When Love Break Ties

Chapter 18: Family Pressure from Cebu

The cool breeze of early autumn blew through the open window of the apartment, carrying with it the faint hum of Tokyo's bustling nightlife. Nathan sat at his desk, staring at the blank page on his laptop screen, waiting for inspiration to come. But his thoughts were elsewhere. Ever since the fight with Abby a few nights ago, the tension between them had thickened. They hadn't talked much since then, and whenever they did, it was about mundane things—what to eat for dinner, plans for the weekend, or errands that needed running. The once lively conversation between them, filled with shared dreams and love, had become stagnant.

Nathan's phone buzzed on the table, interrupting his train of thought. He glanced down to see a message from his mother, another reminder that he hadn't spoken to her in weeks. Her messages had become more frequent lately, each one gentler than the last, as though she sensed the growing distance between them. He let out a sigh, feeling the familiar pang of guilt gnaw at him.

He wanted to call her back, to hear her voice and be reminded of home, but every time he reached for the phone, Abby's words echoed in his mind—about how family could be toxic, how loyalty to them could stifle one's growth. He knew Abby didn't understand his bond with his parents, especially since her own family situation was so strained. But was she right? Was he clinging to an idealized version of his family that didn't exist anymore?

As if on cue, the front door creaked open, and Abby walked in, her face set in a tight expression. Nathan turned to greet her, but her closed-off demeanor told him this wasn't a normal day.

"What happened?" he asked, sensing that something had gone wrong.

Abby tossed her bag onto the couch and slumped down beside it, rubbing her temples. "My family tried calling me again today," she muttered, her voice laced with frustration.

Nathan's heart sank. Abby had been avoiding her family's calls for months now, ever since the legal disputes with her parents over an inheritance had escalated. He knew it was a sore subject for her, but he hadn't expected it to come up tonight. He hesitated before speaking, unsure of how to approach the topic.

"What did they say?" he asked carefully.

Abby let out a sharp breath, her anger barely contained. "Same thing as always. They want to 'reconcile.' They want to 'talk things through.'" She rolled her eyes, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "As if talking will solve anything after everything they've done."

Nathan sat down beside her, unsure of what to say. Abby's relationship with her family had always been tumultuous, but this time, something about the way she spoke felt different—heavier. He could sense the bitterness in her voice, the weight of unresolved pain hanging between her words.

"They don't deserve my forgiveness," Abby said, her voice hardening. "After all the lies, the manipulation... they can't just waltz back into my life and expect everything to be fine."

Nathan nodded slowly, his own thoughts swirling. He knew Abby's family had hurt her deeply, and he didn't want to minimize her feelings. But he also couldn't help but feel a growing unease as he saw the parallels between her situation and his own. Abby's rejection of her family, her belief that cutting ties was the only way forward—it was starting to seep into his own life, into his own views of his family.

"What if they really do want to make things right?" Nathan asked gently, choosing his words carefully. "Maybe they've realized their mistakes and want to fix things."

Abby shot him a sharp look, her eyes narrowing. "You don't understand, Nathan. This isn't something you can just fix with an apology. They've been toxic my whole life, and now that they can't control me anymore, they want to play nice? No. I'm not falling for that."