CHAPTER THREE : Tonight Is The Night

SEVERAL MONTHS AGO...

Lexie's Point Of  View

Grabe. Tangina, ang tanga ko.

As in, anong level ng katangahan 'to lex!? Like, sino bang matinong tao ang  pupunta sa kasal ng lalaking minahal niya—just to watch him marry the love of his life? That's literal emotional torture. At yet, here I was, standing in the middle of a picture-perfect beach wedding, pretending like I wasn't completely falling apart inside.

The ceremony was lowkey perfect—intimate, classy, at parang kinuha straight pa sa  interest. Veltranos Private Beach, na pagmamay-ari ng Family ng groom, set the vibe with waves crashing softly in the background habang nag-e-exchange sila ng vows. grabe naman and pag ka aesthetic ng moment, pero damn, ang sakit din panoorin.

Alam kong maling-mali na nandito pa ako. Kahit si Dad, ilang beses na akong pinagsabihan. "Anak, sinasaktan mo lang sarili mo," he said, halos nagmamakaawa na huwag ito na akong dumalo. Pero ayun nga ang tigas ng ulo ko. Ang sabi ko sa sarili ko, "Wala namang mawawala, 'di ba? Kaibigan ko naman siya."

Pero ngayon, habang nakatayo ako rito, ramdam na ramdam ko kung gaano ko ginawang komplikado ang sarili kong buhay. Parang sinadya ko pang ilagay ang sarili ko sa sitwasyong alam kong masasaktan lang ako.

Yeah. Right.

So now, here I was, pretending like I was happy for them, standing among their closest friends and family while silently stabbing myself in the heart over and over again.

With every passing second, my chest tightened even more. Every time Luke looked at her, every time his eyes softened with so much love and devotion, ramdam ko 'yung parang may bumabara sa lalamunan ko.

So this is what it feels like—the crushing realization that you never really had a chance to begin with.

Because how could I? Shaine Navarro was the love of Luke Veltrano's life. She was the one. The only one.

For a short while—two years ago, when they divorced—I thought maybe, just maybe, magkakaroon ako ng chance. that I wouldn't just be the daughter of his dad's business associate anymore.

Na baka, this time... ako naman.

Pero hindi. The moment she came back, it was like I never even existed to him.

Dapat nung una palang alam ko na.

I should have accepted it from the start—no matter what I did, Shaine was the only one who ever mattered to him.

Simula nung bumalik siya rito sa Greece para sa bagong branch ng company nila, ang obvious naman talaga—like, kahit bulag mapapansin—na si Luke, sobra paring attracted sa ex-wife niya. Like, girl, wala nang mas solid na proof at kitang kita moonaman na na hindi pa siya nakaka-move on diito.

At ako? The moment I met Shaine, alam kong talo na 'ko. Wala nang laban, as in GG na.

She was that girl—successful, self-assured, at parang laging fresh beh never nahagard yarn?— Kahit sinong lalaki, No guy would ever think twice about choosing her. Just a background character. Stuck in my dad's shadow, only known as "Theo Varganis' daughter." Rich kid? Sure. But that's all there is to it—just the last name. Privileged? Maybe. But a perfect life? Far from it.

Paano ko masasabing "perfect" ang buhay ko kung 'yung tanging lalaking minahal ko nang sobra... never man lang ako napili kahit as a second choice?

Luke was never mine. And no matter how much I try, he never will be.

——

Napilitan akong ngumiti habang pumapalakpak kasama ang ibang guests nang i-announce ng officiall na husband and wife na ulit sila. The moment their lips met for their first kiss as a remarried couple, it felt like a dagger had pierced my chest.

Pero ganun talaga, 'di ba? Kahit masakit, I had to pretend. I had to be genuinely happy for them.

Kasi hindi lang naman  sakin dapatt umiikot ang mundo nya.

And besides, I was already trying to move on. I just prayed to God that it wouldn't take much longer.

I barely stayed for the reception. Kung ako lang masusunod, umalis na sana ako right after the ceremony.  Pero dahil sa pangungulit ng bride at groom—at dahil ayoko namang maging party pooper— napilitan akong mag-stay sa special day nila.

By nightfall, the celebration was in full swing. People were dancing, indulging in endless food, and just genuinely having the time of their lives. Pero ako? I chose to stay at the makeshift bar, drowning the ache in my chest with every sip of alcohol.

