birthday party,” Melissa reminded her.
“I’ve been dieting like crazy these past few days just to fit into it, not even a piece of meat!” Melissa emphasized, but as she spoke, her eyes began to well up. “Cut the satin ribbon, and go see your birthday gift.”
Lillian took the scissors from the tray, and with Melissa’s encouraging look, she pulled the pink satin ribbon hanging from the spherical object.
When the ribbon fell, the gray wrapping around the sphere opened up on both sides, and dazzling lights burst forth as a giant crystal ball appeared before Lillian.
With some kind of technology, snowflakes drifted through the air, and the young girl descending the escalator looked exactly like she had at 18.
It was almost a perfect one-to-one replica.
In the corner, gifts were piled up.
Lillian suddenly covered her mouth, but the tears still couldn’t be held back, streaming down her face.
Since that year, Conrad and Melissa were the only ones who had remembered her birthday.
She instinctively searched the crowd for Conrad.
But all she saw were familiar yet unfamiliar faces.
Each person smiled at her.
But there was no Conrad.
He wasn’t anywhere.