The most embarrassing thing imaginable happened at my friend's birthday dinner and I think I ruined it.
By @maekindof · Social
I surprised her by ordering a massive, expensive cake for our whole table at a fancy restaurant. Instead of being happy, she got super upset and basically fled the scene, leaving me with the cake and a ruined party.
The full story
So get this. It's my friend's birthday, right? We all go out to this kind of upscale Italian place for her birthday dinner – a group of about 8 of us. My friend has always been a little more on the quiet side, doesn't like being the center of attention. I know this, but I guess I thought 'it's her birthday, she deserves to feel special!' So I decided to do something BIG. Without telling anybody else in the group, I had called the restaurant ahead of time. I arranged for them to make a special, multi-layer chocolate cake, enough for like 20 people. I told them to put the sparkler candles on it and everything, the whole nine yards. I was picturing this amazing moment where the lights dim and everyone is so surprised and happy and I'm the friend who made it happen. So we finish our dinner, and I give the subtle nod to our waiter. A few minutes later, two staff members come walking out, holding this absolute monument of a cake, blazing with sparklers. The whole restaurant quiets down and they start singing 'Happy Birthday.' People at other tables are clapping along. For a second, I felt so proud. And then I looked at my friend. Her face was just... white. Pure, unfiltered horror. She wasn't smiling. She was sinking down in her chair, trying to become invisible. Her eyes were wide and she looked like she was about to cry. One of our other friends tried to rub her back, and she just shook her head, stood up without a word, and walked *straight out of the restaurant*. The singing just kind of... trailed off. The waiters looked confused and put the cake down on our table. It was massive. And silent. Everyone at the table was just staring at me. One of my other friends whispered, 'You know she HATES stuff like this.' I had no idea. Or maybe I did and just ignored it because I wanted to do this big, grand gesture. She wouldn't answer her phone. We all just sat there in the most awkward silence of all time before deciding to just box up the stupid cake and get the check. I just paid for the cake and now I have a mountain of chocolate in my fridge and a friend who I think might never speak to me again. I feel like the world's biggest idiot but also... I was just trying to do something nice for her birthday?
How people voted
- OP Is Right — 34% (34 votes)
- Both Messy — 30% (30 votes)
- OP Is Wrong — 35% (35 votes)
Readers are split: “OP Is Wrong” leads with 35% — 99 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@kiramaybe — You can't get mad at someone for trying to do something nice for you, period.
@slightlytired — You made her birthday about your main character energy instead of hers.
@finnkindof — lmaoooo
@sageish — I feel like if you're good enough friends to do all this, you should have known she'd hate it.
@karaliterally — Your heart was in the right place, don't be too hard on yourself. She'll come around.
Keep reading
- A guest at my small party used Shazam on my playlist.
- The quietest 'thank you' I ever got came from a random online gaming teammate.
- Using a speakerphone for a full conversation in a quiet waiting room should be illegal.
- A 'reply all' on an e-vite just revealed the B-list for my friend's wedding.
- I accidentally RSVP'd 'yes' for my entire family to a child's birthday party we don't know.