Khana found herself pulling into the parking lot of a bar. The neon sign flickered invitingly, and she realized she needed something to numb the pain, even if just for a little while. She walked inside, the dim lighting and murmur of voices a stark contrast to the chaos in her mind.
She made her way to the bar and ordered a drink, her hands still shaking. The alcohol burned as it went down, but it provided a momentary relief from the storm inside her. She drank another, and then another until the edges of her reality began to blur.
The dimly lit bar buzzed with the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses, but for Khana, the noise was nothing more than a dull background to her swirling thoughts. She sat alone at the corner table, nursing her drink, lost in the whirlwind of her own troubles.
She wanted to forget all her troubles: First was about her father lying in the ICU, his frail body fighting for each breath. The weight of his illness pressed heavily on her heart, casting a shadow over any semblance of joy. And then there was Richard, the man she was supposed to marry. The thought of spending her life with him felt suffocating, like a cage closing in around her. But duty and obligation loomed over her, forcing her to consider a future she couldn't bear to imagine.
But above all, there was Henry. The memory of his touch lingered on her skin, a bittersweet reminder of a love that could never be. He was everything she wanted, but his unwavering faith kept him bound to a life she could never share. Their forbidden love burned like a flame in her heart, consuming her with desire and despair in equal measure.
Suddenly, a guy approached Khana. He knocked on the surface of the toolbar. However, the lady pretended to be deaf and only ignored it. Yet, the guy thought he might give it another try; maybe this time, the beautiful maiden would glance. He wished to accompany Khana since her beauty captivated his eyes. More than that, he wants to bed and add her to his trophy.
Khana rolled her eyes and bitterly pressed her shot glass on the table. Without glancing at the guy, she drove him away.
"Tsk," she murmured.
Then, another guy approached her. This time, it struck a conversation.
"You are too pretty to be left alone in this place. If you want..."
The guy was unable to finish his statement since Khana interrupted. She said, "Pretty or not, it's not your effin business. Just leave me be."
The guy walked away. Luckily, the guy did not think of creating chaos. If the guy had chosen violence, he would have started a fistfight since Khana hurt his pride.
Lost in her thoughts, Khana barely registered the parade of men who approached her. Their words were slurred with alcohol and desperation. She brushed them off with her killer mood and brutal words. Her mind was too consumed with her own turmoil to entertain the advances of strangers.
"What a bunch of stupid guys. I rather drink alone than join those losers," she mumbled.
"You, give me one more of this drink," says Khana, requesting more liquor from the bartender.
In the middle of sipping a glass of champagne and tequila, her phone beeped.
"Hmm.. Serena?" She asked herself, then laughed a bit. "Right, this was my best friend who never betrayed me, unlike that bXtch Bettina."
"Khana, where are you?" Serena asked.
"In a place where you can forget all your problems," Khana replied.
"I'm dead serious! Come on, everyone here in your father's ward is worried about your whereabouts. You ignored all their texts and calls. I'm glad you answered mine."
"I don't want to talk to anyone, but you are exempted since you haven't betrayed me yet," Khana replied.
"Where are you? I'll fetch you there," Serena uttered.
"I'll just share my location. I don't exactly know where I am," Khana replied.
Shortly after the call ended, she felt a little dizzy. Khana went to the restroom to pee and returned to her seat once done.
And then, amidst the haze of alcohol and emotion, a familiar figure materialized before her. Khana squinted, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but there was a guy she had imagined was standing near the entrance.
"Henry?" she mumbled, her voice slurred and unsure. She blinked, trying to focus, but everything was a distorted mess.
The man leaned closer, his voice gentle and concerned. "Khana, are you okay?"
"What do you think?" Khana replied.
While Khana felt a moment of hope she had never experienced before, they were together and walked together down the isolated streets.
They were alone and vulnerable through the pathway, and Khana discovered a gleaming light of hope within her heart, thinking Henry looked for her everywhere, and suddenly the faith led him to her.
The gentleman glanced at Khana and shook his head while looking at the lady who'd fallen asleep. "What have you done to yourself? You weren't like this, Khana," he said.
The guy never wanted to wake her up. Hence, he carried her and entered the house. Khana was awakened when they reached the doorstep of her bedroom, then turned to him, her eyes shining with unshed tears.
"I never knew you would come, Henry," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
But as the man before her smiled gently, she realized her mistake. It wasn't Henry standing before her, but Richard – her betrothed, her obligation, her burden.
She had clung to him, mistaking his presence for the one she truly longed for. And in that moment of misguided longing, she had betrayed the man who promised to love her.
His heart sank as the weight of her mistake crashed down upon him. With a heavy heart, Richard's smile faltered, his eyes clouded with confusion and hurt. And as he turned to leave. His tears mingled with the cold pavement beneath.
"Henry, I still love you," says Khana. She kissed the man whose heart was shattered to pieces.
Richard closed his eyes and let the time tell what would happen next. All he knew was that he wanted her, even if her heart belonged to someone else.
