In the past, I used to keep my feelings bottled up, not wanting to burden anyone else. I see my problems as dark clouds, and I try not to let them rain on others. You know, people are like sponges, soaking up negative energy and emotions. But today, I realized there are people who don't just soak up negativity —they make it disappear. They're like the sun after a storm, helping you dry up the dampness and showing you the way forward. For me, those people were Izzy and Dessa.

As the night approached, Izzy and Dessa decided it was time to head home so we all stood up, and I led them to the door. Today was really fun and hanging out with them made me feel like I wasn't alone. We talked about life, shared our feelings and they talked about random stuff about themselves, which helped me get to know them better.

"It was great hanging out with you today girl!" Izzy said, smiling as they stepped outside.

"Thank you both for today," I said, feeling really grateful.

"Thanks, Cali and please consider what I told you," Dessa said, reminding me about talking to Mino.

"Yeah, I will," I assured her.

"And see you at Bambi's birthday this weekend!" Dessa replied before they left.

Dessa said Jana invited her to her son's 7th birthday party as she knew Dessa was friends with Nick. Dessa also mentioned she'll bring Izzy as her plus one. They even asked if I'm going to ask Mino to be my plus one, which never crossed my mind as I assumed he's already going with Nick. That made me think. Maybe it's a good chance to talk to him? Should I bring it up with him? And if so, how should I approach him? That's the question that kept me up all night.

The next morning, I went to work as usual, contemplating whether to discuss my visa approval with HR. But I opted to wait, considering I still had a month to make a decision. I think I'll sort it out when the time is right.

Unlike the previous week, when almost everyone was down with the flu, it appeared that everyone had fully recovered. There were a few patients in the office in the morning, but by the afternoon, there were none.

I sometimes run into Nick and Jana, and I greet them casually, but it's not like before when Jana and I were really close. It feels awkward now, but I miss our old bond. It seems like Jana and I are only connected now because of Bambi.

Speaking of my nephew, his birthday is coming up fast, and I haven't gotten him a gift yet. So, before heading home, I decided to go to the mall and pick something up for him. And as I made my way to the elevator, I overheard some coworkers gossiping.

"Have you heard about Mino? He's engaged to someone else," a coworker said not too far away, and it seemed like they were deliberately talking loud enough for me to hear.

"Yes, I heard about it too. They said the engagement was for a business deal."

I didn't know how to feel about what I heard, but it weighed heavily on my heart. Could it be true? Is Mino engaged to someone else for a business deal? Well, he might be. After all, I pushed him away.

"But, I thought he was dating Nurse Cali? They even went on the Mino Cosmetics company outing recently."

"I don't know, but look, it's Nurse Cali. Should we ask her?"

I quickened my pace so they wouldn't approach me and put my earphones on to make it seem like I didn't hear them. Thankfully, they didn't come over, and I was able to leave the office in peace.

I booked a carpool ride to the mall and arrived there in just a few minutes. It's not far from the office, though. As I walked towards the department store, the thought of Mino having a fiancé lingered in my mind. Was it true? Is he really engaged? If so, should I still invite him to Bambi's celebration? Maybe not. However, Nick and Dessa were urging me to patch things up with Mino but I heard he might be engaged. It's hard to say if it's true or not. But how can I find out for sure? Should I just ask him? I shake off the thought. Maybe I'll think about it later.

I went straight to the toy section in the department store and picked out some toys for Bambi. As I walked toward the cashier to pay for the toys, I accidentally bumped into a girl, causing the toys in my hand to scatter everywhere.

I looked at the girl and she looked like a model, really pretty like someone who stepped off a magazine cover. While she was still on the floor, clearly annoyed with me, she snapped, "Watch where you're going!" But what surprised me even more was the guy who helped her up.

"Angel, are you okay?" he asked with concern before his eyes landed on me, and he seemed shocked. "Cali?" he uttered, clearly surprised.

"You know her?" the girl he was with asked.

Mino hesitated, seeming unsure of what to say, but after a moment, he regained his composure and replied, "Uh, yeah, she's a friend," he said, addressing the girl. Friend? Hearing that stung a little.

The girl scrutinized me, her eyebrows raised. "I'm Angel, Mino's fiancé. And you are?" she said with a hint of attitude.

"Angel!" Mino interjected, clearly uncomfortable with her calling him her "fiancé."

Feeling trapped in the situation, I kept my response brief. "I'm Cali," I replied.

"Cali? That sounds familiar. Where have I heard that before?" she mused aloud, trying to recall. Maybe she had heard about me. Perhaps, she know about Mino and me. I felt a sudden rush of nerves. I hope not. "Oh, never mind. Maybe Mino mentioned you before, but you're nothing important. Just be more careful next time," she said dismissively, still annoyed.

"Sorry," I mumbled quickly before walking away in a rush. I left the toys behind somewhere in the store. I couldn't bring myself to pay for them anymore. All I wanted was to escape.

As soon as I stepped out of the department store, I felt breathless as my heart raced. Seeing them there felt like a stab in my chest. So it's true after all? Mino is now engaged to someone else, and her name is Angel? But, that Angel doesn't seem like an angel at all. Despite her heavenly appearance, her attitude is more devilish than divine. Is she really Mino's fiancé? Guess I didn't have to ask Mino to come to Bambi's birthday after all.

