-=Atilla's Point of View=-"It's over," I said to myself as tears streamed down both of my eyes.It's difficult to accept, but I know I need to face life without Ram. It's not just for myself, but also for his peace of mind. My only prayer is for his life to return to how it was before I entered it.My mind is in turmoil, and I don't know where to go until I find myself in front of Nicole's condo unit."It's over, Nicole," I cried as she opened the door, crying as well.She hugged me tightly, making my tears flow even more. If I could pour out all my emotions and not leave anything, so that when I go back to Henry's house, I won't have anything left to cry about, But I know that's impossible. I don't know if I can forget my feelings for Ram, because if it were easy to forget my feelings, it would have been enough after years of not seeing each other.Finally, after almost an hour of crying, I apologized to Nicole for bothering her.At times like this, it's really nice to have a best f
-=Henry's Point of View=-I woke up to a series of knocks on the door of our bedroom, and my temper flared when I saw that it was only one in the morning. I was sure to hold whoever had the nerve to wake me accountable."Who is it?" I heard Ellaine ask, who seemed to have also been awakened by the knocks.I quickly put on the robe I saw and angrily walked towards the door, but I was suddenly halted when I saw Atilla's serious face as one of our household staff tried to restrain him."Don't you know what time it is?" I asked him in anger, but he didn't even flinch, just staring straight at me. I had no choice but to make him wait in the study room."Who was that?" I heard Ellaine ask as she leaned against the bed's headrest."Atilla. It seems he needs to talk to me," I replied as I straightened my clothes.I quickly bid my wife goodbye and headed straight to the study room, where I found Atilla looking at a picture of our father hanging on the wall.I remained quiet as I watched my sis
-=Ram's Point of View=-It's too dark; I can't see any light. I tried to move my hand, but I couldn't move a muscle. I heard a man's voice, but I couldn't remember whose voice it was. His voice was so sad, and I couldn't understand what he was saying—only that he was very sad."Am I dead?" I asked myself. If I were, it wouldn't be so bad, because I didn't feel anything—no pain, no sadness, nothing. Perhaps it was better this way, to finally be at peace. So I let myself be consumed by the darkness that enveloped me.Just when I decided to let go, I heard a voice again, but this time it was the voice of a girl."Please, Ram, you need to survive; just think about your dad and the friends waiting for you to wake up. I promise I won't bother you anymore, so please, I need you to survive."Unlike before, I could understand what she was saying. Suddenly, I felt something wet on my face, accompanied by the return of the pain in my chest.I wanted to tell her not to leave me because I couldn't
-=Atilla's Point of View=-When I finally leave Ram's room, my feet feel too heavy; even though it hurts, I must distance myself for his sake.It's been a few days since the doctor said he's safe, and during the times he's unconscious, I'm always by his side, but it's time to fulfill my promise to finally leave him.Goodbye, Ram," I couldn't help the tears flowing from both my eyes as I looked at him for the last time.This is the last time I'll see him up close, and I'll bring that with me wherever I go.It's like there's an anchor weighing my feet down as I leave the hospital. Ram's dad doesn't know that this will be my last visit to his son."Are you ready?" Henry asked as I saw him waiting outside the hospital.I never thought he was waiting for me, ever since I was a child and had an accident, his treatment towards me suddenly changed for the better.I felt the love that I thought I would never feel from a family after my mom's death. Even though our dad never accepted me, Henry
-=Atilla's Point of View=-"Good afternoon passengers, this is your captain speaking. In a few minutes we will be landing at Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport. We hope that you had a great time flying with us, and on behalf of my team, thank you for trusting us. Welcome to Sydney, Australia," the captain announced on the speakers on the plane.After more or less twelve hours, we finally arrived in Australia, where I chose to go. I chose to try and build myself here because I knew Ram would never think of looking for me in this country.A bitter smile appeared on my lips as I walked down the aisle and Australia greeted me. To be honest, this is my first time visiting this country, so I couldn't help but feel scared about what awaits me in this foreign land.I didn't know anyone, but Henry had business here, so he agreed to let me stay here. He said he knows some trustworthy people who can watch over me, as if I needed someone to watch over me."Welcome Ms. Atilla to Australi
-=Atilla's Point of View=-On that same day, Nicole invited me to go for a walk, something I had not done since I arrived in Australia. There are so many different things to see in this country that are really enjoyable.We went to Paddington Market, a well-known location to buy things, and Nicole was clearly more excited about it than I was. I mean, seriously, who needs this to move on?After Nicole shopped for various items, we decided to have an early lunch at a restaurant called Fish at the Rocks to try their food."Table for two, please," I said with a smile to the waiting staff at the door.He pulled out his walkie-talkie and talked to someone inside, confirming if there was an available seat, and after that, he finally let us in, where a waiter was waiting for us and showed us to our seats."Good morning ladies, this is our menu," he greeted us with a smile, and for some reason, I could feel that he was Filipino."I will have scallops grilled, cauliflower coconut, cumin puree,
