I was alone thinking I was just fine
I wasn't looking for anyone to be mine
I thought love was just a fabrication
A train that wouldn't stop at my station
Home, alone, that was my consignment
Solitary confinement
So when we met I was skirting around...
They agree to keep their relationship a secret, a request Lea makes and one he eventually grants, despite his initial hesitation. She is determined to shield herself from the venom of rumors that could easily spread through the academy. Although Emma and Jason can sense a shift in the air—a certain glow or a distracted smile—Lea denies everything with practiced ease.
Aga never lets a day pass without a stream of messages, and he always manages to carve out time to see her. As the days bleed into weeks, a persistent hesitation grows within her. He is kind, a true gentleman, and deeply caring—even if he is annoying at times—and she finds herself loving every single piece of him.
Yet, the fact that he knows nothing of her past gnaws at her conscience. She tells herself it’s a mistake to fall this fast after everything she’s been through, but the heart refuses to be coached. The more she tries to pull back, the more she loses control. His affection enlivens her; he makes her feel truly special. Every kiss, every touch, every moment they share makes her feel like a brand-new version of herself.
But the reality remains: eventually, he will find out. She fears that letting herself sink deeper will only lead to her total ruin. She is terrified of becoming addicted to his attention, only to be left behind once again—alone and lonely in the aftermath.
It is now the first week of the second semester. She pushes open her car door and steps out into the crisp morning air, only to see a man arriving at the exact same time.
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Lea throws herself into a warm, lingering hug. It is Stephen, her co-teacher and closest confidant. "Hey, dude! How are you?"
"I'm fine, Lea. Kumusta?"
"Eto. The same old me. Wow. It's been four? Five months?" She pulls away, her eyes searching his face.
"Oo nga eh. Sa faculty na tayo magkwentuhan. Balita ko iba na ang may ari ng school ah," he says, sliding an arm behind her back as they pace toward the entrance.
"Yeah. You'll meet him later. May meeting tayo eh. Atsaka..." She cuts herself off the moment she catches her man’s gaze. He is standing by the pillars, his posture rigid. "G-Good morning, Sir." She greets him, instinctively creating distance from Stephen as Aga’s eyes bore into them like shards of ice. He acts as if he hasn't heard a thing.
"Did we hire a new teacher, Ms. Monteiro?" he asks the education coordinator standing beside him, his voice flat and detached.
"Ah, Sir. Hindi po siya new teacher. He's Mr. Stephen Perez. On leave po kase siya for the entire first sem," she explains.
"Is that so?" He finally shifts his cold, predatory gaze to Lea. "How about you, Ms. Salazar? I assumed you were given a class schedule na." He glances at his watch with clinical precision. "But you seem late."
"Sorry, Sir. Natraffic lang po sa daan." She can feel the oxygen leaving the room as the two men exchange a silent, threatening look. Ms. Eunice notices the mounting friction, which pushes Lea to quench the heat immediately.
