But one of the family elders had a birthday coming up, and given how far back our families went, we'd inevitably end up at the same party.
When I arrived with a gift in hand, though, what I walked into was no birthday celebration.
It was a proposal.
Marcus was down on one knee.
The moment he spotted me, a mocking smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He slid a diamond ring onto Eileen's finger with deliberate slowness.
"Congratulations!" My parents were the first to start clapping.
I stared at them, bewildered. "Isn't today Grandpa's birthday?"
"It is! But your grandfather said he wanted to double the celebration."
I frowned. "You were all this eager to rush their engagement? I genuinely thought this was just—"
My father cleared his throat. "The reason we kept it from you... well, we were afraid you'd try to ruin it."
"Did you know? Eileen just became the national director at Apex Group."
Apex?
I froze.
That was my company. The one I'd co-founded with my college partner.