Stepping outside, I notice everyone turning to wait for me to close the door. I do it, and Diana takes a step forward. The cold garden air was a brutal contrast to the stifling heat of the hall. The streetlamps cast circles of yellowish light onto the empty tables, creating a perfectly lit stage for the farce about to unfold. We sat around a wrought-iron table: my parents opposite me, Diana and Leslie on the sides, Ernesto in the middle of everyone.
"William, son, we understand you must have felt… disappointed by the gift incident."
"Disappointed? I don't feel disappointed, Father."
Diana looks directly at me.
"If you're not disappointed, then what's with this attitude? You're just being difficult on purpose."
"No. It's simply that you can no longer disappoint me. So from now on, I don't care."
"It was a mistake, darling, and I can understand you're upset, but Ernesto has explained it. The servants caused the whole thing. Ernesto is offering you a sincere apology."
My mother interjected, her voice an anxious whisper.
"The same servants who have packed gifts for this family for decades without a single mistake? They suddenly got confused with one of your golden boy's most personal possessions?"
At that moment, I turned my gaze to Ernesto.
"Or perhaps the instructions weren't so clear. Did you tell them to find any random gift for William? Something you didn't want anymore, maybe?"
His mouth opened and closed. He hadn't rehearsed for this level of detail.
"William, that's enough. Ernesto has apologized. What more do you want?"
Diana, as always, defending Ernesto. A calm mind allows me to keep a stoic look, but there's still a bit of sadness inside me.
"As I already mentioned, I want nothing. The only reason I came to this party was for Grandfather's birthday."
"You are incredibly dramatic. You always have been. Everything has to be a great tragedy with you."
Leslie looked at me again with that arrogance. In that moment, I felt like slapping her, but that would only give that family more reasons to accept Ernesto's apology.
"I'll play along. Do you all think what you're doing is right?"
My mother looked at me.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you trying to get me to accept an apology from Ernesto for a mistake he made, and you didn't even bother to verify."
"We know this was our error, that's why we are trying to solve all of this as a family."
Leslie stood up and said that as if it were a good thing, but in this context, it just makes me nauseous.
"Family? Well, it's good you say it that way, so I'll go call Grandfather and we'll tell him everything. How does that sound?"
Everyone fell silent.
"We tell Grandfather the whole truth. How you abandoned me on my birthday to go get something to eat with Ernesto, and how you realized it the next day after I told you the day before was my birthday. And how you tried to apologize with a second-hand watch from the son for whom you abandoned me on my birthday. How does that sound?"
The silence stretched between us, and I just smiled at them.
"You know it yourselves. This isn't something that can be solved with a simple apology."
Everyone remained quiet, but this time my mother looked directly into my eyes.
"What can we do for you to forgive us?"
What can they do? Honestly, I don't care, and even if I ask, they won't do it anyway. But I smiled, as I could expect this.
At that moment, Ernesto stood up and approached me. He made a deep bow, took my hand, and placed it on his face.
"Brother, I know this is my fault, and if you have to hit me to calm your anger, do it. I will accept it."
Leslie also stood up.
"You don't need to do this, Ernesto. I know you are kind, but this is just a tantrum on William's part."
"Yes, Ernesto, you don't need to go that far."
"No, sisters, it's all my fault. If I hadn't—"
Without waiting for him to say more, I slapped him so hard that he fell to the side and looked at me in surprise, You should be thankful that I don't use aura to hurt you more since this blow was intended to hurt and you didn't get hurt, although the fact that my strength has increased may influence that blow. .
"Ahhhhhh!"
Diana, Leslie, and my parents rushed to help Ernesto, helping him up and glaring at me with pure hatred.
"HOW DARE YOU HIT YOUR BROTHER!"
Father shouted, stepping toward me, but I didn't flinch and looked him directly in the eyes.
"I think you forgot. He is not my brother, just a stranger who came to this house whom I will never consider a brother."
At that moment, a slap landed on my face, but it was from my mother. I could only say that seeing the surprised look on my mother's face filled me with something. Even she knew she was wrong to slap me. But the blow to my face didn't even hurt.
"I'm sorry I hit you, William, but you shouldn't have referred to Ernesto that way. As we've told you, we love you both equally. We just give more attention to Ernesto because he was an orphan."
"Don't apologize, Mother. He deserved it for being so violent and hitting Ernesto."
Diana also came over and raised her hand, but before she could touch my cheek, I stopped her hand and looked her directly in the eyes.
"Listen to me very carefully, Diana. The only reason I let Mrs. Stephanie hit me was because she is the woman who gave birth to me. But you, if you dare to hit me, I will hit you back."
That made her shudder and lower her hand. She went back to Ernesto's side and continued consoling him.
"Listen to me well. I'm tired of this clown show, so I'll tell you one last thing. I want you to tell me, when was the last birthday of mine that you celebrated?"
After that, without turning back, I left them in the patio and went back inside where Grandfather was, a smile on my face. Grandfather looked at me and smiled too.
"Grandfather, I have to go now, but I'd like to give you this."
I extended an envelope.
"What is it?"
"My graduation is in a week. I would be very happy if you were there."
He looked at me deeply.
"I'll try to be there, don't worry."
"Thank you. And one last thing, please don't tell my father I gave you this invitation."
Without waiting for his answer, and trusting him, I left the party and went outside without even waiting for any of them to call me or say anything.