Three Little Heartbeats

Chapter 21: Why We Broke

The tension in the room was palpable, a heavy silence that neither of them dared to break. Rafhaela sat on the edge of the bed, her hands clenched tightly in her lap, while Sandro stood near the window, his back turned to her as he stared out at the city skyline. The lights of Manila flickered in the distance, indifferent to the storm brewing between them.

It had been a long time coming—this argument. They both knew it. For months, the cracks in their relationship had been growing, slowly at first, then more rapidly, until the weight of unspoken words and unmet expectations had become too much to bear.

Sandro was the first to speak, his voice low but edged with frustration. "I don't understand, Lex. I'm doing this for us. For our future. Why can't you see that?"

Alexia's chest tightened at the sound of his voice. She had heard this argument before, countless times, but tonight it felt different. Tonight, it felt like the end.

She stood, her hands trembling slightly as she tried to gather her thoughts. "Your future, Sandro. Not ours. You say you're doing this for us, but every decision you make is about your career, your image. Where do I fit into that? Where do we fit into your perfect political life?"

He turned to face her, his expression hardening. "That's not fair. I've been working day and night to build something that we can both be proud of. You knew what my life was like when we met. You knew how demanding this would be."

Alexia's eyes flashed with anger, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "I knew, but I didn't think it would consume you! Every time I try to talk to you about our plans, about our future together, you push it aside for some meeting or some campaign. It's like I'm always second place, Sandro. Always."

Sandro ran a hand through his hair, exasperated. "Lex, this is bigger than us. I'm not just doing this for me—I'm doing it for my province, for my family, for the people who believe in me. You know what's at stake."

She crossed her arms, her voice rising in disbelief. "And what about me? What about our dreams? We talked about traveling, about starting a family, about building a life together. But now, everything revolves around your political agenda. You've changed, Sandro. This isn't what I signed up for."

The words hung in the air, a stark reminder of how far they had drifted apart.

Sandro's jaw tightened, his patience wearing thin. "You think I've changed? Maybe you're the one who's changed, Lex. You used to support me, to understand what this life requires. But now, all I hear from you is complaints about how hard it is. I'm trying to make a difference, and you're acting like I've abandoned you."

Alexia's voice cracked as she spoke, her anger giving way to the hurt she had been carrying for so long. "Because you have, Sandro. You've abandoned us, our relationship. You're so focused on your career that you don't even see what's happening right in front of you. I'm losing you."

Sandro's face softened for a moment, but his resolve quickly returned. "I'm not abandoning anything. I'm just trying to balance everything. Why can't you be patient? Things will settle down after this election, and then we can focus on us."

Alexia shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. "That's what you always say. 'After the election.' 'After this campaign.' It's always after. But when is it our turn, Sandro? When will we stop living in the shadow of your political career?"

Sandro sighed, his shoulders slumping as he looked at her, the woman he had once promised the world to. "I'm doing my best, Lex. But maybe... maybe my best isn't enough for you anymore."

The words stung, cutting deep into the fragile bond they had left. Alexia wiped away a tear, her voice trembling. "It's not about you not being enough. It's about the choices we're making. We want different things now, Sandro. You want power and influence, and I just want a life with you. I want a future that's about us, not about how many votes you can secure."

Sandro looked away, his face clouded with a mixture of frustration and sadness. "This is my dream, Lex. It always has been. I thought you understood that."

Alexia's heart ached at his words. "I did. But I didn't realize that chasing your dream meant sacrificing mine. I didn't realize that it would cost us everything."

For a moment, neither of them spoke. The weight of their words, of all the unspoken pain and disappointment, pressed down on them like a suffocating blanket. They had always been so in sync, so in love, but now it felt like they were standing on opposite sides of a vast, unbridgeable chasm.

Alexia took a shaky breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "I love you, Sandro. But I don't think I can keep doing this. I can't keep waiting for a future that never seems to come."

Sandro stared at her, his expression conflicted. "What are you saying?"

She looked up at him, her heart breaking as she spoke the words she never thought she would have to say. "Maybe we need to take a break. Maybe we need to figure out if we still want the same things. Because right now, it doesn't feel like we do."

Sandro's eyes widened in shock, but he quickly masked it with a stoic expression. "You're really willing to walk away from this? From us?"

Alexia's voice wavered as she replied, "I'm not walking away, Sandro. I'm just... I need space. I need to figure out who I am without constantly trying to fit into your world. Maybe you do, too."

The silence that followed was deafening. Sandro stood frozen, his mind racing as he tried to process what was happening. He had always thought they could weather any storm, that their love was strong enough to survive the pressures of his career. But now, faced with the reality of losing her, he realized how much he had taken for granted.

He opened his mouth to say something, to argue, to plead, but the words wouldn't come. He had no answers, no solutions. All he had was the crushing weight of his ambition and the realization that it had come at a terrible cost.

Alexia took a step toward him, her eyes filled with a sadness he had never seen before. "I'm sorry, Sandro. I wish things were different. I really do."

And with that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving him standing there in stunned silence, the sound of the door closing behind her echoing in his ears.

Sandro stood there, staring at the empty space where she had been, his mind reeling from what had just happened. His heart ached with a pain he hadn't expected, a pain that felt like it might never go away.

He had always believed that he could have it all—his career, his family, his love. But in the end, the choices they had made had driven them apart. Their dreams had clashed, and neither of them had been willing to compromise.

And now, he was left standing alone in the dark, wondering if the life he had built was worth the price he had paid.