You Were My Favorite Mistake

Bella woke up to the soft morning light filtering through Raf’s penthouse window For a moment, she allowed herself to forget everything...the rules, the responsibilities, the voice in her head that kept saying “This is wrong.” Pero reality hit her like a cold shower “What did I just do?” she whispered, staring at the ceiling, heart racing. Her body still tingled from last night, but her mind was in chaos. She was supposed to be in control Supposed to be responsible. Pero… hindi niya maalis sa isip ang ngiti ni Raf at yung init ng mga halik niya When she turned, Raf was still asleep, shirtless, hair messy, a soft smile on his face. Bella’s chest ached at the sight of him. Something about him… something dangerous, something irresistible She quietly slipped out of the penthouse, heart heavy and conflicted By noon, Bella was texting Maya, hoping for some sanity Bella: “Maya… I think I made a huge mistake.” Maya: “I knew it. I told you… what did I say? Pero bakit ka pa rin pupunta

The morning after the secret beach date, Bella woke up with a strange mix of emotions...satisfaction, guilt, and fear. She had experienced something thrilling with Raf, something she couldn’t ignore Pero deep inside, she knew the world outside that villa wouldn’t approve...or at least, her mind kept telling her so. She scrolled through her phone nervously Messages from Raf were already waiting Raf: “Morning, beautiful. Last night was… unforgettable. Can’t wait to see you again.” Bella’s fingers hovered over the screen. She wanted to reply, to tell him she felt the same, pero hindi niya kaya “This is crazy,” she whispered to herself “We barely know each other… and I’m already… like this?” At school later that day, Bella tried to focus on lectures, pero walang balak ang utak niya sumunod. Every time someone brushed past her, every laugh in the room, every text notification...she automatically thought of Raf. Then, at lunch, Maya cornered her “So… spill it. How bad is it?” Maya

Bella should have knownHindi puwedeng maging ganito kasimple ang lahat. Hindi puwedeng walang multong hahabol sa isang lalaking tulad ni RafThe message came on a Sunday afternoon, habang nakahiga siya sa kama, trying to convince herself that choosing Raf wasn’t the stupidest decision she’d ever madeUnknown Number: “So ikaw na pala ang kapalit.”Nanlamig ang mga daliri niyaBella: “Sorry, who’s this?”Matagal bago dumating ang replyUnknown: “The one he never told you about.”Her chest tightenedThat night, nagkita sila ni Raf. Bella didn’t mention the message agad. She wanted to see him first. To read his face. To check if she was imagining thingsPero bago pa siya makapagsalita, may babaeng lumapit.Matangkad. Makinis. Confident in a way that screamed history“Raf,” sabi ng babae, parang walang kahirap-hirap bigkasin ang pangalan niya“We need to talk.”Nanigas si BellaRaf’s body tensed instantly“…Lena,” sabi niya, mababa ang boses.And just like that, everything made senseHind

Minsan, si Bella lang ang nakaupo sa kanyang kwarto, nakatitig sa bintana habang ang ulan ay bumubuhos sa labas. Ang bawat patak ay parang sumasalamin sa nararamdaman niya...malamig, malungkot, at walang direksyon.Simula nang makita niya si Lena at marinig ang mga sinabi nito, hindi na siya makapag-focus sa kahit ano. Kahit ang mga mensahe ni Raf, na dati ay nagbibigay kilig, ngayon ay nagdudulot ng pangamba.He doesn’t leave. He replaces.He tells everyone they are special.Paulit-ulit niya itong binasa sa isip. Parang mantra na hindi niya matanggal, isang babala na unti-unting sinisipsip ang kanyang katauhan.Kinabukasan, nagkita silang dalawa sa coffee shop, neutral ground. Matao, maliwanag, safe.Ngunit kahit ganoon, hindi niya maalis sa isip ang mga alaala ni Lena at ang mga salitang iniwan nito.Pagkakita niya kay Raf, hindi na tulad ng dati ang excitement niya.Bawat ngiti, bawat halik sa kamay niya, may kasamang kaba—takot na baka may parte pa siya sa puso ni Raf na para sa n