LOGINI truly believed he would leave.When I stood on the porch of my small clinic three days ago, looked Blake straight in the eye, and told him to leave me alone and never come back, I expected him to pack his dusty black bag and board the first boat back to Surigao. That was the Blake I used to know—a man who was used to getting his way, a man who would turn around and walk away the moment a door was firmly shut in his face.So, on Monday morning, when I opened the wooden shutters of my bedroom window and felt the fresh ocean breeze on my face, I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. I told myself that the ghost of my past was finally gone. I told myself that my quiet, peaceful life in the small coastal village of Alegria was safe once again.I put on my simple white doctor’s coat, grabbed my canvas bag, and began my daily walk down the narrow dirt path toward the rural health center. The sun was just rising over the coconut trees, casting a warm golden light over the ocean waves. Children w
He looked completely different from the man I had known in Manila, yet I recognized him instantly. He was still tall and powerful, but noticeably thinner. His expensive designer suits were gone. He wore a simple, faded navy t-shirt, dark jeans, and worn leather boots covered in mud. His skin, once pale from spending his life in air-conditioned skyscrapers, was tanned and rough. His dark hair was slightly longer, messy from the ocean wind, and his jaw was covered in dark stubble.He looked tired. Not just physically exhausted, but carrying a deep, heavy sadness that weighed down his entire body.In his right hand, he held a simple, dusty black duffel bag.He turned his head slowly when he heard my footsteps on the gravel path. When his dark eyes locked onto mine, his entire body went stiff.
Six months had passed since I stepped off that small airplane at Sayak Airport and moved to the northern coast of Siargao.Six months of salt air, wet soil, and quiet mornings.Six months of healing broken bones, treating high fevers, and stitching up coral cuts for the people of Alegria.In those six months, my hands had lost the soft smoothness of a rich girl who spent her days in air-conditioned hospitals and luxury cars. I now had a small callus near my thumb from holding medical tools all day. My skin was tanned golden brown from the tropical sun, and my hair had grown longer, usually tied up in a messy bun with a simple wooden clip.I loved every single thing about who I had become.It was a hot Thursday afternoon in late November. The rainy season was just beginning in the Philippines, bringing heavy afternoon showers that would drench the island in cool water before clearing up to reveal bright sunshine. The roof of the Alegria Rural Health Center rattled with the heavy rain.
I slowly reached for the crisp white envelope sitting on my lap.I stared at my name written in his handwriting. A part of me wanted to throw it into the ocean. A part of me wanted to rip it into a hundred tiny pieces and let the wind carry it away. I didn't owe him my time. I didn't owe him my attention.But I needed absolute closure. I needed to hear the end of the story so I could finally close the book forever.I opened the envelope, pulled out the thick stack of lined paper, and began to read.Dear Snow,The letter began. His handwriting was shaky, as if his hand had been trembling the entire time he held the pen.I know you told me you never wanted our paths to
It had been one month since I arrived in Siargao, and my hands had finally stopped shaking.Life in the remote village of Alegria was incredibly simple, and that simplicity was exactly what my broken heart needed to heal. There were no flashing cameras, no reporters shouting my name, and no whispers behind my back. When the local fishermen, farmers, and mothers looked at me, they didn't see the disgraced daughter of a billionaire. They didn't see the woman who was accused of a terrible crime.They just saw Dr. Snow.Every morning, I woke up at five o'clock to the sound of roosters crowing and the gentle crashing of the ocean waves. I lived in a small, humble wooden cottage just a few minutes away from the rural clinic. It had a woven bamboo roof, a small electric fan, and a tiny porch that faced the beautiful blue sea. It was the smallest place I had ever lived in, but it felt a million times bigger and warmer than the giant, cold mansion in Forbes Park.On this particular Tuesday mor
The waiting area consisted of four long wooden benches. About a dozen people were already sitting there. There were pregnant mothers fanning themselves with pieces of cardboard, old men with walking sticks, and young children with scraped knees and coughing chests.Behind a small, scratched wooden desk stood a middle-aged woman in a clean, but old, white nurse's uniform. She had kind, crinkled eyes and her hair was tied back in a strict bun. She was busy sorting through a pile of paper files.I walked up to the desk. "Excuse me?"The woman looked up. She scanned my simple clothes, my bag, and my young face. "Yes, miss? Are you a tourist? Did you get a sunburn? The aloe vera cream is at the pharmacy down the street."I smiled. I reached into my bag and pulled out my steth







