Once Upon A Broken Heart (Short Story)

Heartbreakers Series #4: Uriah Kylo Penalver Si Aryn Valerie "Areli" Lopez ay ang isa sa mga maraming taga-hanga ni Uriah Kylo Penalver, the Cold Heartbreaker. Suwerte nga s'ya dahil ang kapatid nitong si Seraiah Penalver ang best friend n'ya. Areli follows him everywhere and takes every chance she gets to strike him a pick-up line. Iyon nga lang, parang hindi yata sa binata umipekto ang lahat ng pakulo n'ya dahil parang s'ya ang mas lalong nahulog para rito. While Areli's feelings started to get more serious, she finds her heart getting broken by the Cold Heartbreaker, Uriah Penalver. Mananatili pa ba ang pagmamahal n'ya para sa lalaki? O handa ba s'yang patuloy na magtiis at maghintay para rito?

A (not-so) hopeless romantic writer. A weird (not-so-much of a) stranger. A lot of (denying) feelings in between. A (continuation of the online) connection that ends on 11 / 23.

(Yours Series # 5) Graciella Rae Arevalo just wants to love and be loved. She feels like she has a lot of love to give and she just wants her own person to love. Mayroon na kasing mga boyfriend at girlfriend iyong mga tao sa paligid niya. She doesn't want to be a burden to anyone. She wants her own person to love and to spoil. Ang problema, parang ayaw naman sa kanya ng pag-ibig. She has been told to just wait for it because it will eventually come to her. And she wants to, ang kaso, she's always surrounded by death that she feels like she's always running out of time. Ilang blind date na ang napuntahan niya. She always tries to find the good in the person in front of her, but for some reason, walang spark. Ayaw niya naman na i-sacrifice iyon. Alam niya na nag-eexist iyon. She's seen it. She just needs to look harder. Pero baka tama nga sila... na kapag hindi mo hinahanap, saka doon dadating. Because apparently, she's been looking for love in all the wrong places when all along, he's always been right in front of her.

Cyra Lim has been secretly in love with Eli Dasilva for as long as they've been best friends. One problem: Eli is a playboy, and Cyra has resigned herself to just being his best friend...even if it breaks her heart. *** Always the friend, never the girl. For Cyra, being in love with her longtime best friend is heartache wrapped in a pretty package. Having witnessed all of Eli's conquests, Cyra is too familiar with his flirt-play-leave strategy--and she's not going to be a victim no matter how much she wants Eli to look at her as more than just a best friend. But Cyra's struggle with her unrequited love suddenly ends when he confesses his feelings. She should be elated, over the moon, lounging on cloud nine...but as she comes face-to-face with her fears from the past and Eli's playboy reputation catches up with him, can she fully trust her best friend to commit to her...or not? After all, he is Torrero University's typical heartbreaker. DISCLAIMER: This story is written in Taglish. COVER DESIGN: Regina Dionela

(Trope Series # 1) Cerise's younger sister is getting married and she's expected to attend. The logical thing to do was to attend (duh, it's her sister's wedding! It would be weird if she's not there) but how could she attend when her sister's getting married to Leo, her ex best friend slash almost boyfriend from years ago? And it's not like she could just suddenly blurt out their 'history' because she's pretty sure that she'd be branded as bitter by their relatives... like, it's been years! Move on! She needed to attend. But she didn't want to go alone. She needed an arm candy, but not just any arm candy-she needed someone who would make her the envy of the night. Iyong tipo na walang magdadalawang isip kung nakapagmove on na ba talaga siya. She looked and looked and looked for the perfect wedding date. Until she wound up in a bar and met this bartender named Pablo.

(Trope Series # 3) Arielle was contented living her quiet life. She's got a job that pays well, a place to live, eats three times a day, and had friends that she genuinely enjoys being around with. Life's good as far as she's concerned. It may be boring for some, but she's at peace and contented and that's what's important. Until she met Zion. He's hot and funny and kind-and he wants her. So when he asks her to be fuck buddies with him, against all logic and rationality, she said yes. It's just temporary and for fun. As long as she knows her boundaries and consciously stops herself from being attached, she'll be fine. It's all for fun and experience... so how bad can it be, right?

