CHAPTER SIXTY-SIX: FLIGHT✧FAITH ZEICAN LEE✧NAKAHIGA na kami ni Poppy sa king size bed sa kuwarto niya. Magkaharap kami at magkayakap. Matapos ang diskusyon kanina, nalaman kong next week na pala ang alis nila papunta sa Australia kaya naman halos hindi ko na siya mabitaw-bitawan ngayon. Sinusulit ko ang pagkakataong katabi ko pa siya at nayayakap.“Faith?” mahina niyang tawag sa ‘kin, nakasubsob ang pisngi niya sa dibdib ko.“Hmm?” I hummed softly.“Galit ka ba sa ‘kin?”“Hindi.”“Bakit parang kanina ka pa tahimik? Pansin ko lang na pagkatapos natin kumain, naging tahimik ka na. Hindi mo na ‘ko masyadong kinakausap,” mahina niyang sabi, may bakas ng pagdaramdam sa boses niya. Hindi ko alam na mapapansin niya 'yon.Oo. Simula kaninang mapag-usapan ang pag-alis nila, hanggang sa makaalis ang pamilya ko, para akong tuliro. Ang daming tumatakbo sa isip ko. Nag-o-overthink ako. What if pagpunta niya ro'n may makilala siyang iba at ma-realized niyang mali ang desisyon niyang pakasalan ako?
CHAPTER SIXTY-SEVEN: HONEYMOON✧FAITH ZEICAN LEE✧SINCE Poppy left for Australia, I’ve been overwhelmed by a deep sadness and intense longing. Umalis na rin ako sa mansyon at umuwi na lang muna sa ‘min sa pag-aakalang malilibang ako. Pero hindi. Because every corner of the house felt emptier without her presence, and each day seemed to stretch endlessly. I threw myself into work, hoping to distract myself from the void she left behind, but nothing seemed to fill the space she occupied in my heart.Sobrang hirap pala kapag nasanay ka nang kasama ang isang taong naging sobrang halaga at malapit na sa puso mo tapos biglang malalayo sa ‘yo. Nights were the hardest. Kahit papa’no kasi kapag araw, nagagawa ko pang libangin ang sarili ko sa trabaho. Pero kapag gabi na, doon ko mas lalong nararamdaman ang pangungulila kay Poppy. The bed felt cold and vast without her beside me. I often found myself staring at the ceiling, memories of our time together replaying in my mind. Her laughter, her sm
CHAPTER SIXTY-EIGHT: ONE YEAR LATER✧FAITH ZEICAN LEE✧I WAS buried in paperwork, my mind focused on the endless tasks at hand, when the door to my office swung open. Colleen, my secretary, stepped in, her face a mix of urgency and excitement.“Sir Faith,” masaya niyang tawag sa ‘kin, her voice slightly breathless, “nakita ko sa news na nakauwi na si Poppy at Mr. Herald dito sa bansa.”Agad akong nag-angat ng tingin sa kaniya, shock washing over me. “What? Are you sure?”Colleen nodded, humakbang pa siya lalo palapit sa ‘kin, holding up her phone to show me the news article. There it was, clear as day—Poppy and his dad had indeed come back.A whirlwind of emotions hit me. Poppy hadn’t mentioned anything about returning, and it had been a month since we last spoke. Nitong nakaraang buwan, natigil ang pagtawag niya sa ‘kin at pag-ch-chat. Whenever I tried to reach out to her, she would send a brief message saying she was busy and had a lot to do. Dahil do’n, medyo nagbawas ako sa pang-ii
CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE: DISCONNECTED✧FAITH ZEICAN LEE✧I STOOD there, frozen, as I watched Poppy and Nathan interact. My mind raced, wanting to approach her, but my feet felt like they were cemented to the floor. Bago pa ‘ko magkaroon ng lakas ng loob na lapitan siya, may ilang bisita na nakakilala sa ‘kin, nilapitan ako at binati. They chatted animatedly, and I found myself briefly engrossed in their conversations, my attention momentarily diverted.As I wrapped up the small talk and turned my gaze back toward Poppy, I noticed she was now seated at a round table with that man—Nathan. The sight of them together was unsettling, pero ilang sandali pa ay tumayo ang lalaking ‘yon dahil may ilang bisitang tumawag sa kaniya. Naiwan si Poppy sa table, mag-isa.With Nathan momentarily absent, I gathered my resolve and made my way to the table. My heart pounded as I approached, feeling a mix of nervousness and determination. I quietly took a seat next to Poppy, my hands slightly trembling.“Hi, Po
