Chapter 2: Wind He Couldn't Even Feel

Ava's POV

The first time I met Al in a short distance, my heart nearly stopped beating. I will never forget how his cold eyes looked at me, the very first time he saw me. I didn’t know what to do especially since I couldn’t find my voice in that unexpected moment. Our families had arranged a meeting at a restaurant, a gathering meant to discuss business but I didn’t understand a single thing or any of it. I just sat there, staring at Al, who didn’t say a single word. He looked down at his food, then after a while, he started looking at his phone, scrolling as if the world around him didn’t matter.

The restaurant was full of chatter, the clinking of glasses and plates, and the murmur of conversations between our parents. They talked about deals and partnerships, terms and numbers that sounded foreign to me. I was lost in that world but my focus was on Al. His eyes were like ice, distant and cool and they made me feel nervous and shy. I wanted to say something to break the silence but no words came out. I was frozen in my seat, watching him, hoping he would look up and notice me but he seemed lost in his own world.

I remember how the air felt heavy, how my heart pounded in my chest, and how I tried to breathe normally, but it was hard. The first impression he made was a mix of mystery and distance. He didn’t smile, didn’t speak, just ate and looked at his phone as if he was somewhere else entirely. I felt like a small boat on a big sea, tossed by waves of uncertainty and curiosity.

As the night went on, the families continued their discussions but I was stuck in my own thoughts. I wondered who Al really was, what he was thinking, and why he seemed so detached. I wanted to know him, to understand the person behind those cold eyes but I was too shy to approach. The dinner ended, and we all left the restaurant, but the memory of that first meeting stayed with me, a mixture of excitement, confusion, and a yearning to connect.

This was the beginning of a story I never expected, a story that started with a silent, cold glance, and a heart that skipped a beat. It was a moment that changed something inside me, a spark of curiosity and hope even though the conversation never happened that night. I left the restaurant with a feeling that this was just the start, and maybe, someday, Al would look at me differently.

Pero hanggang ngayon, wala pa rin. Hanggang ngayon, para pa rin akong hangin na dinadaanan niya lang.

"Ava, anong balita? Napansin ka na ba ng ultimate crush mo na ngayon ay asawa mo na?" I could hear a sarcastic tone from my friend's voice but I just sighed to release the sadness within me but it has no effect at all!

"Eva, ilang taon na ang nakalipas after our graduation, gano'n pa rin. Kahit no'ng may nangyari na sa'min, wala pa rin. Kung hindi rin lang dahil sa drug na nilagay nila sa mga inumin namin, baka hindi rin kami magkikibuan sa araw ng honeymoon na 'yon," mahina kong sambit at inalala ang gabing iyon na siyang akala ko na ito ang magiging dahilan para magbago ang tingin niya.

"Ewan ko rin sa'yo, eh! Naiintindihan naman kita kung bakit um-oo ka kaagad nang malaman mong si Al-Chester kasi nga crush na crush mo, eh! Pero pinasok mo ba sa kokote mo kung gusto niya rin?" iritang sambit ni Eva mula sa kabilang linya na siyang ikinatigil ko na lang.

I know that it was my fault not asking his permission or not asking him if it was really okay for us to marry each other. It was so sudden that even I, couldn't speak and sank everything in!

"Siyempre hindi ka papansinin hanggang ngayon because of the things that happened between you two. Baka nakakalimutan mo na ikaw ang dahil—— no, let me rephrase that. I mean, baka nakakalimutan mong dahil sa kasal ninyo ang siyang dahilan kung bakit natigil si Al-Chester sa pagkanta? This marriage stole the life he wanted to have.. his first love."

I know I am tedious and that is how I brought curse to our lives. I am nothing. I am not that beautiful because of my long hair and bangs. I am petite but no taste when it comes to fashion. I am a jinx to his life. I stole his first love. This is.. yeah.. unfair to him. While I, don't have a dream and I don't even know what skills I have.

"Oh, natahimik ka na diyan? Anong gagawin mo? Alam mo, ilang beses na 'to tanong ko na 'to sa'yo kaya sana gumawa ka na ng paraan kung paano maging masaya buhay mo. Huwag mo na lang siyang pansinin dahil nandiyan na 'yan. Don't blame him. Just let him do what he wanted to do na kahit gusto mo man, hayaan mo na lang na i-build ang gusto niyang bagong buhay bilang the famous billionaire tycoon in the whole town," Eva stated.

"Iyon naman ang ginagawa ko para sa kaniya, ah? I even learned cooking for him and then prepared things before he went to his work. Everyday, I am always ready for the things that may come pero, mas handa pa pala siya sa akin. Nakikita niya pa lang akong nagluluto, aalis na siya. Nakikita niya lang akong papalapit sa kaniya, papasok na siya sa kwarto. Gano'n siya kahanda na kahit gustuhin ko mang bumawi, hindi ko magawa," I responded and thought about the things that always happen everyday here in our abode.

"Alam mo? Punta ka na lang dito sa bar ko tapos inom tayo kaunti lang. Just leave the house muna kay Ate Rica. And don't forget to ask permission sa mga magulang mo dahil baka tawagan na naman ako."

Huminga na lang ako nang malalim at ngumiti nang malungkot.

"Okay, I'll be there."