Chapter 2 (Part 2)

The ray of the blazing sun woke Yzel up, as it went through the spaces of her window curtain. Her headaches from getting drunk last night and she felt a tingling sensation coming from the palm of her right hand.

Right, she was furious about Francis presscon speaking about their breakup without letting her know or giving her any heads-up. If right after their breakup, Yzel was just a complete stranger to him, Francis should at least respect her as a lady, who would be put in the spotlight.

Staring at her bed ceiling, she couldn't tell which hurt the most on her body, her head, the laceration at her palm or her heart, the buzzing vibrations of her phone got her back to her senses. She grabbed it from below her sheets and rose from her bed, as she answered the call.

Articles about their breakup spread like a wildfire on different websites and the most talked hashtag in Twitter. Stella just learned the story from an article recently published.

"Hey." She said as she hit the green button up.

"Yah, Yzel!" Screamed by the girl on the other end of the line. "With all the surprising scandals, you really signed up for a guesting and a public appearance, under my agency!" raising her tone to Yzel as she continued speaking. She could hear a car door slammed in the background with people greeting her good morning.

"Oh, Stella!" Yzel greeted her back with such enthusiasm. "Who on earth can tell what happened and it's your agency ang napili ko for my guesting and public appearance,'' she told her with a glad tone. She was pushing her hair on the back of her ear. Why would look for another agency, when her best friend owned one?

"Listen, biatch," Stella said, making her voice sound authoritative. "I am busy with all the events our agency has, and ayokong maging excuse mo ang breakup nyo ni Francis once you signed the contract with my agency." 

Stella paused, as she moved the phone on her left ear with her left shoulder as a support, she was getting in an elevator, and she needed to press the buttons.

"Is there no other agency who can take you? You are the headlines in the business right now," Stella added.

"Never got a chance to call another agency e. I was drunk calling, good thing I called your agency." Yzel answered back Stella with such a glowing face, as if she finally moved on.

"Oh my god. That explains where I am getting this dark energy from," with her voice shaking, Stella replied. 

Stella's agency was not really doing well after their partnership with Francis' company ended. As she believed that herself was a strong and independent lady, Stella took pride by having her own agency alone.

"Oh c'mon, it can't be bad," Yzel said with such a consoling tone. "I am still the Goddess of Fashion, a local trendsetter with so many fashion show offers and influencer invites," justified herself.

"And now a noise-maker," Stella added awfully. "I need to see you in my office today," she told Yzel. Then a door banged at her background.

A few minutes later, Yzel bid goodbye to Stella. Ending the call, put her wallpaper back to her home screen, where she and Francis were having the best moments of their company on a cruise last year. Moving on, was not a two word action that could be easily processed by a human's heart and brain. It took time and effort. It was not just an overnight hangover that could be made okay by a lemonade or an iced tea. It was way more than our words and emotions could tell.

But Yzel could admit that her moving on phase should start from her wallpapers and lockscreens to cleaning her galleries. After changing the wallpaper and the lockscreen of her phone, she headed to the bathroom to take a shower and to get prepared for today's agenda. 

Drinking and crying for two weeks with pure wine and alcohol, and not eating properly had made her skin shrinked and look saggy. But before she could do her morning skincare rituals, Yzel needed to look for a band-aid first and a gauze and povidone iodine to disinfect and clean her wound. What on earth would she hold a glass and hurt herself? Francis had already hurt her, in the first place, why would she want to hurt herself too? What a masochist.

It was already late in the afternoon when Yzel finished preparing. She might not have an official public appearance but she would be out today. And that would be enough reason for her to doll up and be today's star.

With her Ralph and Lauren tied bow blouse as an inner top, she partnered it with Plains and Prints jumpsuit in blue. She straightened her bangs and tied her hair in a messy bun and put on earth-toned makeup. She just made it light enough to have some head to turn back and check if Yzel was wearing makeup or not. She got her Charles and Keith winter collection bag in brown and for the final look, she grabbed her Aldo wedge heels.

"Summer is it," she exclaimed at the front of the mirror. She was wearing some of her gems from Royal Gem. 

( Disclaimer : This story is pure fiction. The fashion look and vibe as well as the brands mentioned has nothing to do with the story. The style is just elaborated for characterization of the story. )

After finishing her look, she went to the parking lot to get her car from the valet and headed to SH Images as Stella told her. 

Yzel was fully aware of her denial stage. Two weeks of crying and drinking what brought her good? Nothing, aside from saggy and wrinkles, she got nothing while Francis on the other hand had started his new life with his new girlfriend, without her. 

Moving on couldn't be rushed and Yzel knew that. However it shouldn't be enjoyed too. This phase was a figuring out stage of how to continue living and going back on how your life once was. This wouldn't be easy, but she had the courage to widen her perspective and to take this as a big life-changing point in her life.

She arrived at her destination and as she expected, people gathered around her, like an ant around a candy on the ground. Good thing, the security was alert, as her arrival was announced today.

Stella and Yzel were best friends since childhood, and had been together through ups and downs of their life. And she was one of those precious people Yzel cut off too. Francis' appearance and statement actually made most of the media and broadcasting stations intrigued about the real score of their breakup, and so with the social media. Her ex-boyfriend might have caught the sympathy of the people but not Yzel, never. 

Yzel arrived at Stella's office who was actually looking out from her window, watching small tabloid's reporters trying to get an ambush interview with Yzel. But not on Stella's watch. Her company might not be doin so well with the finances right now but that didn't mean that her MA skills weren't still the best.