CHAPTER SEVENTY: UNSPOKEN EMOTIONS✿ SUMMER ✿PASADO alas siete na pero hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin kami nakakarating sa mansyon nila Poppy gawa nang matinding traffic kanina. Mabuti ay medyo humupa na ngayon at dere-deretso na ang takbo ng sasakyan.As we drove towards the Herald mansion, I looked out the window, watching the city lights flicker by. Kuya Hope and Kuya Love were chatting in the front seats, but I was lost in my own thoughts dahil excited na ‘kong makita ulit si Poppy.Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I saw a familiar figure on the side of the road. “Wait, is that Kuya Faith?” I murmured to myself, leaning closer to the window. Hindi masyadong mabilis ang pagmamaneho ni Kuya Love kaya nakilala ko si Kuya Faith. There he was, walking alone with his coat draped over his shoulder, looking so lonely.“Kuya Love,” I called out, turning to my brother who was driving. “Did you see that? I think I just saw Kuya Faith walking by himself.”Saglit akong sinulyapan ni Ku
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE: DINNER✧FAITH ZEICAN LEE✧I WOKE up early, my mind still tangled in the restless thoughts that had kept me awake for most of the night. Hindi ako pinatulog ng pag-iisip ko kay Poppy. The stark reality of her change in behavior haunted me, and I couldn’t shake off the gnawing worry. Kaya madaling araw pa lang ay nag-shower na ‘ko at nagbihis, deciding to head to the company much earlier than usual.The office was eerily quiet at this hour, a stark contrast to the bustling environment it would soon become. Pagpasok ko sa sariling opisina, agad akong naupo at inabala ang sarili ko sa mga trabahong naghihintay sa ‘kin sa table ko, sa pagbabaka sakaling malibang ako at makalimot sa nangyari kagabi sa party. Yet, no matter how hard I tried, my focus kept drifting back to Poppy.Her image was etched in my mind—so different, so confident, and so distant. Summer's words from last night played over and over in my head. According to her, Poppy had seemed fine at the party. N
CHAPTER SEVENTY-TWO: DINNER PART II✧FAITH ZEICAN LEE✧GUSTO ko sanang sundan si Poppy sa restroom, to comfort her, pero mas pinili kong manatili na lang sa upuan ko at hintayin siya, respecting her need for space.As I waited for her to return, I resolved to be patient. Whatever was happening, I needed to be there for her, even if it meant facing the pain and confusion head-on. The only thing I was certain of was my love for her and my determination to find a way back to each other.Ilang sandali pa, natanaw ko na siyang pabalik. Umupo ulit siya sa puwesto niya—sa harap ko at pansin kong wala na ‘yong contact lens niya. Her eyes were now clear, and there were no traces of tears. The previous tension seemed to have shifted slightly, but the emotional weight remained.I tried to meet her gaze, hoping for some hint of the Poppy I once knew, but her eyes were resolute, distant. Nakaka-frustrate na hindi ko man lang mahulaan kung ano’ng tumatakbo sa isip niya, samantalang noon, napakadali
CHAPTER SEVENTY-THREE: POPPY IN THE HOUSE✧FAITH ZEICAN LEE✧NANATILI akong nakatingin sa screen ng cell phone ko, inaabangan na ma-seen niya ang message ko dahil gusto kong masiguro na hindi na siya maghihintay sa ‘kin sa loob. Ilang sandali pa, na-seen na niya ‘yon, and it felt like I was cutting a piece of myself away, but I knew I had to do this for her, for both of us.Putting my phone down, I leaned back in my seat, letting the reality of the situation sink in. I had just agreed to let her go, to let our marriage end. ‘Yong bigat ng sitwasyon ramdam ko sa dibdib ko, na nagpapahirap sa ‘kin huminga. But it was the right thing to do. Poppy deserved to be happy, even if that meant a life without me.Taking another deep breath, I started the car and drove away, the city lights blurring as I navigated the streets back to the office. Oo. Imbes na sa bahay ako umuwi, sa office na lang ako dumiretso dahil ngayong gabi ang balik nila Mom at Dad sa bahay. Ayokong makita nila na ganito ang