My Only Exception

Chapter 10

Sandra shook her head. "Nagpapakatanga ka na sa boyfriend mo ng sobra. Go after what you want. You once followed your dad and felt prisoned. That's what Ethan's slowly doing to you. Saka isipin mo, yung trust issues nya ang problema, hindi naman si Seff."

"Hayaan mo na," she answered. "If it's mine, it would be mine. If it's not meant to be, then... Maybe there's something else."

"It can be yours if you know how to go after it. You weren't a scholar for nothing. Sayang lahat ng natutunan mo kung hindi mo gagamitin for your career. Para saan pa na naging Cum Laude ka if you won't take this chance? For them to offer you a job abroad, it means they trust you and they know you can do something for them. Kung ako nasa kalagayan mo, kahit si Ryan Gosling pa boyfriend ko, iiwanan ko para sa career ko."

She laughed at her. "What if it was Lee Min Ho?"

Sandra couldn't answer. He happened to be her biggest crush. "Wag mo ako daanin sa weaknesses."

"That's my point too."

••

It was only good for a few weeks.

They still argued about a lot of things - from the way she dressed to her preferences in food to her decisions in life. They argued when she was home, they will argue when she wouldn't go home and she didn't want to go home because of it.

Three months passed.

She came in thirty minutes earlier than usual since Ethan wanted to drop her off to work. They were okay for the past three days.

She took her seat and noticed the papers on top of her table. She took them all.

She got another postcard from Seff. Apparently, he'd been touring and seeing a lot of places. He visited Utah to see Zion National Park and Arches National Park. She smiled when she saw how he was enjoying.

The next paper she got came from Maryland. It was the publishing company who offered her a job. Position-wise, she's on a higher position on her current job but the offer and opportunity being given to her by the new one was very tempting and she knew she would excel. They were waiting for a response from her otherwise they would just open the chance for another person. She wanted to scramble and pack all her things.

Then she saw Seff's pictures. How happy he was being able to grow and learn a lot of things, doing what he loves the most, enjoying, and being free. She knew how important his family is for Seff but he needed to leave for himself.

And she knew she needed that too. Not for anyone but for herself.

••

He was tired when he got home because of the guests they had. He was surprised to find Raffy packing her things.

"What's that you're doing?" he asked her.

"Oh you're here," she smiled at him. "I saw on one book that if I want something to happen, my actions should be according to what I want."

"So you want to go on a vacation?"

Raffy laughed. "No babe, I'd be leaving to work somewhere else."

He was surprised. Surprise was not even enough to describe what he felt with what she said.

"Wait, wait... Hold on. Leave? Working somewhere else? Where? You didn't ask me yet," Ethan said.

She walked up to him. "Yes. I got an offer from an international magazine to work for them. They wanted to hire me and sent me letters twice about it. I wanted to decline at first but for them to follow up with me, they really want to have me there," she said excitedly.