They were messages from an unknown user.
I breathed heavily as I read the first ones.
Unknown:
Is this your boyfriend? Seems like he is having the best night of his life.
I clicked one of the pictures the person sent, which made me tremble more.
It was Atlas... with Seraphine...
Despite the physical pain I felt, I zoomed the picture in to see it clearly. I shook my head when it was just a picture of them standing side by side—Atlas with his cold demeanor while the woman was looking at him full of admiration in her eyes.
They are not doing anything wrong. Their skins aren't even touching.
Pero bakit sila magkasama?
Unknown:
Are you aware that your boyfriend just got engaged with someone? That woman with him is his fiancé.
As you can see, they are both in his parents' house, enjoying the engagement party prepared by his grandmother. Do you really think Atlas went home for nothing?
I felt my ear ringing when I read those.
Engaged? They are engaged?
With my still trembling finger, I clicked the second picture, but I couldn't see it clearly when my vision started to get blurry.
He is engaged.
Is this why he hasn't called me since earlier? Because they were having their engagement party today?
"I thought it was his mom's birthday." I whispered in disappointment.
I almost choked on my own tears, but I wiped them away to see the picture clearly, and when I did, my chest tightened even more.
It was a picture of them again, but this time, they were with Atlas' grandmother, she was holding a wineglass up like she was celebrating something.
I had a hard time scrolling down when the screen got wet with my tears. That's when I noticed them falling to my phone.
Unknown:
Atlas will never settle with a man like you. He will soon need to find a woman. Too bad he found her too soon.
Why do you think Atlas never introduced you to his family?
I trembled more. My hands and feet turned ice-cold, and a wave of nausea rose in my throat that I felt like vomiting, especially when the person's last message was followed by a link to an article. And I didn't need to open it. I already know what it was about.
I shook my head furiously and turned my phone off. But as soon as I did, it rang from a call.
It was Aiden again.
I stared at his name on my screen for a few moments, unable to move a finger.
I didn't answer.
The call died on its own.
My knees weakened and slowly lowered myself onto the porch's floor. Umupo ako sa hagdan, iniisip na hindi totoo ang mga mensahe'ng natanggap.
It can't be real.
Atlas isn't engaged to anyone. He won't let that happen.
The pictures...
I shut my eyes tightly and rubbed them with my shaking hands, hoping I could erase everything I had seen.
They were not doing anything wrong in the picture. Nothing looked romantic. Ni hindi sila magkadikit. I won't believe anything unless it came from Atlas' mouth.
