Chapter 6

That morning, Laura woke up to her phone’s alarm. She forgot to turn it off, so she sleepily did so. As soon as she saw Gael’s reply, she sat up.

In the middle of typing her reply, she quickly pressed the answer button when Gael called her.

“Good morning, love,” he greeted.

She sweetly smiled upon hearing Gael’s voice. She hugged her pillow and lay on her stomach and then began speaking, “Morning, too—” But she didn’t get to finish her sentence as someone suddenly grabbed her phone and threw it against her bedroom wall.

Shocked, she sat up in bed and looked at her broken cellphone.

He looked at Astin to see his dark and fuming rage.

“What the hell is your problem, Astin?” she asked.

No answer came from Astin. He just threw himself onto her side. And she was about to get up when he pulled her close and hugged her tightly.

“You are mine, Laura. Only mine. Bear that on your mind,” he said possessively, closing his eyes as if he were still sleepy. Laura has always heard these words from his mouth, ever since she was a young girl. 

She couldn’t move for a moment while in his arms. Later on, she heard his faint snoring. She held his cheek to check if he was really sleeping. She figured out he had fallen asleep quickly after pulling her into his arms. She could smell the hint of alcohol on his breath, but he still somehow smelt good. Since he wasn’t moving anymore, she decided to slip out of his embrace.

Carefully, she unwrapped his arm from her waist and got out of bed. She glanced at him before picking up her broken phone and removing her SIM card.

She quickly showered and packed a few clothes into her backpack. She and Gael were supposed to meet in the afternoon, but she decided to leave early. She didn’t want Astin to know she was meeting her boyfriend. Even now, she hadn’t figured out how to explain her current situation to Gael.

She didn’t bother fixing herself up. Astin was still sound asleep when she left her room.

Thankfully, she had a spare phone, which she used to text her friend, Asia, to let her know she’d be spending time at her place. She told her family she needed to buy supplies for a project. This was the first time she’d lied since she moved into the Hernandez family home.

Her friend Asia hugged her as soon as she opened the gate and led her into the large yard. She saw her mom and greeted her, who was watering the plants.

“Good morning, Tita,” she said to Mrs. Del Franco, who replied warmly upon recognizing her.

“Oh, it’s you, Laura. How are you? I heard you and Aste are getting married,” she said with a smile, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

“I’m fine, Tita Darl. Yes, we’re getting married,” Laura replied, her voice tinged with sadness.

Mrs. Del Franco noticed her expression and frowned.

“What’s with that sad face, dear? Aren’t you happy with the idea of marrying Aste?”

Asia jumped in before she could respond.

“Mo, I already told you the reason. Why are you bothering her again?” she said, frowning at Mrs. Del Franco.

“Fine, I won’t ask again,” Mrs. Del Franco replied, then turned back to Laura. “Enjoy your stay, Laura. But if you need someone to talk to, just let me know, okay?”

Laura nodded and smiled at her.

Asia led her into their luxurious home. Though Asia’s family was wealthy, Asia never flaunted it, especially around their classmates. Asia was very down to earth, just like her father. She dressed simply, just like her, so people often mistook them for being less privileged. Laura was indeed less well-off—her father owned only a small house and lot. In contrast, Asia’s family was very wealthy; her father was a respected businessman, known for his skill in managing enterprises. Laura knew Asia’s father had come from humble beginnings and worked hard to lift himself out of poverty, while Asia’s mother was a former model with a privileged background and once dated Astin’s father, Kent, before marrying Kendra. This was partly why Astin disliked Asia, calling her “the child of his dad’s ex-lover.” Laura didn’t understand why it mattered, as both mothers had moved on and even became friends.

“So, are you going to tell Gael the truth later?” Asia asked once they were inside her room.

Laura sat on her friend’s bed and looked straight at her.

“I don’t even know how to start. Ahhh! This is so hard, Bestie. Help me,” she said, rubbing her face in frustration.

