The scorching afternoon sun did little to warm the ice that suddenly seized Ashy's heart. She had followed Ymaryl to this exclusive beach resort, her intuition screaming louder than reason, just to confirm her fears.
She stopped dead on the powdery white sand.
There he was. Ymaryl. Laughing, sitting close to a woman in a bright yellow bikini. The sickening detail that shattered her world was the intimacy. Sinusubuan siya ng babae ng isang strawberry ice cream, their eyes locked in a shared, sweet moment of joy. "Third time. Tatlong beses mo na akong niloko, Ymaryl, but this time—I saw it—clearly". Sabi ni Ashy sa kaniyang sarili na siya lamang ang nakakarinig. Ashy froze, unable to move, unable to breathe.
Her hands betrayed her. Her designer tote bag slipped from her numb fingers, hitting the sand with a soft thud.
The sound was enough para marinig ng dalawang ahas.
Ymaryl and the woman snapped their heads toward the noise. Their eyes—wide with shock and instant guilt—met hers. The shame was suffocating. Ashy didn't wait for excuses. Mabilis siyang naglakad papunta sa beach hotel na naroon ang kuwartong intensyon niyang kinuha para sa planong hulihin ang kaniyang boyfriend. She reached the long, echoing corridor of her floor when she heard Ymaryl's frantic footsteps.
"Ashera! Wait! Please!"
He grabbed her arm, pulling her into the corner. His face was contorted, not with remorse, but with pure aggression.
"Why are you here?! Bakit mo ako sinundan? Wala ka bang tiwala sa akin? Don't be dramatic! It's nothing!"
"Nothing?! Sobra na, Ymaryl! Three times! Why are you acting like I'm the one being dramatic? It was your fault! Hindi na ikaw ang lalaking minahal ko ng ilang taon!" Ashy pleaded, her voice cracking.
He moved closer, towering over her. "Don't cry. You know I love you. You're just being hysterical. You have to forgive me, mahal. You owe me that much, after everything I did for you."
"I don't owe you my forgiveness! Huwag mo akong hawakan!" She tried to step back, but he grabbed both her shoulders, pinilit siyang manatili.
"Look at me, Ashera! Sino ka ba kung wala ako? You are nothing without me. Alam nating dalawa na mabait at mabilis ka lang magpatawad. Now say it! Say you forgive me!" he growled.
She shook her head, unable to speak, tears streaming down her face. That's when rage took over his eyes. He shoved her hard against the wall.
Then, the slap. Pak!
It was a sharp, brutal crack na mas lalong pumatay sa puso ni Ashera. She screamed, a sound of pure fear. She scrambled away and ran, sprinting down the corridor and out of the hotel.
The rain started immediately, a blessing and a curse. Tumakbo siya sa madilim na kakahuyan sa tabi ng dagat. Her heart hammered against her ribs, na siya ay halos hindi na makahinga. Her phone was dead na mas lalong kinaiyak niya kaya't hinayaan niya na lamang ang sariling marahas na napaupo sa ilalim ng puno, she was shaking violently from the trauma and the pain.
Then, she heard it—a deep voice she didn't know the origin of, as she couldn't bring herself to look up. All she wanted was to disappear. But after a few minutes, she forced herself to look. A sleek, black Ducati Panigale V4 screeched to a halt near her. The rider, a tall, imposing figure in all-black leather and a full-face helmet, offered her a hand. A strong, intoxicating scent—expensive perfume—wafted towards her. She took his hand without a word.
He pulled her onto the back of the Ducati, and they sped off in silence. He drove her straight to her condominium kahit hindi naman sinabi ni Ashera na doon siya magpapahatid.
In the brightly lit lobby, her voice was a strained, shaky whisper. "Thank you."
He gave a cold, curt nod.
Then he was gone, a mysterious shadow vanishing into the night. Ashy rode the elevator up, fighting back tears sapagkat nahihiya siya sa mga taong pinagtitinginan na siya dahil sa namamagang mata at basang katawan at buhok.
"Flinee, kausapin mo nga 'to! Ako kumausap nyan baka umiyak 'yan lalo." Airee said in a serious tone, stepping back. Flinee sighed and put down her book.
"As for me, it's valid that you cried. You're hurt kasi nga mahal mo, but it's not right to stay in a cycle. Crying then going back will never make you stronger. You need to choose yourself now," Mahinahon na sabi ni Flinee, her words a gentle nudge towards self-worth. Ashy wiped her tears, trying to process her words as she looked at her friends. Airee's eyes were full of a threatening intensity, and Stef's forehead was furrowed in frustration. Sa kanilang apat si Airee at Stef ang parehong bungagera ngunit alam niya namang mahal siya ng mga ito kaya't ganoon na lamang ang galit nila nang makita ang sitwasyon ng kanilang kaibigan. Kung hindi lamang pinigilan ni Ashera ang dalawa ay pumunta na ito sa police station para ireklamo si Ymaryl.
"But I just love him so much!" Humagulgol na naman si Ashy, and she heard a string of curses from Airee and a frustrated whisper from Stef.
"It's normal to be afraid that you can't live without him, and it's valid to feel scared that he might find someone else—" Flinee was cut off by Stef.
"He will find someone else! Bakit mo iniisip na hindi?! I don't get it with Ashera Rain, why she only uses her brain for acads?!!" Stef complained, her voice laced with a bitter truth. "Hindi ka ba nagsasawa sa sakit? Oo nga't guwapo at talaga namang maganda ang katawan at tindig ng lalaking 'yon pero wala ka namang peace of mind. You deserve so much more!"
"Girls, please be gentle. She's having a hard time. We should be emphatically careful with what we say. We need to build her up, not tear her down." Flinee gently reminded them.
"Hayyy!! Sige may naisip na ako, total hindi ko naman naibigay sa ate ko yong ticket at semestral break naman natin next week, I'll give you my golden gate pass at ayoko ring magpanggap na broken-hearted doon." Airee announced. "A different place, a new experience. Maybe that's what you need to finally see what life is like without him."
"Huh? Gate pass saan? Airee 'yang mga pinaplano mo ha!" Stef immediately grew suspicious.
"Hindi mo ba na take-note na malandi at gaga lang ako pero hindi ko ipapahamak 'tong tanga nating kaibigan? Also, aware tayong lahat na ako ang pinaka magaling mag-isip ng paraan sa lahat ng bagay." Airee rolled her eyes at saka bumuntong hininga bago lumapit kay Ashy.
She kissed the top of her head. "Everything's going to be alright, sweety. I'm sorry, I was too harsh. I just couldn't handle seeing you cry." It's so ironic that Airee owned a maldita attitude and aura, her words could be sharp, but she also had the softest heart.
Ashy was finally safe, but the damage was done. The sight of Ymaryl's hand, the mysterious man na naghatid sa kanya, and Airee's sudden plan left her world spinning.
Sino ang lalaking may Ducati na iyon? Is he a new danger, or her unexpected salvation?
What is the Golden Gate Pass? Is it a ticket to healing or a path to more trouble?
How will Ashera Rain, the selfless, gentle, and responsible woman, rise from this traumatic night? Will she become the strong woman her friends want her to be, or will she remain the girl who loves too much?
