Caleb's POV

He nodded and followed me. After thanking his parents, I stepped outside to buy the most beautiful flowers I could find, then headed to the cemetery. Once in front of my father’s grave, I gently placed the bouquet down. I couldn’t hold back my tears.

"Hi, Dad... It must be strange hearing my voice. I know, the last time I came was to say goodbye... I miss you so much. You and Grandma were the only ones who ever showed me love. I promised I’d take care of her, and I failed. Mom’s words hurt me so deeply that I didn’t have the strength to stay. I hope you don’t hate me for not keeping my promise..."

My voice broke. The tears streamed silently down my face, burning hot.

"I’m sorry... but I have to go. Since no one lives in the beach house anymore, I’m going to stop by. I need to see it again. To relive a little of the happiness and love you gave me... I miss you more than you could ever imagine."

I slowly stood up, wiped my tears, and left the cemetery in silence. In the car John had lent me, I drove to the beach house. It was one of my father’s favorite places... and mine. He had it built just to make me happy because he knew how much I loved the sea.

If I had known he would die there... I would’ve never wanted him to build it.

But no one can predict the future.

I stepped out of the car, inhaling the fresh, salty air. I had barely taken a single step before I froze.

"Caleb? Oh my God, is that really you? You’re back?"

I couldn’t move anymore. If I had been sad when I came here, now I was nothing but a ball of rage. Alex’s voice… my twin brother’s… had just echoed through the room, and I felt like I could break everything around me as anger consumed me.

Exhale, inhale… exhale, inhale… my conscience whispered.

I stood frozen, unable to utter a sound. Then he appeared in front of me, emotional—the idiot. He was smiling. At whom? Had he forgotten everything he did to me? Forgotten that our father died because of him? What the hell was he playing at?

“Caleb… I’m so happy to see you. You had your housekeeper throw me out when I came to Paris to talk to you. Seeing you here means so much to me…”

His voice made me nauseous. To shut him out, I turned around, ready to head back to my car.

“Caleb, please… don’t leave. Grandma is dying. She’s desperately trying to reach you… And I—I need to ask your forgiveness.”

“Forgiveness…” I muttered with a scoff. “Such an easy word to say.”

“Please, let’s not stay outside. You came to go inside, didn’t you? Let’s go in. It’ll be quieter.”

He disappeared into the house. I hesitated a moment, then finally stepped over the threshold. If he thought I wanted to talk to him, let alone forgive him, he was dreaming.

The moment I entered, I saw a bimbo clinging to his chest, unbuttoning his shirt.

“Baby, this isn’t the—”

“Good evening,” I said, hands in my pockets.

The girl turned instantly and stared at me. She looked caught off guard, almost panicked. Her face dropped. Why? No idea. But I felt like I’d seen her before. I didn’t dwell on it. My eyes landed on a photograph of our father hanging on the wall.

Alex stepped forward and gently took the young woman by the hand.

“Let me introduce Caleb, my brother.”

The unease in her eyes deepened. Now she looked outright terrified. Where did I know her from? Why did she look so shaken learning who I was? Nothing came back. And honestly, I didn’t care.

“Caleb, this is my wife… Victoria.”

Her name meant nothing to me. She didn’t dare come closer. The idiot Alex didn’t even notice his wife was on the verge of fainting. She was pale, unable to speak or meet my eyes.

“N-Nice to meet you,” she stammered.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

“Yes… I just have a bit of a headache. Sorry, but I need to rest,” she replied, and he kissed her gently on the head. She walked off without even looking at me.

“Sorry. She’s not usually like this. She must—”

“Spare me the explanations,” I cut him off. “I don’t give a damn about your wife’s feelings. I came to see Dad’s house. Done. Goodbye.”

I turned around, but he stepped in front of me.

“Don’t do this, please…” he whispered, nearly in tears. “I need my twin brother back. I want things to go back to how they were when we were kids.”

A tear rolled down his cheek. His words made me laugh so hard I burst out.

“Go back to before?” I repeated, laughing. “Nothing will ever be like before. Dad is dead. I wandered the streets of Accra. I ate from garbage bins. And you think one word—sorry—can erase it all?”

“Then tell me… what do I have to do to earn your forgiveness?”

“Stay out of my life. Leave me the hell alone. Then everything will be fine.”

“Think about Grandma, Caleb… Since you left, she hasn’t been the same. She’s letting herself die. Come home. It would mean the world to her to see you again.”

“You and Mom should’ve thought of that before throwing me out.”

“No one threw you out. You left on your own.”

“You stole two years of my life. You took my girlfriend. And you killed Dad. As if that wasn’t enough, Mom treated me like trash. And you think I’d keep living in this house after all that?”

“Dad’s death was an accident, Caleb… I never imagined our fight would end like that. There isn’t a day I don’t cry over losing him. I’d do anything to rebuild our family.”

“I haven’t had a family for ten years. So you can shove your tragic regrets,” I said, storming out of the house.

He should thank the heavens I didn’t punch him. I hated how this had turned out. I hadn’t come here to see a single family member. But God had other plans. He put me face to face with my twin—the very one who had destroyed who I used to be.

They turned the sweet, timid boy I once was into a cold, arrogant bastard. All those memories came flooding back like bile. I needed a drink.

I spotted a bar and stopped. I ordered a drink and downed it in one go. Then a whole bottle. I picked up my phone and sent a message to John.

He didn’t take long. I saw him pull up. Just from the look on his face, I knew I was in for a scolding.

“What the hell are you doing?” he growled, snatching the bottle from my hands.

“I saw my brother… and all the pain came back. He wants my forgiveness. As if it were that simple.”

“Calm down. Drinking won’t fix anything. Come on, let’s go home.”

“No… Give me the bottle. I need to clear my head.”

“Forget it.”

“Don’t you get that I need to empty my mind? If not with alcohol, then with a woman. So give me that bottle, or lend me your sister for the night.”

That did it. He snapped. He grabbed me by the collar.

“Shut your damn mouth about my sister, you lunatic. And if you ever go near her, I’ll beat the crap out of you.”

He let me go. I muttered a weak “Sorry” while he went to pay the bill. Then he dragged me into his car. The one I had driven was left behind, and he called his driver to pick it up. John is like a brother to me. I love him, even if I constantly push his limits. He’s always there.

I woke up the next day with a splitting headache and a strong urge to throw up. I glanced around, memories of the previous day rushing back… the conversation with Alex… and that woman.

I dove into my memories. And then—bingo. I finally remembered her.

It was her. The one woman I’d searched for after a one-night stand. The one my body had craved for days. I thought back to her face… and a laugh escaped me.

“Since when do you laugh by yourself?” John said, pulling me from my thoughts.

“Since I found out that one of my one-night stands is married to my twin brother.”

I kept laughing as I told him everything.

“No way… I don’t believe it. The world is tiny. So, what time’s your flight?”

“Now that I’ve got a reason to make my brother’s life hell, you really think I’m letting this go? No. It’s time he knows what it feels like to have the thing you love most ripped from you.”

I jumped out of bed to take a shower. For once, I’d make an exception. I never sleep with the same woman twice—but her?

She would be the exception.

Get ready, Alex.

Too bad, sis-in-law.

You’ll be what they call collateral damage.