Prologue

‘I want more time with you, Albie’

That was Daisy’s thoughts as she watched the love of her life and ex-husband, President and CEO of R.E Group of Companies, Albert Matthews, clutched her hands until it numbed. 

She knew she could only hold on for so long now. It's been a few minutes since the doctors, nurses, her family and friends all left her with Albert.

She didn’t dare ask him to let go – she’d hold on too… if she had the strength. 

“Daisy, we should call grandpa more!” she heard Albert say, voice tight but with a smile – she knows he’s trying to be strong, by telling her mundane things, like how Allie, her dog, was at her parent’s house and how Rika, her best friend, still denies being with Jason, his best friend, even after he accidentally walked in on them kissing after office hours in the pantry, “Can you believe it Daisy? They thought they could fool me? It's still too soon."

He’s telling her stories as if she’d have more days.

It hurts.

She doesn’t want to see him like this.

The way they parted ways was so bad. It was a misunderstanding after another misunderstanding and in the end, the two of them decided to take a breather.

The misunderstandings they had was caused by her so-called best friend and Albert’s secretary, Jasmine James. She caused so much trouble for them in their lives, feeding her slow-acting drugs that made her sick and fed her abortion inducing pills when she first realized she was pregnant with her and Albert’s child after the divorce.

She was the first one she told and trusted her to tell Albert as he refused to meet her that time.

She trusted her so much, yet she was betrayed.

Albert was waiting for her, he never refused to see her, but not once was he told of her presence whenever she came to sort out their relationship. Instead, Jasmine told him repeatedly that Daisy was saying bad things about him behind his back and how she drank a whole bottle of abortion-inducing pills just to get rid of their child.

He tried to find her after he knew about her pregnancy, but Jasmine intercepted and sent Daisy on a vacation that was supposed to be hers.

Jasmine ruined their life, really, but it doesn’t matter now anyway, as she still found him beside her at her deathbed.

The irony.

She thought he hated her for giving up. 

He said he thought she hated him for not trying hard enough.

In the end, it was him she woke up to when she opened her eyes in the hospital, and the first voice she heard too, asking her to hold on - ‘to what?’ she wanted to ask, but she thought even the Great Albert Matthews didn’t know what she was supposed to hold on to when it comes to this stage in life.

In this life, no one was more attentive and more real to her than her ex-husband. There’s nothing more she could want, other than living more days with him, but God wouldn’t allow that, she knew. And seeing Albert, despite his own feelings, still trying to cheer her up, it hurts.

He wanted from her what he couldn’t give.

She thought about how she found out she was pregnant after their divorce, and how she miscarried with it not even a week after.

The cause of her miscarriage was eating abortion-inducing pills, supplemented to her by her other best friend, Jasmine James, who she didn't know desperately loved Albert Matthews and tried to seduce him every chance she got, to no avail, because he only loved her - even after their divorce, and he did lots of things for her without her knowledge, ‘Had I known’, she lamented, ‘I would’ve gotten more time with him’

‘I’m sorry, honey’, she said, voice almost too low.

He gave her a tired smile of his own.

And that’s when the dam broke.Her ex-husband, S City’s golden boy himself, the Great Albert Matthews, fell apart right in front of her, and cried.

 “Daisy… don’t go” she heard Albert say, chest heaving as he sobbed but didn’t dare break eye contact with her, for fear that she’d be gone if he blinked.

“Daisy please, hold on a little bit longer, I – I can’t do this, I can’t – god damn it, Daisy, I did everything to make you happy and for you to live longer, why are you doing this to me? Daisy… please”

‘He’s still beautiful,’ she thought as she tried to stop her own tears from flowing. The love of her life is crumbling right in front of her like a fragile glass and there’s nothing she could say – nothing she could do, except stare, stare and try to comfort the man as much as she could.

‘We could have had more time. I need more time.’

She thought as she heard Albert’s pleas again., and she couldn’t help but think back on what brought them here.

She was out shopping with Rika that day, one of her best friends insisting that she never goes out anymore after she and Albert divorced two years ago. 

