T O R N

61

Irene's POV

I sat quietly in the study with my father, trying to hold it all together. The weight of everything—Kai's failed proposal, Lisa's betrayal, the chaos in my life—was slowly suffocating me. Dad, on the other hand, was calm, asking about Kai's whereabouts, and as much as I didn't want to think about it, I had to tell him the truth.

"Kai's fine," I said quietly, trying to mask the pain. "He just called me. He's taking some time to cool off." I looked down at my hands, feeling helpless. "He said he's okay, but I'm worried about him."

My father nodded, his expression unreadable, before he turned his attention to me. "And how are you, Irene?" he asked, his voice surprisingly gentle.

I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to open up. But the words spilled out anyway. "I'm still hurt," I admitted.

"I don't know what went wrong. I don't know where I failed. Bakit nagsinungaling si Lisa sa akin? Hindi ko alam, Dad." My voice cracked, and I couldn't stop the tears from falling. "I feel so... betrayed. I don't know where I went wrong."

Dad, ever my protector, moved to my side and wrapped his arms around me. "There's nothing wrong with you, Irene," he said, his voice soothing. "You didn't fail. Lisa did. She made her own choices. You didn't do anything wrong."

But hearing him say that didn't bring me the comfort I wanted. The pain in my chest wouldn't go away. I shook my head against his shoulder, the tears flowing freely. "But I love her, Dad. I really love her. And now... now she's slowly slipping away."

His expression hardened, his protective instincts flaring. "Lisa and Jennie will pay for what they've done to you," he said, his voice colder. "What they did was unforgivable. This engagement is off. The wedding is canceled."

I felt my heart stop. "No, Dad. Please," I begged, pulling away from him. "I don't want the wedding to be canceled. I can't lose Lisa. I love her. I don't care what happened. I just want her back."

Calix's face twisted with frustration. "Irene, you can't just ignore what they've done. It's too much. You can't let them hurt you like this."

But my resolve was firm. "No, Dad. I won't let her go. I don't care what you say. I need her. And I will do whatever it takes to fix this." My voice cracked, but I didn't care. I wasn't going to give up.

He looked at me for a long moment, his face softening just slightly, though the disappointment lingered in his eyes. "Irene..."

But I wasn't listening anymore. I couldn't. I knew what I had to do. Even if it meant defying my father, I wasn't going to let Lisa slip away from me. I had to try. I had to make her understand. "I'll do whatever it takes, Dad," I whispered. "Please. I can't lose her."

Dad remained silent, staring at me. I knew he didn't agree, but in that moment, I didn't need his approval. I just needed to fix this.

Irene's POV

Nakatayo ako sa labas ng kwa to ni Lisa's rito sa hospital, nanginginig ang kamay kong binuksan ang pinto. I didn't know if I was ready for this conversation, but I knew I had to do it. For me, for us, for everything that had been shattered. Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Lisa was sitting up in bed, her face pale but her eyes filled with remorse. As soon as she saw me, she looked down, unable to meet my gaze. "Irene... I'm so sorry for everything," bulong niya ngunit napakalinaw sa pandinig ko, her voice full of guilt. "For what you saw... for everything."

I stared at her for a long moment, trying to process the whirlwind of emotions that rushed through me. Anger. Hurt. Confusion. But most of all, I felt... empty. I had loved her so much. And now, here we were.