Love Rivals: The Day I Saw Your Tears

22. Some Sacrifices Cost One Their Dreams

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of who to reach out to, but finally mustered the courage to call Vicky.
I thought about reaching out to Kiera, but her words often hurt, and I didn’t want her to dampen my mood.
He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey, Vicky," I asked, "what are you planning to get Rima for her birthday?"

Vicky replied with a casual tone, "Oh, probably something glittery and girly."

Next, I called Krystal. "Hey, I need your advice on what to gift Rima."

She sounded curious. "For her birthday?"

"Yeah," I said. "I need something that fits with the story I’ve been telling about my profession."

She thought for a moment before suggesting, "How about a nice showpiece or something antique? That should fit well."

Taking her suggestion to heart, I went to a shop and found a beautiful 3D waterfall display. It was stunning, but the price was shockingly high. I called Shriya and asked if she could transfer some money to cover it. After some negotiation, she agreed to help me out.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a stunning orange hue over the darkening blue sky, the café buzzed with excitement for Rima’s celebration. She cut her birthday cake, and one by one, guests handed her their presents. I offered mine along with the others, but she opened each gift with eager anticipation, only to set mine aside for later. The small gesture felt like a sharp sting.

I had stretched my budget to buy the gift, spending money I could have used for a pair of sneakers I'd been longing for the past three years. But this wasn’t the first time I’d felt overlooked; their behavior had been like this since school.

Feeling hurt and out of place, I retreated to the counter, where I pretended to work on my laptop. In truth, I was playing games, using the distraction to distance myself from the growing discomfort of the evening.

Ryan approached me, a curious expression on his face. "What's up?" he asked.

I glanced up from my laptop and replied, "Can’t you see? I’m working."

He gave me a knowing smirk and said, "I can tell the difference between working and playing games on a laptop."

I shot him a skeptical look.

Just then, Vicky joined him and Ryan asked, "Amreesh mentioned that you learned to cook in just two weeks."

Before I could respond, my attention was drawn to the door. Krystal had just walked in, and my mood lifted instantly. I dashed over to her, throwing my arms around her in a tight embrace, completely ignoring everyone else.

With a playful grin, Krystal said, "I came to see if your cooking is as good as you say."

She then greeted Vicky and Ryan with a warm smile. Noticing the crowd, she turned to me and asked, "Are they your friends?"

I glanced around, feeling a touch of disappointment, and replied, "Unfortunately, yes."

Ryan interjected with enthusiasm, "Well, I’m looking forward to tasting your cooking too."

I glanced at Krystal and said, "I’ll whip up a fruit shake for you."

Ryan, not wanting to miss out, asked, "And what about me?"

I turned to him with a smirk and replied, "Why should I let you taste mine when I’ve never had a chance to try yours?"

Vicky, always up for some fun, jumped in with a suggestion. "How about we make this interesting? Ryan and Sarah, you both make your shakes and then swap them. Let’s see who finishes their glass first."

Krystal, clearly excited by the idea, exclaimed, "That sounds great! Let’s get started!"

We headed to the kitchen and quickly made our shakes, each of us putting our own twist on the recipe. With our drinks in hand, we returned to the seating area where Krystal and Vicky were waiting. Taking our seats, we exchanged our shakes with each other.

Ryan took a sip, paused, and grimaced. "This is worse than I imagined," he said, pouring in more ice cubes as he continued drinking.

Vicky tasted it and said, "Ryan, you should stop drinking that. You’re going to hurt yourself."

I looked concerned and asked, "Is it really that bad?"

Krystal, who had just taken a sip, nodded and said, "Yeah, Sarah, it’s pretty awful."

I downed my shake, declaring triumphantly, "Well, I finished mine first, so I’m the winner." Ryan managed to finish his a few seconds later.

I then took a glass of my handmade shake and had a taste. Trying to hide my disgust, I said, "It’s not that bad for a beginner like me."

All three of them watched me as I took another sip. I couldn’t hold back and choked, admitting, "Actually, it’s really bad." We all burst into laughter.

The intensity of our laughter drew Kiera’s attention. She asked, "What’s so funny?"

Vicky, trying to keep things light, waved her off and said, "Oh, nothing. Just enjoy your time."