Denden rushed to the door when she heard her doorbell rang. She immediately hugged the two women standing outside and then led them inside her unit.
"Den, what happened to your eyes? Looks like you cried it out last night," said Fille while sitting on the sofa.
Umiling na lang si Dzi at sinabing, "I know now what this is all about. Aly, right?"
Denden nodded her head. She has taken her seat also.
Fille looks confused. "What about Ly? Anong meron?"
"Mrs. Cayetano, saang bundok ka ba nakatira? Haven't you heard that she's back to hit the hardcourt?" Dzi asked.
"Ay wow! Talaga? Sorry naman. Busy mom here," said Fille.
"Super busy hindi man lang makanuod ng news or magvisit ng social media sites?" pang-aasar pa din ni Dzi.
"Try mo magka-anak ng tatlo. Then let's see if you can still ask me that question," sagot ni Fille.
"Fine. Then you must not know too that Aly and Bang are now together," tuloy ni Dzi.
"No way!" exclaimed Fille.
"Yes way! Walanghiya itong sila Marge. Hindi man lang nagsabi na teammates na nila yung dalawa." sabi ni Dzi.
Fille just looked at Den. The latter avoided Fille's eyes.
"Don't tell me you're still affected," Fille said to Den.
"Ano ba Fille? Of course she is! Tignan mo nga o. She looks miserable." sabi ni Dzi.
"Bakit ka ba nanggagalaiti diyan, Dzi? Kanina ka pa. Mas mainit pa ulo mo kay Den. Maupo ka nga!" Fille instructed Dzi.
"Naiinis ako kila Gretch! I have this feeling na tinulungan pa nila madevelop yung dalawa e. Kaya hindi nagsasabi sa atin. Alam kong may alam siya dito," answered Dzi.
"I can't and I don't blame them. I know that all they want is what's best for Aly." said Den.
"Ayun naman pala e. Even me, I'll be honest. Right now, I don't think you're what's best for Aly," said Fille.
Naluha naman si Den.
"Fille!" shouted Dzi.
"What? I'm just being honest here."
"Have you lost your mind?! Den called us to comfort her. Hindi para pahirapan yung kalooban niya," sabi ni Dzi.
"No, Dzi. Fille's right. I don't deserve Aly. What I need right now is someone to tell me how stupid I've been," said Den.
"Alright. If you insist. Dennise Michelle Garcia Lazaro, you made the biggest mistake of your life when you left Aly," Dzi said.
"And you know what made it worse? Nakuha mo siyang ipagpalit agad after all that you've been through!" dugtong ni Fille.
"You hurt not only Aly, but everyone who loves both of you! Lalo na yung team!" added Dzi.
"Isa pa sa masakit, alam mo kung ano? That you can't even explain sa amin kung bakit. I know you don't have any responsibility sa amin. Pero now that you have finally seen na kailangan mo din kami, I think it's time for you to let us know what you've been keeping to yourself all this time," said Fille.
Den tried to compose herself. "Alright. First of, I'm really sorry na nasaktan ko kayo. Na sinaktan ko si Aly. I'm sorry," said Den.
"Minahal ko si Aly. And yes until now mahal ko siya. Actually, everyone loves an Alyssa Valdez," she said the last sentence with a smirk on her face.
"Tell me. Who doesn't? Dati kahit saan makikita mo yung mukha niya. Magazines, billboards, commercials, lahat nakatatak siya. Pati sa sarili niyang girlfriend nakatatak siya. Remember I'm the Phenom's girl?" Den said with anger on her face.
"Everyone was like so eager to meet me. 'Hi you're Denden right? Yung girlfriend ni Valdez?' Iyon ang pagkakakilala nila sa akin. Yung iba hindi pa pahalata sa umpisa. But eventually what? All they wanted is to get to know Aly more through me."
"You'll see photos of me with my so-called friends and guess what the captions are? 'With the Phenom's girlfriend', 'With the famous girlfriend'. Damn! I'm just always this girlfriend!"
"Napressure din ako to do everything right. To be careful with my actions. One time, someone took a photo of me accepting a bouquet from a guy. They posted it online and guess what people said? 'Uh oh Aly's not going to like this' or 'Ang landi naman ng gf niya'."
"Pero the final blow is this. One professor told me to meet her after class kasi may papagawa siyang special project for additional grades. So ako naman, sumunod ako. Only to find out that she wanted me to record a birthday greeting from Aly for her daughter's birthday. Tataasan daw niya yung grades ko pag ginawa ko iyon. I have never been that insulted in my whole life. Pati ba naman sa pag-abot ng pangarap ko, apektado pa rin niya."
"She was gaining so much popularity, while me, I was losing my identity. I was once a player too, was a best libero at that. I was doing good at med school, achiever ako. Pero what? Nobody saw me as me. I have decided I wanted to run away from her shadow. To be Denden -- to be me!" Den is now crying.
"Did she know all about these?" asked Fille.
"Kung meron man, hindi lahat. That's why I hate myself. Walang kasalanan si Aly. It was all me. Ang evil lang pero I even wished before na sana hindi na siya magvolleyball. Na sana we'll just be a normal couple. I know that Aly loved me so much."
"Yes. So much na kapag sinabi mong iwanan niya ang volleyball..." singit ni Dzi.
"Gagawin niya," pagtatapos ni Fille.
"Exactly. One time she told me that everything she has, she owes it to volleyball. Including our relationship. Kasi kung hindi dahil sa sport, walang naging kami. Kaya I never gave her the option to choose between me and the sport. Kaya I made up reasons like ayoko na sa klase ng relasyon na meron kami. Na I want to have a normal family. Iyon lang ang alam kong way to make her stop pursuing me. But then huminto rin siya sa paglalaro. And everyday I hate myself dahil nilayo ko siya sa isa sa mga buhay niya," said Den.
"But what about Alex? How would you explain that?" said Dzi. Alex is the guy that Aly saw Denden went out with after 5 months of their break up.
"Well, Alex. I met him when our class went to a hospital. Pasyente siya ng prof ko. He was dying. He asked me to give him a chance at love. How could you say no to that? Mabuti naman siyang tao, masayang kasama, full of hope kahit ganoon ang sitwasyon niya," explained Den.
"You knew Aly was following you, right? That's so sick Den. Don't tell me you used a sick man para tigilan ka ni Aly," Dzi said.
"Hindi ko siya ginamit, Dzi. Alex knew I tried to love him, God knows sinubukan ko, pero hindi ko nagawa. Still, Alex was thankful for the chance that I gave him. By that time, Aly had stopped following me already. And a few months after that, Alex is gone. He was a good man," Den said.
Fille and Dzi hugged Den.
"We're so sorry, Den." said Fille.
"You had so much struggles na hindi man lang namin nalaman. We all felt so sorry for Aly that we forgot your side of the story," Dzi explained.
"It's alright guys. Wala kayong kasalanan," Den said.
"So what do you plan to do now?" Fille asked.
"Are you going to get her back?" said Dzi.
"I knew Aly gave me and Alex a chance. Bakit ko naman ipagkakait yun sa kanila ni Bang? I guess there's nothing left to do but to move on and let her have her happiness."
Denden feels like throwing up sa sinabi niya. She wants Aly for herself alam niya yan. But then again, just like what Fille said, she is not the best for Aly.
Ayaw na niyang mawala yung mga ngiti ni Aly na alam niyang si Bang ang nagbibigay. She cried heavily while telling herself that she will let Aly be.
Dzi and Fille got no choice but to console their friend.
