Chapter 27- His First Love

That night passed with only one thing clear to me. I am really in love with Isaac. It is clear to me how I feel, and I will not deny it. I've never felt this to anyone.

So, this is how love feels like, huh? I can't take him off my mind, I couldn't even stand not seeing him for so long. Damn.

Today is the last day of our training. Tomorrow is the annual Enchanted Ball and the day after that is the Tournament.

I feel much more confident now knowing that my team is dependable and I'm now comfortable around them.

I was walking toward the training room when I bumped into Amanda. I was about to pass through her when she blocked my way. "Can we talk?" she asked.

I pursed my lips. Their group had been rude to us and now she wants to talk to me? She crossed her arms and walked away. "Come with me."

I followed her and I was surprised when we went back to my dorm. "What the hell? Is this a joke to you--" she didn't let me finish?

"Did you move away Rhian's stuff?" When I heard that name, I was silent. I've never heard that name lately. Isaac and the others stopped mentioning her name.

"I did not remove Rhian's belongings, I put it inside the closet. I do not interfere with it because it is not mine," I admit. I am not interested in moving other people's belongings especially Rhian's belongings. She's Isaac's ex-girlfriend, I want to respect that.

She smirked. "That's why you don't know anything. You haven't even seen Rhian's face yet." My eyebrow furrowed. "I have something to show you. Open the door." She motioned me to open the door.

I rolled my eyes and we went inside. She asked for Rhian's things which I immediately handed to her. From the box, she took a picture frame.

"When I look at you, I see her." She showed me the picture of Rhian which made my world fall apart. "Isaac has been in love with Rhian since forever, Althea. So, after Rhian died, he grieved so much more than anyone. But when you came--"

"Stop!" I shouted. I know where this conversation is heading. I know what she's planning. I approached the door. "Get out!"

She looked at me with disbelief. "I want to help you--"

"I said, get out!" I don't want to hear what she has to say, I can't take it anymore. She stood up and walked towards me.

"Do you think Isaac loved you because you're Althea Genovie? No, he loved you because he saw Rhian Serina on you! They are all fooling you and to think that they succeeded?" She laughed, drastically. "Isaac and his friends, they are liars."

Tears welled up in my eyes. I wiped it away, but it keeps on falling. I forced myself to believe that what Amanda said wasn't true. I know Isaac will never lie to me. At least, that's what I believed in.

"I trust him." My voice cracked. "He told me he loves me, and I believe him."

"Ask him, then! So, you know who is telling the truth and not! They're just good at pretending. They just befriended you for they see Rhian in you. But if you don't look like Rhian, you think they will notice you? They won't!" I wiped away my tears. Why is she telling me this now?

"Go away, please." I pursed my lips trying not to sob. This is not me, I'm not this weak but why am I crying?

She held the knob of the door, I thought she's leaving but before she left, she took a glance at me. "Isaac is not the only one pretending, but they all are. They're good at that, pretending to be your friend. But in the end? They will destroy you themselves." She handed me the picture frame where Rhian's picture was placed. "Can you still love a man who loved you just because he sees another person to you? Think, Althea. You should not trust them."

She walked away, leaving me there. I closed the door and slid to the floor. I cried for a few minutes there and looked at Rhian's picture. Why didn't I notice that I look like her?

I seem to be a replica of Isaac's first love. I cried, incessantly. It hurts so much. I'm so stupid to think that Isaac can love someone like me. I'm making a fool out of myself. To think that they've fooled me for so long. It hurts so much, and I want them to deny it. Please, Isaac. Tell me this is not true, and I'll believe you.

I got up and went straight to the training room. When I opened the door, Isaac and the others were fixing the simulator for our training, but when they noticed me, they stopped. They all smiled at me, but it disappeared when they saw me crying.

"Althea, what happened--" I took Lydia's hand away which surprised her. "Hey, did something happen?" she asked, she's hurt of what I did.

"Althea, why are you crying?" Isaac asked me worriedly. How are they able to pretend? How did they manage to hurt me when I valued them? I lifted Rhian's picture frame that made them stop.

