"Happy birthday, Kim!" The cheerful voices of her friends echoed through the room, wrapping Kimberly in warmth as she turned toward them with a surprised smile.

"You guys!" she exclaimed, touched as she watched them drop the cake on the table. "I thought it was just going to be a simple dinner."

"You didn't think I'd let you spend your birthday without a little glam, did you?" Cindy, her best friend grinned, pulling her into a hug.

Kimberly chuckled, hugging her back and whispering, "Thank you, Cindy."

As she pulled away, she stepped in front of the mirror, her dress shimmering beneath the soft light. Cindy zipped her up from behind, giving a low whistle. "Damn, girl. Ryan's jaw is gonna drop."

Kimberly beamed, feeling extremely happy, and at the same time nervous.

Kimberly and Ryan had been together for quite long now, and she felt like they were ready to take the next step.

She had waited for this moment for so long, but the mention of a surprise made her even more nervous.

As she slipped on her heels, she smiled widely as her mind wandered back to their first date. Ryan had taken her to a luxurious Italian restaurant, and they had talked for hours about their dreams and aspirations.

She had felt a spark, and she knew he had too. Over the years, they had grown closer and their love seemed to have grown much more than they ever imagined.

But lately, Kimberly had started to feel like something was missing.

There was just something off about him lately that she couldn't quite understand. However, she didn't worry much about it. She loved Ryan and Ryan loved her just as much as she did. If not more than she did. That, she knew for sure.

Cindy, who had been watching her with a knowing glint in her eyes, handed her a pair of earrings. "These will complete the look." she said, handing them to her with a big smile.

Cindy had been Kimberly's best friend since Highschool, always there with advice and unwavering support -the kind of friend anyone would wish for.

Kimberly valued her opinion and trusted her instincts completely.

"Thank you." Kimberly smiled and put them on, feeling a surge of excitement tingling in her heart. Tonight was going to be special, she thought in her heart.

But her heart wasn't racing with excitement as she picked up her phone and dialed Ryan again for the third time. Still, he didn't pick up.

"Give it a break, Kim! Remember, today is your birthday. I'm sure he's busy getting things in order." Cindy said, rubbing her shoulder kindly as she saw the distress on Kimberly's face.

"But he must have at least seen my calls, Cindy. I mean, he...."

"He's busy, Kim," Cindy chuckled, shaking her head. "Remember, he said he has a surprise for you. Who knows what kind of big surprise he's planning?" Cindy playfully said, wiggling her brows.

Kimberly chuckled, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of Ryan proposing to her. She smiled at the thought, about to drop her phone when it buzzed.

She held it back immediately, expecting it to be Ryan. But it was a text from an unknown number - a photo of Ryan kissing a blonde-haired woman whom she recognized instantly.

It was her friend, Clara.

Kimberly's heart skipped a beat. What was going on? She instantly felt a wave of nausea wash over her, and her mind went blank. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and checked the message again, to be sure she wasn't seeing things. But she still saw the same thing.

This couldn't be true! It had to be photoshopped.

Ryan could never do this to her! Not even in her dreams!

Cindy, who noticed Kimberly's sudden expression, quickly rushed to her side, asking, "What's wrong?" She asked with concern plastered on her face.

Kimberly couldn't speak, she could only show Cindy the text, and Cindy's expression changed from concern to anger.

"What the hell is this? Clara? This has better got to be a joke. Let's go!" Cindy said, already heading for the door.

The other girls in the room were left in utter confusion, wondering what was going on. They were looks of questions and confusion plastered on their faces as they watched them exit the room.

In less than few minutes, Kimberly arrived at the hotel, according to the address in the text. Her heart thumped hard in her chest as soon as she stepped in. She didn't see Ryan in the lobby, but she decided to investigate further.

She made her way to the room number mentioned in the text. Kimberly's heart was pounding in her chest as she approached the door. She hesitated for a moment, wondering if she really wanted to know what was going on because she was still in doubt.

No, she would never believe that Ryan was cheating on her - and with her friend?

But her curiosity got the better of her. She leaned in, listening carefully. The sounds she heard made her blood run cold. It was unmistakable - Ryan was with someone else and he was f*c....

Kimberly felt a wave of devastation wash over her, but she was determined to confront him. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what was to come. As she listened more closely, she heard their conversation.

Ryan's words cut deep. "She's getting too pathetic - too clingy and too boring. Not that I ever loved her anyway, I was just using her for the mean time," Ryan scoffed, his voice smooth with no remorse.

"I need a woman who knows how to keep things exciting. Someone worth my time," he continued, and Clara laughed.

"I think I can keep up with that," she said.

Kimberly felt a surge of anger and hurt, her blood boiling hot. How could he say such things about her?

Did she just hear him say he never loved her? And was just using her for the mean time?

How cruel?!

Unable to contain her rage, Kimberly pushed the door open, slamming it against the wall with rage.

The room was dimly lit, with only a few candles illuminating the space. The air was filled with the scent of sex and perfume. Ryan and Clara were tangled together on the bed, their clothes scattered across the floor.

The scene Kimberly met broke her heart into tiny pieces. Ryan was slamming hard into Clara, his groans filling the entire room.

"What the fuck?!" Ryan cursed as he turned to see Kimberly, his face darkening in both shock and anger.

"Kimberly.....Kimberly, wait...I....." before he could complete his sentence, Kimberly slapped him hard across the face.