On Sunday, Alex brought Betty to meet his family. As they entered the living room, Alex introduced Betty to his father, Daniel, and his stepmother, Grace. Sarah and Mike were also present, looking less than thrilled to see Betty.
Betty greeted everyone with a smile, and Daniel's eyes lit up with recognition. ''Ah, Betty Vos! I've heard so much about you from your father, Mark. He's an old friend of mine.''
Betty's eyes sparkled with delight. ''That's amazing! I've heard so much about you too, Uncle Daniel.''
As they chatted, Grace and Sarah looked on with growing unease. Sarah couldn't help but feel jealous of Betty's easy rapport with Alex's family.
''Hey, Alex, I didn't know you were dating someone,'' Sarah said, her voice laced with sarcasm. ''You never mentioned her to me.''
Alex shrugged. ''We just started dating, Sarah. I didn't want to make a big deal out of it.''
Sarah's eyes narrowed. ''Well, I think it's weird that you're dating someone your father's friend's daughter. It's like you're trying to replace me or something.''
Alex rolled his eyes. ''Sarah, don't be ridiculous. Betty and I just clicked, okay?''
Sarah huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. ''Whatever, Alex. I'm just saying, I thought we had something special.''
Betty intervened, her voice calm and gentle. ''Hey, Sarah, I think there's been a misunderstanding. Alex and I are just getting to know each other. We're not trying to replace anyone.''
Sarah's eyes flashed with anger. ''Stay out of this, Betty! You don't know anything about Alex and me.''
Daniel intervened, his voice firm but gentle. ''Sarah, that's enough. Let's not fight about this. We're all just trying to get along.''
The tension in the room was palpable, but eventually, Sarah subsided, looking sulky but silent.
As the game began, Sarah and Betty answered questions about Alex's favorite things. But it quickly became apparent that Betty was the more knowledgeable one. She correctly answered questions about Alex's birthday, favorite animal, and even his real name.
As the game ended, Daniel declared Betty the winner. ''You know my son so well, Betty. You're the perfect match for him.''
Grace looked on, her face twisted with anger and jealousy. Sarah was furious, her eyes flashing with tears.
''You cheated!'' Sarah accused, her voice shrill. ''You must have cheated to know all those things about Alex!''
Betty smiled calmly. ''I didn't cheat, Sarah. I just paid attention to Alex when we talked.''
Alex stood up, his eyes locked on Betty. ''Thanks for helping me out, Betty. You're the best.''
Betty smiled, her eyes sparkling with warmth. ''Anytime, Alex. I'm always here for you.''
As they left the room together, Sarah turned to Grace, her voice trembling with anger. ''Aunt Grace, what can we do now?''
Grace's face twisted with a sinister grin. ''Don't worry, Sarah. I have a plan.''
At Betty's house, Alex was greeted by her parents, Mark and Susan Vos. They were both warm and welcoming, and Alex felt at ease immediately.
Mark, a renowned surgeon, smiled at Alex. ''Hello Alex, I'm Mark Vos. Welcome to our home.''
Alex smiled back. ''Thank you, Uncle Mark. I've heard a lot about you. You're a famous surgeon in our country.''
Mark chuckled. ''Yes, I've had my fair share of success. But I'm more interested in getting to know you better, Alex. You seem like a great young man.''
Susan, Betty's mother, nodded in agreement. ''Yes, Alex, you remind me of your mother, Fiona. She was a dear friend of mine in college. We were all best friends, Mark, Daniel, Fiona, and I.''
Alex's eyes widened with surprise. ''Really? I didn't know that.''
Susan smiled. ''Yes, we had some great times together. And I'm so glad to see you and Betty together. You make a lovely couple.''
As they chatted, Betty excused herself to cut some fruits for them to eat. Sophia, Betty's sister, walked into the garden, looking a bit troubled.
Alex noticed that Sophia ignored Betty's greeting and went straight to him. ''Alex, why did you want to meet with me?''
Alex felt a bit taken aback by Sophia's directness. ''Well, Betty asked me to come over and meet you. And I also wanted to ask you something.''
Sophia raised an eyebrow. ''What is it?''
Alex hesitated, unsure if he should reveal his question. But something about Sophia's intense gaze made him open up. ''I wanted to ask you about my mother, Fiona Wilson. Do you know anything about her?''
Sophia's expression changed, and she looked at Alex with a hint of sadness. ''Yes, I know something about your mother. But it's a long story, Alex. Are you sure you want to hear it?''
Alex nodded, his heart pounding with anticipation. ''Yes, please tell me.''
And with that, Sophia began to reveal a shocking truth about Alex's mother, Fiona Wilson.
Sophia looked at Alex with a hint of sadness. ''Yes, I know something about your mother. But it's a long story, Alex. Are you sure you want to hear it?''
Alex nodded, his heart pounding with anticipation. ''Yes, please tell me.''
Sophia sighed. ''Your mother, Fiona, was a dear friend of mine. We were close, but...I had a falling out with her. We disagreed on something important, and we drifted apart.''
Alex's eyes widened with surprise. ''What was it about?''
Sophia hesitated, looking uncomfortable. ''It was about Betty. I...I didn't want Betty to be born. I was jealous of the attention our parents would give her. And Fiona...she didn't understand me. She thought I was being selfish.''
Alex's eyes narrowed. ''So, you hate Betty because of that?''
Sophia's face twisted with anger. ''Yes, I hate her. She ruined my life. Our parents always favored her, and I was left in the shadows.''
Alex felt a surge of anger towards Sophia. ''That's not fair. Betty's a great person, and she doesn't deserve your hate.''
Sophia sneered. ''You don't know anything, Alex. You're just blinded by your love for her.''
Betty walked back into the garden, unaware of the tension between Alex and Sophia. ''Hey, guys! What's going on?''
Alex stood up, his eyes locked on Sophia. ''Sophia was just telling me about your childhood, Betty. About how she felt left out and hated you for it.''
Betty's eyes widened in shock. ''Sophia, is that true?''
Sophia's face contorted with anger. ''Yes, it's true! And I'll never forgive you for it!''