Pain was a peculiar thing. It had this uncanny ability to weave itself into the very fabric of my being, shaping me in ways I never thought possible. I used to believe that pain was merely a temporary sensation, something that would eventually fade away with time. But oh, how wrong I was.
And betrayal? Now, there was a concept that cut deeper than any physical pain ever could. It was a betrayal that shook me to my core, leaving me questioning everything I once held dear. Trust shattered like glass, leaving behind nothing but a jagged mess of broken promises and shattered dreams.
I remembered the moment it happened as vividly as if it were yesterday. The sting of betrayal hit me like a freight train, knocking the wind right out of my sails. How could someone I loved and trusted with every fiber of my being turn his back on me so callously?
The wounds he had inflicted ran deep, leaving scars that would never fully heal. I tried to bury the pain, to push it down deep inside where no one could see. But try as I might, it always found a way to resurface.
As the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months after he left, I felt myself changing. The person I once was seemed like a distant memory, replaced by someone hollow and broken. Gone were the laughter and joy that once filled my days, replaced by a cold emptiness that seemed to consume me from the inside out.
I became guarded, hesitant to let anyone too close for fear of being hurt again. Trust, once freely given, now seemed like a luxury I could ill afford. I built walls around my heart, walls so high and thick that even I struggled to tear them down.
But perhaps the most insidious part of betrayal was the way it robbed me of hope. It was hard to believe in the goodness of others when someone I loved and trusted had proven themselves unworthy. And so, I found myself drifting further and further into the darkness, losing myself in a haze of pain and bitterness.
They say that time heals all wounds, but I wasn't so sure.
Muli kong itinaas ang aking kamay upang kunin ang atensyon ng bartender na nasa iilang customer pa ang atensyon. It had become a familiar gesture over the past four hours, each order serving as a futile attempt to drown out the pain that gnawed at my insides. Pakiramdam ko ay kulang, kahit isang drum pa siguro ang ubusin ko ngayon ay kulang pa rin. Two bottles of Dom Perignon had already been emptied, their contents doing little to numb the ache in my heart.
"Gago! Sobrang gago!" Galit na galit ko pa ring bulong, kinakausap ang walang kamalay-malay na bote ng champagne sa aking harapan.
Tumuwid ako ng upo nang lapitan na ako ng bartender. Alam kong kahit inumin ko pa ang lahat ng alak na naka-display sa likuran nito ay hindi ako mapapahamak sa lugar na ito. My cousin, Rance, owned this place. Kilala ako ng mga tauhan niya dito, kahit pa mawalan ako ng malay ay tiyak kong hindi ako mapapahamak.
I plastered on a fake smile, the kind that barely concealed the turmoil raging within. "Another bottle, please,"
He nodded silently, pouring the champagne with practiced efficiency. I watched the bubbles rise to the surface, a fleeting distraction from the chaos in my mind.
"You've been here for hours," a voice beside me remarked, pulling me from my thoughts. I knew that voice, but I had far too much alcohol tonight to doubt if my mind was playing a trick on me. There was no way he could be here.
Baka dahil lang sa sobrang pag-iisip ko sa kaniya kaya pakiramdam ko ay narito siya sa tabi ko ngayon. Either way, I couldn't bring myself to turn and confirm the truth.
"Yeah, well, time flies when you're drowning your sorrows," I replied bitterly, taking a sip of the champagne. It tasted like regret and broken promises, but I welcomed the burn as it slid down my throat.
