Bonita's gaze shifted from her mother to her father, who were sitting side by side in the car, blurring in her vision due to the overwhelming aura of love between them. She almost screamed in frustration, unable to bear their pretense of indifference, but her mother’s house was now just within reach.She stepped out of the car first, hoping to avoid her parents. Dragging her father's suitcase from the trunk, she realized too late that she had to wait for her mother to unlock the door before entering.Nolan, trailing behind, glanced at the wooden house with a melancholic expression. He could imagine Edith living alone here for years and the time he spent without her, surrounded only by the noise of Jeremy and Bonita filling his own home.“I’ll put your suitcase in Jeremy’s room,” Bonita said to Nolan, leaving the living room. She hoped her parents would find a way to communicate properly because they spent more time exchanging glances than words.Edith, about to sit in the living room,
Bonita's body plunged into the swimming pool. Her vision blurred as bubbles suddenly surrounded her, but her body instinctively sought to float. "What are you doing?"Jeremy shouted back, his face flushed with anger. "That's what I should be asking you! What are you doing? Your wedding is about to—""Stop it," Nolan interrupted sternly. "Can't you both calm down?"Jeremy turned to Nolan, ready to protest, but his words caught in his throat when he noticed Edith's presence. He hadn’t realized she was there, watching from the living room as Bonita strolled in earlier with a casual air, as if returning from a vacation."Hi, Jeremy," Edith greeted softly, her face tinged with sadness and longing for her eldest child.Jeremy glared at Bonita, pointing accusingly. "Why did you bring her here? I agreed to let her come to your wedding, but I never said she could enter this house again!""Oh, come on. She’s our mom. I couldn’t let her stay in a hotel," Bonita said, dripping wet as she climbed
The days passed terribly for Benjamin. Losing his fiancée drove him to spend his time drinking until he passed out. Unable to move much due to his empty stomach since returning from the bar, he felt utterly drained.After being escorted home by someone he didn’t recognize, Benjamin decided to stock up on alcohol and finish it all in his apartment. Now, his room reeked of empty bottles and his unwashed body, untouched by water since his last meeting with Velica at the salon.Benjamin was drowning in despair. His upcoming wedding was beyond saving—he felt that with absolute certainty. Bonita must have decided to leave his life for good.The sensation of Bonita's lips on his haunted him vividly every time he took another drink. He clung to that lingering memory, refusing to let go of the last trace of her presence on his body. So, he continued drinking until he blacked out, the faint image of Bonita being the only company in his solitude.He gave up trying to reach for the bottle on the
It was late at night when everyone who needed an invitation received their cards, except for a handful of people. Bonita decided to deliver the remaining cards to the guests the next day, as her body was nearly numb with exhaustion.She stopped by the bridal shop, which had already closed, to pick up three dresses, two suits, and various sewing tools and extra materials. Then, she booked a hotel room as a temporary storage space for the items before heading home.The house was quiet when she stepped out of her car. For a moment, she almost thought she had entered the wrong home, but the unique architectural design reassured her as she walked further in. Melissa was chatting with Edith in the living room over a pile of photo albums on the table, while Jeremy and Nolan were nowhere to be seen.“You two seem to be having fun,” Bonita remarked, sitting down beside Edith. “Where’s Jeremy?”“He is locked himself in his room ever since you two argued,” Melissa replied with a serious expressi
After ensuring that Jeremy and Edith had reconciled, Bonita left for the hotel room she had rented at dawn to alter the dresses. She left a note on the refrigerator door instructing everyone not to contact her phone or inform Benjamin about anything, as she intended to meet her fiancé herself.Inside the hotel room, three headless torso mannequins stood in a row. Two wore the dresses belonging to Velica and Melissa, while the third was dressed in Jeremy’s suit. Bonita had little time to complete all the alterations, but she was determined to finish everything before the wedding ceremony.Her body moved tirelessly, fixing designs she found lacking and undoing unnecessary details. She skipped breakfast and lunch, entirely engrossed in her work. Every stitch she sewed into the fabric affirmed her resolve. She had no regrets—none at all.The dresses for Velica and Melissa, which required more adjustments, were completed first, followed by Jeremy’s suit. Night had fallen by the time she pa
Two suitcases and Bonita’s favorite bags had been moved to the hotel room, along with two dresses and two suits retrieved from the bridal shop before it opened. Edith’s dress was completed in the afternoon, while Nolan’s suit required only minor adjustments, taking just an hour and a half. Her wedding gown and Benjamin’s suit were intentionally left untouched inside their garment bags.Bonita packed up dresses and suits, along with her tools, mannequins, and materials from the bridal shop as she left the hotel. She spent the day driving around town, delivering the remaining wedding invitations. After a solitary dinner at a café, she headed to Velica’s apartment. Her best friend was stunned to see the bridesmaid dress looking quite different from the last fitting at the bridal shop the previous week.“Are you sure this matches your wedding gown?” Velica asked suspiciously.“No, it doesn’t. But it’ll pair perfectly with another dress.”“What do you mean?”Bonita held Velica’s hands tigh
