Love Sick

Never be afraid to fight for love

***

Ashton and I had been going out for a while and we love each other very much. We had planned on getting married and starting a family of our own someday.

However, my dad didn't like Ashton, because Ashton came from a poor family and was working his way through college. My father wanted someone better.

My ninong Rhey threw a party for his son, Zuhan had been in London for the past 10 years. He was successful there, but he decided to come home to take care of his ailing father and take over the running of his father's shipping company.

Zuhan was still a bachelor and his father wanted him to merry soon. Ninong Rhey wanted grandkids badly.

At the party, my dad and ninong Rhey came up with a brilliant idea - that Zuhan and I would get married after my graduation. They had even set the date!

At first I thought my dad was joking, but when I saw how serious he was, I burst into tears. What made it worse was that a few weeks later, during my semestral break, Ashton moved to some province in Southern Visayas. His parents wouldn't tell me were he had gone. He had only left a short goodbye note for me, telling me not to look for him.

It was years later when I saw Ashton again. Ninong Rhey was still alive, but my dad had moved on. Ashton showed up at my door, smartly dressed. He had driven up in a brand new black Honda CR-V.

"You disappeared without a trace six years ago. I didn't know what to do. Why did you leave me?" I said, still bitter after all those years.

"Your dad talked to me. He told me that Zuhan was everything a woman could ask for. I realized that I was no match for him. I thought that you would choose him over me, so I decided to leave. I did not want to have you pity me, and I was afraid to get hurt.

"Besides, your father said that he was going to do everything to keep us apart."

"Why didn't you even try to fight?" I asked.

"What was there to fight? Your father was correct. How could a poor working student like me measure up to someone like Zuhan?"

Ashton held my hands. "But I can fight for you now. I'm a successful businessman. I already have a chain of restaurants.

"I still love you, Leila. Not a day went by did I forget you. I promise myself I will get you back, and that's why I am here now.

"You still love me, don't you? You can annul your marriage; I'm willing to pay for everything. I'll accept your son as my own. Run away with me, Leila."

"Why didn't you fight for me? I would have gone with you. I would have stood up to my father. I loved you. You meant the world to me."

"Then marry me, Leila!"

"When you left, I wanted to kill myself. But Zuhan was there to confort me. I discovered his good qualities. He was caring and loving. Dad was correct; Zuhan was everything a woman could ask for more. He may not be perfect but I had fallen in love with him.

"I married him not because our fathers wanted it, but because I love him."

"Oh, Ashton, it's all your fault! I don't think I would have fallen in love with him had you been here. If only you had fought and believed in us.

"I'm sorry, but I don't love you anymore. There's nothing to fight for anymore."

Ashton began to tremble and I was afraid that I might have hurt him too much. But it was the truth and he had to know how I felt.

When he left that day, it was as if he was carring th world on his shoulders.

***

Next story I will publish, real soon.

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