Chapter 3

"Baby, enough. I am here.. for you," Kenzo said to me as he handed me a glass of water, but I just shook my head and looked down at my feet.

"Come on, it'll help you feel better. You've been crying for so long. Look at how small your eyes have become," he remarked, wiping away my tears. I hugged him tightly.

"Why is it like this.. why, Kenzo? Just a few simple words from her and it hurts so much?" He cupped my face and pressed our foreheads together.

"Baby, because we both know that you still love her deeply." Kenzo said sadly.

"It's tiring to love her. I'm so tired of getting hurt."

"But I'm here for you. Just love me instead." And then Kenzo's voice cracked. "I will never leave you, and I will never marry anyone else. I'll only marry you."

"If only.. if only I could have loved you a long time ago. Maybe I wouldn't have just asked for an engagement ring from you, but we would have been married already. But, Kenzo, he left me and took everything, including my heart, when he left with Aria."

--

I woke up, finding myself still in Kenzo's embrace. He must have slept here too. Urgh! I have a headache, probably from all the crying. I looked at Kenzo, who was peacefully sleeping.

Yes, he's handsome, and I know many women are interested in him. That's why I still wonder why we're just fvck buddies. He always tells me he loves me, and yes, I care for him and I like him, but it never goes beyond that.

I slowly removed his arm that was wrapped around my waist and went to the bathroom. I stared at my face in the mirror and smiled bitterly.

Once again, I cried over a man who doesn't love me and will never be mine. Kent is married to Aria, and they will be together forever. There's no room for me, no matter how much I try to squeeze in.

I washed my face and looked at the wall clock. It was five-thirty AM, and I was hungry. They're probably still asleep since they stayed up late at the party. I went downstairs and headed straight to the kitchen. I found Manang Renee there, slicing some meat, probably for breakfast.

"Good morning, Kylie. You're up early today."

"Morning, Manang. Yes, I woke up early." I nodded. Hopefully, the headache I got from crying will go away after drinking coffee.

I knew that Manang Renee was aware of what happened last night and was eager to ask, but I didn't know how to start the conversation with her.

Ever since I was a child, she has been with us, and we treated her like part of our family. From what I remember, she used to work for my Mommy's parents. I know she worries about us, Daddy, and Mommy, especially me, after Kent and Aria got married.

Manang Renee left the meat she was slicing and approached me with a smile. "I still remember your Mommy when she was your age. She was exactly like you during her time." My forehead furrowed as she continued her story.

"My Mommy rebelled against her parents because they didn't approve of Daddy, but she was already pregnant with you. I thought Mommy and Daddy would never be together because Daddy had another woman, even though he knew Mommy was pregnant with you."

"Aria's mom?" I nodded, and Manang Renee continued her storytelling.

"I don't know the whole story, but one day, Mommy came home with Daddy, and your grandparents couldn't do anything when Mommy told them they were already married. Months passed, and your grandparents eventually accepted Daddy. Everything seemed fine until one day, a woman came looking for Daddy." I already knew what was coming next in Manang Renee's story.

"Aria came to our house. Her Mommy left her with Daddy. Daddy didn't know what to do, and Mommy even gave Daddy the choice between you or Aria. Of course, Daddy chose you, and he was forced to leave Aria with her parents, and the rest is history."

"Why did Aria's Mommy die?" Until now, I still didn't know why her mom died. I asked Mommy once, but she didn't want to talk about it, so I never attempted to ask Daddy either, unsure of what his answer would be.

"Her mom got sick, she had an illness because of her job." Manang Renee said sadly.

"What was Aria's mom's job?" She took a deep breath and smiled at me, but I could still see the sadness in her eyes. She seemed sad for Aria's mom. But why?

--

"Baby, where do you want to go today?" Kenzo asked me. I was inside my walk-in closet, while he sat on my bed. Last night, I convinced him not to go to Aria's party. I didn't want to create a scene. That was my plan last night, but after hearing Manang Renee's story, I didn't know what to do anymore.

I glanced at myself in the full-length mirror in my closet and stepped out. I called Kenzo's name, and he furrowed his brows when he saw me wearing the cocktail dress we bought yesterday.

"I thought.." I didn't let him finish his sentence. "Just get dressed, I'll wait for you here." He shrugged and smiled at me, then went inside the walk-in closet.

It didn't take long before we were on our way to the Clubhouse in Camp John Hay. I sighed. I won't cause a scene, and I won't fight with Aria. I'll really try my best to get along with her, but I'm not ready to forgive her, though--

"Please, Kylie, Hija.. I'm also asking for your forgiveness for what Aria did to you in the past. I hope you can forgive her soon," Manang Renee pleaded.

I immediately shook my head. No! This is not the time to dwell on those things. I need to focus on what I'll do later, I need to have immense patience.

"Baby.." I looked at Kenzo. He held my hand, and I couldn't help but smile.

"I'm really happy that we'll go there and celebrate with them. Think of this as your first step, the first step in moving on from the past." I nodded as Kenzo spoke, and then I redirected my gaze to the road.

Right. I need to move on. I really, really need to move on. Time is ticking, and the clock is ticking faster. I won't allow myself to be left behind, still hurting. I need to move on.