Bonita placed the suit on the back of the chair and the wedding invitation card on the table, then approached Benjamin, who was sprawled awkwardly on the bed. The room reeked of alcohol, with five empty vodka bottles on the bedside table. In the four and a half years Bonita had known Benjamin, he had never been a drinker. She didn’t even know his alcohol tolerance.The man looked utterly disheveled, with unkempt hair and stubble on his chin, longer and messier than usual. His shirt appeared unchanged for several days, with hardened stains near the collar. His shoes dangled oddly from his feet, as if his attempt to escape had failed.Bonita removed his shoes and adjusted his bent legs before turning him to his side and propping him up with a pillow to prevent him from sleeping on his back. She was about to climb off the bed when Benjamin weakly reached for her arm, mumbling incoherently.Bonita gently brushed his messy hair back, her tears spilling over as the pain in her heart became
I canceled our wedding. I’ve returned Jenna’s ring and transferred all the money you spent on the wedding back to your account. The wedding suit I had made for you is yours to keep. I left it on the chair.There’s a wedding invitation card for you on the table. My parents are getting married in place of our wedding. I don’t expect you to attend because my father and Jeremy would be furious if they found out what happened. I left the card so you’d know.I wish I could say all of this to you in person. I’ve already said some of the things I wanted to, but you might not remember them when you wake up.I love you. Truly.My love for you is still the same as I write this. I canceled the wedding not because I hate you.When I first met you, I thought you were crazy for proposing to me before getting to know me better. I’d never been interested in falling in love before meeting you, but your presence kept haunting me. You kept pursuing me, and eventually, I gave in. I’m not even sure when I
While Nolan regretted his decision to let Edith go with Velica—resulting in his wife crying over years of neglecting Bonita—Bonita herself was enjoying solitude, wandering through a local fruit and vegetable market in a neighboring country’s countryside. In her handmade shopping bag, Bonita had already purchased at least two kinds of fruit and some vegetables but was still eager to explore more.The sweet and inviting aroma wafting from a pastry and bread stall drew her closer. She bought two apple pies and a few buns to snack on while continuing her stroll through the market.When a woman accidentally bumped her arm, Bonita turned to look. The woman apologized before walking away. Bonita shook her head dismissively but froze as she locked eyes with a man smiling at her. Confused, she glanced over her shoulder, thinking the smile wasn’t meant for her. Yet, no one else nearby seemed to be the recipient.When Bonita turned back, the man was already approaching her. Her instinct warned h
"Call me if my sister contacts you," Jeremy demanded as he approached the departure gate at the airport."She’ll call you if she wants to," Velica replied disinterestedly, hugging Melissa. "Take care of yourself. Living with him won’t be easy."Melissa glanced at Jeremy, who was still grumbling. "We’ll be fine, but please let me know if you hear anything about my sister-in-law. I’m really worried about her. She’s independent, reliable, and all that, but she’s still my sister-in-law. I don’t want her to face trouble without anyone to help her.""Sorry, even if she contacts me someday, I’ll keep it to myself because I don’t trust you. You’d go straight to Benjamin.""No, I promise I won’t tell Benjamin anything about her. If you must know, he’s disappeared too. I’ve had a hard time reaching him since the wedding ...." Melissa’s words trailed off as her gaze met Edith’s, who quickly averted her eyes."He’s disappeared?" Velica asked, intrigued."I once called Jenna. She cried before I co
"Can you stop worrying about your sister? She's not a child. She’ll come home once she’s done having fun," Nolan said as he closed the book in his hands, annoyed by Jeremy barging into his study once again without knocking."Can’t you show even a little concern for her? She’s your daughter!" Jeremy snapped, slumping into the chair with frustration."As you’ve said, she’s my daughter, and I do care about her. But I trust that she’ll be fine. She’s heartbroken right now—let her do whatever she needs to heal. She decided to leave on her own. Can’t you respect her decision?""Honestly, I can’t. She’s never been away from this house for so long. This home is her only safe haven. If she really wanted to live on her own, she’d have bought a house or an apartment long ago.""Things change, Jeremy. Your sister chose to leave, and she made that decision consciously. Accept it," Nolan replied, his lips twitching with irritation.Jeremy's brows furrowed in disbelief, unable to comprehend his fath