His heart sank as the weight of her mistake crashed down upon him. With a heavy heart, Richard's smile faltered, his eyes clouded with confusion and hurt. And as he turned to leave. His tears mingled with the cold pavement beneath. "Henry, I still love you," says Khana. She kissed the man whose heart was shattered to pieces.“All these years she still loved him, so where was I?” he asked himself. Richard closed his eyes and let the time tell what would happen next. All he knew was that he wanted her, even if her heart belonged to someone else.The rain had started to fall, each drops a cold, silent echo of the turmoil within Richard's heart. He stood still, the dampness seeping through his coat, yet he hardly noticed the chill. His eyes were locked on Khana, whose kisses still lingered on his lips, a kiss meant for another man.Khana’s words reverberated in his mind. "Henry, I still love you." She had said it with such passion, such conviction, that it felt like a knife twisting in h
Khana woke up to the sensation of sunlight filtering through the curtains, casting a warm glow on her bare skin. She blinked her eyes open, taking a moment to orient herself. The events of the previous night were a blur, but she remembered being picked up from the bar. She yawned, and the blanket dropped, revealing half of her body. Khana woke up, groggy and disoriented, her senses slowly coming back to her. She glanced around and realized she was naked, the covers barely clinging to her body. Her eyes widened slightly as she realized she was naked. Quickly, she pulled the covers up to her chin, glancing around to find her clothes scattered across the room.She sighed, feeling a mix of confusion and discomfort. Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she stood up and gathered her clothes. As she headed to the bathroom, she couldn't help but smile, recalling how Henry had swooped in like a knight in shining armor. The memory of his strong arms around her, guiding her to the car, wa
Pulling into the café parking lot, Khana spotted Bettina sitting at a corner table inside. She walked in, her steps quick and purposeful, and sat down across from her friend."Bettina, what's going on?" Khana asked, her voice shaky.Bettina leaned forward, her expression serious. "Khana, I didn't know how to tell you this, but you need to know the truth about Richard. He...""What about him? Cut to the chase and spill it out," Khana said, crossing her legs and raising her eyebrows.Bettina faked a tear. She uttered, "He doesn't have much time left."Khana's heart pounded. "What do you mean?""He returned from China as early as he could to tell me this. He was afraid that it would spread fast, so he asked for help from me to hide it from everyone. He even hid it from his family," Bettina replied."What is he hiding then?" Khana asked, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and confusion."The reason he is so desperate to have you as his wife is because he wants to feel loved by the wom
Khana's heart sank. The confirmation hit her harder than she expected. Bettina had been telling the truth. Richard's time was limited. She left the doctor's office with a heavy heart, the weight of her decision pressing down on her.Khana sat on the edge of the staircase at the fire exit, her hands trembling. Tears streamed down her face as the weight of her guilt crushed her. She had been blind to Richard's silent suffering, unaware of the tumor that had been causing him immense pain. The realization hit her like a tidal wave, leaving her gasping for breath.Khana fled to the restroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, her eyes red and swollen. As she splashed cold water on her face, she tried to calm the storm of emotions swirling inside her. She needed to make a decision, and she needed to make it now."Is marrying him the best thing I can do?" she whispered to her reflection. "Will I regret it in the end?"She sighed, closing her eyes for a moment. "Maybe, this time, I c
Meanwhile, Khana went out to meet her friends who will be attending the wedding. They decided to choose their outfits while waiting for the boutique to open, so they went to the nearest coffee shop.Khana was left alone at the table while her friends were at the counter. She stared out the window as the rain started to tap against the glass."I hope it will not rain when I get married to Richard because I get lonely every time it rains... I always remember my first time with Henry," she mumbled out of the blue.She went back to the day when Henry gave her the warmth she has never forgotten... It was cold, and they had nowhere to go but to stay in an abandoned house they found while heading back to their home. It was quite far, and Khana's phone was already useless because the battery was empty.Suddenly, there was a deafening roar of thunder that echoed through the area, causing both of them to jump. The walls of the cabin vibrated, and the windows rattled as if being shaken by the fo
"I have known you since we were teenagers. Your eyes are telling me you are not happy with this marriage. Are you secretly in love with someone else?"Khana was caught off guard by the question her friend had raised. "The question should be, why can't I unlove Henry?" she thought to herself."Why can't you answer me? Are you secretly in love with someone else?" Serina repeated."Don't mind me. You are just overanalyzing everything,” Khana replied.Serina laughed and said, "Good to hear that. You know you're lucky to have Richard. He's kind, gentleman, rich, and handsome.”Another friend, Bettina, added, "He was your savior as well. It's like destiny played its part. What else do you ask for?" There was a bitter tone and sarcasm when Bettina stated her sentiment. She even rolled her eyes, but Khana and Serina did not notice it.Khana was silent, then excused herself to go to the washroom. She stared at her reflection in the mirror and reminisced about the day when Richard had changed h
Father Henry stood in front of the confession room, adjusting his priestly robes. It had been a long day filled with prayers, counseling, and performing church services. As he prepared to take his seat inside the confessional, memories of his past started to resurface, memories he had buried deep within his heart. His mind wandered back to his younger days when he was just Henry, a passionate and spirited young man deeply in love with a woman named Khana. As he entered the confession room, he took a deep breath, preparing to offer forgiveness and guidance to those who sought it. Little did he know that the next confession would lead him down a path of emotions he had long suppressed. The sharp sound of a stiletto caught the attention of another man serving in the lord's presence. He looked up to see a lady with black hair, fair skin, and an alluring figure. "I wonder what a beauty like her has to confess," the guy mumbled as he watched Khana knock before entering the confession roo
"Father, what seems to be the problem?" The fellow priest asked Father Henry, his voice filled with concern, as he returned from chasing Khana through the corridors of the monastery.Father Henry forced a weak smile, trying to hide the turmoil in his heart. With a hesitant voice, he replied, "N-Nothing, the lady left something behind, so I tried to return it for her.""Oh, that beautiful maiden?" said Henry's fellow priest, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.Henry nodded, his gaze drifting into the distance. Then, with a heavy sigh, he said, "I would like to rest for a bit. So, please take over."He made his way to the priest's resting chamber, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. Collapsing onto the edge of the bed, he clasped his hands together tightly, his fingers trembling. With a vacant stare fixed upon the floor, he could not comprehend how he had missed the opportunity to recognize such an angelic voice—the voice that had haunted his dreams for years.Placing his p