FATED TO BE YOURS

Chapter 19: My Princess

On a somber evening, with fog enveloping the surroundings, Mon and Nop sat in the garden of Mon's parents' house.

"Mon, I'm sorry it took me so long to apologize. I deeply regret leaving you like this. I should have listened to you," Nop began remorsefully.

"I've been yearning to return to you, Mon," Nop added.

"But you can't, Nop. You're part of a different world now," Mon replied, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Mon, I promise I'll still be here for you. I'll continue to care for you," Nop assured her.

"No, Nop. Please understand. I need to move forward. You're no longer here. I can't keep living in sadness. I want to find happiness again," Mon insisted.

"Princess, I'm truly sorry. I wish I could still hold your hand, wipe away your tears. It pains me to see you cry, knowing that I'm the cause of your suffering," Nop lamented.

Tears streamed down Mon and Nop's faces, knowing they couldn't embrace each other. With sorrow thick in the air, Nop gradually vanished before Mon's eyes, whispering, "I'll always be by your side, Mon. I promise." Mon then woke up, realizing it was all just a dream.

Mon bolted upright, her heart racing and breaths shallow, evidence of the nightmare that had gripped her slumber. Beads of sweat adorned her brow, reflecting the remnants of her distress. She paused, allowing her eyes to adjust to the dimness that enveloped her room, before trembling fingers found solace in the bedside lamp's gentle glow. As the dream's fragments dissipated, Mon wrapped her arms around herself, attempting to dispel the lingering unease that clung to her. "Nop, why now after six months?" she murmured to herself, though an unsettling dread persisted in the air.

"Doesn't he want me to move on? Are you hurting, Nop, knowing that Sam is bringing happiness back into my life?" Mon whispered to herself, her thoughts swirling with unanswered questions.

As Mon struggled to shake off the unsettling dream, her phone interrupted the silence with Sam's incoming call.

"Good morning, my princess, rise and shine!" Sam greeted Mon cheerfully over the phone.

"What did you just call me, Sam?" Mon questioned, immediately catching the use of 'princess,' a term of endearment reserved for her by Nop.

"My princess. Is everything okay, Mon? I'm sorry if I offended you by using that term. I just thought we were okay with a bit of sweetness," Sam explained.

Wiping the sweat from her forehead, Mon sighed heavily, her eyes weighed down with exhaustion. "I'm sorry, Sam. I'm just not feeling well. I had a strange dream," she explained.

"Okay, do you want me to bring you some coffee at work?" Sam offered.

"I'll manage, Sam. I'll just rest for a bit. I'll call you when I feel better," Mon replied, her voice tinged with weariness.

"Alright, Mon. I'm concerned. I'll wait for your call, okay? I miss you and hope we can meet up soon. Bye!" Sam responded before ending the call.

Mon furrowed her brow in confusion, releasing a deep sigh as she muttered to herself, "Why is this happening? Why did Sam call me princess? Nobody calls me that except Nop."

"Mon, pull yourself together. This is Sam, okay? Nop is gone," she added, reassuring herself.

Meanwhile, at Sam's office, Kirk arrived to visit Sam, greeted by Mhee who appeared anxious.

"Kirk, thank goodness you're here. Could you please check on Sam for us? She seemed distracted. I brought her coffee earlier, but she didn't even look at me," Mhee pleaded.

"What happened?" Kirk asked, concern evident in his reactions.

"I don't know," Mhee replied.

"Okay, Mhee, I'll talk to her. Don't worry," Kirk reassured Mhee as he proceeded to Sam's office.

He knocked on the door, waiting a moment for Sam's response. When he heard no reply, Kirk cautiously opened the door slightly, only to find Sam standing by the window, staring blankly.

"Sam? Are you alright?" Kirk called out, trying to get Sam's attention as he entered the room. Sam gave a brief glance in Kirk's direction.

Kirk picked up the coffee from Sam's desk and handed it to her before joining her by the window.

"It's a bit early for deep contemplation, don't you think, Sam? Or perhaps you're pondering something else? Maybe whether you'll give us a chance?" Kirk teased, referring to his attempts at courting Sam.

"Kirk, stop indulging in fantasies about us," Sam replied with irritation.

"If it's not that, then what's bothering you?" Kirk asked.

"I met my heart donor's fiancée. We grew close, and I fell in love with her," Sam confessed.

"What? Sam! Her??" Kirk exclaimed in shock. "Wait, 'her' meaning she's a woman? And I thought you said love wasn't your priority?" he added, puzzled.

"What can I say, Kirk? I just felt it," Sam replied.

"Sam! I've been courting you for a long time now, but this woman, you've just met her. And now you're saying you're in love?" Kirk exclaimed, grasping the back of his head, slightly taken aback by what he heard.

"Kirk, what can I do? I just don't feel it for you," Sam replied, emphasizing her lack of feelings for Kirk.

"Ouch, Sam, that hurts," Kirk joked, grasping his chest in mock pain. "But seriously, Sam, what's your deal now? Did she turn you down because you're a woman too?" Kirk added teasingly.

"That's not it!" Sam replied.

"I'm just concerned. We seemed fine last night, but she changed. She seemed awkward with me this morning when I called her," Sam recalled.

"Maybe she realized she's only comfortable with you because you have her deceased fiancé's heart," Kirk assumed. "Maybe she realized she can't be with you anymore, maybe she's still hurting," he added.

"No, Kirk, Mon has already moved on," Sam assured Kirk.

"How can you be so sure, Sam?" Kirk questioned Sam's certainty about Mon.

Sam breathed heavily, glancing at Kirk.

"But anyway, I believe you two aren't officially together yet, so I still have a chance with you, right?" Kirk said, wrapping his arms around Sam's shoulder. Sam abruptly broke away from Kirk, moving from the window to sit in her chair.

Giggling, Kirk replied, "We're still friends, Sam. I'll still be here to listen to your problems, even though it hurts." He followed Sam and sat in the chair in front of Sam's desk.