Chapter 3

[Flashback continues]

Ameira was in tears while talking to her friend on the phone, saying Mateo had broken up with her that day.

“I tried to call and text him, but he has blocked me or changed his number. I don’t fucking know!” Ameira hissed while sobbing.

“He’s just an asshole, Ameira. Don’t chase him. Let him go!”

“I just want to talk to him. I want to ask him if what he said is true because I still can’t process in my mind why he broke up with me.” Ameira’s tears kept falling down her cheeks.

“What? Are you still going to ask him that? Are you out of your mind? Not answering your phone calls and text messages is enough proof that he’s being serious.” Aya, her best friend, was the only one to comfort her at that time.

“But why? What is the reason? We’ve been okay this whole week; the two of us rarely fight. In the one year we’ve been together, we can count how many times we’ve fought. Usually, it was just a misunderstanding. But nothing more. Our relationship is given and taken; we are both mature to think and know our priorities. You know that. When I’m busy, he understands, and when he’s busy, I’m the one who understands. Still, we found a way to make up with each other. We clicked so much that I don’t know why he broke up with me, Aya.” Ameira got even tearier remembering how perfect Mateo was for her as her partner.

“I know that, Ameira. But leaving you hanging with so many questions on your mind is enough proof that he’s a coward. How can he leave you like that in so much pain? I will punch him in his face if I ever see him.”

“Our relationship was almost perfect, Aya. That’s why I don’t understand! What’s the reason? I know he’s not cheating on me because he’s not like that.”

“What made you think that? He’s still a man, Ameira.”

“I know him. He’s not a cheater, Aya. He is too busy with his work.”

“Oh. I get it now.”

Ameira frowned. “What do you mean?”

“He has a third party. And obviously, it’s his job. Mateo chose his job over your relationship with him.”

Ameira was automatically stunned at what she heard. Aya had a point.

‘Having Mateo another woman is impossible, but choosing his career over me is very him.’

[End of flashback]

***

[Terro Club]

“Fuck, Xandros. Ever since you met this girl at Terro, I’ve noticed you’re always here. You almost sleep here, according to Gael.” Here came the tease of his friend, Trey. Xandros just ignored him and continued drinking his beer. They were just inside their private room in Terro.

“Let him be, Trey. He will never take your words seriously, just like what he did to my advice.” Gael laughed again, and based on the tone of his speech, he was also teasing Xandros, the reason why Xandros threw him a deadly glare

‘Tsk. Are they really my friends? They are always making fun of me. Damn!’

“So, what’s the progress, Xandros? Did you see her again?”

“Don’t ask, Trey. He obviously didn’t see her based on his face right now,” Gael laughed again at Xandros’s misery.

‘The heck! He’s enjoying this, huh? Damn! But after all, they are right. I’m at the bar again to look for the girl and hope to see her again. But it’s been days, and I haven’t seen her!’

“I don’t know if she exists or maybe I was drunk that night, and she was just my imagination. Fuck! That’s bullshit!” I frowned in so much annoyance and bottomed up my beer.

“Don’t say that, Xandros,” Trey said as if he was comforting him.

“I want to see and meet her. I still can’t get her out of my mind.”

“For sure, you will see her again. Don’t lose hope, man,” Trey tried to cheer him up.

Gael just shook his head while looking at his hopeful friends.

“Let’s not talk about Xandros for now. Let’s talk about the wedding of Fiona and Carlos.” Gael tried to change the topic of their conversation. “Did you get the wedding invitation he sent?”

“Yeah, I got one,” Trey answered. “And I think he only sent the four of us because it was a secret wedding in Coron Palawan. Me, you, Xandros, and Kendall.”

“I got one too, but I’m not sure if I’m going,” Xandros answered nonchalantly.

“I already texted Carlos and Fiona; I said I would be late because I would take Kendall. She still has a shoot to do,” Gael explained.

“Same. Maybe I won’t be able to go,” Trey said.

“Carlos will be angry with us if one of us doesn’t go. He will surely throw a fit.” Carlos and Fiona were their close friends in college.

As Xandros sipped his wine, he noticed his friends were looking directly at him. He frowned. “What?”

“You go first! You don’t have any work to leave. We’ll just follow,” Gael commanded.

“Gael is right. All you have to do is to be there. You already have tickets. Everything is already set.”

“Take this trip as an opportunity.”

“Opportunity to what?” Xandros asked Gael while frowning.

“To relax and unwind. To forget about your mysterious girl,” Gael answered.

Xandros just rolled his eyes at his friends. But on the other thought, they had a point. He thought he needed to entertain himself, so he didn’t remember the girl.

***

Ameira couldn’t help but be nervous from where she stood as she saw her boss with her senior, Ms. Janda. They were about to announce who would be the Employee of the Month, and she could feel her heart pounding.

‘This is it, Ameira. The long wait is over. I waited for this for almost a week, and now that it’s close, I can’t explain how I must feel. Before, I was still confident that I would be the EOTM; now, I am not. Because I heard that my co-worker, Bella, has also caught up with her quota, so I’m a bit lopsided.’

“I got the result from your senior, Ms. Janda, this morning. I know you are all waiting for it, so I won’t delay the announcement,” their boss, Ms. Liberty, announced.

Ms. Liberty smiled as she slowly opened the small envelope.

‘Oh, God! I am nervous!’

“Congratulations…” Their boss even teased them by hanging her words. “Congratulations on being the employee of the month… Ms. Ameira Sy,” she continued.

‘Oh, my God!’ Ameira immediately lifted her head because of that.