As Alex was heading home, a handsome guy approached him. ''Hey, who are you?'' Alex asked, curiosity piqued.
''Hello, I'm Joey Peterson, Betty's psychological doctor,'' he replied with a smile. ''And you are?''
Alex introduced himself, ''I'm Alex Wilson, Betty's friend.''
Just then, Betty appeared, looking a bit frail but smiling. ''Doctor, I'm here,'' she said, her eyes locked on Joey.
Joey's face lit up, and he embraced Betty warmly. ''Ah, Betty, I'm so glad to see you're okay. I heard you fainted suddenly?''
Alex raised an eyebrow, surprised by the doctor's affectionate greeting. ''Uh, yeah, she's been through a lot,'' Alex said, feeling a bit protective of Betty.
Betty smiled weakly. ''Thanks to Alex, I'm fine, Doctor.''
Joey turned to Alex. ''Thank you, Alex. You're a good friend.''
Betty suggested, ''Doctor, can we grab breakfast? I need some fresh air.''
Joey agreed, ''Sure thing, Betty. Let's go.''
As they walked away, Alex wondered where they were headed. His phone buzzed with a message from Betty.
''Hey Alex, we're having breakfast, and then I'll head to my session with Mr. Joey. Thanks again for everything!''
Alex smiled, feeling relieved that Betty was in good hands. He decided to meet his friend at a nearby café to catch up and share his concerns about Betty's mysterious past.
At the café, Alex asked Max, ''Did you find out something about Betty?''
Max replied, ''Yes, Alex, but first, can I stay at your mansion? I'm in a bit of a situation.''
Alex raised an eyebrow. ''What's going on, Max? You're a wealthy child. Why do you need to stay at my place?''
Max looked down, embarrassed. ''My dad kicked me out. He found out I lost a million dollars gambling.''
Alex's eyes widened in surprise. ''Whoa, that's serious. Alright, you can stay at my place, but you have to tell me what you found out about Betty.''
Max continued, ''Okay, so ten years ago, Betty's family was living a happy life. Scarlett, the eldest sister, was like a second mother to Betty, who was only ten years old at the time. Sophia, the middle sister, was eighteen and always jealous of the attention Scarlett gave Betty.''
Max took a deep breath before continuing. ''One day, Betty and Scarlett were kidnapped by a group of criminals who demanded ransom from their father, Mark. Mark was a wealthy surgeon and paid the ransom, but things went horribly wrong.''
Max's eyes dropped, his voice barely above a whisper. ''Scarlett was shot during the rescue attempt, and her body was never found. Betty was left alone, traumatized, and guilt-ridden. Sophia, who had always been resentful of Scarlett's relationship with Betty, blamed Betty for Scarlett's death.''
Alex's eyes were wide with shock and horror. ''That's terrible! How could Sophia do that to her own sister?''
Max shook his head. ''Sophia was consumed by grief and anger. She disowned Betty at Scarlett's funeral, and their father, Mark, was too devastated to intervene. Betty was left alone, with no one to turn to.''
Alex's heart went out to Betty, who had endured so much pain and suffering. He was determined to make things right, to help her heal and find happiness again.
Max nodded, impressed. ''I knew you were a good guy, Alex. I'll help you in any way I can.''
At Sophia's house, Alex approached her with a determined look. "Sophia, can I ask you something?"
Sophia raised an eyebrow, her tone cold. "What do you want now, Alex?"
Alex hesitated, choosing his words carefully. ''I want to know what I can get Betty for her birthday. It's two months away, but I want to make it special.''
Sophia's expression turned icy. ''We don't celebrate Betty's birthday. She was adopted by my family, and I don't consider her a true sister.''
Alex's eyes narrowed, disappointed but not surprised. ''That's harsh, Sophia. Betty deserves love and celebration, no matter what.''
Sophia shrugged, unmoved. ''My family's secrets are none of your business, Alex. Leave it alone.''
Alex left Sophia's house, determined to make things right. He headed back to his mansion, where Daniel was waiting for him.
Daniel was on the phone, his voice warm and inviting. ''Hey, can you come to our house? I need your help with something.''
The person on the other end agreed, and Daniel hung up the phone, turning to Alex. ''That was Joey, Betty's psychologist. He's going to help us plan a surprise birthday party for her.''
Alex's face lit up with excitement. ''That's great, Dad! I want to make it a birthday she'll never forget.''
Daniel smiled, his eyes twinkling. ''I knew you'd be on board, son. Let's get planning!''
As Alex sat at dinner with his family, he couldn't shake off the feeling of sadness that had been following him all day. His father, Daniel, noticed his distant behavior and asked, ''Alex, why do you look so sad? You've been distant all day.''
Alex sighed and tried to brush it off, ''Nothing, Dad. I'm just tired.''
But Daniel persisted, ''Alex, you've barely touched your food. Is everything okay?''
Alex pushed his plate away and stood up, ''I'm just not hungry, Dad. Dinner is delicious, but I don't have an appetite.''
As he left the table, his mother, Grace, watched him with a mixture of concern and annoyance. She turned to Daniel and said, ''What's wrong with that bastard? He's been acting so strange lately.''
Daniel frowned and replied, ''I don't know, Grace. Maybe he's just going through a phase.''
Later that night, Alex was in his room, thinking about his conversation with Sophia earlier that day. He couldn't believe what she had told him about Betty's past. He felt a pang of sadness and empathy for Betty, who had lost her parents at such a young age.
As he lay in bed, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off in his family. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he knew that his mother was hiding something from him.
Meanwhile, downstairs, Grace was plotting her next move. She had been trying to find a way to get rid of Betty for months, and she was getting desperate. She had tried to poison her before, but it hadn't worked. She needed to come up with a new plan.
As she sat in the dark, sipping her coffee, she thought to herself, ''How am I supposed to poison her now?''