Parted Ways

CHAPTER ONE

I stared blankly at the mirror not knowing what to do. I want to cry but tears won't just come out, yet deep inside I'm slowly breaking down. I felt a presence beside me so I turned my gaze at my side.

She ran towards me with so much concern on her face.

"How do you feel?" with just the sound of her voice I broke. With tears wanting to fall I answered,

"I'm a-alright." trying to contain my feelings.

"You know you can't lie to me, right?" I hugged her as I started to cry.

"Farah this is wrong, I shouldn't be a-affected by h-him anymore." I said in between my sobs.

"You're affected by him because you didn't let go of the pain. You let him go but you let the pain he caused to stay."

My chest feels so damn heavy.

"I feel unfair to Asher." words I can only say right now.

"Aruzel, you don't have to. Alam ko na mahal mo si Asher hindi lang dahil sa hindi ka niya iniwan nung mga panahon na sobrang kailangan mo ng kasama. Minahal mo siya kasi ipinaramdam niya sayo iyong mga hindi naiparamdam ni Caden. I know you thinks that you only loved Ash because you want to pay back his sacrifices for you, but trust me you do not because you love him with all your heart." she exactly knows what I feel.

Yes, I thought that loving Asher was just because of my way of paying him back for all of the sacrifices he did for me. Time passed by and I realised that it's not only because of that. I fell inlove with him because he is he, because he is Asher. He didn't just made me feel loved once again but he made me feel loved the way I never experience and thought that I will ever going to do so.

"Let's go." I said and started to fix myself.

"Face it. He's not your lost, because he's the one who lost a diamond while being amazed with a gold."

After a couple of minutes we decided to go back.

I saw my favourite teacher beside the master of ceremony, looking problematic. She saw me and waved her hand. I gave her a smile and she said something to the MC. I sat beside my husband and with just a minute, we are called to go to the stage.

Everyone clapped as we walked. As we finally made to the podium they all stopped and waited for our words.

"Good evening, everyone. I am Engineer Asher Zion Gozon," my husband started.

"We are pleased to be the one's behind the construction of our school's new facility. For us, it's our way of expressing our gratitude to our beloved Alma Mater. We all owe our success to this school, to our second parents and to ourselves of course. We learned and experienced so many things way back our high school days. We are gathered today to reminisce what happened and what we are in the past, hope we enjoy this night everyone. Once again, good evening!" they all clapped and waited for my turn.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. I am Engineer Solhera Aruzel Abiera-Gozon. Thank you for trusting us. We promise to give you the best that we can for this project to give back to our dearest Alma Mater. Thank you so much, and let us all enjoy this night." they all clapped and the teachers gave us both a Plaque of Appreciation. We took photos and started to go back to our seats.

It's already 10:30 PM and all are having fun. Dancing, drinking, and getting all together. Kasama namin ang aking mga kaibigan, kwentuhan. They asked us questions about our daughter, pero sa sobrang dami, we decided that magkikita-kita nalang kami some other time sa bahay dahil hindi naman namin maeenjoy ang gabing ito kung iikot lang din naman sa buhay ko ang pag-uusapan namin.

My relationship with Asher back then became private hanggang sa pagpapakasal, pag-alis namin ng bansa at sa pagkakaroon namin ng anak that only our closest relatives knew about kaya naman we really have a lot of catching up to do with them so tonight's not really the best time.

Hindi ako iniwan ni Ash kahit na puro tukso na ang sinasabi sa kaniya. At sa huli, para akong binuhusan ng malamig na tubig ng marinig ko ang kaniyang sinabi.

"Amore, tinatawag ako ni George. Okay lang ba?"

I nodded. "Oo naman, 'diba sinabi ko naman sa'yo na pwedeng-pwede ka mag-enjoy ngayong gabi?"

He kissed the side of my head. "I don't want to leave you."

"You want to go?" I asked kahit na alam kong hindi magandang idea iyon.

"Yes, please." he said with puppy eyes.

I stood up and he snaked his hand on my waist before walking towards the other table.

"Pare! Akala namin mahina ka nang uminom eh!" tukso ni John, other old close friend of Ash.

"Misis bago alak, pre." I bit my lip to stop myself from smiling with what Ash answered him.

"Hoy Aru, ano ka dalaga? Kilig na kilig?" papansin talaga 'tong si George eh. Inirapan ko nga, sabay tawa niya.

Iginaya nila kami para umupo. Kung siniswerte ka nga naman. I can feel his eyes, intenly looking at me.

I turned my gaze to Ash and he's now on his third shot of Bacardi.

"Hoy George! 'Wag mo lasingin ang asawa ko."

"Opo madame Engineer."

Nako mga lasing na.

"Pare, mag-kwento ka naman." Edward suggested.

Asher, George, John and Edward are best of friends back then. But change happened, si Asher at George nalang ang natirang malapit, but even him didn't know about what happened between me and Asher for the past years. At ang mas nakakatawa, John and Edward became close with Caden.

"2 years na kaming kasal and also 1 month palang kami dito sa Pilipinas." my husband started but my attention drifted when I heard a cute voice somewhere.

Nakita ko sa tapat ko ang mga pares ng matang biglang dumilim. I can't look at him directly.

"Daddy!" a cute voice from his side echoed.

Doon lang ako nagkaroon ng lakas ng loob tumingin sa kaniya. Katabi ng batang babae ay isang babaeng akala ko'y mapagkakatiwalaan ko; hindi pala.

It's just funny that there are people that we used to think that would be there at your darkest time simply because they promised to. But in the end, sila pa pala ang dahilan ng magiging paglubog mo sa buhay.

Wearing her white long gown, white heels and her hair tied up, kita sa kaniyang mukha ang pagsisisi.

"Hello everyone, this is Selelia Nalene-" before she could even finish introducing their daughter my phone beeped.

April 29, 2020

8 years today..

"Amore, everyone, I just have to take this." I excused waving my hand with my phone as I walked out and went to our car.