-=Atilla's Point of View=-"Ram?"I couldn't believe that I would see him here and that he would be the one to save me from the person who tried to take advantage of me.I felt like my heart was about to burst with joy at seeing the person I love again."Are you okay, Atilla?" he asked with concern as he looked at me.I still couldn't believe that I would see him in Australia. I wondered if Henry had told him where I was, but I knew that was unlikely to happen because he promised never to allow Ram to come near me again.I still couldn't speak and didn't answer his question. I just stared at him until I didn't realize my tears were flowing freely as I hugged Ram, who looked surprised.Hush, hush, Atilla, I'm here, and I won't let you disappear from my life. I love you so much," he said emotionally.I felt him lift my face with his hand to meet his gaze. I could see the love in his eyes that I had prayed for so much."Ram," was all I could say at that moment, but the scene didn't last
-=Atilla's Point of View=-"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm okay? I had a few drinks and decided to go to a nearby hotel to be safe," I made an excuse to Nicole.As I planned before going home, I already thought of an alibi so she wouldn't worry. I knew it wasn't her fault that she couldn't answer my calls, and I'm sure she didn't mean to bail out on our meeting.That's just how Nicole is, the jetlag really hit her hard, making her fall into a deep sleep last night."Are you sure? Maybe you're not telling the truth because you don't want me to feel guilty. I promise, I'll accept it," she kept insisting."I told you already, Nicole. I had a few drinks and felt dizzy, so I decided to sleep at a nearby hotel. That's all," I exclaimed, feeling exasperated since she still looked skeptical."Ahh, okay. So how was your 'me time' yesterday?" She asked me, smiling and going back to her bubbly attitude.I finally breathed a sigh of relief, as I'm really bad at lying. "It was fun.
-=Atilla's Point of View=-"Lord, I pray that he finds the peace he needs, and I hope he forgives me for everything," I whispered in prayer. It hurts me to lose him, but I have to let him go.How do you let go of someone who has been a big part of your life, someone who has been there for you in times of need? I can't help but cry because of the pain I feel.I just hope he finds the peace he deserves."Come on, Atilla," I heard my best friend Nicole call me. I can see that she's affected by what I'm going through, but we need to let him go.Nicole and I walked together towards the room. My feet felt heavy as we walked because, even though I've decided, it still hurts me to lose him.I took a deep breath before I opened the door to the room, and a wide smile appeared on my lips as I saw that he was awake. When he saw me, he returned the smile."Atilla..." Ram said as he kept his gaze on me. I could see the love in his eyes.Honestly, it felt like I died when he lost consciousness in my
-=Atilla's Point of View=-The family decided to take Anthony home and hire two private nurses to take care of him 24/7.Everyone is still in shock over what happened, the accident, and the possibility that Anthony may not wake up.Ang was the most affected by the events, so I couldn't leave him, especially with what he's going through. I made a decision, even though it hurts me, but Ang needs me more, and it hurts me to let Ram go.Just thinking about Ram has already made my eyes water with emotion. It feels like my heart is going to explode from the pain I feel at the thought of losing Ram, the man I love the most.It has been two days since we took Anthony out of the hospital, and I haven't received any news from Ram yet. I know I need to tell him my decision, but I don't think I can meet him in person. So, even though it's not right, I decided to call him and let him know.Hello, Atilla, how are you?" I heard him say it on the other end. He answered my call immediately, which mean
-=Atilla's Point of View=-Hours passed as Anthony remained in the operation room; no one spoke amongst us; our thoughts were focused on the patient whom the doctors were attempting to save.Perhaps the procedure lasted more than six hours before the doctor emerged, exhausted by what had happened."How's my husband?" Miranda asked the doctor as she approached him."The operation was successful, but he's not yet safe; the next forty-eight hours will be critical; he must wake up within that time or else he may end up in a coma," the doctor said. I could see the sadness on the faces of the patient's family, especially Miranda's, who appeared really concerned.Anthony was taken to the intensive care unit (ICU) following the procedure for thorough monitoring. Ang and I decided to keep an eye on him because their mom appeared to be overburdened. Despite her protests, Ang's stepfather refused to let her continue watching over her son."Everything will be okay, Ang, and you need to be strong
