Meeting

What? Mom, are you insane? Two years pa lang nang mamatay si daddy, and you’re telling me, magpapakasal ka na sa lalaki na yan, how could you?! I could feel the heat rising in my chest as my voice shook with anger, my hands clenched into fists on the armrest of the sofa. My mother sat beside the man she was telling me she was marrying, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. How could she move on so fast?

“Laura, please, don’t lose your respect, I’m still your mother,” my mom’s voice trembled, and I could hear the frustration she was trying to keep in check. But I didn’t care. My head was spinning with confusion and disbelief. “He is Edward, a close friend of your dad. Matagal na namin siyang kilala and I know he is a good man.”

A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. “And then what? After dad’s funeral, you guys found comfort in each other’s arms? And now, you want to replace dad two years after his death?” My words stung like venom, and I could feel the sharpness in my voice. But before I could say anything more, a slap landed hard across my face, silencing me.

I recoiled, my left cheek burning as the sting of her slap spread through my face. I tasted the metallic tang of blood in my mouth as I felt the shock of it all. “Wala kang karapatan kuwestyunin ang nararamdaman ko para sa daddy mo! Hindi mo alam kung gaano ako nahirapan sa pagkawala ng daddy mo,” my mother’s voice cracked with pain, but I couldn’t stop the anger boiling inside me. “Halos mamatay ako sa sakit nang pagkawala niya, pero hindi ko hinayaan na makulong ako doon. I managed to make myself happy...”

I cut her off sharply, my voice laced with frustration. “By what, by marrying someone else?” I turned to the man behind her, glaring at him with all the resentment I could muster. He just sat there, his eyes full of sympathy that I didn’t need. “You really think this is the right thing? Replacing my father like he never existed?!”

“Laura, please understand my side,” my mother said softly, trying to reason with me. “I stayed faithful to your dad, despite everything. He had affairs with other women, but now, I’m finally getting a chance to be happy again. Please, understand.”

I couldn’t take it anymore. I reached for my earphones, shoving them in both ears, and started scrolling through my phone, blocking out her words, her voice, her attempt to justify everything. My hands trembled with the anger and hurt I couldn’t suppress. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes, but I wouldn’t let them fall. Not in front of them.

Through the corner of my eye, I saw her fiancé comfort her, gently stroking her arm, murmuring something in her ear. I didn’t care. I couldn’t care anymore. They could have each other. I didn’t need to understand any of it. I just wanted out of this conversation, out of this house, out of everything.

Before long, they stood up and left the room. The door clicked shut behind them, and in the silence that followed, the tears I had been holding back for so long finally fell. I didn’t bother wiping them away, staring at an old photo of my dad. It was from my last birthday with him, before he was diagnosed with that insidious, untraceable cancer.

Before we had to watch him wither away, helpless to stop it. Those were the days before we realized that he was in the final stages. I had to watch him die. I couldn’t stop it, and now, my mother was telling me she was moving on.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. I had class at one o’clock. It was still early—just seven in the morning. I didn’t want to go, but I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t stand being around those two lovebirds downstairs. So, I decided I’d leave, if only for a few hours.

I quickly got ready, not bothering to tell my mom that I was leaving. I grabbed my things and walked out the door, not sparing another glance at the house. I didn’t need to. I needed space, time away from all the emotions crashing in on me.

Though I had a designated driver, I decided to walk today. The school was only fifteen minutes away. The fresh air would help clear my mind. Plus, I needed coffee—coffee that reminded me of my dad. There was a coffee shop we used to go to together, a little place just down the street from my school. I needed that familiarity, that connection.

I grabbed a ride-share, texting Sue on my way there. Sue was my cousin and my closest friend. We were in the same year at school, but we were in different majors. She was the one person I trusted, the one person who knew how to make me laugh when I felt like the world was falling apart.

By the time I arrived at school, it was nearly eleven-thirty. I found a spot to wait for Sue, who was always late. As I sat there, sipping my coffee, I heard her familiar voice from behind.

“Siz!” she called, and I rolled my eyes instinctively before turning to look at her.

She slid into the chair next to me, taking the cappuccino from my paper bag without a second thought. I couldn’t help but smile as I watched her sip it like she owned the thing.

“Omg, you will not believe what I saw!” she practically screamed, making a scene in the middle of the café.

I raised an eyebrow, the frustration from earlier still simmering in my chest. “What?” I asked, trying to sound uninterested, but her excitement was contagious, and I couldn’t help but be curious.

“I saw my ultimate crush, Cole Huntsman!” she said with such enthusiasm that I almost laughed. She quickly gulped down her frappe. “Omg, what’s more interesting is that he was wearing our school uniform! I’m so blessed, girl! My last two years in this hellish university are gonna be amazing!”

I stared at her like she had two heads. “The guy who, on your first encounter, asked you to throw away his used coffee cup? That guy?” I asked, making sure to tease her. I didn’t know why she had such a huge crush on him.

Sue shot me a glare. “You’re such a witch, Laura. He asked me because I was close to the trash bin! And, like, he’s perfect, okay? Cole Huntsman is every girl’s dream. Handsome, smart, active in sports, a freaking musician, and rich. What’s not to like?”

I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “But he treats everyone like they’re objects, Sue. How is that the definition of perfect?”

Sue gaped at me, like I had just told her the world was flat. “Are you seriously judging him based on rumors? Come on, you don’t even know him!”

I shook my head. “I’m not judging him. I’m just stating facts.”

Sue scoffed. “Really? And how exactly do you know that, huh? Are we living under the same roof for you to be so sure?”

Before I could respond, I heard a familiar voice. It was deep and smooth, carrying the hint of amusement that I didn’t want to acknowledge.

“Even my face, you’re not familiar? Unbelievable,” he said with a smirk.

I turned slowly, my heart racing as I looked up to see none other than Cole James Huntsman standing there, his friends flanking him, all of them wearing the same smug expressions.

My eyes widened in realization, and I knew that Sue’s expression was the same one she reserved for the worst jerks.

“Yeah, now you remember me, honey?” he said with a smirk, leaning closer. “The one and only, Cole James Huntsman.”

I could feel my stomach churn. Of course. Of course he was standing right in front of me now.