Nothing more, nothing less

Breaking point

Days after the confrontation with their fathers, the tension between family, business, and love weighed heavily on both Celestiana and Alicia. What started as stolen moments and secret dates had evolved into a whirlwind they could no longer control. But they held on, determined to weather the storm together, despite the consequences looming over them.

Celestiana sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at her phone. Dozens of missed calls from her father, unread messages that she was too afraid to open. The partnership between their fathers' companies was hanging by a thread, and she knew that, no matter how hard she tried to separate her personal life from her professional one, the two were now hopelessly tangled.

Alicia walked in, her expression concerned as she took in the sight of Celestiana sitting in silence. She sat beside her on the bed, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Anong balita?" Alicia asked softly, sensing the weight Cel was carrying.

Celestiana sighed, rubbing her temples as she glanced at Alicia. "Nothing new. My dad is furious, and I think they're already talking about dissolving the partnership."

"Dissolving? Dahil lang dito?" Alicia's voice was sharp with disbelief, her frustration evident. "Our relationship shouldn't affect the business like this."

"But it does," Celestiana muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. "Our lives have always been tied to this business, Ali. Hindi tayo katulad ng iba. We don't get to just... live freely. Everything we do has consequences."

Alicia shook her head, standing up abruptly, her fists clenching at her sides. "This is bullshit! Bakit kailangan laging may kapalit? Why can't we just be happy, Cel?"

The anger and hurt in Alicia's voice cut deep, and Celestiana knew she had a point. But the pressure, the constant demands from their families, was suffocating.

"I don't know, Alicia," Celestiana whispered, her eyes filled with a mix of pain and confusion. "Maybe... maybe they're right. Maybe this isn't worth losing everything."

Alicia froze, her eyes flashing with shock and hurt. "What are you saying? Are you giving up on us?" Her voice trembled slightly, her defenses beginning to crumble as she processed Celestiana's words.

Celestiana looked away, her heart breaking at the sight of the pain she was causing. She wanted to fight for Alicia, for their relationship, but the weight of her family's expectations was crushing her spirit.

"I don't know what to do anymore, Alicia. I can't lose my family, my future. And right now, it feels like I have to choose between you and everything else."

Alicia's face hardened as she crossed her arms over her chest, her voice laced with anger and frustration. "So, ikaw na lang ang pipili? Wala na akong choice dito? Cel, I'm willing to fight for us, pero kung hindi ka handa... then maybe you don't deserve me."

The silence that followed was deafening. Celestiana's heart clenched at Alicia's words, but she couldn't bring herself to speak. She felt trapped—between the life she had always known and the love she never expected to find.

After a long moment, Alicia sighed heavily, shaking her head. "I can't keep doing this," she whispered, her voice softening as the anger melted into sadness. "I thought we were in this together, pero ngayon, parang ako na lang yung may gusto nito."

Celestiana looked up, her eyes filled with tears she hadn't realized were there. "I love you, Alicia. But I don't know if that's enough."

Alicia stepped back, her expression unreadable. "Love should be enough, Cel. Pero kung hindi, then maybe we were never meant to be."

With those final words, Alicia turned and walked out of the room, leaving Celestiana alone in the silence, her heart shattered and her world falling apart.

Celestiana collapsed back onto the bed, tears streaming down her face. She had thought she could juggle it all—love, family, and business—but now she was losing everything.

As she lay there, the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. She had let fear and pressure control her, and in the process, she had lost the one person who made her feel alive.

But was it too late to make things right? Or had she pushed Alicia away for good?