"I am leaving everything under your care, biatch." Yzel welcomed her with that statement as she approached her and watched the crowd with her. She turned to her bestfriend and put her hands on her shoulder and smiled.

"Alright," she said with such a cheerful tone. "Just make sure this will be worth at least a 6-digit thousands, biatch," she ended with a sly smile, also with a threatening voice and a forced smile. They were like sisters, but business should be still a business.

"Shall we discuss it na?" Yzel said with a smirk, trying to break the dark shadows clouding Stella's head.

"So did you bring all the guestings and the invites that you wanna collaborate with?" Stella asked her while they both sat down on the table at the front of her table.

"Yeah, but these are just few," Yzel told her. "Yung mga collaborations na gustong-gusto ko lang talaga," she added. She was handing the list over to Stella.

"Di naman kailangang madami agad," she said with a comforting voice, "What we need is to still make you occupied and to look like you are ready for any business," Stella said. She was making her point in the conversation. She set aside the list Yzel gave her and reached for some pens from her side table.

"Okay let's see here," Stella started. She turned some pages of a notebook close to hers, as if she was looking for some notes. "We will start from here," she said. She turned the notebook upside down for Yzel to take a look on.

"An interview? Live pa?" Yzel questioned the list on the notebook while raising an eyebrow. "You sure about this? A live interview?" she repeated. She was looking at her bestfriend straight at her face.

"We need to build your character first, biatch. We need to show the media, who are you without Francis. You gotta create an impression of your own self after this massive intrigue. Who the real you after this issue, who you are gonna be." Stella consoled Yzel with a warm and firm voice of determination as she held her hand resting on the table. "Your thoughts about this, what did this teach you? What are your takeaways," Stella added. She just nodded her head.

Yzel felt a sudden heat from the cold room as she began to lose words to respond. What Stella was telling her was actually correct. Who was she without Francis? Who would she be now that Francis had stepped out from her life that she used to devote to them, together. What did she learn about these, why these things were happening.

For the past two weeks, Yzel enjoyed the sorrow and despair, but she never thought any reflection about her current situation right now. 

"But, we have to put every word you will say in a positive reinforcement." Stella noted down while tapping her fingers on the table. "We need to make you sound cheerful and independent," she said to her. She reached her phone to call her secretary to bring them something to snack to.

"I get what you are saying and I have a good feeling about this, but I honestly don't know who I am right now," Yzel told Stella about her feelings about the interview.

"You see, we used to do stuff and everything together, I can't even post anything at my social media accounts, and..."

Yzel rattled while trying to let her innermost feelings get out. Tears started to form at the corner of her eyes while looking for words to put her emotions in a phrase.

"Most of your chosen invites and appearances will be next month, and that is almost two weeks from today," Stella said. Her secretary went in to bring their food. "I will make a script for your interview, and just keep the honesty all the way through." Stella finished her statement as her secretary put their food on the table.

"I know you can't lie and you are doing this for a revenge of humiliation." Stella's statement ended there as Yzel gave her a straight glare at her face.

"No, I am not doing this for revenge, or to destroy anyone!" she butted in. "I am doing this because I wanna take pride in myself. I can't just lose myself because someone didn't want me in their life, I am doing this because I need to move on and continue living. And for me to do that,  I need to carry on my normal life as if nothing happened," she elaborately explained, making her whole feelings out of this conversation. No words could express how much she loved Francis and spending 365 days with him would be hard enough not to miss those days she was cherished and taken care of, but that was just a year of who she was. She had a life a year before that and a career, and a passion that made her where and who she was right now.

Stella reached for her cup of joe and sipped it. Black coffee, though bitter, had a calming sensation that made it popular beyond its taste, and so with life. Bitterness was needed to have savoury food, and as life was tackled, every bitterness was just another spice added to your one of a kind life.

Yzel then reached for her cake and took a slice of it. Stella knew her for three-fourths of her age, and she knew it took her days of courage to compose herself for those firm words.

Staring at her bestfriend who ate like she had not eaten for days, just to defend herself from the anxiety of her statement made Stella chuckled as she put her cup down.

"Wag kang tumawa dyan Stella." Yzel scolded her while munching her cake. "You are putting me on a hot seat, it is stressing me. Ugh!" she exaggerated as she continued to eat.

Silence as the two of them enjoy each other's company. No words, no sounds, just the two of them making their own satisfaction on their snack while enjoying each other's presence. This company was truly priceless.

Yzel put her plate down as she kept her head low. Stella, who was enjoying the pinkish-orange skies of 5pm, caught her attention and turned to her.

"Let's do it," Yzel said. She lifted her head and stared at her bestfriend's face directly. Stella smirked as she finished her coffee.

"Bakit?" Stella asked her as she put her coffee down, empty.

"I've been living like this, even before Francis came and turned my whole world upside down." Yzel started as she looked at the glow of the 5pm skies. "And if I wanna get back on track, I need to make decisions about my feelings and emotions. We easily swayed by other people's stories of apology and success, but I wanna be different by being honest of who I am, whenever that'll be the reason kung bakit nya ko iniwan or whatnot," she paused. "Having this conversation with you right now was enough to prove that I am not the bad omen here." She finished her statement as she made a big sincere smile.

"Exception kaya ako," Stella butted in. "We've been friends since middle high, so I know you too well to tell," she said and the both of them laughed.

Stella just continued laughing at Yzel, which gave Yzel comfort. It was really sad to continue living when you were used to living with someone all by your side, but what made life more wonderful, was its ups and downs which made everyone of us who we were right now.