Your friend invited you to his/her birthday party, but you are unable to attend.

Write a letter apologizing for your absence. In your letter:

• State why you cannot go
• Explain your reason for not contacting your friend sooner
• Suggest another time to meet

Write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write any addresses.

Dear Jessica,

I hope you’re well. I’m afraid I can’t make it to your birthday party tomorrow evening.

I was looking forward to seeing you at the party, but unfortunately something came up at our company. We have been swamped by the sheer number of orders that need to be fulfilled by Sunday, and my boss has asked everyone to stay until late evening on Saturday to make sure we meet the deadline.

So, why couldn’t I call you earlier? Well, his assistant sent us a last-minute email yesterday informing us of the decision. I tried to get out of it by offering to work late today, but Mr. Anderson, my boss, took a long time to respond and finally rejected it just a few hours ago.

On a more positive note, it’s my cousin’s graduation party next Friday evening, and he’s told me I can bring a friend. I’d be over the moon if you came along.

I’m really sorry about tomorrow but hope to see you next Friday.

All the best,

John

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