Chapter 8

Astin is very reluctant to leave Laura at her house at that time. Tomorrow was their wedding, and still, he was nervous. Uneasy filled him.  He didn’t want to go home yet, but his mother encouraged him to do so. They weren’t supposed to see each other today, but he insisted. Her mother wants him just to drop off Laura and then leave, but he can’t. He preferred to stay with her. He wouldn’t be at ease until they were married. He still had a few hours to wait before the woman he loved would finally be his.

He looked at his friends, who were now causing a disturbance. They were throwing him a bachelor’s party. They were on the rooftop of their hotel, enjoying the calm sea and beautiful cabins.

Because he didn’t want Laura to have a bad impression of him, he refused to let his friends bring women. Even though he knew Laura’s feelings towards him weren’t entirely certain, he respected and valued her emotions and opinions. He was already a bad shot with her and didn’t want to worsen things. He was confident Laura felt something for him when they were close. And that’s a good start. He could make her fall for him once they were married. And he had plans in his mind to make their marriage work.

He hoped Callen’s claim that Gael had left the country was true. At least he could breathe for now. He didn’t quite believe it, but after Callen showed him airport CCTV footage and video of Gael boarding a plane, he believed it. After all, Callen’s family owned one of the biggest airlines and airports in the Philippines. Though he was three years older than Callen, they had become classmates and best friends because Callen was an accelerated student. Their parents were also close friends.

“Still uneasy?” Callen asked with a smile.

“Yeah. I can’t wait for sunrise. I want her to be mine. I want to fast-forward time, Pal.” They called each other “Pal.”

“Relax. How can you win Laura’s heart if you’re like this? Too eager, ready to lash out. You’re acting like a stalker. Some women don’t like that. And you’re suffocating her. Do you think she’ll love you for it? But of course, I’ll pray she does, Pal,” Callen laughed. “If possible, try to change yourself a bit. And be patient,” he said, patting Astin’s arm. It was as if Callen was a love expert.

“F*ck you!” Astin said, sipping drinks from the shot glass.

“Oh, yeah,” Callen said, still smiling. “Seriously, Pal. You need to change your way. If you want to win her heart, listen to what she wants. Don’t get me wrong, huh? I mean, if she says she doesn’t want something, then don’t do it. If she does want it, give it to her. It’s that simple. In short, be willing to compromise for her. It doesn’t make us any less manly. Stop manipulating her life. She feels indebted to your parents for everything they have done for her family. It’s like pressuring her. And also, you’re like a boss giving orders. Do you get my point, Pal?” Callen said at length.

Astin froze, taking in his friend’s words. Of course, he understood. He knew how Laura felt. He couldn’t understand himself, though. He was impatient when it came to her. He tried to give her space, but the thought of Gael beating him to her haunted him. He was afraid that in the end, she’d choose Gael. But now that they were at the point of getting married, why change his approach when she was already within reach?

“Tell me honestly, Callen Dominic. How many girls have you dated? You seem to know a lot.”

“I won’t answer. You might be shocked,” Callen laughed, leaving Astin alone.

Astin shook his head. He had never seen Callen with a girlfriend, so he knew he was joking. His friend just had a more mature mindset than he did.

He ended the party early because they had to rehearse early in the morning. They had prepared a special number for the wedding. He didn’t want to participate. Andy convinced him that it would impress his soon-to-be wife, and Ezi agreed. He wasn’t a good dancer, so he’d sing a song while his friends danced. It felt silly, but he had to do it.

As planned, they practised their special number for an hour. Before showering, he called Laura’s house, but their maid answered, saying Laura was in the shower getting ready for her make-up. He didn’t call back to check on her. What mattered to him at that time was that she was there and ready to marry him. Even if she had doubts, he wouldn’t allow her to back out. Whether she wanted to or not, she would marry him soon, and there was no escape. She will become his wife in the next few hours.

His mother was fixing his tux. Her tears kept falling, which made him laugh.

“‘Ma, it’s my wedding day, not a funeral,” he teased, wiping her tears. “Stop crying. You’re ruining your beauty, Ma. You should look as lovely as Laura.”

“I can’t help it, son. I still can’t believe you’re getting married, my sweet boy. It feels like just yesterday I was holding you, and now... you’re getting married. Time flies. I guess your Papa and I have to accept that you’re both grown now. You know now, Andy’s getting married next year, too. It’s sad, but I’m happy for you,” she said tearfully.