(Yours Series # 4) Marian Eliana Nicolas just wanted to be left alone. She knew that she's not exactly the kindest person-definitely not the first person who'd come into mind if you get in trouble. She knew she's not likable. She made her peace with that. Gusto lang naman niyang magpinta at maka-graduate. Until she met Felix Chase Viste, iyong intern ng kuya niyang doctor. She was intrigued, to say the least. She almost thought that she was immune to catching feelings dahil sanay naman siyang maka-kita ng gwapo, pero wala naman siyang pakielam-until Chase. And because she doesn't like the word regret, sinubukan niyang makipagkilala kay Chase. She thought she'd find something not to like, but she was dead wrong. She liked everything she learned about him. But she was tired of figuring out kung ano ba sila. She wanted to ask what they were. Pero handa ba siyang malaman?

(Yours Series # 2) Julienne Salvacion definitely didn't think that she'd reach the age of 32 and still be unmarried. She was sure that she'd, at least, be engaged before she turned 30. But she was dead wrong. She badly wanted to settle down already like everyone else around her, but guys kept on dumping her because according to all the male population, she's just 'too much.' She was the problem. Fine. So, when she met Levi, arguably the hottest guy she's ever laid her eyes on, she 'fine-tuned' her personality to match his. She could do that. She grew up in a family where she's always forced to smile and say that everything's alright. But until when can she pretend?

(Yours Series # 3) Kelsey Fuentes thought that after her failed experience in marriage, she would never dare try again. She was contented with her work and with her daughter. All she ever really wanted was for the people around her to let her be and to stop asking her to find someone to marry and 'complete' her. She tried that. It did not work. It was quite traumatizing. Never again. End of discussion. But apparently, it is true... that when you are not looking and least expecting, that is when you will find 'the one.'

"You're my betrothed." "Naliligaw ka, Miss." Inis na isasara ko na sana yung pinto ng humarang sya doon. "I don't think so. You're Terry Alcatraz right?" Terry has never been terrified all her life, ngayon lang. As she is now standing infront of a Goddess in the form of this woman with 5'10 height, pinkish white skin na hindi yata sanay sa araw, ash gray hair, at yung malalamlam na mga mata na akala mo laging inaantok. Am I still dreaming? "Sino ka ba?" "I'm your betrothed." Hay nako. May baliw na naman na naligaw. I pity her. Maganda nga. Baliw naman. "You got it wrong. Babae ako, Miss." Tsk. Bibigyan ka na nga lang din ng kapareha. Babae pa na mas maganda sayo at may saltik sa utak. Where's justice? "No. I'm in the right place. We're engaged." "Baliw ka ba?" Asar na tanong ko na sa kanya. Nauubos na ang pasensya ko dahil inaantok pa ko. Nagtatakang tiningnan ako ng mga matang kulay tsokolate na iyon. "Me?" Hinagod pa ako nito ng tingin mula ulo hanggang paa. "Shit, why am I trapped with you? I wonder. I could have atleast chose a better one. My toenails is way more appealing than you!" Ano daw? Sa sobrang inis ko ay hindi ko napigilang hubarin ang suot kong house slippers at batuhin sya niyon. Sino ba naman ang hindi maiinis? Kagigising mo lang ay may kakatok na sa tapat ng pintuan nyo para lang mangtrip. Pagkatapos sasabayan pa ng panglalait. Tila naman umurong lahat ng tapang ko ng mag angat ng tingin mula sa tsinelas na tumama sa pisngi nito ang babaeng iyon na may pares ng kulay tsokolateng mata. She gave me a chillin' smile pagkatapos ay dinampot ang tsinelas ko saka ubod ng lakas na binato din sakin yung tsinelas ko. Fudge! My pretty face! "There, we're quits. That's what engaged people do. They give and take." pagkatapos ay ngumiti ng pagkatamis tamis na akala mo santita. "Hmm. Bakit parang mas maganda pa sayo yung slippers mo? You could have bought a face too." Ano daw? Papatayin ko talaga tong baliw na babaeng ito. ***