All Chapters of The Shadow Beside The Moon : Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

Slowly, almost imperceptibly, things began to change between them. At first, it was only small things tiny shifts that Elara told herself not to mind, convincing herself over and over that she was just being too sensitive, too demanding, too dramatic. Kael started working late at his office, often texting her only at ten or eleven at night to say he’d be home soon, or sometimes not texting at all until the next morning. He canceled their dates at the last minute, always with the same tired, frustrated excuse: work was busy, his boss was demanding, he was too exhausted to go out, he was stressed about their future. When Elara asked gently if something was wrong, if he was unhappy or if she had done something to upset him, he would sigh heavily, run a hand through his hair, and say, “El, don’t make this harder than it already is. I’m working hard for us, for our life together. Why do you always have to be so difficult and clingy?” She would bite back her doubts and her hurt, nodding a

That night, Kael came home earlier than usual. He walked into their small apartment, his movements stiff and nervous, avoiding her eyes completely as he sat down on the edge of the sofa, twisting his hands together in his lap, looking like a man who had been waiting all day to say something he didn’t want to say, something he knew would hurt her. Elara stood by the kitchen counter, her heart pounding painfully fast in her chest, still replaying the scene from the park over and over in her mind, her clothes still damp from the rain, her whole body tense and aching with fear and confusion and a deep, cold dread she couldn’t name. She wanted to confront him right away, to ask who that woman was, why he was with her, why he had lied about being busy at work all afternoon, what was happening between them. She wanted to scream and cry and demand the truth, to ask if everything they had was just a lie, but before she could say a single word, he spoke first, his voice quiet and hesitant, sou

It was the third anniversary of their relationship, a day Elara had been looking forward to and planning for months, saving up money for weeks, skipping meals and putting aside every peso she could just to make it perfect, just to show him how much she loved him, just to bring back the happy days they used to have. She booked a private dinner at the most beautiful and expensive restaurant by the coast, overlooking the Davao Gulf, where the sunset painted the sky in brilliant hues of orange, purple, and gold, where the tables were set with white linen and candles, where couples went to celebrate special moments and promises. She bought him the limited-edition watch he had been wanting for over a year, wrapped carefully in a blue box with a silk ribbon, the one he had pointed out in a shop window once and said it was his dream gift, the one he said he would only buy when he had someone special to give it to. She spent hours getting ready, doing her hair and makeup perfectly, wearing t