"Why do I look like her?" Their expression changed and they were surprised.

"Why do you have that--" I cut Isaac off. I am so tired of their lives.

"Just answer me!" He could not answer. And from that, I knew who's lying and who's telling the truth. Amanda isn't the liar. They are.

I smiled bitterly. I approached Isaac and gave him a picture of Rhian. "I hate you all for using me!" I turned around and walked away.

"Althea!" I heard them shouted but I didn't turn around. I ran away from there. I couldn't stop crying and I did not know what to do. It feels too heavy.

I thought they're my family, but how come they're the ones who put me in so much pain?

I found myself running on the rooftop. I screamed as I continued to cry. I can no longer take it; I just want the pain to stop.

"Althea..." I turned to Isaac when he called me. Did he follow me all the way here to lie again? I wiped away my tears. "Please, let me explain."

"What will you explain? That you saw her to me? Isaac, what am I to you? A dummy? A replacement? A replica?" I was so annoyed, angry, and frustrated. That's how I feel right now. He fooled me, and the funny thing is I let him.

He approached me and he was about to touch me, but I stepped back. "Don't come near me, I hate you. I hate you so much."

He looked away. "I'll tell you everything, Althea. Just please, listen to me."

"What else are you going to say, Isaac? That I look like her that's why you loved me? But did you love me? Do you ever looked at me and see me as Althea Genovie?!" I shouted at him, he looked at me and I saw that he was having a hard time answering.

Why is it so hard for him to answer? Is it because he never really did saw me as Althea?

He tried to approach me again. "Althea, I love you--" My palm hit his face.

Everything he says is trivial. I no longer believe him. I just can't. After I saw Rhian's picture and patched everything, it was only then that I realized that I was a fool and I believed that he loved me.

"You're right! I saw her on you! Everything you do, you just remind me of her! Every word, every action, I saw her on you and that made me want to get close to you. But as time went on, I understand everything. You are different, Althea. And believe me, I love you. I love you, Althea. Please..." His voice cracked, and his tear fell.

I closed my eyes; it hurts to hear it from him. "You're good! You almost convinced me again but no, Isaac! This time, it's enough!" I just want this day to end. I'm so tired.

"Althea, I'm sorry." I cried even, more when, I heard that.

"Sorry? Don't make me laugh." I hissed. "You knew how hard it was for me to trust people! You knew what I've been through, but you still broke me! Do you know how hard it was for me to open up with you? But I trusted you, because..." I started sobbing and I couldn't help but break down. "... because I love you. I love you so much, Isaac."

He was stunned by what I said. Why is it like this? After I've figured out how I feel about him, then now it turns out like this?

I loved someone who doesn't even saw me as who I am. It hurts. It hurts so much.

"Althea..." I heard Cath's voice, so I turned to them. They were all here, Cath and Lydia were crying. "Forgive us."

I chuckled, drastically while wiping away my tears. "Of all the things you have shown, of all that you have said, which one was true? Or is there anything true about you?!"

"You're our friend, Althea. Yes, we admit that it wasn't like that at first, because we missed Rhian, and you suddenly came--"

"Oh, so you used me to fill Rhian's presence?" I laughed in so much frustration. "Is that the reason why you asked me to join your group?"

"Althea--"

"Just answer me!" I shouted. Cath and Lydia sobbed.

"Yes! We want to get close to you. But believe me, everything we showed you is true," Lydia said.

"I'm sorry, Althea," Kristian uttered. I clasped my hand. I do not want to talk to them, nor do I want to look. I wiped the tears from my eyes.

"I'm not here, and I will never be her. The worst part is, I treated you all as my family. But you betrayed me. Let's stop this madness, you won now. Stop pretending like I'm your friend."

I walked away and went to my dorm. I just cried and cried. Now, I have to get myself back up again from this pain because I have to.

I can't even trust anyone again but myself. How did it end up like this? I opened my heart to him, I told him what breaks me the most, and he...he did it all too well.