The Poverty Game

On my birthday, my girlfriend, the undisputed queen bee of Manhattan's elite, bailed on me again. This time, to hand out flyers for a foot massage parlor.
You're loaded, I said, barely containing my anger. Do you really have to play this 'poor girl' game?
Jennifer's voice turned to ice. I told you, I'm buying a gift for Leo with my own hard-earned money. And speaking of which, you need to get down to the spa right now, Asher. I signed you up for a shift. We're still a few hundred bucks short for his new laptop.
I nearly ground my teeth to dust. "I'm done playing this game, Jennifer. We're over. The engagement is off."

1
I hung up, but Jennifer's calls kept coming, one after another, like a death knell. I finally blocked her number out of sheer frustration.
My friend stared at me, his eyes wide. "Dude, Jennifer actually called you, and you hung up on her?"
Everyone in our circle knew I was Jennifer's lapdog. I'd chased her for over a decade, and she only agreed to marry me because our families insisted on a merger. For years, she was the center of my universe, but I could never melt her frozen heart.
I was tired. I raised my glass with a smile. "Here's to my birthday, and to being single again!"
The words landed like a lead weight. The private room fell silent, everyone frozen in place.
Suddenly, the door swung open. "Asher, you snake! You scored a free night in the VIP suite and didn't even invite us?"
Jennifer breezed in, dragging a slightly awkward-looking Leo with her. In a room full of designer clothes and old money, Jennifer's twenty-dollar fast-fashion t-shirt and Leo's generic sneakers stuck out like a sore thumb.
But instantly, the entire room shifted gears. Conversations about yachts and Michelin-starred restaurants morphed into debates over the best takeout deals, everyone playing along with Jennifer’s charade.
My eyes immediately locked onto the Omega watch on Leo's wrist. The same one I'd bought with the money I'd earned driving for Uber after my day job and pulling all-nighters on freelance projects.
Leo noticed my gaze and asked with faux innocence, "Hey, Asher, you're not mad, are you? That Jennifer used the money you worked so hard for to buy me this watch?"
I scoffed and looked at Jennifer. She didn't say a word to shut down his obvious provocation. Instead, she soothed him. "Don't worry about it, Leo. The gifts I give you are bought with my money. No one else has a right to be upset."
It was clear who Manhattan's queen bee favored. My so-called friends immediately fell in line.
"Yeah, Leo, don't sweat it. Jennifer can spoil whoever she wants."
"You've got great style, man!"
"We're all Jennifer's friends, so we're your friends. Anything you need, just ask."
A wave of bitterness washed over me. Some of the people fawning over him were my childhood friends, guys I’d known for twenty years. But two decades of friendship meant nothing against the queen bee's affection for her pet project.
Just then, the waiter wheeled in the massive custom cake I'd ordered. I was about to blow out the candles, a small act of catharsis, when I heard Leo's ridiculously exaggerated gasp behind me.
"Whoa! I've never seen a cake this big! Asher, can I make a wish and blow out the candles? Can I cut it?"
I gritted my teeth, blew out the candles in one sharp breath, and took the knife from the waiter. "No."
Leo’s smile froze on his face. He clearly hadn't expected me to refuse him.
"Asher, you're being so cheap! It's just a cake! What's the big deal if Leo cuts it?"
"Yeah, man, you won't even do that for Jennifer's friend?"
"Don't worry, Leo. Next time, we'll all chip in and get you an even bigger one!"
Even my best friend called me stingy. And Leo, the cause of it all, just stood there looking innocent. "It's fine if Asher doesn't want to. It's no big deal."
"Of course it's a big deal if Leo wants it!" Jennifer strode over and snatched the knife from my hand. She moved so fast that the tip of the blade sliced my cheek. A sharp, stinging pain, followed by beads of blood.
Someone bumped into me, and I stumbled back. The crowd swarmed around Leo, cheering him on as he prepared to cut the cake. I was pushed to the periphery. It was my goddamn birthday.
My fists clenched. The anger boiled over. I pushed through the crowd and, with all my strength, flipped the entire cake onto the floor.
My eyes were burning as I stared at Jennifer. "I'm done with this act!"
She lunged to cover my mouth, but the words were already out. "If you and Leo want to play at being poor—"
She clamped her hand over my mouth, her eyes darting nervously to Leo. When she saw that his expression hadn't changed, that he apparently hadn't heard, she breathed a sigh of relief. Then she dragged me into a corner.
"Asher," she hissed, her voice a low threat, "if you say one more word, we are done. Don't think this engagement gives you a free pass to do whatever you want."
The coldness in her eyes pierced me to the bone. The years of love I'd given her felt like a pathetic joke. I nodded forcefully.
Only then did she release me. I gasped for air. "Jennifer, we're already done. Whatever you and Leo do from now on has nothing to do with me."
She stared at me for a second, then scoffed, her tone dripping with disdain. "Don't be so dramatic, Asher. You've been playing hard to get for twenty years. Can't you come up with something new? You were the one who was dying to marry me. You really think I'm going to believe you want to break up?"
I saw the impatience in her eyes and just laughed. Before I could say anything else, Leo walked over, a worried frown on his face. "Jennifer, there's a problem with the New Peak proposal. The boss wants me to go back to the office and fix it now." He looked down at his clothes. "But my shirt got cake on it."
When Jennifer looked at him, her expression softened with a warmth I'd never seen directed at me. She gently wiped a smudge of frosting from his cheek. "Don't worry, Leo. It's okay." Her eyes then flicked to me, her voice once again imperious. "Asher, you go back to the office and fix the New Peak proposal."

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