Authors Note: Long time, no update I see… [; Please be patient you guys! I have school, homework, tests etc. and I just don't have time anymore! I got a few comments saying people will give up hope on this story and all I have to say is fine. Do what you want to do! I'm not forcing you to read my story. If it was supposed to be some kind of threat for me to update, it didn't work. My computer crashed and I am doing really bad in this one class so I need to bring my grade up. More info on updates to my other stories on my profile… Enjoy this chapter! (:

Eleventh Chapter

Gabriella walked back towards the entrance/foyer of the household, her heels clicking as she took each step. Tears fell out of her eyes freely now, and landed on the hardwood floors. She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and started to search the yellow pages for a number on a taxi or even limo. She didn't care what it was, she just needed to get to work and then come back home. Her sobs echoed the halls of the house and her tears felt as though they were pounding down to the floor. She didn't even understand why she was crying. It's not like Troy hasn't done this sort of thing to Gabriella before. Refuse to do anything for her because he was so worried about his job. Nothing made sense anymore to her and Troy just disgusted her with his attitude towards anything except his stupid job. Did he even wonder about the pain he had put her in throughout the past year?

~*~*~*

Troy stood in the kitchen alone, his face emotionless and completely drained from what had just happened between him and Gabriella. Why did she want him to remember their wedding? Or remember the day they got married? Girls were so confusing to understand. But Gabriella was like mood-swing central. One day, they'll be fighting and the next they won't even be talking to each other. Or during a fight, sometimes Gabriella would fight back and act all bitchy or she would just begin to cry. He couldn't keep up with her different emotions! What man could?! What had he even done to her?!

That's when Troy heard soft sobs and talking from the hallway just another room over. Quietly, he took small steps towards the noise and saw Gabriella's figure standing by the front door. He back was turned to him, while her phone was against her ear. Small puddle of water were formed around her while she tried her best not to sob into the phone like a baby.

"Yes, Thanks you," Was all Troy could hear from Gabriella's mouth. Troy watched as Gabriella put her phone back in her pocket and turned herself around to face Troy.

Troy's mouth went dry at her appearance. Her cheeks were stained with tear, while her eyes looked as if they bulged out of her eye socket. Her clothes were a tad wet while her hair was slightly messed up. He knew that if his damn mouth kept shut, she would be in a happier mood then what she was in right now. But what could Troy do now? Nothing. The damage was done when he told Gabriella to go get a cab on her own because he wasn't willing to give her a ride. If he changed his mind and told her he would take her to work, she would get angrier depending on her mood-swing because both of them knew it would only be because Troy was giving Gabriella his pity.

So, instead of confronting Gabriella and talking everything out, the famous Bolton move was to forget about it and move on. And that was exactly what Troy did. Troy walked more into the hallway as if it looked like he was going to walk towards Gabriella; but instead, he went over to the hallway closet, pulled out his dark, wool coat and headed towards the front door. Within seconds, Troy slammed the door behind him and just as Troy slammed the door, Gabriella's heart shattered in her body.

~*~*~*

Later that day, Troy returned back home from work early that day because all he had to do was attend a meeting. He finished most of his work at his office, working on a new case, but he returned home when he became tired.

You would think that Troy would've been the slightest guilty about what had happened that morning, when he left Gabriella to go to work, but he didn't. He had other important things to think about than his own love life. His job was his life, and if he was just the tiniest bit off he knew he would get behind in work. So that's why he was centered around it while he could, because he was just one more promotion away not being able to be fired. It was his dream to have a guaranteed job for the rest of his life that pays well and has perks such as being able to fly for free in first class, or sometimes even on the company private jet.

Troy parked his 'new' car in the driveway and then walked over to the household to find the door unlocked. He opened the door, quietly, stepping in and walking over towards the kitchen. There, ne noticed a very large box placed on the kitchen counter and eyed it curiously. He didn't remember ordering something? Maybe it was for Gabriella. Walking over towards the box, Troy took a peek inside of it.

In the inside, it held several multi-colored presents wrapped n ribbons, bows and many colored strings. Troy looked at the inside of the box confused, and soon enough he found himself pulling a few of the presents out to reveal a card lying at the bottom of the package. He picked up the small card, which read Gabriella's name on the front, and scrunched his eyebrows. Who sent this?

