A Lebanese-American immigrant's journey through business, love, and family in New York

¶ … happy birthday. I know that you must have heard this from me numerous times, but I would like to speak again of my undying love for you. You are the love of my life and my heart is filled when you walk in the room. I am but a humble man from Lebanon, and I came here to the United States looking for a better opportunity; yet love had other plans for me, and my venture here lead me to you, as well. I recall the day I first laid eyes on you as if it were yesterday. It was when I was working as a salesman in my brother's store in New York when luck had struck me and you walked into my life. My jaw dropped and my eyes felt as if they were deceiving me since I thought you were too beautiful to be real. It was love at first sight, as cliche as that may sound. You were the most amazing sights I had ever seen and I knew right then that I had to have you. I hold that memory of you in my heart forever, and I relive it day by day as long as it keeps you close to my heart. Today, on your birthday, I would like to tell you how much you mean to me.

Oh how I adore you, you are the most wonderful woman in the world to me. You make me feel so loved and also worthy to be loved just by your presence. I feel as if I had missed so much of my life when I did not have you as a companion, you are the missing piece I have longed for. You are the woman whom I want to spend the rest of my life with, the only woman I see myself spending the rest of my life with. You, my love, are the one whom I can share my innermost secrets with; a loving and supportive friend whom I can confide in. I long for nothing but to carry life's burdens and lovingly encourage you, as I believe you have so much potential and you are a great business woman who is destined for higher things. I feel that my heart is just pouring out the love for you which has been stored up for so long before I met you. When you look at me with those beautiful eyes, I feel that I can do anything, and with you I believe that I have become a better person.

My love, I have given you everything you have ever wanted. We have been together for so long, and we have both grown in love together as we matured. I graced you with gifts, moving up state to New York with you, buying three houses and numerous cars. I have given you a good life, focusing all my energy to make sure you had a good comfortable living. I do not know what more you want from me as I am a very handsome man, as you have assured me in the past, I provide for you, make good money and a great lover. I love and admire you with all my heart and was shocked when I found that you are cheating on me.

I was merely hurt when I found that you did not even have a picture of me on your Facebook account. I gave you your freedom and time for yourself; this was where you would travel to Los Angeles for shopping, using the money which I worked hard for. I was aware that you are a very materialistic woman, and you had very high standards which I gladly kept up for you. I worked hard night and day just to give you the life you desired, and upon discovering your secret e-mail account which uncovered your lies and infidelity, I was crushed.