The Alpha Family

The Crash

Serenya

I clutched my phone tightly as I paced the uneven pavement outside the lounge, my heels clicking impatiently with each hurried step. A warm breeze swept my hair into my face, but I didn’t care. I held my phone toward the sky, as if raising it like an offering to the moon might summon a signal.

“Come on, come on,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

No bars again.

The signal had vanished the moment I stepped outside, and it hadn’t returned since. I stared at the mocking ‘No Service’ message in the corner of my screen, willing it to change.

Celis was waiting. And every second that passed felt like a noose tightening around my throat.

I turned in a frantic circle, searching for a better spot. I even pressed the phone against the lounge wall, as if that might make a difference. It didn’t. My stomach knotted, and nausea curled hot in my throat.

She’s going to hate me more than she already does. Just then screen lit up suddenly.

Incoming Call: Celis.

My thumb fumbled over the screen before I finally answered. “Hello? Celis—”

“Where the hell are you?” Her voice hit like a slap, sharp and cold.

“I—I tried to call,” I stammered. “My network just vanished, I swear. I couldn’t book a driver—”

“You could’ve just said no when Dad asked you! You knew I had poor eyesight and still agreed!” she hissed. “You’re leaving me stranded, Serenya. Again.”

My mouth opened to protest, to explain, but all I heard was the click as she ended the call.

I stared at the screen for a long moment, her words echoing inside me like broken glass in a jar. I lowered the phone and leaned against the cool bricks of the wall behind me. I felt like screaming. Or crying. Or even both.

Why was it always this way between us?

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, hard. The coppery taste of blood grounded me for a second as I slid down the wall until I was crouched on the ground, the sidewalk digging into the backs of my thighs.

Celis had never forgiven me.

I was ten when it happened, when I knocked the boiling kettle over and scalded her shoulder. I’d been making tea because she was sick, trying to be helpful. But the towel caught the handle, the pot tumbled, and Celis screamed like the world was ending. The scar faded over the years, but her hatred hadn’t.

She never let me earn my apology.

Every time I tried to get close, she reminded me of what I’d done. My apologies were always too fake, too little. Our mother made it worse, she never once stood up for me. Celis was her golden girl, the perfect one. The one she paraded to her friends.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and dragged myself to my feet just as the signal finally blinked back onto my phone. I let out a shaky breath and opened the ride app, fingers trembling as I booked a chauffeur.

Estimated time: seven minutes.

I quickly called Elara.

She answered on the third ring, her voice still bright and breathy from alcohol. “You okay?”

“I’m heading home. Want to come?”

“Mmm, nah. I’ll stay a little longer. Go home, babe. You’ve got enough drink already.”

I laughed softly, even though my chest felt like a cracked ribcage. “Okay. Be safe.”

“You too. And hey… screw Jace.”

I smiled faintly and hung up.

The chauffeur pulled up moments later, a sleek black sedan humming quietly at the curb. I climbed into the back seat, the leather warm beneath my thighs, and gave the address. The driver nodded politely and drove into traffic.

I hesitated before calling Celis again. My heart was pounding, a sign of dread in my ears. I braced myself as the call connected.

This time, I heard the background noise, engine roaring, wind whipping, the impatient honk of car horns.

“Celis?” I called, my voice tight. “Are you… are you driving?”

“Yes, I’m driving,” she snapped. “I was tired of waiting for you. Of course you wouldn’t come. Why do I even bother expecting anything from you?”

“Wait, no, Celis, please. I’m in a car. I’m on my way. Just pull over, I’ll be there in minutes—”

“You’re always late, Serenya. You always disappoint me. And I hate that I still expect you to do better.”

I flinched. “Celis, I didn’t mean to mess up—”

“Didn’t mean to? Just like you didn’t mean to pour hot water on me? Just like you didn’t mean to ruin every single thing you touch?”

Her words sliced deep, deeper than I expected, even after all these years.

“You don’t get it, do you?” she continued, her voice brittle with rage. “It’s always about you. Even when it’s not. And the worst part is… I still hoped you’d show up tonight. Like an idiot.”

“I’m sorry.” Tearing rolling down my cheeks.

“Save it.”

“Please, just, please pull over. I’m close, okay? Let me make it right.”

A long pause. Then, chaos. A sudden screech of tires, a metallic crunch, steel against steel. Glass shattering. A scream. Celis’s scream.

“Celis?!” I shouted into the phone.

No answer.

“Celis!”

Still nothing.

I sat frozen, my body locked in terror. “CELIS!”

The call disconnected.

“No, no, no…” I tried redialing, but it went straight to voicemail.

My entire body shook. I gripped the seat in front of me.

“Miss?” the chauffeur glanced at me through the mirror. “Are you okay?”

“Drive faster,” I whispered. “Please, just drive faster.”

Something had gone terribly wrong.