Picking up the card out of its envelope, Troy's mouth fell wide open as the card was revealed. On the front it read 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY' in big colorful letters. When was Gabriella's birthday? Troy then gasped finally figuring out everything that had happened the night before.

That night, Gabriella came home excited and even ran up to Troy and hugged him, asking him about the party he was throwing. Why? Because it was her birthday and she had thought the party was supposed to be for her. God, he was a jerk! He didn't even realize why Gabriella was saddened when he told he about the real reason for the party. He didn't even care to comfort her or tell her his lame reasoning. He didn't give her and present and worst of all, he didn't even notice it was her birthday. Opening the card to view the inside, he quickly read the card to himself in his head.

Dear Gabriella,

We hope you have a nice birthday today. We are very pleased to see you grow up into the young lady we had raised you to be. You're smart, kind to others, and very passionate about everything you do. Not only are we lucky to call you our daughter, or friend, but we are very lucky to be the ones you will always come back to when you face problems in your life. We are terribly sorry we can't be there in person for your birthday and we hope you had a fun time partying without us, if possible. As always, we send our blessing and love towards you every day and always remember you can come to us for anything.

Love, Mom, Dad, Sharpay, Megan, Hayden, Chace, and Ryan.

Troy felt a small pain of guilt just thinking about if he was Gabriella. The pain and sadness he had put her through was far more than he expected it to be. He was still surprised Gabriella hasn't even told him about her birthday? I mean, I know it was something he should remember on his own but couldn't she understand he can't focus on anything but work?

Just then, Troy heard footsteps coming down the hall and slowly turned his head towards the doorway to find Gabriella there. She was wearing her favorite white shorts tat cut off to her thigh and her old LA Lakers jersey that fit her body almost perfectly. Troy remembered he had given that jersey to her at their first Lakers game together, and it was especially special because on the back it had her last name written on it with the number 19 because it was the day they got married.

She just gave him a small, yet sad, nod before turning away and walking towards the living room. Troy quickly dropped the card on the kitchen counter before running over towards the living room , where Gabriella was. She was throwing some pillows over to the other side of the couch, trying to find a spot to sit, while the TV blared in the background. Quickly, Troy shot towards her direction.

"Happy Birthday," Troy replied, sheepishly, as Gabriella froze in place, her back facing towards him.

"What?" Gabriella muttered in disbelief. The day AFTER her birthday he realizes it's her birthday?!

"I saw the presents and the card in the kitchen," Troy confessed, closing his eyes to see just how stupid he sounded.

"So, if you haven't seen any of those things, you wouldn't have known it was my birthday?" Gabriella questioned, her anger rising slowly, yet dangerously.

"Well…," Troy trailed off, not finding the right thing he was supposed to say at a time like this.

"You're some husband," Gabriella mumbled, pissed, as she sat her butt down on the sofa cushion.

"I know I'm late but-," Troy began saying but Gabriella snapped her head towards Troy and glared towards him.

"But what?" Gabriella hissed, her words containing venom in every letter.

"But please don't be mad at me. I have many things to worry about like-," Troy started to say, but realizing what he had just said made him want to rewind and take it back. It didn't sound too good coming from himself.

"Like what, huh? Work? It's only obvious you forget about everything EXCEPT work!" Gabriella exclaimed, her eyes turning black with anger.

"Gabriella… That's not true," Troy added as Gabriella gave him a death glare.

"It's NOT true, huh? Do you even know the last time you had EVER paid attention to me?" Gabriella asked, proving a point in a sneaky, yet angry way.

"We just 'spent time' together a few days ago," Troy answered, referring to their one night where they had sex.

"Oh, yeah, that. Do you know what another term for sex is Troy? Oh, that's right, making love," Gabriella added as Troy stayed silent.

"Is sex just fun and games for you? That ONE night we had had sex meant… It meant everything to me. It made me feel important in your life again, but then, the next morning when I found myself alone…. I knew it meant nothing to you," Gabriella murmured, on the edge of tears. She quickly turned away from Troy, not able to control her tears anymore, and let them fall freely. Troy heard her sobs, though and took a step towards her, resting his hand on her back.

"Gabriella. Please don't cry," Troy soothed, but Gabriella took in a deep breath before, tearing her body from his grip and walking away.