The Wrong Number

After the heartfelt hug, we all sang "Happy Birthday" for Mr. Collins. Many of his business associates wished him a wonderful birthday, while well-dressed boys and girls busied themselves serving food and drinks. I knew that many people were here to network with high-ranking citizens—some senators were even present.

Henry dragged me around, introducing me to countless people, including our company's shareholders. I kept stealing glances at Alfa, and every time our eyes met, I smiled. He was quite popular, with many ladies taking turns to talk to him. Even high-ranking officials approached him, and I was surprised by the level of respect they showed him.

"Can I borrow her for a minute?" Isabelle asked, turning to Henry.

"Sure," he said, letting go of my hand.

"Come on, we need to talk," she said, dragging me to the bar. She was not the gentle type.

"So, what do you think of this family?" she asked.

"Cozy," I replied, as it was the first word that popped into my mind.

"It sure is. Stop looking at Alfa, or Henry will get jealous," she teased.

"Was it that obvious?" I asked shyly.

"Yes, it was. It would be sad if history repeated itself. In fact, I called you over to make sure that doesn't happen," she said, taking a sip of the vodka the waiter had poured for us.

"What history?" I asked, curious.

"I've noticed the way you and Alfa keep exchanging glances, and it's not proper since you're with Henry."

"I'm not dating Henry," I defended myself.

"Henry isn't the type to introduce just any girl to our parents. Maybe you're not dating him, but you should make it clear to them who you really want to be with." If only I could tell her everything—who would believe that her brother wasn't the person she thought he was?

"I'll try my best."

"Mirabel said the same thing," she scoffed.

"Who is Mirabel? This is the third time I've heard that name."

"She was Henry's first love. Before Alfa came to live with us, Henry and Mirabel were always together—they were the perfect couple. Then Alfa arrived, and Henry was happy because it was like magically having a brother. But things changed when Mirabel started spending more time with Alfa."

She exhaled heavily.

"Alfa needed company, so Henry tried to understand and be there for him. But Alfa started slacking off in everything—his studies, his ambitions. His future looked bleak, and he began hanging out with the wrong crowd," she continues, sipping her drink.

"Henry and Mirabel worked hard to bring him back on track. It took them almost a year, but it started working. However, Alfa soon showed more aptitude than Henry—he shined brighter in Mirabel's eyes. No matter what Henry did, Alfa always cast a big shadow over him. Even my parents seemed to favor Alfa, but what hurt Henry the most was Mirabel seeing Alfa as the best."

She paused, and added, "I tried to tell him he had his own strengths. He was better at navigating life, better at understanding people's emotions, while Alfa only cared about those he truly loved. Besides he has zero sense of direction."

she took another sip as she giggled at her description of Alfa.

"But none of that mattered to Henry. All he wanted was Mirabel. One day, during their SS2, he confessed his feelings to her—and she rejected him. He blamed Alfa for it. Funny enough, Mirabel later confessed her feelings to Alfa, and he rejected her too."

She scoffed bitterly.

"Heartbroken, she took Alfa's favorite bike and drove off. Unfortunately, she died in an accident that same day." Isabelle's eyes filled with tears as she looked at me.

"I could have stopped her that day. She came to me, crying, and I told her she should consider Henry's proposal. I was just trying to help my little brother win the girl of his dreams. But Mirabel was disgusted, she said Henry had always been a brother to her, that she had fallen for Alfa the moment she first saw him at her father's funeral. She was convinced Alfa felt the same way."

Isabelle clenched her jaw. "She left our house that day on Alfa's bike. Afterward, I went to see Henry, and he was certain that if it weren't for Alfa, Mirabel would have accepted him. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that he never stood a chance. Then we heard the news of her accident. Alfa couldn't stop blaming himself. He believed that if he had accepted her feelings, she might still be alive. And the truth is... he did love her. But he knew about Henry's feelings, so he chose to deny his own."

She sighed, then looked at me intently. "Looking at you now, I think Alfa is sacrificing his feelings for Henry again. He believes he owes Henry a lot. Alfa may not care about most people, but for the ones he loves, he would sacrifice even his own happiness."

"Why not tell them the truth?" I asked. "If Henry knew he never had a chance, maybe he'd stop being angry at Alfa."

"What truth? That I could have stopped Mirabel that day?" she said bitterly. "We all have our guilt."

"No, that Henry never stood a chance. That Alfa gave up his happiness for him," I insisted. Henry was playing the victim when he wasn't one at all.

"Humans are complicated creatures. They say they want the truth, but they can't handle it when it's given to them. They only accept what they want as the truth," she said. I found myself agreeing. I remembered when people told me Josh was cheating—I didn't believe them because I didn't want to.

"Do you think Alfa has forgotten about Mirabel?" I asked.

"Alfa is hard to read unless he opens up. So, I don't know. But I do know Henry still thinks about her. I hope you can help Alfa move on and find happiness. He's always afraid to let people in because he's scared of losing them. Just... help them both."

She downed the rest of her drink.

"I'll try my best."

"Now smile. It's a birthday party. Go out there and dance—Henry is waiting." I could see the guilt weighing on her. She wanted me to know the past so that I could prevent history from repeating itself.

Funny how, even now, Henry still doesn't stand a chance. I might have pitied him for always living in Alfa's shadow if he weren't threatening me with my mother. He's just greedy. He owns a company where Alfa works—so what if Alfa excels in other things? Henry still has advantages that Alfa doesn't.

"Come dance with me," Henry requested, extending his hand. Eyes were already on us, so I had no choice but to accept. He led me to the dance floor, and as we waltzed, I caught a glimpse of Alfa. He looked sad. Then, I watched as he left the ballroom.

This is going to be a long night.