No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 40- Trapped love

So I walked away.

And I never looked back.

-

I died that day.

Not physically, not literally. But the Aiah who loved Mikha with every fiber of her being-the Aiah who wanted a forever with her-that Aiah ceased to exist.

And the worst part?

I left, believing that by breaking her heart, I was protecting her.

But now, seeing her again after five years...

I realized I never protected her at all.

I only destroyed the both of us.

After that day, I hated everyone.

I hated my parents for forcing me into this. I hated Adrian for standing beside me at the altar, pretending this was the life we both wanted. I hated my so-called world of wealth and power, because it stole everything from me.

But most of all, I hated them-my friends.

Because no one was there to protect us.

No one fought for me. No one fought for her.

Not Gwen. Not Sheena. Not Jho. Not Stacey.

They were supposed to be our friends. They were supposed to understand. But instead, they turned their backs on me.

The first time I called Gwen after I left, she didn't answer.

The second time, she did.

"Ano pa bang gusto mong marinig, Aiah?" her voice was sharp, filled with anger I had never heard before. "Gusto mong malaman kung gaano mo sinira si Mikha? Kung paano siya bumagsak dahil sa'yo? Kung paano siya naglasing hanggang hindi na siya makatayo?"

I gripped the phone tighter. "Gwen-"

"Ikaw ang mahal niya, Aiah!" she snapped. "Ikaw ang buhay niya! At ikaw rin ang sumira sa kanya!"

The line went dead.

I tried Sheena next, but she didn't even let me speak.

"Wala akong gustong marinig mula sa'yo." Click.

Jho blocked me completely.

And Stacey... Stacey was the last one I tried to reach.

"You know what hurts the most, Aiah?" she said when she finally picked up. "Na ikaw ang pinaka-nagmamahal kay Mikha, pero ikaw rin ang pinaka-nanakit sa kanya."

I closed my eyes, inhaling sharply. "Stacey, please-"

"You don't deserve to say her name."

Then she hung up.

And just like that, I was alone.

No one checked if I was okay.

No one asked if I was still breathing.

I gave up everything-my love, my happiness, my soul-for them. For my family.

And in return, I lost everyone.

Including myself.

I poured myself another glass of wine, watching as the deep red liquid swirled inside the crystal. My fingers trembled slightly as I brought it to my lips, taking a slow sip. The warmth spread down my throat, but it did nothing to numb the pain lodged in my chest.