Once Upon a Memory

dos

Greggy leaned back in his leather chair, the weight of the meeting pressing down on him. The boardroom was filled with the usual chatter—projections, investments, expansion plans—but he found himself barely listening. His fingers tapped rhythmically against the armrest, his mind elsewhere.

"Mr. Araneta?" One of the senior board members, Mr. Reyes, cleared his throat, snapping Greggy out of his thoughts.

"Yes?" Greggy straightened, schooling his expression back into one of authority.

Reyes adjusted his glasses. "I was saying that we received confirmation from one of our potential partners for the upcoming charity gala. Marcos Global is making a return to the Philippine business scene. And with that, Irene Marcos will be attending the event."

Greggy's grip on the armrest tightened. He had prepared himself for the possibility of seeing her again, but hearing her name in a professional setting—so casually, as if she were just another business entity—made it feel more real.

He kept his expression neutral. "Marcos Global's return is significant for the industry," he replied evenly. "We should be prepared to discuss any possible collaborations."

One of the younger executives, seemingly oblivious to Greggy's history with Irene, chuckled. "Irene Marcos—she's been making waves abroad. A lot of people are looking forward to seeing her again. I heard she's bringing her son along, too."

Greggy's pulse quickened. Her son.

He forced himself to nod. "Let's make sure the company is well-represented at the event," he said briskly. "Meeting adjourned."

As the board members gathered their papers and filed out, Greggy exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples. He had spent years convincing himself that he had moved on—that he had buried the pain, the questions, the what-ifs. And yet, at the mere mention of her name, it all came rushing back.

His phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen—Paulo.

Greggy sighed before answering. "Ano nanaman, Pau?"

"You heard the news, right?" Paulo's voice was light, but Greggy could hear the underlying amusement. "Irene's back."

Greggy closed his eyes briefly. "Yeah. Just got the update in a meeting."

"So... are you going to the gala?"

Greggy scoffed. "I don't see why I should."

"Come on, man." Paulo chuckled. "You're really gonna pretend you're not the least bit curious?"

"Irene and I have been over for a long time." Greggy's voice was firm, but even he didn't believe himself.

Paulo hummed. "Right. If you say so."

Greggy could hear the grin in his friend's voice. He sighed. "I need to get back to work, Pau."

"Sure, sure. But just so you know—you avoiding her won't change anything." Greggy hung up before Pau could say anything else.

· · ─ ·𖥸· ─ · ·

"You look great," Patty said as she adjusted Irene's dress.

Rachel smirked. "And slightly terrified."

Irene shot her a look. "Tell me again why I agreed to this?"

"Because you need to remind people that you still exist," Patty replied, tossing her a pair of earrings.

"And because," Rachel added with a knowing grin, "there's a chance that a certain someone will be there."

Irene sighed, fastening her earring. "I doubt it."

Rachel hummed in amusement.

The event was a charity gala—nothing too extravagant, but still a gathering of the elite. The moment Irene walked in, she felt the weight of the room's attention shift to her.

She smiled, nodded, engaged in small talk.

But every time someone glanced at her a little too long, she knew exactly what they were thinking.

She's back.

Does Greggy know?

Will they see each other?

What they didn't know was that Greggy had already heard about the event.

And he chose not to go.

But that didn't stop him from driving past the venue later that night.

For a fleeting moment, he saw her.

Stepping out, laughing at something Rachel said.

His grip tightened on the steering wheel.

He could turn the car around. He could walk right up to her.

But he didn't.

Instead, he drove away.

Because for all the questions he had—

He wasn't sure he was ready for the answers.