A Collision of Hearts and Heroes

Chapter 39

Clarissa's POV

Starting Anew

Forgiveness isn't granted just because you ask for it—it has to be earned and proven through actions. It also means that embracing forgiveness is a deeply essential part of being human. It matters. A lot.

Lahat ng tao ay may iba't ibang pananaw pagdating sa pagpapatawad. While some embrace forgiveness for a sense of contentment, others walk away to protect their peace. Ngunit sa huli, isa lang ang rason at patutunguhan nito: kapayapaan at kasiyahan para sa sarili.

As for me, forgiveness is granted for those who beg for it. Because why the hell should I accept an apology that was never even asked for in the first place? It's like answering a question that was never asked—pointless.

Kung bakit ko ito naisip ngayon? It's simply because of the person in front of me right now. Kinuha kaming dalawa ni Gasper para sa video commercial ng Huawei. Ka-collab namin ang ibang players na ambassador din at kasama na roon si Drake.

Katatapos lang ng shoot at ang iba ay nagliligpit na ng gamit para sa pag-uwi. The staff currently organizes the cameras, laptops, and other equipment used during the shoot. Ang ibang players ay isa-isa nang nagsi-alisan. Gasper and I were about to head out as well, but Drake stopped us because he wanted a moment to speak with him.

"I'm sorry if this is sudden. Gusto ko lang talagang manghingi ng tawad sa inyo personally." Drake clasped his hand and looked down after he said it. "I'm sorry, Gasper..." He eyed Gasper before shifting his gaze to me. "...Clarissa."

A brief silence fell between us as I waited for Gasper to speak up first. Between the two of us, Drake had hurt Gasper more deeply. His offense against Gasper was heavier than what he did to me, so I gave Gasper the chance to respond to him first. Ngunit ilang segundo ang lumipas ay hindi siya nagsalita at mukhang naghintay din ng sasabihin ko.

"I would understand if you guys won't accept my apologies. I have expected this already, pero kailangan ko pa rin itong gawin. Nagkamali ako kaya pananagutan ko, lalo na sa 'yo, Gasper." Drake spoke so slowly after seconds of silence.

"Matagal na 'yon..." I trailed off. "And honestly, what you did wasn't even worth remembering. The anger it caused wasn't worth keeping for. Kaya kinalimutan ko na 'yon. I'm doing fine already, and I know you are too, Drake. I appreciated that you took the courage to apologize to us."

He suppressed a slight smile, as if showing his gratitude. Ngayon ay kay Gasper na naman siya nakatingin. My boyfriend wasn't showing any emotion, just staring at Drake with those intense, intimidating glares.

"Sa totoo lang, wala na akong pakialam sa 'yo," Gasper harshly said. "But since you're standing here in front of us, apologizing, I guess I should say, good for you for finally getting some character development and acknowledging your mistakes."

Nasaktan ako sa ginawa niya ngunit hindi iyon makakapantay sa sakit na naramdaman ni Gasper. They used to be best friends. But the betrayal and trauma Drake inflicted on Gasper were serious—it impacted his life so deeply that he had to see a psychologist to overcome it.

"Let's just move forward and be grateful for what has currently occurred," saad ni Gasper.

Napangiti ako nang konti. There's no use holding on to the pain of the past when we're already doing well in life. Yes, what Drake did to Gasper was severe, but look at where it led him now. Sa masakit mang paraan ngunit iyon ang naging tulay kung bakit naging masaya kaming dalawa ngayon. Because who knows, if that hadn't happened, he might've ended up married to his ex by now. Kung walang cheating na nangyari noon, e 'di walang Arie at Yew ngayon sa gaming industry.