Flowers?
Josephine was puzzled. She asked, "I left them downstairs. Why?"
Stuart asked, "The flowers I gave you, you didn't bring them up?"
Josephine replied, "Because they were extra from the florist."
Stuart was furious. He questioned, "So what! Don't you cherish the things I give you?"
Josephine almost laughed in anger. She said sarcastically, "How should I cherish them? Carry them upstairs and sleep with them?"
Stuart was angry. He remarked, "You're simply unreasonable!"
Josephine felt he was about to lose his temper again and didn't want to engage. She asked, "Do you have anything else to say?"
Stuart, even more annoyed by her attitude, asked, "Do you know what day it is today?"
Josephine retorted, "What day?"
"Tomorrow is my birthday," Stuart said through gritted teeth, "You didn't know?"
"You said it's tomorrow," Josephine replied, "What does that have to do with today?"
Even if Stuart was eagerly anticipating, he couldn't directly ask her what gift she had prepared for him.
Josephine, on the other hand, had always given him gifts proactively in previous years, but this year she was being mysterious.
Stuart snorted.
He would wait!
He didn't believe Josephine could keep it from him forever!
However, after dinner, as it approached nine o'clock, Josephine was still quietly sitting there doing research, showing no intention of giving him a gift.
Stuart made a phone call; regardless of what the other person said, he replied, "A gift? What gift? Birthday gift? Forget it; I can't accept your gift, no need to be so polite."
After a few more words, he hung up.
He had made it so obvious; Josephine should have some reaction, right?
However, Josephine acted as if she hadn't heard anything, showing no response.
Stuart got up and grabbed a book, flipping the pages loudly.After a while, he threw the book aside and paced around the room.He made a lot of noise, but Josephine didn't even look up.
Stuart couldn't hold back and was about to call her when he suddenly wondered what he was doing.
Why did he care so much about Josephine's gift?
He hadn't expected anything in previous years.
What was different this year?
Or had he gotten used to Josephine giving him gifts; now that she hadn't, he felt disappointed?
Stuart couldn't sort out his emotions.
He finally spoke, "When someone gives you something, you should take care of it properly, not just hand it off to someone else."
Josephine finally looked at him. Bewildered, she asked, "Are you talking to me?"
One sentence made Stuart angry. He snapped at her, "Who else! Josephine, what do you mean today?"
Josephine was puzzled. She casually explained, "I gave the flowers to the maid to help arrange them in a vase. What's wrong with that? I didn't throw them in the trash."
"Don't you dare!" Stuart roared, "And what else?"
Josephine asked, "What?"
Seeing that she genuinely didn't understand and wasn't pretending, Stuart turned away, feeling awkward. He asked awkwardly, "Don't you have something for me?"
Josephine asked, "What thing?"
Stuart glared at her. He blurted out, "My birthday!"
Josephine finally realized. She remarked, "A birthday gift?Are you asking me for a birthday gift?"
"What do you mean I'm asking you!" Stuart wouldn't admit it. He claimed, "I'm not like you. I cherish everything others give me. So, whatever you want to give me, just give it to me."
Josephine glanced at him. She stated calmly, "Gifts should be given on the birthday itself."
Stuart looked at her and finally sensed something was off.
His eyes were filled with disbelief. He asked, "Josephine, did you forget?"
Josephine's eyes flickered.
Stuart gritted his teeth. He said in disbelief, "You really forgot? Didn't you prepare a gift for me?"
Josephine said, "Stuart, do you remember what I gave you last year?"
Stuart was stunned.
Seeing him silent, Josephine smiled. She remarked snidely, "You say you cherish what others give you, but you don't even remember what I gave you last year."
"Don't make excuses," Stuart said, "That's not a reason for you to forget my birthday."
"You receive many gifts every year. Mine shouldn't make a difference," Josephine said, "I don't have the same dedication as some people who knit scarves by hand. I see you wear it quite well."
Stuart reacted quickly this time. "Are you mad because I accepted Doris's scarf? It's just a scarf. Why are you overthinking it? Isn't that a bit much?"
Thinking about it now, Josephine felt it was wise to control her emotions in time.
Even if Stuart didn't like her, or even if he had feelings for her, he didn't understand what it meant to be faithful. He accepted gifts from other women without a second thought.
If Josephine lived with him for a lifetime, she would probably be driven mad.
She shot back, "Then me not preparing a gift for you is also a small matter, and you're overreacting."
"That's different," Stuart said angrily, "What is our relationship?"
"It is different," Josephine said, "How can I compare to Ms. Kelly? She's so sweet, Mr. Haustia wouldn't dare do anything to her."
"Stop being sarcastic!" Stuart said, "In the end, you just don't like her!"
Josephine shook her head with a smile. She replied calmly, "Let's not talk about this. I just want to ask you, Stuart, have you ever given me a gift? You ask for a gift so confidently, as if I owe it to you. But what about me? On my birthday, did you ever give me a gift?"
Stuart was silent.
Josephine smiled again. She remarked with a tinge of bitterness, "I forgot, you don't even know when my birthday is, let alone give me a gift."
Hearing this, Stuart felt a pang of guilt.
He indeed didn't know Josephine's birthday and had never given her a birthday gift.
So what right did he have to ask Josephine for a gift?
However, he couldn't help but say, "But you used to give me gifts."
"That was then," Josephine said, "People change."
Hearing her words, that sense of unease and fear rose again in Stuart's heart.
It was the feeling that something was slipping out of his control, slipping away from him.
Josephine asked, "I remember you used to celebrate your birthday with your friends. They would stay with you until midnight, blow out candles, and cut the cake. Why aren't you going today?"
Stuart nodded instinctively. He replied, "I'm going."
He regretted it as soon as he said it.
He had no desire to meet up with Robin and the others now.
Josephine just smiled. She said calmly, "Then go."
Even though this was how he had celebrated in previous years, Josephine's attitude made him angry. He said irritably, "You tell me to go, so I go? This is my house, my birthday, and I'll celebrate it however I want!"
Josephine shifted to a more comfortable position. She replied, "Suit yourself."
Seeing her continue to read, Stuart felt powerless and frustrated.
He suddenly said, "This time, Doris will be at my birthday celebration."
Josephine responded with an "oh."
Stuart added, "Aren't you worried that Mrs. Haustia's position will be taken?"
Josephine looked up at him. She retorted, "What if I voluntarily step down?"
"Josephine, you!" Stuart, furious, pulled her up. He said forcefully, "Come with me!!"