When Love Break Ties

Chapter 15: Confronting the Past

Nathan sat in the corner of a dimly lit café in Shibuya, staring at his laptop, fingers poised over the keys but unmoving. His writing had been slow these days, his thoughts muddled and scattered, and the words that once flowed with ease now seemed trapped somewhere just out of reach. His mind was elsewhere—pulled into a tug-of-war between the life he had known back in Manila and the one he was slowly building with Abby here in Tokyo.

Abby had left for a meeting with one of her brand sponsors, leaving Nathan alone with his thoughts. The café was quiet, save for the occasional clinking of cups and low murmurs of conversation from the few patrons scattered around the room. Nathan found comfort in the background noise, but it wasn't enough to drown out the unease that had been building inside him for weeks.

Ever since their romantic getaway to Hakone, the distance between him and his family had grown. He hadn't called his parents in nearly two weeks, and each time his phone buzzed with their missed calls, a knot tightened in his chest. It was strange—he had always been close to his family, especially his mother. But now, as he replayed their last conversations in his mind, he started to see them through a different lens.

Were they really as controlling as Abby suggested? Or was he simply adopting her views, letting her experiences shape how he perceived his own relationships?

Nathan scrolled through his phone absentmindedly, stopping at a message from his younger sister, Lara. She had sent it a week ago, a simple check-in asking how he was doing, if he was enjoying Tokyo. He hadn't responded. Guilt gnawed at him as he stared at the text, debating whether to reply. He knew she was just worried, just like his parents were. But a part of him felt resentful, as if their concern was a form of control—a way to keep him tethered to a version of himself he wasn't sure he wanted to be anymore.

He sighed, setting his phone down and leaning back in his chair. His thoughts drifted back to his childhood, to memories of family gatherings and Sunday dinners, to the times his parents had been there for him—supporting his dreams, encouraging his writing, always ready with advice when he needed it. They had never pressured him to follow a specific path; if anything, they had been his biggest cheerleaders.

So why did it feel like they were holding him back now? Why did it seem like their love came with strings attached?

Nathan's mind wandered further back, to moments that, at the time, had seemed insignificant but now felt heavy with meaning. He thought of the time he had wanted to travel to a writing conference in Cebu during college, but his mother had convinced him to stay behind, saying it wasn't the right time for him to leave home. Back then, he had agreed, trusting her judgment. But now, looking back, he couldn't help but wonder if that was the beginning of her attempts to keep him close, to stop him from exploring the world beyond their family's reach.

He thought of his father, a quiet man who had always let his mother take the lead when it came to decisions about Nathan's future. His father had never outright opposed any of his dreams, but there had been moments when his silence had spoken louder than words—when his lack of enthusiasm felt like a subtle form of disapproval. Nathan had never questioned it before, but now, with Abby's voice in his head, he found himself reconsidering.

Was his family truly supportive, or had they been manipulating him all along, subtly guiding him toward the life they wanted for him rather than the life he wanted for himself?

The questions buzzed in his mind, growing louder with each passing minute. He had always prided himself on being a family man, someone who valued his roots and cherished the bonds that tied him to the people he loved. But lately, those bonds felt more like chains, and he wasn't sure if it was his family's doing or if Abby's influence was warping his perspective.

Abby's experiences with her own family had certainly colored her view of relationships. She had told Nathan countless stories of her estranged relationship with her parents, of the constant battles for independence and the legal disputes that had driven a wedge between them. She had painted a picture of family bonds as toxic, as something to be escaped from rather than cherished. And as much as Nathan had tried to resist, he couldn't help but see echoes of her experiences in his own life.

But was that fair? Could he really compare his loving, if sometimes overprotective, family to the dysfunctional mess that Abby had grown up with?

The café door opened, and a cold gust of wind blew in, pulling Nathan out of his thoughts. He glanced up as Abby walked in, her face lit up with excitement as she spotted him. She made her way over to his table, sliding into the seat across from him and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"How's it going?" she asked, glancing at his laptop screen.

Nathan shrugged. "Not great. Just... thinking about stuff."

Abby raised an eyebrow, her playful expression fading into something more serious. "Your family again?"

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak.

Abby reached across the table, placing her hand over his. "You know, Nate, it's okay to question things. Just because they're your family doesn't mean they're always right."

"I know," he said, his voice quiet. "But it's not that simple."

"Why not?" Abby pressed gently. "You've told me before that your mom's always been kind of overbearing, that your dad never really supported your decisions. Maybe they've been holding you back in ways you didn't even realize."

Nathan stared at the table, Abby's words swirling in his mind. Part of him wanted to push back, to defend his family, to say that they had always loved and supported him. But another part of him, the part that had been growing louder since he met Abby, wasn't so sure anymore.

"What if I'm just... seeing things that aren't there?" Nathan asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "What if I'm letting your experiences change how I see my own family?"

Abby leaned back in her chair, her gaze softening. "I'm not saying your family's as bad as mine, Nate. I know they're not. But I also think it's important to recognize when people, even the ones we love, are holding us back. Sometimes it's not intentional, but it's still real."

Nathan nodded slowly, his thoughts churning. He didn't want to believe that his family had been anything other than loving and supportive, but the seeds of doubt had been planted, and they were growing stronger by the day.

"I guess I just need to figure out what's real and what's not," Nathan said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Abby smiled, her hand squeezing his gently. "You will. And I'll be here with you while you do."

As the day wore on, Nathan couldn't shake the feeling that he was standing at a crossroads. On one side was the life he had always known—his family, his values, his roots. On the other was the new life he was building with Abby, a life that challenged everything he had once believed in.

Later that night, as he lay in bed beside Abby, his mind wandered back to his childhood once more. He thought of the times his mother had stayed up late with him, helping him revise his stories before a big submission. He thought of his father's quiet pride whenever Nathan's work was published, the subtle way he would leave the newspaper open on the kitchen table for everyone to see.

Were those memories tainted by manipulation, or were they genuine expressions of love?

Nathan didn't have the answers yet, but one thing was clear: he couldn't move forward until he confronted the past—until he figured out whether the ties that bound him to his family were a source of strength or a burden he needed to let go of.

And as he drifted off to sleep, his mind was filled with a singular thought: he had to find out, one way or another.