Chapter 3: Your Fault

It felt like my world had collapsed after what I saw.

In a daze, I walked away from Justin’s condo without knowing where my feet were taking me.

I felt so small.

I still couldn’t wrap my head around the betrayal, especially Sheila’s.

She had been my best friend for over ten years.

From the time we were in school up to now, with our own careers, we were still inseparable. That’s why her betrayal hurt even more than Justin’s.

It was a different kind of pain.

A thousand thoughts raced through my mind as I sat in the taxi. 

I gave everything to Justin. My love. My time. My life. I took care of him like a wife. But it was never enough.

He still cheated on me.

Before I knew it, I found myself in front of Justin’s family home.

One of the reasons this hurt so much... was because of them. His parents were kind. They accepted me. Treated me like their own daughter. Sometimes, I even envied Justin for how—despite his parents being separated—they were both still very involved in his life.

I went inside and looked for Tita Cecile. I found her in the garden, sipping her tea.

“Mica! You’re here—what happened?”

I rushed to her side and sat down next to her, tears spilling down my cheeks.

“T-Tita… Tita...”

She cupped my face and gently wiped away my tears.

“What’s wrong? Tell me. Is it about work?” she asked, worry etched on her face.

I shook my head slowly.

“It’s about… Justin, Tita.”

Her brows immediately furrowed.

“My son? Why? Did you two fight?”

I took a deep breath. If it were just a fight, maybe I could’ve forgiven him. But this... This was more than just a fight.

He—they—betrayed me.

“My flight got delayed because I was late to the airport,” I began. “So I thought I’d go back to Justin’s place for a bit. And then… A-And…”

My sobs returned before I could finish. Tita Cecile reached out and rubbed my back, soothing me.

“Sshh… It’s okay. Tell me when you’re ready.”

I sniffled like a child, and when I finally caught my breath, I continued.

“I-I caught him, Tita. Justin was cheating on me... with Sheila,” I confessed through my tears. “I don’t know what I did wrong, Tita. I loved him so much. I gave him everything. And Sheila—she’s like a sister to me. I trusted her. But they still did this to me. It hurts so much, Tita. I don’t know what to do anymore!”

I buried my face in my hands and wept.

I don’t know how long I stayed in that position, crying like a child to someone I considered my second mother.

Yes, Justin was her son. But I believed she wouldn’t tolerate this kind of betrayal. She always said I was like a daughter to her.

So, I hoped… I hoped she would be on my side now.

But I was wrong.

I heard her sigh sharply, like she was annoyed. When I looked up at her, she was calmly sipping her tea, her brows drawn together. Gone was the concern I saw earlier. In its place… irritation.

“So, you already know.”

My tears paused mid-fall. I stared at her in confusion, wiping my cheeks.

“W-What do you mean, Tita?”

She rolled her eyes.

“I’ve been telling Justin to just tell you about his relationship with Sheila,” she said, shaking her head like I was the inconvenience. “But my son… he just couldn’t bring himself to hurt you. So I had to pretend too.”

My jaw dropped. My whole body went numb. I didn’t even know where the pain was coming from anymore.

“Y-You… knew?”

She arched her brow. “Of course, I knew.”

“And you didn’t do anything?!”

“What was I supposed to do? I like Sheila better, anyway. You? You’re too naïve and soft. Smart in your work, maybe—but far too easy to manipulate. Justin never wanted someone so… boring. And honestly, I never saw you as someone good enough for our family.”

I could hardly breathe. She knew. All this time, she knew. And worse… she played along.

“I treated you like a mother, Tita. How could you do this to me?” I asked, my voice cracking.

Again, she rolled her eyes.

“Stop it, Mica. Just accept it. You were never meant to be part of our family,” she said, waving her hand like she was swatting a fly. “Now go. I have better things to do. I don’t have time for your drama.”

My eyes welled up again. How could they be so cruel? All of them. They fooled me. Made me believe I was loved.

But the truth? They were laughing behind my back the whole time.

I stood up slowly, my legs trembling beneath me.

This wasn’t just betrayal—it was humiliation.

They didn’t just break my heart. They shattered every piece of self-worth I ever had.

I turned away from her, refusing to let her see more of my tears. Not for her. Not anymore.

As I walked out of the gate, I didn’t know where I was going. But one thing was clear now.

I had no one.