Thank you very much for reading Wretched Choices! It must be frustrating, but you all still stayed 'til the end. I ought to write this kind of muddled stories. So, once again, thank you. See you in the next installment of Fatal Series.

Epilogue

"Ang ganda-ganda talaga ng ambiance dito sa café mo. Parang gusto ko rito tumambay araw-araw dahil wala akong ginawa sa bahay kundi matulog. Ayaw na ayaw akong pakilusin ni Jethro!"

Sharry kept on rubbing her slightly bumped stomach, while sipping an organic orange juice. In front of her, there were three big loaves of banana bread. Sa kanya lang 'yon, pero alam kong hindi pa sapat sa kanya 'yon kaya nagpahanda na rin ako ng pasta para sa kanya.

"You should watch your weight, Sha," I absentmindedly told her and indulged on my coffee which I brew myself.

She immediately snapped at me. "Excuse me, I'm eating for two, that's why!"

Tumango-tango na lang ako sa kanya, natatawa dahil ang bilis niyang mainis. Well, maybe, it was the reaction of her hormones since she's currently pregnant with her second child.

"Anong oras ka raw ba babalikan ng asawa mo?"

"Ang sabi niya pagkasundo niya kay Queenie sa school." Umirap si Sharry dahil ayaw niya pang umuwi agad. "Parang wala pa akong dalawang oras no'n dito kung ganoon."

"Wala ka namang ginagawa rito, kaya okay na 'yon. At saka ayaw mo bang makabonding ang anak mo?"

Her eyes lit up. "Of course, I would love to!" But then, she frowned. "Pero alam mo namang daddy's girl 'yon. Mas papansinin niya lang si Jethro kaysa sa akin. At dahil wala nga akong ginagawa, mas pipiliin kong nasa labas at hindi nakakulong sa bahay."

Based from what I experienced when bonding with her family, I could tell that Queenie's really a daddy's girl. Not that she didn't like to hang out with Sharry because whenever Jethro's at work, they really get along well. Pero kapag nandyan si Jethro ay asahan mong sa kanya siya pupunta lalo na kapag may kailangan.

"Pero dadaan si Jerome dito mamaya, 'di ba?" Bigla siyang nagalak. "Maybe I can tell Jethro na huwag niya na muna akong sunduin dahil dadating si Jerome mamaya."

"Sandali lang si Jerome dito. Dadaan lang daw siya," sabi ko naman.

"Okay lang 'yon! Mags-stay pa rin ako," pilit ni Sharry.

Napabuntong hininga na lang ako dahil mukhang wala nang makakapigil pa sa desisyon niya. "Anyway, pupunta ako saglit sa BGC branch mamaya. I'll personally check the inventory, pagkatapos ay babalik agad ako rito," sabi ko. "Doon ka muna sa loob ng office ko. You can use the sofa bed to sleep or rest, while I'm gone."

"Noted, Ma'am Keia," she mocked me and winked.

Hindi na lang ako pumatol sa kanya. I should try harder to be extra nice to her since she's pregnant. And besides, I still owe her a bunch for not being able to attend her wedding which happened just a few months after our graduation because Jethro got her pregnant.

It was the time I was healing from depression outside the country after my grandmother was put to rest. I decided to travel in the nearest Asian countries for a few months and worked in Singapore for two years. Amidst of everything, I constantly underwent therapies and took medications to take care of my mental health.

When I got home, finally free from the mosnters which devoured me, Sharry wanted to get married again because she wanted me to be her maid of honor, but of course, that idea was outrageous. Nangako ako sa kanyang babawi na lang ako sa ibang paraan.

"Kayo na muna ang bahala sa kanya. I'll just go to the BGC branch," bilin ko sa aking mga staffs dahil kailangang maiwan ni Sharry dito.

I wanted to take her with me, but she said she was fine here. Hindi na rin ako nagpumilit dahil kailangan kong magmadali para pumunta sa kabilang branch.

So far, I had three branches of my café around Metro Manila. Feeling like office work was not meant for me when I tried working in Singapore, I thought of establishing my own business. I did barista training in BCAA and also studied café management. After I finished developing my business plan and got my loan approved, the main branch of Café Mason was built.

Honestly, I thought it wouldn't go well but fortunately, everything went according to plan. In just three years since I started my business, I managed to build three branches of my café. And next year, I was planning to venture outside Luzon that's why I have a trip to Cebu City next month.

"Please supervise the arrival of deliveries and update the inventory on this branch tomorrow, Airlia," I told my most trusted staff. "May event akong pupuntahan bukas kaya hindi ako makakadaan. Pagkatapos dumating ng deliveries, saka ka na pumunta sa main branch."

