The Invitation Said Happy Birthday To His Daughter With Another Woman Chapter 03

The Invitation Said Happy Birthday To His Daughter With Another Woman Chapter 03

I sat down in an empty seat, holding the baby.

I noticed, to my shock, that the baby was wearing a custom gold bracelet.

The charm was a Phoenix.

I recognized it instantly. Seven years ago, when I found out I was pregnant with twins,

my mother had commissioned a custom set of “Dragon and Phoenix” jewelry and traveled to Sedona for a spiritual blessing.

But things didn’t go as planned; there were complications during delivery.

Only our son survived.

I was devastated, and the damage to my body meant I couldn’t have more children.

Our son has worn the Dragon piece since he was a baby.

The Phoenix piece, I had carefully tucked away in the safe at home.

Whenever I thought of the daughter I lost, I would hold that jewelry and cry for a long time.

My hands trembled as I touched the lifelike phoenix pattern and gently flipped it over.

The name was engraved clearly on the back: “Skylar Joy.”

That was the name I had spent months researching for the daughter I never got to hold.

I wanted her life to be full of joy.

“My daughter’s name is Skylar Joy; Julian picked it,” Brooke said with a smile as she sat down beside me.

“This bracelet was also a custom piece Julian had made. You have no idea how much he wanted a daughter.”

My heart broke into a million pieces, but I forced myself to remain calm.

“He treats you so well.”

Brooke smiled and chatted with me like we were old friends:

“You must be new at the company? I used to know all the veterans.”

“After I left, Julian said they hired a lot of new people.”

I gave a hollow “Yeah.”

“The company has good benefits, but the travel is a lot. Julian only recently stopped having to travel.”

“Before, he was always away, sometimes for a month at a time. I’m glad those days are over.”

A bitter smile touched my lips.

“Yeah.”

Before Julian was supposedly assigned out-of-state a year ago,

he used to “travel” for about half of every month.

I felt so bad for him, constantly moving between different cities.

I never let him worry about anything at home.

Even when my in-laws were sick or hospitalized, I handled all the care myself.

Even as our intimacy dwindled over the years,

I never complained.

Now I know he wasn’t traveling; he was taking care of another home.

Brooke didn’t seem in a hurry to take the baby back, occasionally getting up to greet other guests.

Seeing the baby so quiet in my arms, she said in surprise:

“My daughter really likes you. When my friends try to hold her, she usually cries right away.”

“You’ve been holding her for so long and she hasn’t made a sound. It’s amazing.”

I said flatly, “Probably because I have a child of my own; I have some experience.”

She was delighted and didn’t hold back:

“Then I’ll trouble you to hold her a bit longer while I go greet the new arrivals.”

I nodded.

She went off to host the guests.

I looked at the large banner hanging in the center of the hall.

It read: Celebrating Julian Sterling and Brooke Harrison’s daughter, Skylar Joy—Happy 100 Days.

It felt like my body was being filled with shards of glass.

My son never had a celebration like this.

At the time, the family was immersed in the grief of losing the other baby.

Julian suggested we shouldn’t hold a party.

My parents disagreed, thinking it was a milestone for the child.

But he insisted, using the excuse that the loss of our daughter was too painful.

And yet, now that he has a daughter, he can throw a joyous gala! I was the only one who still remembered the daughter who never made it.