"Hala, beh, ang yaman naman pala ng jowa ni Gwenny! Hindi ko kaya!" Staku gasps, eyes wide as she scrolls through Sam's Instagram feed. Detective Staku is on!
The apartment hums with chaotic excitement as Staku, Jhoanna, Maloi, and Colet spill in, voices overlapping with chatter and laughter. What started as a simple catch-up trip for Stacey after Ate Aiah invited her (as she claimed) quickly turned into a full-blown reunion the moment they learned about THE boyfriend. Curiosity burned too hot to ignore, and before anyone could stop them, flights were booked, and they are now in New York—ready to uncover every detail about Gwen's elusive, almost-too-perfect partner.
Sheena sits in the corner, nursing a cup of coffee she doesn't even like. The warmth does nothing to melt the icy feeling curling inside her chest. She listens to the girls' chatter but keeps quiet, her gaze fixed on the floor.
Mikha couldn't make it. "Taping," she said—but everyone knows it's because Ate Aiah is here. It's been that way since...well, since everything fell apart between them. No one talks about it, but the silence speaks volumes.
"Wait, he's part-owner of that app? Grabe, ang big time!" Maloi exclaims.
Jhoanna huffed dramatically, nearly dropping her phone. "Investor din siya ng ilang big companies?! Hindi lang guwapo, super successful pa. Mukhang old money ang vibe ni koya!"
"Talaga, Jhoanna? Gwapo?" Staku shoots her a sharp look, her brow furrowing like she's about to file an official jealousy complaint with the NYPD.
Caught red-handed, Jhoanna backpedals faster than a politician during election season. "Hindi naman ganun ang ibig kong sabihin, Mahal!" she protests, launching herself into Staku's arms. Before anyone can blink, she's aggressively peppering Staku's face with loud, dramatic, and wet kisses.
"Ay, ano ba yan?!" Ate Aiah groans, dramatically shielding her eyes like she's protecting her soul from the excessive PDA.
"Hoy! Kaluod ninyong duha, oi," Colet grumbles, her Anger mode is fully activated, clutching a throw pillow like she's ready to launch it at the lovebirds.
"Hala, grabe si Uyab! Kiss mo din nga ako," Maloi pouts, batting her lashes at her girlfriend with the same shameless energy.
The room explodes into laughter—pillows flying, teasing at full volume, and inside jokes weaving effortlessly through the air like they're back in their Bini days.
Everyone laughs—except Sheena, who forces a chuckle and goes along with the chaos, pretending the ache in her chest isn't threatening to break through.
She sits quietly at the edge of the couch, her fingers clenched around her forgotten phone like it's the only thing keeping her grounded. Every new detail about Sam hits her like a punch to the gut. He's not just Gwen's boyfriend—he's a walking daydream, the kind of man love songs and bestselling novels romanticize. The kind of man she could never be.
Her smile falters for a second, but she quickly pastes it back on, hoping no one notices the crack in her facade.
Why couldn't I be enough? Why couldn't I be her choice?
The girls' voices blend into a distant hum, their laughter blurring like static in her ears as her mind drifts to all the "almosts" and "what-ifs" that still cling to her like stubborn shadows. Sam may be perfect, but he wasn't the one who stayed up with Gwen during her lowest nights, wiping her tears while whispering promises of brighter tomorrows.
He wasn't the one who memorized how she liked her coffee or the one who knew the secret meaning behind every subtle glance she gave and sarcasm she utters.
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How Did It End? (HamBebe)
FanfictionLosing that rare, sacred kind of friendship with a bond that goes deeper than sisterhood is a tragedy like no other. For Sheena, this isn't just pain--it's a haunting reality she never saw coming. Sure, she has weathered the storms of broken relatio...
