COME BACK TO ME, SLAVEN | #Wattys2019

Chapter 31 - Flashback

1 year after.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES

PHR OFFICE

With a wide smile on her face, Ella came out of her editor's office with the novelty check on her hand. She kissed it and put it away in her bag. It's for the fifteen thousandth copy of her first novel sold. They're planning for a reprint, naubos na kasi ang stock nila sa printing warehouse. And readers are requesting or demanding for a reprint. Hindi pa rin siya makapaniwala sa 'swerteng' nangyari sa kanya. Her dream has come true, she's now one of the newest and most successful writers of her favorite pocketbook publishing company – PHR. Grand dream come true. Just wonderful.

After a month since she went home from Korea. Nag-resign siya sa pinagtatrabahoang call center at isinubmit ang sinulat na kwento sa PHR. After a month, she received a response from her editor asking for her to come to Manila and talk about her novel and sign a contract. Ang first novel niya na nasundan pa ng ilang successful stories ang patunay na isa na siyang romance writer. But of course her first launching story brought her the success and the fame she has now as 'Elle'. Her painful story, she twisted with a beautiful ending. Nagustuhan ng mga readers ang kwento kahit may ilan nang gumagamit ng ganoong plot. Pero siguro dahil may kurot sa puso, dahil nga medyo may konting 'true to life' na kalakip iyon, kaya nakaka-relate ang mga tao. Nakatulong din ng malaki ang exposure niya sa Korea. Nakilala siya ng mga kpop fans at yun ang isa sa mga dahilan kaya maraming bumili sa libro nya. Sadly, it's not how her love story ends. Sho! She doesn't want to think about that. Basta masaya siya, walang kokontra! She has her family to share it with. And she's finally going home to Cebu.

South Korea

"So what now? You think we should let him know about it?"

"What for? He seems to be happy with his career. And he doesn't talk about her anymore."

"You think so? Have you seen his room in EL? It's full of stuff from her country, my country. I know those places, those things --"

"I just don't want him to go through the same pain again when he lost Hye-je."

"Shinye, he never lost Hye-je, he let go. And he has moved on. Do you see the difference? He was devastated before with Hye-je, he was completely down and won't even sing. But after what happened with Ella, he burns himself down with work. He's exhausting himself to the limit, he doesn't even rest and it scares me more. He doesn't talk about it but deep down he's hurting. He's just trying to hide it. He's not running away from it but it seems like he's using it to fuel him. I don't know if that's a good thing 'cause his career right now is really on the top, with all those endorsements, pictorials, recordings, shows and offers back again. But, if he'll continue being like this he'll be a walking microphone. Almost without life except work. Is he even breathing? No. This is not Slaven. I even wished he'd just get cranky and stubborn like he was, that's more lively. But he's a zombie now Shinye. He's without life, without Ella. Ella brought his life back, his music. And without her, he seems lost. Please Shinye, I want them both to be happy." Leah pleaded with her boss.

"What if Ella's happy with her life now? Look at this, she's already successful in her own way. That's her dream." Shinye waved the book at her face. She grabs it. And open it to the writer's note right on the first page.

"You think this is happy?" Leah read it. Ayaw sana niyang maniwala when her sister called her saying there's a popular pocketbook in the Philippines and it's all about Slaven. But her sister sent it to her, she read it in one night crying and didn't let her sleep. It's obviously about Ella and Slaven with a happy ending. But will the real Ella and Slaven have a real happy ending?