Uncertain of what more he could do to find Bonita, Benjamin was almost tempted by his old friend’s sudden offer of help. The man’s powerful family connections and vast social network could make it easy to trace Bonita, even though she was traveling the world with a different nationality.To mask his vulnerability, Benjamin accepted an invitation to drink in the friend’s hotel room. Too late, he realized the man had hired several escorts to join them.“I’m leaving,” Benjamin declared after downing his final glass, rising unsteadily and leaning against the wall for support.“Oh, come on! They’re just here to drink with us. They won’t bother you unless you let them touch you,” said Tristan, arms outstretched, his half-empty glass in hand.“They’re here for you, not me.”The slam of the door punctuated Benjamin’s exit. Tristan turned to the women with an amused smirk. “What an idiot, huh?”The women nodded like puppets. Their lives, sadly, were pawns of money, hired to entertain.Slamming
When Bonita shared her travel experiences on her blog and social media, Benjamin struggled even to write about the feeling of losing his former fiancée in his journal. While Bonita felt lazy about continuing her journey, Benjamin was still desperately trying to find a way to locate her. When Bonita laughed with new people she met along the way, Benjamin was overcome with frustration, cursing himself for failing to find the woman he loved. While Bonita slept in her campervan in the middle of the forest, Benjamin spent his nights sleeping on the roadside in his beloved Jeep.Benjamin crossed the country border before Bonita. He drove toward Mount Roraima, assuming she might head there. Unbeknownst to him, Bonita had altered her travel plans to visit nearby places before venturing further away.An experienced adventurer, Benjamin was accustomed to spending time in the wilderness. Sleeping on the ground or camping on mountain peaks was no burden for him. He knew how to collect water and i
Bonita’s travel plans, carefully crafted back at Edith’s house, shifted completely after she acquired the campervan. Both her destinations and timelines were now open-ended. She ventured into directions that hadn’t been part of her original itinerary and stayed in various places for as long as she pleased.One time, she camped in a forest far from any settlements for several days. The sound of animals and flowing rivers soothed her broken heart. The solitude, free from human interference, refreshed her soul in ways she had never imagined.Her habit of regularly purchasing branded clothes, bags, and accessories gradually disappeared. Bonita became more selective about her purchases, surprising herself with how much this approach reduced her stress. She found a newfound sense of relief in being surrounded by fewer belongings.While she was in the savanna, Eddison sent her official wedding photos of Nolan and Edith. The heat Bonita had felt under the blazing sun vanished the moment she s
Intrigued by Irena, Bonita decided to extend her stay at the inn. The aloof old woman gradually warmed up after Bonita brought her half a dozen donuts from a stroll around the inn. In return, Irena offered her a cup of coffee for free.Irena pursed her lips after sipping her coffee, "What do you want from me?""I want to get to know you.""Is that all? No pity because I’m living alone in a city far from where I was born?""No. I think you’re amazing for building this inn all by yourself.""Don’t end up like me, young lady. Living alone like I do is miserable. I have no one to talk to .…”Bonita gave a faint smile. "I could be your friend."Irena sighed. "You’d still be a stranger to me. Sooner or later, you’ll leave this place. When I say someone to talk to, I mean someone for a lifetime.""I have a best friend who’s happy to listen to me. I could be that kind of friend for you.""Foolish girl. I don’t mean a friend. I mean a life companion. Someone to be there for you through thick a
"What if I'm not the person you're looking for?"Eddison let out a relieved sigh upon hearing Bonita's voice. The woman who had caused such a stir throughout the day had finally called him. More than that, he was glad she chose to reach out to him. He still remembered how she had once offered him her new phone number, only for him to refuse it."Sorry for troubling you, and thank you. I’ve seen the photos of my parents' wedding on Velica’s social media, but I want to ask for their official wedding pictures from you.""You will have to pay for that," Eddison said with a wide grin. "Tell me where you are.""As far as I recall, I only offered you my new number, not my location. In case you’ve forgotten, you declined my offer back then. Now, I’m reluctantly using this number to thank you," Bonita replied, her tone intentionally light, hoping to sway Eddison to comply with her request."And to ask for another favor. You know, services like this require payment."Bonita glanced out the rest
I canceled our wedding. I’ve returned Jenna’s ring and transferred all the money you spent on the wedding back to your account. The wedding suit I had made for you is yours to keep. I left it on the chair.There’s a wedding invitation card for you on the table. My parents are getting married in place of our wedding. I don’t expect you to attend because my father and Jeremy would be furious if they found out what happened. I left the card so you’d know.I wish I could say all of this to you in person. I’ve already said some of the things I wanted to, but you might not remember them when you wake up.I love you. Truly.My love for you is still the same as I write this. I canceled the wedding not because I hate you.When I first met you, I thought you were crazy for proposing to me before getting to know me better. I’d never been interested in falling in love before meeting you, but your presence kept haunting me. You kept pursuing me, and eventually, I gave in. I’m not even sure when I