FLASHBACK
Austin's POV
I was coming out of a well-known fast-food chain in Manila, holding a glass of cold iced tea. I had just finished a meeting with Dad. It was another one of those days where he was training me to enter the world of business—a world that, for him, ran like blood through his veins. I was just a fresh graduate then, but he already included me in every meeting, every negotiation, every signing of papers.
But honestly? Everything was repetitive. It was tiring. It was boring.
For days, I had been stuck in Dad's shadow, just silently following, nodding even though I didn't fully understand everything. And while I was there, trying to comprehend what he was saying about ROI, partnerships, projections… a question kept knocking in my mind: Is this really for me?
But even if I wanted to refuse, I had no right to avoid it. I was the only child. We had no one else to rely on. There was no one else who could replace me. I was the heir to all the businesses, the name, the responsibility.
So here I am now, hiding for a while—walking around, breathing, eating at Daphnie's favorite fast-food place. My ex. I'm not here to reminisce about our memories. I just want to eat.
Daphnie. My classmate from freshman year until graduation. Beautiful. Intelligent. Fierce. And yes, liberated. Sometimes I wonder how we even got together when I didn't even court her. It just happened. One night we were both drunk at a party. A mistake that led to repeated encounters—kisses, hugs—until I no longer knew where "us" began.
"You don't love me anymore, babe," she whispered when I went to her condo, because we hadn't seen each other for weeks; I was busy with business with Dad.
"Babe, you know I'm just a little busy," I replied, trying to coax her while hugging her, kissing her neck.
"Hmmp. You're always busy," she murmured. But she wasn't angry anymore. Her voice was quiet, calm. Her hands were already creeping inside my polo, and before I knew it, all the buttons were undone.
"Babe, after I finish everything I need to finish, I'll make it up to you…" I couldn't finish what I was going to say when I felt her hand on me. Her every move was so fast. I looked up when she started playing with it. I looked at her and removed the towel wrapped around her. She had just finished taking a bath when I arrived. I immediately grabbed her breasts and let my hands travel to different parts of her body. We looked at each other and kissed. I quickly removed all my clothes, laid her on the bed, and mounted her. What our bodies desired happened.
This was always the scene whenever we were together. She didn't want anything else to happen to us—she was always in need, more than me.
"Babe, go to the condo tonight, okay? I have a surprise for you," she said sweetly on the other line. Her voice was full of anticipation, like a child with a secret gift.
But no matter how heavy the longing in her voice sounded, I was forced to answer with a cold reason.
"I'm sorry, babe… I can't make it tonight. I have to finish some things Dad needs tomorrow," I replied, even though the truth was I was going to see her. I really planned to surprise her.
I wanted to see her reaction. I wanted to make it up to her.
But before I could explain, she interrupted. "It's always like that, Austin. When will you choose me? When will you put me first?" She wasn't shouting, but the pain was felt in every word she uttered; the anger was there in her tone.
"Please understand, babe. It's also for our future," I pleaded, trying to hide the guilt behind the reasonable words.
"Okay. Bye." Cold. No emotion. And before I could even say her name, I just heard the beep signaling that the call had ended.
I shook my head, trying to lengthen my patience. I knew her. I knew her temper would disappear later when she saw me.
So I quickly left the office, went to a flower shop first, and had her favorite bouquet made—customized, with small letters on each flower, reminders of how much I loved her.
In my mind, the flowers would erase all the tantrums.
When I arrived at Daphnie's condo, I didn't ring the doorbell anymore. No more ceremonies. I knew her passcode.
When I entered, I was immediately greeted by silence. But I noticed something strange—a pair of shoes that weren't mine. Nor hers. It was a big size. A formal male shoe.
The air inside the condo suddenly felt heavy.
My every step was fast; driven by a hunch I didn't want to believe. Until I slowly approached the door of her room.
And there I heard… the moans.
Soft whimpers. Rapid breathing. Sounds that at first seemed difficult to understand, but as I got closer, as every step seemed to stab my chest, I had no doubt.
It was Daphnie's voice.
I couldn't be wrong. I knew every tone of her voice—in laughter, in tears, in anger… and yes, even in moments like these.
"Ooohhh, go on Jordan! Like that… ahhhh… it feels so good!"
"That's right, moan my name, Daphnie. Argh!"
"Faster, please—I'm coming, Jordan!"
I stopped in front of the half-open door. There, I could clearly see their position: Daphnie was bent over and Jordan was in her, thrusting. It was also visible on Daphnie's face that she was truly enjoying the act of betrayal. Jordan was her "friend"—that's how she introduced him to me—but now I wondered how long they had been fooling me.
At the sight, I dropped the bouquet I was holding. Nausea rose in my throat. I quickly went out of her condo. And before I could even get to my car, I bent down on the side of the road and vomited everything—my dinner, the pain, the disgust, the hatred. I felt like my own body was cleansing itself of the dirty scene I had witnessed.
I was disgusted. At her. At them. At myself.
They're so disgusting.
She's so disguating.