-=Atilla's Point of View=-It was as if I were frozen in place while looking at the pain etched on Ang's face. I never knew he would find out this way.Yes, I have already made my decision, and I will follow my heart. Even though it's hard for me, I have to be true to Ang. I hate to hurt Ang because he is very kind to me, but I don't think I can deceive him and myself anymore, although not in this way."Atilla, what does this mean?" He asked in a trembling voice. I could see the bitterness in his eyes when he found out that I was being unfaithful. It breaks my heart to see Ang like this.Ram quickly stepped in to protect me from Ang, but I immediately pushed him away because I knew that Ang wouldn't hurt me. He's such a kind person."Ang... I just want to say..." but I was interrupted by the sudden sound of his cell phone ringing. Ang didn't want to answer it, but it kept ringing, so he had no choice."Anthony... I don't have time right now... Who is this?" He asked, sounding surprise
-=Atilla's Point of View=-The following day, I woke up with a smile on my face after learning the good news about Henry's condition.My chest felt lighter now that I knew he was improving. I went immediately to the kitchen, where my breakfast was already cooked, but dining alone was extremely depressing, so I only ate a small amount. It didn't, however, dampen my spirits, especially since I knew Henry was on the mend.I didn't need to go to the office early that day because I had meetings in the afternoon, so I decided to call Samantha to let her know of my plan. However, being a workaholic, I couldn't resist opening my laptop and checking my emails. I received various documents that didn't need urgent attention, so after making sure there were no important emails, I turned off my MacBook.I turned on the TV in my room, but I couldn't find anything I wanted to watch, so I turned it off after a while.I took some time to think before deciding to take a bath. I filled the bathtub with
-=Atilla's Point of View=-Until now, I am still shocked about what I learned about Miranda and Ang. I mean, who would have thought that Miranda's husband is actually Ang's brother, Anthony? I haven't met the guy yet, even though Ang and I have been in a relationship for over a year. I felt Ang's love for his brother even though he never said it.If I'm not mistaken, Miranda has been married three or maybe four times since marrying Anthony. I'm not sure about the details because I don't like to gossip, but it's inevitable to hear about these things from other friends.Miranda's last marriage was with a wealthy Filipino businessman who died suddenly. His wealth went to Miranda, leading to rumors of foul play in his death. Miranda was blamed, but it was never proven.Ang remained quiet during our drive, and his expression was the same when he saw Miranda. I didn't want to ask questions and add fuel to his already raging fury.I still can't believe that Miranda is a gold digger. She's al
-=Atilla's Point of View=-Even though a lot was going through my mind, I had to go back to work because I promised Ellaine that I wouldn't neglect Henry's businesses, and that's what I intended to do.It had been three days since we returned to Manila, and I had not seen Ram for three days. I missed him so much. During those three days.Ang had not left my side and continued to take care of me. I feel that I don't deserve Ang because he is such a good person, and he deserves someone who loves him wholeheartedly."Are you sure you want to go to work? Your brother will understand if you need to rest for a few more days," Ang tried to convince me, and I could see the concern on his face as he looked at me.I was already dressed for work when I entered the office. I informed my temporary secretary that I was now in charge of Henry's businesses. I couldn't afford to be absent because I was sure that there were piles of papers that needed my attention and signature.He couldn't do anything
-=Atilla's Point of View=-I was greatly surprised when I saw Ang getting off one of the boats I saw earlier not far away. Actually, I just woke up to get some water when I noticed the five boats approaching the island. I thought they might be coming for us after realizing Ram and I were missing, but I didn't expect to see Ang with them, considering I knew he was still in the US."Oh my God, Atilla!" Ang exclaimed, hugging me tightly as he reached me. His embrace felt nice, but I didn't feel any special connection from it. However, I admit I missed him a lot because we haven't seen each other for so long due to recent events.Honestly, I didn't know what to say at that moment because I was still in shock that we were finally found on this island. I let myself be embraced by Ang, feeling like I could always count on him no matter the situation, but I was surprised when he released me after a while."You must be Ram," I was surprised to hear Ang say that, and when I turned around, I saw
-=Ram''s Point of View=-"Please don't do this, Ram," she begged me with pleading eyes when I didn't let her move away from me, because I wanted to hear from her once and for all that she still loved me.I tried to stand my ground, but eventually I gave in."Well, I guess I don't have any choice but to wait. I waited for almost two years, and it will not kill me to wait for a few more days, weeks, or even months, what's important is now," I said seriously, and when I noticed that she wasn't comfortable, I smiled at her.We went back to the beach to share a meal together. I had followed her earlier, when I noticed that she had been in the forest for quite some time, and to my surprise, I saw her swimming in the lagoon without wearing anything. That was when I decided to join her, and the inevitable happened between us.To be honest, when we made love for the first time ever since we arrived on this island, I didn't know how to treat her, especially since I knew she would feel guilty af