Novelas y relatos de Life Is About Choices

Family gathered. Close friends. People who mattered. Our children standing just a few steps away, watching with curious eyes. I stood across from him again. Not as the woman I was before. But as someone who had lived, grown, fought, loved… And stayed. “I choose you,” I said softly. “Not just for what we have. But for everything we’ve been through to get here.” His gaze didn’t waver. “And I choose you,” he replied. “Every version of you. Every moment. Every day.”

He will leave after graduation to forget me, and I think I can do the same, and everything will be back to normal. I have Primo. He came into my life first. He's the one my family wants. He was the first guy I liked. I have already foreseen our future since I was a kid. I can't change my mind just because my heart started to beat for someone else. I will choose Primo. He was my first choice. He is the safest choice. If I follow my heart, things will become messy. I know what I feel. I am not dumb, but I have to act like one.

Zach's P.O.V. *** Decisions. Unless it is for business, I suck on making them. People will say — you know things when you got older. You gain wisdom and become better in decision-making. Sadly. I was living this life for almost three decades and yet decision-making and crossroads were still mysteries for me. I tend to weigh pros and cons in business to come up with an appealing solutions and options— but I figured out that I couldn't do the same thing in real life.

“You can save none.” “You must choose,” sabi ng red personality. “Choose him… or choose to live.” Tumulo ang luha ni Mariel. “I choose him,” sagot niya. “Every time. Every lifetime.” Nag-blur ang mukha ni Billie, parang nag-flicker ang reality. At biglang gumising ang bughaw— “Mariel… don’t… he’ll use your choice.” “Billie, pakinggan mo ako—”

Despite the hardships we are experiencing right now, life is not going to stop happening. That no matter how much we prepare ourselves for those obstacles, they still have the ability to devastate our lives and derail our best plans. But we have to remember that life does go on. That every day we have a choice. That no matter how difficult the journey may be, it is always worth it to keep fighting, to keep striving, and to keep moving forward. The sun is still going to rise the next day. We will be presented with a new opportunity.

Chapter 35: The Choice That Breaks You “Kung ako ang pipili kung sino ang mabubuhay—ibig sabihin kaya ko ring patayin ang mahal ko.” Hindi ako makahinga. Hindi ako makagalaw. Parang may biglang pumisil sa puso ko— dahil sa sinabi niya. She was designed to choose who lives… and who dies. “Hindi…” Mahina ang boses ko.

Isa-isang umahon sa dibdib ang mga tanong na naipon sa kaloob-looban niya. Tuluyan na siyang hinarap muli ng lalaki. His eyes were carefully studying her. Humawak ito sa baba habang nasa bulsa ng pantalon naman ang isa. Mannerism na namana ng kapatid niya. When he lifted his chin and looked her in the eye, it gave her an unsettling feeling. “Life is a matter of choice, Mere. I made a choice, and I chose to let go of the pains. Ang maging mabuti sa’yo ay kasama sa mga desisyon ko.”

Hindi niya alam kung bakit, pero may kung anong kumirot sa dibdib niya—parang babala… o paanyaya. “Kuya,” mahina niyang tawag, “may choice ba ako?” Saglit na tumahimik si Lian bago sumagot. “Sa mundo natin,” ani Lian, “sometimes, choices come after consequences.” Huminga nang malalim si Calista. Sa di kalayuan, ang mga ilaw ng siyudad ay patuloy na kumikislap—walang pakialam sa kung anong kapalaran ang papalapit.

Our decisions in life determines our fate, at hawak natin ang mga desisyon natin. If you think someone controlled your decisions, it is your choice to be controlled. You let yourself to be controlled. If your fate is to be an exile, then you chose to be an exile. If your fate is to be a prisoner of love, then you chose to be a prisoner of love. If you think you are stuck, that's because you chose not to move on. If you are stuck between your doubts and uncertainties, that's because you are not trying, and it is your choice to stay that way.

“They usually care more about profit, expansion, image. Pero ikaw, iba. You sound… free.” Napatahimik ako. Free? Totoo ba iyon? O baka pilit ko lang sinasabi sa sarili ko na may choice ako? Pero sa bagay… I am free nga. Hindi ako pinilit ni Lolo no'ng magdesisyon akong mag medicine. “Freedom is expensive,” singit bigla ni Mr. Park, may bigat ang boses. “And sometimes, people like us… we don’t always get to choose.”