Airlia is like my right hand. She helps me in managing all three branches of Café Mason, but she's mostly based here in our BGC branch. It has only been a year since I hired her and she already proved herself to be competent, effective, and efficient.

"I'll take care of everything, Ma'am Keia," she said without hesitation and smiled. "Magtetext na lang po ako sa inyo kapag may emergency or kung may importante po kayong kailangang malaman."

Smiling proudly, I nodded. She already knew what to do whenever I was taking a break off.

"Thank you," sabi ko. "Babalik na ako sa main branch. Pupunta ka ba sa North branch?"

"Yes po."

"Okay, then. Mag-iingat ka."

Nagmamaneho na ako pabalik nang makatanggap ako ng mensahe mula kay Jerome.

From: Jerome
Already on my way. Be there in thirty.

I quickly typed in my reply since I was driving.

To: Jerome
Take care.

Pouting my lips, I wouldn't be surprised if he arrived earlier than me. Hindi ganoon kalayo ang main branch sa BGC branch pero dahil sa traffic ay tumatagal ang biyahe. I really hope that the government would do something about it, as well as some citizens who also have their fair share of mistakes for driving irresponsibly.

When I arrived at the café, I was right. I already spotted Jerome talking to Sharry. Nang pumasok ako sa loob ay agad niya akong nahagip ng tingin. He smiled the moment he saw me.

Napalingon si Sharry sa akin at napansin kong kumakain na naman siya. She was eating her favorite pesto.

"Kumakain ka na naman," bungad ko bago umupo sa tabi niya. "Bago ako umalis ay kumakain ka na."

"It's not my fault. My baby got hungry," she cutely ranted.

Bahagya akong natawa at sinulyapan ang inumin ni Jerome. He didn't order any food.

"Wala kang gustong pagkain?"

He shook his head and lifted his drink. "This is enough for me."

"Okay. I'll just grab my own food and drink."

Tumayo ako para pumunta sa counter. I prepared my own drink while a staff of mine heated a Belgian waffle for me, topped with whipped cream and chocolate syrup.

Pagbalik ay dala-dala ko ang tray kung saan nakalagay ang aking pagkain at inumin, pero hindi pa ako nakakalayo sa counter ay agad nang inagaw sa akin ni Jerome 'yon. He carried the tray on the way to our table.

He was sweet and gentleman as ever, but still playful.

Honestly, I never thought we would still be this close up to now. I thought he wouldn't be able to forgive me because of the mess I made. Dinamay ko pa siya sa ginawa kong kamalian.

I was ready to take in his rage that time but instead, he just comforted me and didn't say anything which would make me feel bad.

That was when I realized how selfish I was for dragging him into my mess. And so, I did everything to set him free from my chains by directly rejecting him. It helped that I was gone for a long time. He was able to move on from me.

"Bakit hindi mo pala sinama si Genna?" biglang tanong ni Sharry kay Jerome. "It's been a month since I saw her."

Genna is Jerome's fiancée, and they're actually getting married tomorrow. That's the event I'm going to attend to.

"Mahigpit ang mommy niya pagdating sa mga pamahiin at tradisyon," tamad na sabi ni Jerome. "She wouldn't allow me to meet her today. Kahit nga video call ay ayaw niya."

Humagalpak agad sa tawa si Sharry. "Hay nako! Hindi naman totoo 'yon," sabi niya. "Buong araw nga kaming magkasama ni Jethro no'n eh. Pero tingnan mo naman kami ngayon at magkakaroon na kami ng pangalawang anak."

"I can't go against her mother." Jethro shrugged his shoulders. "And besides, she's with her sister. May hinanda raw na bachelorette's party para sa kanya."

Tahimik lang akong kumakain habang nakikinig sa pag-uusap nilang dalawa pero hindi ko maiwasan ang mapangiti.

When Genna came into his life, I bet that I was even happier than the two of them. I was so glad that he found someone who would love him relentlessly.

"I'll be expecting you two tomorrow," sabi ni Jerome. "Hindi puwedeng wala kayong dalawa bukas."

"Of course, I'll go!" Sharry exclaimed. "My dress is already prepared."

"How 'bout you, Keia?"

Napaangat ako ng tingin kay Jerome. He was staring at me with a very hopeful look.

"Oo naman." Ngumiti ako. "Bakit mo naman naisip na hindi ako aattend?"

Suddenly, Jerome became serious. "Because if I'll tell you that Archer will attend my wedding, you might not come."

Unti-unting nawala ang ngiting aking suot sa biglang sinabi ni Jerome. Si Sharry lang ang agad na nakapagreact.

