"Change is the only constant in this world. But the question is, have you change for the better or worse?" - FF12

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Yrrah stiffen when Santa's lips touch her forehead. She was awestruck when the high voltage of electricity traveled to every part of her body. Her heart would like to popped out of her chest and she's quite anxious that he could hear its sounds. She also felt something weird in her stomach. Probably the dancing and singing butterflies? Just like the crowd who's applauding and cheering right now.

Though he changed his voice to be deeper and jollier, but his eyes and effect with her could never disguised him enough.

"Merry Christmas, wife. You look so beautiful tonight," Santa whispered closer to her ears. His warm breath tickled her ears and its minty smell send a more hypnotic spell.

"Yrrah!" Aeron broke the spell. He was standing in front of her with a concerned look and extended his arms to her.

She reached his hand, stood up like a robot and force to smile to the crowd. "Awww!" the crowd complained. Aeron guided her to be backed to their table.

"Ho! Ho! Ho! Merry Christmas! Enjoy your party!" Santa said and waved to the crowd. He went back to where he came out.

The emcee announced that it's time for more fun games for kids, teenagers, and couples. She even asked everyone to participate and enjoy the night.

When did he come back? Why is he here? Why did he call me wife? Was he being sarcastic only?

Unconsciously, she drank and emptied her red wine glass.

"Are you okay?" Aeron asked her, he noticed that she's preoccupied.

She nodded and smiled to him. "Excuse me, I going to get more drinks."

"No. Stay there and I'm going to get it for you." Aeron walked away.

Zach arrived and settled himself on the empty chair of Aeron, beside her. "Hi," his simple greetings to her. "Hi, Auntie Fe. How's the food?" he asked her yaya who's seating beside her on the right side.

She just gave Zach a lazy nod as her reply. Her face remained emotionless though, her heart was hammering harder, shouting to come out of her chest.

"Delicioso, hijo," her yaya complimented, gave him a genuine and satisfied smile.

Oh! He's the one who cooked that lobster, salmon, and some other fancy dishes. That's why, the taste seems very familiar. She thought to herself.

"Gurlush, who is this handsome fafa? Mah gash!" Barbie who sat on the left side of Zach now, asked in animated tone. Her thicker and wide lips were like being stretched from ears-to-ears. Her eyes twinkled with heart-shaped.

Zach didn't even bother to look at Barbie. Before she could reply. Aeron came back with a glass of wine on his left hand.

"Excuse me, you're taking my spot," he said to Zach.

Zach thrown him an ice-cold glare. "Am I?" He stood up and faced Aeron.

Yrrah felt the tension between two men who were the same height, both dashingly handsome, and they were attracting a lot of pairs of eyes already. Aeron was just a bit muscular than Zach, has more angular jawline and sharper eyes. If he's a movie actor, he would be better in an antagonist role. While Zach got his own unique charm as he still looks so kind like an angel even with his pokerfaced, what more if he smiles? If he's a movie actor, he would always play the role of a protagonist.

She stood up also facing both men. "Ah, Zach. I want you to meet Aeron, my boyfriend," she said in a low voice, enough for Zach to hear. She even snaked her arms on Aeron's right arms, and gave Zach a sweet feign smile. She was thankful that she didn't stutter. She saw a ghost of disappointment on his ex-husband's eyes. His lips even parted a bit as if he was dumbfounded. She's not sure if her own eyes betrayed her or was it her mind wanted to see?

"Aeron, this is Zach, my-"

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen," the emcee said. She was looking at their direction. "We would like to take this opportunity to welcome and give thanks to our special guest who made our evening extra blessed. We are so lucky to have a taste of the cooking of the well-known chef in New York, USA. None other than Chef Zacharry Ravelo. Also known at The Sizzling Hot Chef. Thank you, Chef, for joining us tonight and for all the tasty and fancy dishes. We're so lucky not to pay even one dollar to taste those foods." Zach just waved his hand to their guest and his lips lifted for a bashful smile, when he spared her a quick glimpse.

Are you shy, ex-hub? Oh gosh! He is. His ears are even red and he's even flushing. He looked so cute.

Their guest clapped their hands and they started murmuring like bees. Mostly positive comments about the foods, the elegant buffet, and how illegally handsome he is. Some of the older ang younger people approached him and asked if he's the son of Zacharias and Zarah Ravelo. Some asked him if he's still single. If he has a current girlfriend. His social media account. His cellphone numbers.

Really, people?

He rolled her eyes to the dark sky and her lips curved to a grimace. She pulled Aeron away from the crowd. Her ex was surely the King of the Night.

"Are you serious about of what you've said?" Aeron asked her in an apprehensive tone. They settled themselves at the gazebo a few meters away from perimeter of the party.

"What?" She played dumb. She actually just admitted it as she didn't want to look pathetic in front of her ex. But then, it was her planned a few days ago, but now that Zach came back, she's a bit confused again.

"That I am your boyfriend. You already knew that I like you so much. So, do you-"

She cut him off. "Yeah. I'm supposed to tell you on your birthday but I p-passed out," she admitted then, let out a silly laugh and drank the wine that Aeron gave her.

"Yes!" he shouted a bit louder. Some people closer to them glanced with confusion but then, their lips lifted with delighted eyes when he wrapped her into his muscular arms and kissed her on her forehead.

She tried to feel the voltage of electricity but there's none. Though, she felt her cheeks hot, her heart was also palpitating irregularly, and it seemed that there's something weird in her belly like some bugs fighting; betting between Zach or Aeron. Who's going to win?

