UNCHANGEABLE - FREENBECKY

unfolding truths

"that's not true. she loves you. she told me she doesn't have plans of leaving you for me nor anyone else."

"yeah. that's the reason we made it this far. eight years. only because she wants to keep her vow when she married me."

a crease forms on freen's forehead. "i don't understand. she loves you."

"yeah. but she loves you more."

freen shakes her head. "look. it doesn't matter if she still feels something for me. what's important is she's willing to fight for your marriage."

"she would have done the same to you if you hadn't given up on her before. she would have beaten all the odds for you. that's just how she is," says mew. "she's already proven to me how much she wants us to work out, and i admired her for that. but the way she looked that night when she broke down still haunts me up to this very moment. and i keep asking myself, why am i still holding onto her?"

"it started two years ago, after you saved emily," he continues, bringing the can to his chest. "she was down and lifeless, crying secretly for months like she's mourning or something. i noticed, so i confronted her. she wouldn't admit it at first until i finally get her to admit it's all because of you."

there was a pause. freen had to look down as guilt builds up again inside of her.

"so, i asked her; what if emily and our marriage aren't in the equation, will she still choose me? which was a fucking wrong move because she couldn't answer me." mew chuckles. "i told her we should divorce. she said no. she said she loves me, and we'll make it work out for emily. i felt her eagerness so i agreed."

for some reason, that story made freen recall that night in the hotel room when they broke up. mew's story is like a déjà vu of what happened to her and becky before, of how the latter couldn't react when freen asked if she likes the doctor who was calling her.

the memory of becky admitting to it still brings pain in her chest. but she feels sorry for mew too, having to experience the same thing.

but yeah, mew's right. becky would have beaten all the odds for her only if freen hadn't given up on them.

"i wanted to hate you, but i couldn't," mew admits. "i want to blame it all on you because all of these wouldn't have happened if you hadn't given up on her. but whenever i think about it, it's all my fault."

"she told me all about you when i asked her to marry me," he continues. "i didn't care because all i care about that time was to put a ring on her finger. so, i told her all the flowery words i could come up with to make her feel i understand her, and that i'll be there for her no matter what. and she agreed to marry me. i got the girl. i was happy. but i realised she said yes only because she thought you were never coming back; because she needs to move on with her life too."

freen pushes herself back from the railing and looks at mew. "but becky wouldn't give up on you. isn't that enough reason for you to make this workout with her?"