Belle's POV
"Watch out!"
The angry customer pushed past me, and the coffee cup flew out of my hands. My arm got burned when hot liquid splashed all over the place. I held back a sob of pain and got some napkins to clean up.
"Sorry, sorry!" I said quickly as I wiped the man's expensive shoes clean of coffee.
He looked at me like I was filthy. "Stiff waitress." "Get me a fresh coffee right now!"
I was so ashamed that my cheeks hurt, but I forced a smile. "Of course, sir. Right away."
As I hurried to get his order, I touched the small box in my apron pocket. Inside was a watch I'd been saving for months to buy Noah. Today was our two-year anniversary, and nothing could ruin my happiness. Not even bad customers.
The diner was packed with the lunch rush. My feet hurt from running around for six hours straight, but I kept smiling. This was my second job today. I'd already worked four hours at the food store this morning. Tonight, I had my third job cleaning buildings.
But it was worth it. Every dollar I made went toward our little flat and Noah's dreams. He was going to be a great writer someday. I just knew it.
"Belle! Table five is waiting!" My boss, Mr. Peterson, yelled from behind the counter.
I grabbed the coffee pot and ran over. The couple at table five looked unhappy.
"Finally," the woman said with a roll of her eyes. "We've been waiting forever."
"I'm so sorry," I said, filling their cups. "What can I get you today?"
They ordered expensive meals I could never afford. As I wrote down their order, I thought about the special dinner I'd planned for Noah tonight. Just spaghetti with store-brand sauce, but I'd saved enough to buy real parmesan cheese. Noah liked cheese.
The lunch rush finally stopped at three o'clock. My feet were yelling, and my coffee-stained uniform stuck to my skin. But I had made sixty dollars in tips. That was enough for food this week.
"Belle, you look tired," said Maria, the other waitress. She was the only person here who was nice to me.
"I'm fine," I lied. "Actually, I'm great. It's my anniversary today."
Maria smiled. "That's wonderful! Are you doing something special?"
"Noah's planning a surprise," I said, my heart fluttering with joy. He'd called me this morning and told me not to come home early. He was definitely planning something sweet.
I changed out of my uniform and walked to the jewelry shop across the street. The watch gleamed in the store case. It wasn't expensive, but it was perfect. Simple and basic, just like Noah.
"I'll take that one," I told the shop owner, pointing to the watch.
"That'll be twenty dollars," he said.
I pulled out my last twenty-dollar bill. The money I'd been saving for new shoes. But Noah was more important than shoes.
"Can you wrap it nice?" I asked. "It's for someone special."
The old man smiled. "Of course, dear."
I held the small wrapped box like it was made of gold. Noah was going to love it. Maybe he'd finally say those three little words I'd been waiting to hear.
The bus ride home took forever. I stared out the dirty window and daydreamed about our future. Maybe Noah would propose tonight. We'd have a small wedding because we didn't have much money. But it would be wonderful because we loved each other.
I imagined us in ten years. Noah would be a great author, and I'd be by his side, proud and happy. We'd have a little house with a yard. Maybe a dog. Maybe even kids.
The thought made me smile so wide that other people on the bus stared at me. But I didn't care. Today was the best day of my life.
My phone buzzed. A text from Noah.
"Don't come home until after six. Big surprise waiting! Love you."
My heart jumped. He'd never texted "love you" before. This was it. This was the day he'd finally say he loved me out loud.
I looked at my watch. Only four-thirty. I had an hour and a half to wait. What could I do? I didn't have money to go shopping or get my hair done.
Then I remembered the little flower shop near our flat. Maybe they had some cheap flowers. Nothing fancy, just something to make the place prettier for tonight.
I got off the bus two stops early and walked to the flower shop. The owner, Mrs. Chen, knew me from all my jobs.
"Belle! How nice to see you. What brings you here?"
"It's my anniversary," I said shyly. "Do you have any flowers that aren't too expensive?"
She smiled and handed me a small bunch of daisies. "These are day-old, but they're still beautiful. Five dollars."
Perfect. I had exactly five dollars left from yesterday's tips.
I paid Mrs. Chen and clutched the flowers tight. They weren't roses or anything fancy, but they smelled sweet and looked happy. Noah would understand. He always said it was the thought that counted.
Walking back to our building, I passed the rich area where huge houses sat behind tall fences. Sometimes I wondered what it would be like to live in a place like that. But then I shook my head. Money didn't matter when you had love.
My phone rang. Noah's name showed on the screen.
"Hello?" I answered, trying not to sound too excited.
"Hey babe," Noah's voice sounded weird. Kind of scared. "Listen, don't come home until exactly six-fifteen, okay? Not a minute earlier."
"Why six-fifteen?" I asked, confused. "Your text said six."
"Just... trust me. I need more time to set things up. Promise me you won't come early?"
Something in his voice made my stomach flutter with worry. But then I pushed the feeling away. He was nervous because he was planning something special. Maybe even a proposal.
"I promise," I said. "I love you, Noah."
There was a pause. Then he said, "Yeah. Me too. See you at six-fifteen."
He hung up before I could say goodbye.
I checked my phone. Six o'clock. Fifteen more minutes to wait. I walked around the block slowly, trying to kill time. My hands were shaking with excitement. The flowers felt heavy, and the gift box seemed to burn through my pocket.
At exactly six-fourteen, I climbed the steps to our third-floor apartment. Each step felt like it took forever. My heart was pounding so loud I was sure the neighbors could hear it.
I stopped outside our door and smoothed down my hair. I wished I looked nicer for whatever Noah had planned. But he always said I was beautiful no matter what.
Taking a deep breath, I put my key in the lock. My hands were shaking so much I almost dropped it. This was it. The moment that would change everything.
The door opened.
Sounds came from our bedroom. Strange sounds. Noah's voice. And someone else.
A woman's words.
A voice I knew.
My best friend Talia's voice.
The flowers fell from my hands. The gift box fell to the floor.
And my perfect world burst into a million pieces.