This is my decision. I stick to it. I know, it's a right decision. Aeron likes me since we met. While Zach, it seems that I was the only one who fell for him. It seems that I just registered as a member of Unrequited Love Club, like those of 'pinaasa pero hindi minahal' or 'given with false hope but not their love never been reciprocated'.

She looked at Zach's direction. He towered those ladies around him; matured, young adults, and teenagers. He was staring at her coldly as if he's throwing her with frosted icicle arrows. Her hands lifted to hug back Aeron and rest her head on his shoulder as the tears escaped from her eyes.

I better choose the one who loves me, not the one I love but stabbing me to death. I hope I'm not being unfair with Aeron. I surely learn to love him.

YRRAH and Aeron went back to their table, not minding Zach who's still talking to her yaya and some other people either introducing themselves or their maiden daughters.

The emcee called her attention to join the couple's game, an ancient newspaper dance. She's quite tipsy yet still like to have fun. She instructed Aeron of how to do it. Few more couples joined them, and she was flabbergasted for the last pair who occupied the space beside them, Zach with a beautiful lady, a daughter of their laundry housemaid. She's around her age, actually their playmate when they were kids.

The game started. When the music was on, each pair need to dance around their designated newspaper, and when it stopped, their feet should be inside that paper. Then, the newspaper would be folded in half. One by one, each pair was out of the game, either they're not stepping inside the newspaper or they fell.

Zach and his partner and Aeron and her were the last two pair left. The newspaper was folded in 1/16 just enough for one person to tiptoe. She removed her shoes and whispered to Aeron that she would step on his toes and make sure to hold her tightly.

The people encircled them. Their faces have different expressions, mostly with wide smiles, some youngsters have envy expressions towards her or Via, Zach's partner, and others have twinkled eyes of admiration. Noises of cheering, laughter, and murmuring filled the air.

When the music starts, they swayed they body in the rhythm of the soft rock music of Ellie Goulding's Love Me Like You Do. When the music stopped, Aeron hugged her tightly while he balanced himself tiptoeing his one foot on the paper. Yrrah also balanced herself while stepping on his toe, and her arms around his waistline resting her cheeks on his shoulder, as they planned.

On the other hand, Zach tiptoed his foot on the paper while carrying the petite lady like his bride. Her heart tightens as she saw their position, and she swallowed an imaginary lump.

The crowd was cheering and started their countdown for the best pair to hold their balance. When Yrrah's eyes met Zach's, he winked at her with an obnoxious grin plastered on his lips.

Her eyes widen and a glimpse of memories flashed on her mind like video recorded clip played instantly before her eyes.

"Why are you so heavy, Little Piggy? Hold tightly or we're going to lose," the teenage boy said. He's tall but skinny, and carrying a chubby girl like his bride.

"You're bad. I'm not a pig. I'm just chubby," the eight-year old girl said. She hit him on his chest at made him tripped his balance and he fell back, the girl on top of him, crying. "It's your fault we lose, Kuya!"

Aeron stepped his other foot on the ground unconsciously that made them lose. The crowd cheered vigorously for Zach and Via.

"Congrats," she told them.

She's about to walk back to their table when Zach whispered to her ears, "I finally win this game but not with my little piggy."

He was really that boy that I called Kuya.

YRRAH woke-up with a heavy head the next day. She couldn't remember how she even went to her room or what time did the party finish. She knew that she was quite drunk last night. She knew that she was quite drunk last night. The last thing that she'd remembered was dancing with Zach. Yes, she was dancing with Aeron but then Zach, approached him politely to dance with her.

"Gosh! Who changed me into this pajama?" she asked as she checked herself. She's not actually wearing pajama but a huge white shirt and her undies. She gained her consciousness and scrutinized her surroundings. Her loud scream echoed in the four corners of the room. She's not in her room.

The room was painted in ocean blue faded in aged, the blackout curtains was royal blue in colored, and single bed sheets were brown. She immediately jumped off the bed and ran towards the door. Before she could hold the door knob, it opened and hit her face. That made her to close her eyes.

"Why are you screaming? You're waking up the neighbors!" the man with baritone voice said in annoyed tone.

She knew that voice, though, she wouldn't open her eyes. But then, she opened her eyes and met his whisky colored-eyes. "Where the hell am I?" she asked louder as if she's asking someone few meters away from her, while in fact, he just half a ruler in front of her.

"Tss! How did you think that my house is a hell?" The man wearing a white sando and a dark blue jersey short, crossed his arms on his chest, his biceps waved to her.

She swallowed her saliva and it tasted sour as if she puked. She immediately covered her mouth. She saw the ghost of mischievous grin on his lips as his eyes lowered down to her midsection. She looked at herself and the shirt lifted up and shown her undies.

"Pervert!" She went back to bed to wrap the bed sheet on her.

He chuckled. "Is there anything that I didn't see?" She felt her cheeks burning. He seemed amused and playful. He was never like this in two years that they've been together.

She arched her eyebrow trying to compose herself. "Why did you kidnap me?"

"Kidnap? Auntie Fe knew that you're here."

Really? Did Yaya betray me with him?

"The caretaker of this house said that you've visited a few months ago. So, I'm guessing that you want to see it. Feel free to check it out. The whole area of this house is just as big as your living room. No sweat at all."

So, this is his parent's house, where he mostly grew up.

"The bathroom is the first door at the right down the steps, if you want to take a shower first, and brush your teeth. Your extra clothes are in that paper bag." He pointed the paper bag on top of the side table. He turned back and went out of the room. "But then, you looked sexier on my shirt, wife." She could hear his laughter vanishing into the distance.

"Was he possessed? He's talking too much," she babbled, as she grabbed the paper bag.

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1 - 4 May 2020