He chuckled at her words.

“‘Ma, we’ll just be living in another house. We’re not leaving you and Papa forever,” he promised, hugging her tightly and making her cry even harder.

He called for the makeup artist to fix his mother’s tear-streaked face and then stepped away.

The church was a thirty-minute drive, so they decided to take a helicopter. His so-called Mommy Nikki and Daddy Sebastian were picking up Laura. They would walk her down the aisle. Laura’s father couldn’t leave the institution where he was admitted due to his illness.

Upon arriving at the church, the wedding coordinator directed him to his place. Laura’s house was nearby, so she should be arriving soon. He looked around at the guests, who were smiling. His friends and relatives were all there. Not many relatives were on Laura’s side. Some of her high school friends and current college classmates had attended.

He rubbed his palms when the coordinator announced that everything was ready except for the bride. Laura hadn’t arrived yet. Their wedding was scheduled for ten. He tried calling her phone. She had just opened and activated the replacement phone. He broke her old one because of anger. He knew this because he’d enabled the tracker last night. She’d also texted him a good night, which gave him some comfort.

He had called several times, but no one answered. He was getting anxious. Fifteen minutes had passed, and he was getting more agitated. Laura was always punctual.

He looked at his mother, busy dialing a number, her face filled with worry. Since Sebastian had already gone to the church, she was probably calling Nikki.

After a moment, the wedding coordinator approached his mother and whispered something. She turned to him and said, “She’s coming!”

He breathed a sigh of relief at her words and stood up straighter.

“This is it,” he thought to himself.

The orchestra was ready to start, waiting for a signal from the church doors. His nervousness turned to joy. Finally, Laura would be his. He couldn’t hide his smile as the orchestra began to play, and he saw his parents’ joyful faces as they looked at him.

The singer began to sing “Born for You” by David Pomeranz.

“Too many billion people running around the planet

What is the chance in heaven that you'd find your way to me?”

He looked at the church doors. They hadn’t opened yet. People were whispering.

“Tell me what is this sweet sensation

It's a miracle that happened”

Finally, he heard the creak of the door opening, signaling Laura’s arrival. He was excited to see her, imagining how beautiful she would look. He thought she would be the most beautiful bride in the world.

As the door slowly opened, his heart pounded harder, and he tapped his chest to calm it. A large, sweet smile spread across his face as he saw Nikki and Sebastian standing at the door, appearing to argue. They both turned to look at him as they noticed the door opening. His mother gripped his arm as he almost collapsed.

The orchestra and the singer stopped.

From afar, he understood what his two were silently conveying. Laura wasn’t with them. Their faces were etched with sadness. Everyone was now staring at him.

His heart felt like it was about to explode. It was as if a dagger had pierced his chest, and only Laura could pull it out. No one else. Only the woman he loved.

Laura hadn’t shown up. The person he had wanted to spend his life with had run away, leaving him with only pain.

He stormed out through a side door, clenching his fists to hold back tears. He wanted to scream but held himself back.

“Astin!” his parents, Kendra and Kent, called after him.

He turned to look at them for a moment. His friends approached, but he waved them off.

He hurried out and found his assistant, Romel, who handed him the car keys.

Furious, he sped towards Laura’s house. There, he found the maid tidying Laura’s room. He yelled at her, frustrated that she hadn’t stopped Laura from leaving. She was Laura’s lone companion last night. He demanded to know where Laura had gone, but the maid could only say that Laura had left.

Later, the maid handed him a letter, which he quickly grabbed. He opened it slowly, and as he finished reading, he nearly lost his balance.

He shook his head repeatedly. Astin can’t believe what was written in the letter. And all he could feel at that moment was a mix of pain and anger. She chose to run away with her boyfriend, Gael, making it clear that she would never choose or love him.

It feels like his heart is being squeezed. He sank on the floor she had occupied. And at that moment, he can’t control his tears from falling, which he's holding back for a long time. 

He returned to the church with tears in his eyes. He boarded the helicopter bound for Manila. He had to find her. Even if he had to search the entire Philippines. He would do it for her. He wouldn’t allow Gael to take the woman he loved. He wouldn’t stand for it!