All Chapters of She Didn't Know He Noticed: Chapter 51 - Chapter 60

I almost didn’t come. I stared at my reflection for what felt like forever before leaving the car, my hand resting on the door handle, my heartbeat louder than the music faintly echoing outside. The lights from the venue spilled into the driveway, warm and inviting, pero hindi iyon ang nararamdaman ko.Hindi ako welcome rito, or at least… that’s what a part of me still believed.“Stop it,” bulong ko sa sarili ko, pinikit ang mga mata ko sandali. “You chose to come. Panindigan mo.”I stepped out. Each step toward the entrance felt heavier than the last, like the past was trying to drag me back. But then I saw her. Maddy. Nakaabang siya sa bukana, just like she promised. Nakatingin siya sa direksyon ko, scanning the crowd until her eyes landed on me, and just like that, she smiled. Bright. Genuine. Uncomplicated.“Diane!” she called out, waving her hand.Something inside me softened. At least someone here was happy I came.“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said as she walked up to me, agad

“Diane.” I froze.That voice. God… I hated how my body still recognized it before my mind could even react.I didn’t turn around immediately. Nakatayo lang ako, staring blankly at the dim lights of the garden, my heart starting to pound louder with every step I heard behind me.“Diane,” he called again, closer this time.I closed my eyes briefly. Don’t panic. You can handle this.Slowly, I turned around and there he was. Ryan. Standing just a few steps away, his gaze fixed on me like he was trying to solve a puzzle that didn’t quite make sense. I forced my expression to stay neutral. Blank and controlled.“Yes?” I said, my tone calm, almost indifferent.His brows furrowed. For a moment, he just stared at me. Then, “What are you doing here?” he asked.I blinked. “I could ask you the same thing,” I replied lightly.But he didn’t react to that. Instead, he took a step closer. “Stop pretending.”My chest tightened. I frowned slightly, feigning confusion. “I’m sorry?”His jaw clenched. “I

The sunlight hit my face before I even fully opened my eyes. Mabigat ang talukap ko. Parang may humila sa akin pabalik sa kama kahit ayaw ko na talaga.Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.My phone kept vibrating nonstop.“Ugh…” I groaned, turning to the side and burying my face into the pillow.For a few seconds, I just stayed like that, just still and quiet.Then—Bzzzt.Again.I forced myself to reach for the phone blindly, eyes half-open. 10:00 AM. My eyes snapped open.“What the—” I shot up immediately, almost falling off the bed. “Ten?!”My brain took a few seconds to catch up. What happened last night came rushing back. I was at the beach, crying. And then there was Sevi... and Maddy. There is a wedding. My chest tightened slightly, but not as painfully as before. Just… heavy.I rubbed my face hard. “Diane, ano ba,” I muttered to myself. “Bakit ganyan ka tulog?”Then I noticed the notifications.Maddy (5 messages)My stomach dropped slightly. I opened them.“Diane, we’re meeting today ha. Don’

Minsan talaga, may mga tanong na hindi mo dapat tinatanong. At minsan naman, may mga sagot na sana hindi mo nalang narinig. Buong gabi akong hindi mapakali matapos ang naging usapan namin ni Sevi kahapon. Paulit-ulit na tumatakbo sa isip ko ang boses niya."Mabait naman si Maddy.""We're both doing it for our families.""I have nothing against it."Simple lang naman ang sinabi niya. Wala namang masama. It's not even romantic. Pero bakit ganito kasakit?Napabuntong-hininga ako habang nakatitig sa kisame ng kwarto ko. Parang tanga. Parang teenager ulit. Parang iyong dating Diane na umiiyak dahil sa lalaking hindi naman siya pipiliin.Napapikit ako. Ano bang karapatan kong magselos? Wala. Hindi ako girlfriend ni Sevi. Hindi ako fiancée niya. Hindi nga niya alam kung sino talaga ako. Sa paningin niya, business partner lang ako. Nothing more, nothing less. Kaya dapat wala akong pakialam. Pero sana ganoon kasimple iyon.Kinabukasan, mas maaga akong dumating sa atelier. Normally, trabaho ang

Hindi na ako dumiretso pauwi pagkatapos ng dinner. I just… couldn’t. Because the moment I stepped away from Sevi, everything inside me started collapsing again.Parang kanina lang, I was holding myself together in front of him. Smiling. Responding. Acting normal. Pero ngayon? Wala na. Wala nang normal.Sevi’s voice kept echoing in my head. "You feel familiar."Familiar.That word should’ve been harmless. Pero bakit parang siyang kutsilyo na slowly pressing into something I’ve been trying to protect for years? Because familiarity means recognition. And recognition means truth. And truth means everything I built… will break.I stopped walking. Nakatayo lang ako sa gilid ng kalsada habang dumadaan ang mga sasakyan. Ang ingay ng mundo, pero ang isip ko sobrang tahimik.Too quiet. That kind of silence that only happens when your thoughts are screaming too loud to organize.So instead na umuwi, I walked again. Wala akong direction. Wala akong purpose. Until I saw the bar. Warm lights, loud