“I’ve always told you to choose Astin. I know he’s a little bit pushy, but he loved you for so long, and you know him well. You’ve only known Gael for a year, Bestie. You don’t know him that well yet. No offense, but I think his family is a bit snobbish,” Asia replied in a long spiel.

“Why did you say that?” Laura asked in surprise.

“That’s what my dad and brother said,” Asia replied with a shrug.

Laura remained silent. She had never met Gael’s parents, though he had tried to introduce her several times, and she always refused. Gael’s family was also wealthy, which made her hesitant to meet them since she felt she had nothing to offer them.

By 2 p.m., she was ready for her meeting with Gael. She didn’t know what would come of their conversation. But as soon as she overheard Asia talking to Astin on the phone, thankfully telling him she wasn’t around, she’d figure out what really needed to be done. They’d anticipated he would call, so Asia and her family agreed to say she was “not here.”

She held onto her small sling bag tightly as she entered the coffee shop where she and Gael agreed to meet. He had arrived before her and watched her as she entered. She studied his gentle face and wondered how he would react after telling him that she was engaged to Astin.

Gael stood up as she approached, smiling. She smiled back, and he hugged her tightly, kissing her cheek as she came closer. He even pulled out a chair for her. She let him order for them both afterwards.

They both stayed silent until their orders arrived. The silence lingered, neither of them wanting to start the conversation, until Laura finally spoke.

“Gael.”

“Love.”

They both spoke at the same time, which made him chuckle softly.

“After you, my love,” he said. His voice was full of tenderness.

She smiled at him. As soon as nervousness filled her, it faded. Her tongue felt like it might want to escape as her heartfelt heavy. Her boyfriend, Gael, treated her so well with so much kindness and respect for months.

“G-Gael,” she said while holding back her feelings. She bit her lower lip, trying to stop herself from crying. She took a deep breath, finally managing to speak. “I—I’m getting married,” she said softly, looking down. She couldn’t bear to see his reaction.

Her hands kept on shaking, so she tried to hide them on her lap. Gael reached out her hands and held them, kissing as he looked up straight into her eyes.

“Do you love him?” he asked after a moment.

She froze. He knew Astin had feelings for her, so she assumed he was asking about him. She had never kept anything from Gael about Astin ever since, which was why he had agreed to keep their relationship hidden.

She shook her head. “I love you, Gael,” she said. Her eyes started to fill with tears. “I don’t know how to deal with this, but Astin’s family is such a blessing to me, and I owe his family so much. I don’t know what to do, but I know I have to repay their kindness in this way even though I don’t love him. I don’t want to hurt you, Gael, but we have to end this. I hope you understand my decision. You deserve someone better than me,” she said, struggling with her words as tears continued to fall.

She looked up when he gently wiped away her tears.

“I love you too, Laura. If you don’t love him, don’t force yourself. Come with me. We can go somewhere if you want; I can’t bear to lose you. I love you so much, you know that,” he said, planting a gentle kiss on her hand.

“Gael,” she managed to say, shocked by his suggestion of running away. She hadn’t expected him to suggest that.

At that moment, a decision began to take shape in her mind. She felt like she now had an idea of what she wanted to do.

After eating, they spent the day together, setting aside her worries about the problem and her decision’s outcome.

She felt thrilled during their time together. It was the longest date they’d ever had. They finally decided to head home around 8 p.m., and Gael dropped her off a couple of houses away from the Hernandez residence to avoid drawing everyone’s  attention, including Astin.

Gael dropped her off past 9 p.m. due to traffic. She smiled as she climbed the stairs to her room. No one was in the living room, so she happily walked straight to her bedroom. But she stopped when she saw Astin’s room, feeling a wave of sadness. She let out a deep sigh before turning the handle of her door.

She reached for the switch to turn on her room’s light, almost screaming when the light revealed Astin sitting seriously in the single chair facing her door. His face was unreadable as he looked at her. She swallowed hard before forcing her stiff legs to move forward.