It Should Have Been Like This (The Revised Version)

Chapter 74: The Devil's Anniversary

"Touché," I murmured ruefully.

Nic then chimed in, his tone playful and cheerful, devoid of any hint of shame or guilt. "Come on, babe! Let's just eat the cake and celebrate!" What else could I expect from him, really?

I forced a tight smile and turned to the children. "Happy birthday, kids." They responded with wide grins and heartfelt thanks.

In less than twenty minutes, we were all seated in the living room, opening the gifts the children had received. To my surprise, they had amassed a substantial number of presents from their classmates, teachers, and various acquaintances. I had been unaware of just how much attention their birthdays had garnered, as Phineas and Gael had mentioned them on their social media, also stating their preference to keep the celebrations low-key.

The gifts had been pouring in since the previous day, and the sheer quantity had more than doubled by now. It left me utterly speechless.

Thank goodness, Nic's parents' gifts were decent — a welcome relief. I had feared they might purchase something as ridiculously extravagant as their son did. My dread was that they might buy the children mansions, but mercifully, they had not — at least, not yet.

"He's so adorable!" Savvy exclaimed, clutching the red and white fox pup she had named Zachary. I knew I'd have to ask her to reconsider the name later. Although Zach didn't retaliate at the moment, likely out of sheer excitement over his presents, that blissful state wouldn't last forever.

"Babies are the cutest," Serene agreed with a nod, gazing into the basket where the lion cub lay, staring right back at her. I had to admit, they were right — the snow-white lion was undeniably precious, with its cute pink nose. I did harbor some concerns about whether it could truly survive here, but I had to trust Rominic's judgment. He wouldn't have agreed to buy the cub if he weren't prepared to ensure its wellbeing.

I smiled, folding my legs beneath me as I watched the children eagerly tear through their gifts. It evoked memories of simpler times, when it was just the six of us. I had never been truly happy when I couldn't afford to buy them everything they desired. The cake and tradition were merely an excuse I had created to mask the truth, which they understood, yet they graciously played along. As long as we were together, they cared for little else. I will always be grateful for their understanding and compassion, but it never ceased to pain me to see them forsake their wishes and childhood excitement out of consideration for my circumstances. Witnessing them now, surrounded by an abundance of presents, brought tears of joy to my eyes.

Despite the anger and resentment I harbored towards Nic at the time, following him had ultimately been the right decision. Even if our situation had not stabilized by now, I still would not have regretted that choice. This was the life the children deserved — they deserved this and so much more, and I fervently prayed to be alive for as long as possible to preserve their happiness to the best of my ability.

"Aunt Rylee!!!" Serene's and Zyaire's joyful shrieks startled me out of my reverie, eliciting a yelp of surprise. I placed a hand over my rapidly pounding heart, bending over with a groan. "Oops! Sorry, Mom!"

"Urgh! I thought you were going to keep your distance," Nic said irritably, glaring at his sister. She waved a dismissive hand and held out the other, revealing five sets of keys in her palm. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, ensuring I wasn't seeing things. Surely those couldn't be…

Wait, they were car keys! What on earth?

Phineas threw an arm around Rylee's shoulders, grinning from ear to ear. "Happy birthday, devils! These are presents from both of us," he announced.

"You bought us cars?" Zayne asked flatly, his tone devoid of enthusiasm. "Dad already has a lot, though."

"Exactly! Those are your father's vehicles, not yours. These are bought and registered in your names — they're yours to do with as you please," Phineas explained eagerly. Zach's eyes lit up, and I could practically see the gears turning as he contemplated tearing another car apart, while the rest of the children were genuinely excited, save for Zayne. Aside from gifts related to food, art, and gadgets, he was notoriously difficult to impress. Rylee and Phineas, unaware of this, were easily fooled by Zayne's polite yet feigned grateful smile.

I was at least relieved that he didn't outright express his displeasure.

The atmosphere after that was pleasant, if a bit lively. Rylee and Nic fell into their usual pattern of bickering and exchanging barbs, with Phineas acting as a referee. The children, accustomed to this dynamic, simply focused their attention on their new pets and presents, effectively tuning out the adults' squabbling.

I was making my way down the stairs after retrieving my phone when the device suddenly vibrated in my hand. Glancing down, I saw that I had received a text message. Curious, I opened it and began to read the confusing contents.

"It's strange, isn't it? A ridiculous coincidence. You don't seem to realize that it's on this same day that you met the devil who ruined your life. The anniversary of your meeting became the exact same day of the children's birth. Should I call it irony?

Well, it doesn't matter. You endured a lot, Lavender. Isn't it right for him to suffer a bit more? I dropped a wonderful present to celebrate your anniversary two hours ago. It should reach you soon. I hope you'll like my present because I most certainly do."

"What in the world…" I trailed off, furrowing my brows in bewilderment. Puzzled by the cryptic message, I silenced my phone and pocketed it, then made my way back to the living room.

Nearly three hours later, as we were cleaning up the mess in the living room, Stacy suddenly burst through the door, breathless as if she had just run a marathon. I had expected her to arrive much earlier, given her well-known infatuation with Zayne.

"You're late. We already—" I began, only to be cut off by her hurried interruption.

"Why aren't any of you paying attention to your phones?!!!" Stacy screamed, her furious glare fixed intently on Nic, as if she were seeing her long-time adversary after a prolonged absence. "There's a reason you have a fucking phone, Mr. Verlice, so why do you never use it at the most important times?!"

Nic stared at her coldly. "Stacy, it would seem you no longer like your paycheck," he responded, his tone calculated and unperturbed.

"And it would seem like someone leaked private information about Lavender!" Stacy exclaimed, her voice dripping with derisive bitterness, as if there were some deeper, unspoken reason behind the hatred burning in her eyes. "As we speak now, the identity of the quins' mother has been revealed!"

My heart sank to the pit of my stomach, and I stared at her, my mouth agape in shock. "And not just that. Your marriage to him and everything you have done with your life for the past ten years was published too!" Stacy continued, her words laced with a venom that seemed to pierce straight through me. "Lavender, when I say everything, I mean, everything, including your job as an escort!"

The cryptic message I had received earlier flashed in my mind, and my heartbeat accelerated to a dizzying pace. The entire room began to spin, and I felt my body slipping as everything faded to black.