"Ikakasal ka na nga lang, nagbibiro ka pa rin," natatawang sabi ni Sharry kay Jerome. "Tumigil ka na nga, Jerome. Why would Archer attend your wedding when he's thousand miles away? Ano 'yon? Magteteleport siya bukas papunta sa kasal mo?"

"He's back..." Jerome said with slight hesitation. "I actually met him yesterday in my workplace."

So, he's really back again after being away for so long. I trust Jerome. He wouldn't tell that kind of lie just to tease me.

"He's currently managing an investment company. Nag-invest siya sa kompanyang pinagt-trabahuhan ko," pagku-kuwento niya. "We talked a bit over lunch. He told me he's back for good to settle down. Inimbita ko siya sa kasal namin ni Genna."

"Bakit mo pa siya inimbita?" Napataas ang tono ni Sharry.

To calm her down, I held her arm. She glanced at me, and I just smiled before turning to Jerome once again.

"I just invited him out of courtesy, Keia," he explained. "I didn't expect that he would actually come. I thought he would turn down my invitation."

Tumango ako kay Jerome para ipakitang ayos lang sa akin. "Ayos lang sa akin, Jerome. It's your wedding. You can invite whoever you want," sabi ko. "At saka ang daming taon na ang nakalipas. I've moved on, and I'm sure, he's also moved on."

It had been seven years since I last saw him. The last words I heard from him was still vivid in my mind. Those words might not just be for me, but I held it deeply in my heart.

"Before I finally end my speech, I want to share a quote by Amit Ray in her book of wisdom, World Peace: The Voice of a Mountain Bird." Archer was standing tall on the platform with a serious look on his face as he went through his speech. I realized then that he was having an impromptu closing statement. It was not written on his speech before. "If you want to fly on the sky, you need to leave the earth. If you want to move forward, you need to let go of the past that drags you down."

Biting my lower lip, I stared at him even though I knew he wouldn't allow himself to meet my gaze. It was a fortunate thing for me though. I could cherish this last moment in college looking at him.

"This is not yet the end," he said. "We still have a long way ahead of us. And if we would allow this moment to pin us down, we won't be able to go anywhere."

Feeling a tear streaming down my face, I brought my hand up and wiped it quickly. I badly wanted to bow my head and cry up to my heart's content, but I didn't want to waste even a second looking away from him.

"To start with, acceptance. Once you learn how to accept, you'd be able to take a step forward. Little by little, even if it would take a long time, at least you're making a huge progress with each step you make until you finally reach the destination where you'll find the happiness that awaits you." For the first time today, I saw him smile. "Once again, congratulations to us graduates. Thank you."

Everyone started clapping their hands as soon as Archer went down from the platform. I was one of them, proudly clapping with the amazing and meaningful speech he shared.

His speech before lacked emotions. Iyon ang nawawala at hinahanap ko. He finally found it and inspired our fellow batchmates.

"You did great, Archer..." I whispered to myself, as quiet as I could. "You did great..."

Archer flew to France a month after our graduation. I knew because Hope posted that time on Instagram.

I had a hard time dealing with my grandmother who kept on searching for Archer's presence when she was still alive. I almost ran out of excuses until she suddenly stopped looking for him one day. My mother told me that Archer visited my grandmother while I was out with my father. Nagpaalam lang daw kay lola at hindi na rin nagtagal kaya hindi ko na naabutan.

Gusto kong malaman ang sinabi niya kay lola pero naisip kong mas mabuting wala na lang akong alam. Sometimes it's better not to know anything at all. Mas mapapadali ang buhay kapag ganoon.

Exhaling a deep sigh, I sat on edge of the bed and carefully placed the laptop on my lap. I never open this one folder on my drive except once, but the recollection of memories today made me pull the trigger.

Inside the folder, there was only one video inside. It was the video Archer took when my father just came home from abroad. The first and last time I watched it was when I just returned from my healing escapade—traveling and working abroad.

Isinaksak ko ang aking earphones sa laptop bago ipinasok sa aking tainga ang earpods. I played the video and saw the familiar view of the playground.

"Nandito na ako, Ma!" My dad's voice rang in my ears when he surprised my grandmother.

I teared up when I saw how my grandmother welcomed my father with a heartwarming embrace. I could also see my mother trying to suppress her tears.

For two minutes, I was the one holding my phone, trying to film my family. Magalaw-galaw pa ang screen dahil sa panginginig ng aking kamay, ngunit agad din itong natigil. I could still remember it clearly.

