David slowly stepped farther into the room, still holding the bouquet in his hands.
His eyes moved from the shattered cake to Emma's trembling hands. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks as she silently gathered broken pieces of the dessert she had spent hours preparing.
The sight broke his heart.
"What happened here?" he asked quietly.
Before Emma could answer, Margaret calmly placed her teacup on the table.
"She made a mess," she said without emotion. "So she can clean it."
David stared at his mother in disbelief.
"What do you mean she made a mess?"
Margaret shrugged as though the situation were completely normal.
"The cake wasn't good enough. I told her to make another one, but instead she argued with me. It slipped from the table after that."
Emma finally spoke through tears.
"It didn't slip."
Margaret immediately interrupted.
"Don't start lying now."
David looked at his wife.
Her swollen eyes told him everything he needed to know.
She wasn't lying.
She was terrified.
Emma had always tried to respect Margaret despite years of criticism. Ever since David married her, Margaret constantly reminded Emma that she wasn't good enough for the family. Every holiday became another opportunity for insults disguised as advice.
David knew they disagreed from time to time.
But he never imagined things had become this cruel.
He looked back at the destroyed cake.
The decorations were carefully written in blue icing.
Happy Birthday Emma.
Now those words were barely readable beneath footprints and broken frosting.
David's hands tightened around the bouquet.
The flowers slowly slipped from his fingers and landed on the floor with a dull thud.
His excitement disappeared.
Only anger remained.
He walked toward Emma and gently helped her stand.
She flinched as if expecting to be blamed.
Instead, David wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
Then he turned toward his mother.
His expression had completely changed.
The cheerful husband who had entered the house moments earlier was gone.
In his place stood a man furious that someone had hurt the woman he loved.
"Who did this?" he demanded.
The room fell silent.
Even Margaret suddenly realized this conversation wasn't going to end the way she expected.