Daisy was holding him down – everyone was saying it, even she said it to Albert a lot of times, and the man always shut her up with a smile and a kiss, until he didn’t and Daisy woke up with Albert sitting at their couch in a faded blue jeans and a plain white shirt – she could never forget that, and even though she saw Albert’s set jaw, staring at anyone but her before fixing his eyes, almost glaring at the paper on top of their coffee table.

Divorced – they got divorced.

She signed it – as she saw Albert’s signature already there.

She thought the former wanted it, so she did, even if it broke her heart, broke her with all the ‘I knew it’ that were never said, until Albert took the paper, stood up, and left the house with a soft click of the lock.

Everyone tried to drag her out - to go outside ever since, insisting that she should move on.

'But I don’t want to move on – I want to feel this pain, for him’ Her thoughts, never voiced out in front of anyone who's ever tried to get close to her.

Which brought her back to that day.

‘Ow, Ri – wait’ She remembered saying before feeling her best friend started fussing over her and calling anyone for help – she intended to tell her not to bother anyone, but then a sharp blinding pain shot through her head causing her to puke before passing out.

When she opened her eyes, she’s already at the hospital, attached to multiple machines she couldn’t identify, if she tried, was connected to her body as a low beeping sound echoed in the ‘too big of a room’ she’s currently in.

She’s sick in the head, figuratively and literally as she saw her ex-husband’s mouth move and eyes widened in surprise upon seeing her, she knew she’s supposed to panic because there’s not a muscle in her body she could move – she knows, she tried, but she found herself calmed down at the mere sight of that man, the one who promised her the moon and stars, and delivered them to her on a plate. 

“I’m sorry Mr. and Mrs. Stewart, Mr. Matthews, there is nothing left we could do, the slow-acting drugs have already taken over almost seventy percent of her body, and I know it looks bad now, but it will only get worse. The impure cells are affecting the good ones fast so we believe that she could only either last for three days, until her body gives out from pain and fatigue”

The doctor who was talking to Albert and her parents while in her room – they thought she was still asleep, she wasn’t, and that was six days ago now.

“I wasted all those times Daisy…” she heard her ex-husband mumble before adding, “Two-years, how could I have been so stupid?”

Her grip started to loosen, but Albert only held her tighter, intertwining his slightly bigger hands with her smaller ones.

Holding on.

Her parents, His parents, even Rika – they already said their goodbyes to her.

But Albert refused to let her go.

‘Is there somebody who can watch you?’ she worried.

“I still love you Daisy, I never – I never stopped loving you” 

‘I love you too’

“Daisy, I love you so much – so so very much, it hurts”

‘me too, even now’

There was a sharp pain – and she caught her breath, ‘it hurts’, she wanted to say, but couldn’t.

The nurses have long taken off the machine and the IV connected to Daisy, only the oxygen now and the heart monitor, who beeps too low – too low.

“I love you Daisy, I will always love you – I love you, I love you, I love you” she heard Albert chant the words as if it’s a prayer – it probably is, to all the gods they both knew.

‘I don’t want to go’

‘Let me stay – dear god, just one more day, if you are real, just one more day’

“Daisy – Daisy, Daisy please… please… please… I love you”

And she, she really really tried, but she’s tired.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

This is the only way she knew how – with every last bit of her strength.

Another dot – a dash, another dash dash and another dot – she could feel Albert’s eyes go wide in shock.

She repeated it.

‘I love you’ in morse.

And then suddenly, Albert was laughing and crying, “You never fail to surprise me, my star”

‘My star’ was his endearment to her back when they were just children. He first saw her under the moon on a starless sky, so he said that she was probably the star, as she shone bright in the darkness.

It felt good to be called like that again after so long.

“I have no choice then? You stubborn woman, I love you so much” and then finally added, “Rest well, my love”

Albert finally gave up. 

He’s letting her go.

One last exchanged smile.

One last exchanged look.

Her love – her only love, sent her off crying but with a smile.

She smiled.

And finally, she closed his eyes.

‘If there’s another life, let me be reborn to be his wife,’