As I began to walk home, I clenched my fist against my chest, not liking what I'm feeling. It felt like tears were welling up in my eyes, but I fought to hold them back. I told myself I wouldn't cry again.

When I got home, Dessa and Izzy called me on the group chat. While Dessa urged me to turn on the news, Izzy interrupted and insisted I shouldn't, no matter what. But, my curiosity got the better of me, so I turned on the TV and to my surprise, the news was about Mino and his fiancé, Angel. So it was all over the news? I guess it's official.

"Cali, I'm sorry," Dessa said. "But Mino didn't want that engagement. That's why you should talk to him. Their father just wanted Angel for him for a business deal, but it's not final yet. You can still talk to him."

I didn't know how to respond. Was it true that Mino didn't like it? But what about earlier? It seemed like he was really looking after her.

"Are you okay, girl?" Izzy asked, sounding worried.

I felt sad, that's true, but what could I do? "It's okay. In fact, I saw them earlier and they looked cute together. I just hope Mino finds happiness with her," I said, trying to sound cheerful about the news, even though it broke my heart.

The following days were quite dull. The lack of new patients at the office left me feeling unproductive. On the bright side, nobody was sick. It's strange that I couldn't decide if the absence of patients was good or bad news.

Even though I wasn't productive at work, I made sure to keep myself busy and not dwell on thoughts of Mino's engagement, as it still somehow makes me feel sad. Dessa checked in on me occasionally, and I reassured her that I was okay. Izzy also called me regularly to make sure everything was alright. Their concern meant a lot to me. They were truly good friends.

The days passed quickly, and before I knew it, it was Bambi's birthday. Dessa, Izzy, and I decided to attend together. After hearing the news about Mino, I didn't bother asking him to join and decided not to go with anyone.

Bambi's 7th birthday was held at the resort, complete with a program. When we arrived at the venue, a few people were already there. An usher guided us to our table. I was supposed to bring one of the 7 gifts, but since I didn't get the chance to buy one, I decided to give him money instead.

Dessa and I were dressed casually, but Izzy was being his usual self, rocking his favorite heart-shaped shades and clothes that shimmered like a disco ball. He's just something else. Seeing Izzy made me wonder, the first time I laid eyes on him, he looked oddly familiar, like I'd seen his face somewhere before. But try as I might, I couldn't quite figure out where or who he reminded me of. I shrugged it off, thinking maybe his face was just a bit generic.

Izzy excused himself to use the powder room, leaving Dessa and me at the table chatting. Our other officemates arrived, and we had a quick chat with them. As more people arrived, many tables filled up, and soon the program began.

We stood up and started with prayers before welcoming the event's host — Nick and Jana. They were followed by Bambi.

Once seated, the host announced that there would be party games for the kids first, so Bambi joined the other children. Jana and Nick then approached our table.

"Thank you both for coming today, we really appreciate it," Jana said to Dessa and me. "By the way, you mentioned you're here with someone?" Jana asked Dessa.

"Yeah, he went to the bathroom," Dessa replied.

"He — a guy? Is he the one you're dating?" Jana asked curiously.

Dessa and I exchanged a glance and burst into laughter. "No way," we both said at the same time.

"You actually know him, Nick. He's pride_Chicken from the online group," I told him, and he looked surprised.

"Really? He's here?" Nick exclaimed. I remembered they hadn't met, and Dessa brought Izzy here to finally introduce him to Dom.

"Yes," I confirmed and just as I said that, Izzy returned from the powder room and joined us at the table. We introduced Izzy to Jana and Nick.

"Ah, so here he is, the one you're accusing me of dating," Dessa said, still laughing at the idea of Izzy being her date. "Izzy, meet Jana and Nick. By the way Nick he's also pride_Chicken." Dessa added.

And the moment Jana and Izzy locked eyes, they both exclaimed, "ISAGANI/JANA?!" at the same time. Hold up, they knew each other?

Nick, Dessa, and I were all stunned, especially Nick, who was with Jana. "Isagani, you mean?" Nick knew him? Now both Dessa and I were wondering, "No way," Nick said in disbelief.

"Wait, wait. You knew each other?" I asked, really curious. If so, how?

"Yes, he's Isagani Ezekiel Romero. Even dressed like that, I can clearly remember him," Jana said, looking at Izzy as if she's examining him.

We looked at Izzy, trying to figure out how they knew each other. After a while, he finally spoke up.

"Yes, we knew each other. We met seven years ago, right before I went abroad," Izzy said, but what surprised us even more was what he said next, "She's my ex," he added, leaving us in total shock. Now, seeing Izzy again and knowing Jana was his ex, I couldn't help but wonder if that was the reason why he looked familiar. But I had never met him before, and I didn't know he was Jana's ex. Wait — there I stared closely at Bambi, who was playing with the other children. Could it be that?

"You're Bambi's father?" I asked.

"I'm whose father?!" Izzy asked, shocked, and now we were all even more shocked.