Once Upon a Cheesecake

🍽 VII: Cheesecakes and Second Lead Syndromes 🍮

The price of finding happiness was hefty.

I knew it ever since I was a kid.

When I was four, someone told me I was 'shallow'. I was super easy to please, always too grateful or cheerful and I tend to laugh at the simplest jokes too easily.

But I knew, even then, that having a unique talent of attracting disasters was my best feature.

Because whenever I experience happiness. . .something or someone would take that feeling away from me. And the happier I was, the worse my next circumstances would be. . .

It was like the universe was trying to put some balance in my life. That I shouldn't be too happy or else it would snatch my happiness before I could fully enjoy it.

That was why meeting Wes and being loved by him was a prelude to a devastating heartache.

It was probably destined to happen. I had all the warning signs going off for me.

I was scared as hell when I had a crush on him. Worse: He confessed he had a crush on me too.

A fairytale like that never ended in happily ever after.

How would I know for sure?

Well, my dearest childhood playmate taught me once that fairytales and happy endings do not readily occur in real life.

"I didn't think you, guys, would reconcile that quickly." Achi Ava smiled as she stirred her latté.

I scoffed.

"Achi, don't get me wrong. I STILL hate his guts."

She chuckled, shaking her head.

"You know, shobe, I would have taken your side as I always do back then," she said. "But, this time, shoti Tone was right to bring a severely drunken you with him to the penthouse."

"Aargh, but what if someone saw that?" I asked in frustration. "Just imagine what kind of rumors would come up and I really don't want to lose my face to uncle and auntie."

Achi Ava forked a slice of her New York cheesecake. "I don't think they would mind that, shobe."

"But! He knew I didn't know how to handle alcohols." I groaned and released a sigh. "That bastard. I'm sure this is another one of his sick antics. He gave me a hard liquor for my first drink."

We were having some snacks post dinner in the coffee shop of The Bayleaf Intramuros. One of our favorite hangouts.

In the rooftop, the scenic view and the romantic ambiance made the expensive food worth it.

Surrounding the beautiful hotel were the soft glow of warm lights on the trees. They accented the darkened surroundings.

These completed the feels of an evening in the Old Manila. It could summon nostalgia and romantic feelings.

Achi Ava shrugged. "Still my shoti shouldn't just leave you to your own devices though. It's dangerous for anyone to commute alone while intoxicated at midnight."

I knew she had a point and maybe Ashton did the sensible and proper thing to do and to keep me safe from accidents or perverts.

But, really, that was not what I was afraid of.

"So I heard your ex knocked someone up," she says carefully as if calculating if I was ready to talk about it.

News really traveled fast in our small community.

"Are you okay though, shobe?"

"Not my concern anymore, achi." I forced a laugh but I could physically taste the bitterness in my mouth. "That cheater and that snake deserved each other anyway. Time to move on. Best of luck to them."