Kinuha sa akin ni Archer ang cellphone ko no'n para siya na mismo ang kumuha ng video para makasama ko ang aking pamilya.

"Thank you..." I heard myself thanking him with a very soft voice.

The video had become stable as soon as Archer held it. I watched myself walking towards my family. Agad na inilahad ni daddy ang kanyang kamay sa akin at hinila ako papalapit sa kanilang dalawa ni lola. He hugged us both, then my mother also joined us.

It was one of the precious moments in my life that I would never forget. My tears burst out, and I tried so hard not to make any sound, especially when I heard Archer's voice through the video.

"You really love your family..." he whispered, but it was clearly heard. "It must be so nice to be a part of it..."

Mabilis kong clinose ang video nang matapos ito. Itinabi ko ang aking laptop para lumabas sa may terasa.

The cold night breeze welcomed me. It was slightly windy so, I tied my night robe and hugged myself as I leaned on the barricade. Lifting my face to stare at the moon shining brightly tonight, I smiled.

The moon had shown itself around 2,555 times since I last saw him. There were so many things that changed over time, but the moon remains the same.

Tomorrow, I'd be able to see him again after all these years.

I wasn't lying when I said that I've already moved on, but I still feel guilty because of the past. I purposely wounded his heart which hurt him. I just hope that the scar has been healed already, and we can greet each other with a smile on our faces. But if not, I truly understand why. It's what I deserve.

"I thought Archer will come today?" Sharry leaned closer and asked me quietly. "Didn't see even his silhouette at the church earlier."

Nginitian ko na lamang si Sharry dahil hindi ko rin alam ang dapat kong sabihin sa kanya.

The wedding ceremony at the church ended already and Archer didn't show himself. Nandito na kami ngayon sa hotel kung saan gaganapin ang reception.

Napatingin ako kay Jerome na nakatingin sa gawi namin ngayon. He might also be wondering where Archer was. Nag-iwas na lang ako ng tingin sa kanya.

"Table 8."

That was the number of our table. Naunang umalis si Sharry sa lamesa para kumuha ng pagkain kasama sina Jethro at Queenie. Hindi rin nagtagal ay tumayo na ako.

I was about to take a step to the buffet table when a familiar figure caught my eye. I immediately focused my eyes on the guest who had just arrived, but it turned out he wasn't alone.

Some of the guests flocked over Archer who was with Hope. He was holding her hand while they constantly greeted our acquaintances. And in the middle of it, his eyes suddenly gaze up and met mine.

His smile slightly faded and it was like he froze for a moment. Sa malayo pa lang ay malaki na ang kanyang pinagbago, pero ang mga mata niya pa rin ang aking paborito.

Seeing him again made me genuinely smile. And it also looked like he was doing great with Hope. I was glad that she also kept her promise.

"Ate Keia."

I pulled my gaze away from Archer and turned to Harlyn, my sister-in-law. Behind her was my husband, Aciel, carrying our one year old son, Ranier. Harlyn was the one who named him. He's turning two in three months.

"Kuha na po tayo ng foods," aya niya sa akin.

Tumango ako at mas lalo siyang napangiti saka dumiretso sa buffet table. Pagkaalis ng kapatid ay lumapit si Aciel sa akin. Hindi ko maiwasang halikan ang pisngi ng anak. Napangiti ito dahil sa aking munting halik.

"Is that him?" Aciel asked, and I could sense his hesitation.

Nag-angat ako ng tingin sa aking asawa. Tumango ako at muling nilingon ang gawi nina Archer at Hope. Now, even Hope was looking at me.

She smiled cautiously, and I nodded to greet her quietly.

I casted a glance on Archer once again who was now looking at my little family before he looked at me again. Nginitian ko lamang siya ulit bago nilingon ang aking mag-ama.

It felt so good like a huge burden was lifted from my chest, seeing him with Hope like what I hoped for.

"Let's go and grab our food," sabi ko kay Aciel at hindi matanggal ang ngiti ko.

My husband nodded and took my hand, while securing Ranier on his arm.

It felt like I was walking on a tight rope when my grandmother died four months after my graduation. Sadness, grief, and sorrow—those three pitiful emotions embraced me for a long time. Even though my mind had already accepted the lost, my heart was still stubborn. It led me to experiencing anxiety and depression.

Like what I said, while healing from everything, I spent my time abroad before I went back home and faced it all. I realized that instead of coping up and moving on, I was dodging the misery life had brought me.

It was hard at first, but eventually, I managed to stand up from the greatest fall of my life. And now, I could say that I was pretty satisfied with the path I took and the choices I made, no matter how wretched they were. Because in the end, it was the right thing.