On her birthday, Janine planned a quiet, meaningful evening — candlelight, homemade dinner, and the hope that her husband, Kyle, would notice. But instead, he came home with friends, beer, and greasy pizza, completely forgetting what the night meant.

Not a word about her birthday. Not a glance at the effort she poured into the meal or herself. As Kyle and his friends dug into the food she made for a moment that mattered to her, something inside Janine shifted.Calmly, she cut the power, packed up the leftovers, and walked out.She went to her parents’ house, where she was greeted with balloons, cake, laughter — and the simple joy of being seen. For once, it felt like her birthday.The next morning, when Kyle mocked her for being “dramatic,” she handed him a box — with blank divorce papers inside. Not finalized, but loud enough to say what needed saying.“I stopped being serious about me a long time ago,” she told him. “But I’m done being the only one who cares.”Janine walked away — from the birthday, the marriage, the silence — with her dignity, a lit candle, and something she hadn’t felt in years: self-worth.ecause that night, she didn’t just leave a ruined dinner. She chose herself.