THE TWIN I NEVER WAS

EPISODE 1 Six years had passed since Gabriel Buenafuentez last saw Alherie Yun Montreal. At thirty-four, Gabriel was already a successful businessman. His life was filled with meetings, negotiations, business trips, and endless responsibilities. He was rarely in one place for too long. Love had never been part of his priorities. Especially not after what happened when he was seventeen. Back then, Alherie had liked him. A lot. She would constantly follow him around, try to get his attention, and find different excuses just to talk to him. But Gabriel never returned her feelings. Not even a little. To him, Alherie was simply the girl who wouldn't stop bothering him. He never imagined that years later, seeing the same face would make his heart react in a completely different way. Because the woman he met at the bar wasn't Alherie. It was Asherie. Her twin sister. And from the moment he saw her, something inside him changed. He didn't understand it. He only knew that he wanted to see her again. --- Since that night, Gabriel had been unusually curious about Asherie. Whenever he had free time, he would find himself asking about her. And there was only one person he could easily ask. His cousin, Andy. Andy happened to be Candy's boyfriend. And Candy was Asherie's best friend. It was the perfect connection. One afternoon, Gabriel and Andy were having coffee after a business meeting. “So, how's Asherie?” Gabriel casually asked. Andy slowly looked at him. “Asherie?” “Yes.” “Why are you asking about her again?” Gabriel raised an eyebrow. “Again?” “You've been asking about her every time we see each other.” Gabriel leaned back in his chair. “I have?” Andy laughed. “Yes. You always ask where she is, what she's doing, whether she's working, whether she's at home...” Gabriel was quiet. He hadn't even realized how often he brought her up. “I don't know,” he finally said. Andy stared at him. “You don't know?” “No.” Gabriel looked down at his coffee. That was the truth. He genuinely didn't understand himself. He had never felt anything for Alherie. So why was it different with Asherie? They had the same face. The same eyes. The same smile. But they were completely different women. And somehow, Gabriel was drawn to Asherie. “I just want to know her better,” he said. Andy smirked. “That's what you keep telling yourself.” Gabriel gave him a warning look. “Don't start.” Andy laughed. --- Meanwhile, Asherie knew nothing about those conversations. She was busy with her own life and had no idea that Gabriel, a man who barely had time for anyone because of his demanding business schedule, kept asking about her. He was always traveling. One week, he would be in Singapore. The next, he could be in Hong Kong. Then he would fly to Europe for another meeting. His schedule was always full. Yet somehow, whenever he returned home, one of the first things he would ask Andy about was Asherie. Even Gabriel found it ridiculous. He had never been this curious about a woman before. And he certainly didn't understand why it had to be her. --- A few weeks later, Gabriel was going through his schedule when his secretary reminded him about an important meeting. “Sir, you have a meeting with the Montreal family tomorrow afternoon.” Gabriel looked up from the documents on his desk. “The Montreal family?” “Yes, sir. Mr. Montreal wants to discuss the partnership personally. The meeting will be held at their residence.” Gabriel paused. “Their residence?” “Yes.” For some reason, his mood suddenly changed. The thought of going there made him feel strangely excited. He immediately knew why. Asherie. He hadn't seen her since the night at the bar. And now, he was going to the Montreal residence. Gabriel leaned back in his chair, a small smile appearing on his lips. He couldn't believe himself. He was a busy businessman with countless things to worry about. Yet the thought of seeing one woman again was enough to make him look forward to a business meeting. “Interesting,” he murmured. His secretary looked at him. “Sir?” “Nothing.” Gabriel returned his attention to the documents. But he couldn't concentrate anymore. Because tomorrow, he wasn't just going to meet Mr. Montreal for a business deal. He was going to see Asherie again. And for the first time in a long while, Gabriel found himself genuinely looking forward to something that had absolutely nothing to do with business.