The Last Rule

Chapter 47 - Uh-oh!

I woke up feeling like my skull had been split open and someone was playing with my brain like clay.

"Urgh!"

I covered my eyes the moment I felt how painfully bright the room was. Everything hurts! My head, my eyes, even just existing. Ang sakit ng ulo ko. Patayin niyo na lang kaya ako.

A loud voice broke through my misery.

"Good morning!" Astro's voice echoed inside my room. "Breakfast in bed?"

It took me a painfully slow minute to adjust, my vision still blurry and my thoughts dragging behind. But when I finally opened my eyes properly, I saw him holding a tray like it was the most normal thing in the world.

"Drink this after," Kuya Calli said calmly as he placed two tablets on my bedside table before walking back to the sofa where his book was already waiting for him, as if nothing in the world could disturb his peace.

And that was when it hit me, we had officially turned my room into their hangout space.

"Imitation of Mom's hangover soup," Astro announced proudly as he placed the tray on my bed.

Without hesitation, I started eating. It actually helped, warmth slowly settling in my stomach, easing the pain in my head little by little. But still, nothing could ever compare to Mama's version. Gosh, it's been two days. I miss her already.

I finished everything quickly, the bacon, eggs, and soup Astro made then took the medicine Kuya Calli left for me.

"I need a bath," I announced as I dragged myself out of bed.

"Yeah, you stink," Astro said casually before walking out with the tray.

Kuya Calli followed after him, giving me a bit of privacy. A bit lang, kasi mamaya papasok nanaman agad yang mga yan.

I stayed in the shower for a long time, letting the water run over me, trying to wash away the heaviness in my head and the emptiness in my chest. I wasn't really thinking or at least, I was trying not to, but my mind still wandered back to last night. The dancing. The drinks. Teby handing me shots. After that, everything was gone. Blank. I couldn't even remember how I got home.

I turned the shower off before I could dig deeper into it. Baka mas lalo lang sumakit ulo ko. Hinayaan ko nalang.

I sat in front of my vanity mirror afterward, combing my still wet hair, when I noticed my phone lying beside the hair dryer. Ilang araw na itong naka-off. I hadn't opened it since everything happened. Even Mama and Papa, kinakausap lang ako through my brothers. I didn't want to open it because I already knew what was waiting for me. Him.

His explanations. His excuses. His reasons.

We've gone through this before, but this time felt completely different. This pain wasn't just heartbreak. It came with humiliation, with shame, not just from him but from his sister. From the very person I prepared myself so long to meet, and yet he didn't even do anything. He didn't even come after me.

How could I still be with him when that was how his family treated me? I had imagined a future with him, a family, a home, everything, but how could I step into that future if that was the kind of environment I would be entering? I knew his mom was kind, but even she couldn't stop his sister. And that alone was enough.

But there's no point in all these thoughts. I already ended us, in front of everyone. In front of Papa. I hope that's clear to him. I don't need to think about him anymore because we already ended. Oo ako na ang nagdesisyon because what her sister did to me is unforgivable.

I had locked myself into this decision for too long to regret it now. I could do this. I was okay before him, so I could be okay again. This wasn't supposed to be hard. I can do this.