Hindi naman talaga ako malakas sa inuman, kaya ilang mojito pa lang, parang umiikot na ang buong paligid. Pero okay lang. Mas gugustuhin ko nang malasing kaysa maramdaman pa 'tong bigat sa dibdib ko.

"For Lexie's shattered heart," I muttered to myself before downing the mojito in one go. Napangiwi ako sa init ng alak na dumaan sa lalamunan ko.

"You'll regret that in the morning." someone said.

I rolled my eyes. Great. Just what I needed—an audience for my breakdown.

I turned toward the voice, my vision slightly blurred from the alcohol. Squinting, I tried to focus on the guy casually leaning against the bar counter. He looked completely relaxed, his gaze fixed on the lively celebration happening at the beach behind me, as if he wasn't just witnessing someone drowning in their own misery.

"Sorry, pero... kilala ba kita?"

"Hmm. I don't think so." I caught a glimpse of a smirk playing on his lips—o baka guni-guni ko lang dahil lasing na ako. like he knew something I didn't—or maybe he just enjoyed watching me.

"Well, kung ganon, pwede bang umalis ka na lang?" I rolled my eyes, I rolled my eyes before waving at the bartender for another glass of mojito. The taste was starting to grow on me—actually, I was beginning to like it.

Kung normal na araw 'to, never akong magiging ganito kabastos—lalo na sa taong hindi ko naman kilala. 

Simula bata pa lang, tinuro na ni Dad na dapat laging mabait at magalang. Pero ngayong gabi? Wala akong pake. Wala akong balak maging so called "good girl." Kahit ngayong gabi lang, gusto kong magpahinga sa pagiging perpektong anak at hayaan ang sarili kong mag drama no.

dededmahin kona sana sya, pero nang mapatingin ulit ako sa kanya, aba—nandiyan pa rin and gago. Hindi man lang nag-attempt na  umalis.  guilt got me after kong makita na hindi parin sya umaalis.

"Sorry," bulong ko, barely audible.

He chuckled softly. "Why are you apologizing? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I was rude to you—"

Muli siyang tumawa, at sa hindi ko maintindihang dahilan, may dumaloy na kiliti sa katawan ko nang marinig ko 'yon. Wait—ano daw? Ang weird. Hindi 'to normal. Lasing lang ako, kaya kung anu-ano na ang naiisip ko.

"Forgive me," he said with a smirk, "pero feeling ko, wala ka naman talagang kailangang i-apologize. Trust me, I've met plenty of women na mas grabe pa kung umasta, pero never man lang inamin na rude sila kung umasta, saka okay lang yung mukhang may pinag dadanan ka ata eh"

"Still," pagpupumilit ko while struggling to focus my blurry vision on him. "I want to apologize for raising my voice. It was uncalled for."

He didn't reply and instead just signaled the bartender to order a drink. I rolled my eyes. Seriously, why was I even entertaining this conversation? I should've just ignored him and focused on drowning myself in alcohol. But before I could take down another shot of mojito, he suddenly spoke—and it made me pause.

"Alcohol won't fix your problem, you know."

I raised an eyebrow and turned to him with a look. "What problem? I don't know what you're talking about, Mister."

He just shrugged, looking completely unbothered habang iniinom ang sarili niyang alak. "I saw it with my own eyes, you know. Kanina pa kita tinitignan mula noong nagstart ang ceremony. And let me tell you—kitang-kita sa mukha mo 'yung nanasasaktan ka while binabasa ni Luke' yung wedding vows nya sa bride kanina."

I gasped. Even in my drunken state, I could feel my face heating up in embarrassment. So someone noticed?! I thought I was good at hiding my emotions! I was so stupid to believe that I wasn't showing any signs of pain, but apparently, some random stranger had been watching me all night, like what the hell??

"You're mistaken, Mister..." Napakunot noo ako nang marealize kong hindi ko pa pala alam ang pangalan niya. "Wait... anong pangalan mo ulit, Mister?"

"Drew. My name is Drew," he replied, his lips curling into a sexy smirk habang inaabot ang kamay niya sa 'kin.

Napatingin ako sa kamay niyang nakalahad. I hesitated for a second before shaking it . "I am Lex—"

"Lexie Astherion, I know."