catorce

Third Person POV : flashback

Leni shifted her weight from one foot to the other, pressing the phone tighter against her ear. The house was quiet, save for the hum of a fan and the distant sounds of the city outside.

"Right, by the way, Ri," she started, voice steady, keeping her tone casual. "My sister? She’s not really in the mindset of finding a job there. Wala din siyang alam, tambay lang dito sa bahay."

She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling sharply. It wasn’t entirely true. Alice wasn’t lazy—far from it.

But she was lost, drifting through life like a ghost of herself. Leni saw it every day. The way Alice moved without purpose, how she avoided conversations, how she refused to acknowledge what was really wrong.

"But she pursued business," she continued, pushing past her hesitation. "And that’s what I was thinking. Maybe she could work at your company?"

Silence.

Leni waited, tapping her fingers against the table.

"I don’t know," The woman finally said, voice unreadable.

Leni rolled her eyes. "Hindi ko nga din alam bakit business gusto niya. But at least may natapos siya, ‘di ba? I just think she needs to be somewhere new, somewhere that forces her to finally move on. She’s been... stuck."

She bit the inside of her cheek. That was the truth. Alice had been stuck for a long time. And no matter what Leni did—no matter how much she tried to be patient, to be supportive—nothing changed.

Still, silence.

Then—

"I’ll think about it."

Leni let out a quiet breath. It wasn’t a yes. But it wasn’t a no either.

And for now, that was enough.

When the call ended, she stood there for a moment, staring at Alice’s closed door.

This was the only thing she could do.

She just hoped that, somehow, it would be enough.

─

Risa wasn’t expecting a call from Leni that night.

She had just finished a long meeting, her head pounding from the endless negotiations, the never-ending expectations. She was tired. Too tired to deal with anything else.

But then her phone rang. And when she saw the name on the screen, she sighed.

She answered anyway.

Leni’s voice was steady, firm. She always spoke like she was trying to fix something. And in a way, Risa supposed, she was.

"Maybe she could work at your company?"

Risa had almost laughed. Almost. But she knew Leni was serious.

The mention of the girl who had been stuck lingered in Risa’s mind long after the call ended.

She had been stuck, too.

And now, it seemed, fate was forcing them back into each other’s lives.

─

Alice POV : Present

I stand at the edge of the street, the cold air biting at my skin. My mind races, torn between a dozen conflicting thoughts.

You’ll never be ready if you keep holding onto what’s already gone, Leni’s voice echoes in my head.

I thought I’d let go, thought I’d moved forward, but here I am, in this foreign place, still carrying the weight of the past, still unable to let go of the woman who disappeared without a trace.

It’s been ten years, I think, my chest tightening. I should be over this.

But the emptiness left by Ms. Hontiveros still lingers. No matter how far I ran, or how many distractions I buried myself in, nothing could fill the void.

Leni’s right, I admit. I’ve been matamlay, stuck in the past.

But now, here I am, standing in the shadows, watching as Ms. Hontiveros walks by. My heart skips a beat at the sight of her.

The woman who left without a word, who vanished without explanation, leaving me to wonder if I ever meant anything to her at all.

Ten long years spent trying to move on, but Risa’s absence still burns like an open wound.

She passes, unaware of my presence, and for a brief moment, I want to step forward, to confront everything. But my feet stay frozen, my mind clouded with uncertainty. Then, in that moment, our eyes meet.

Time freezes for just a second.

Risa’s gaze locks with mine, and something flickers in those eyes—something familiar, something that tells me she remembers me.

But then, just as quickly, it’s gone. She looks away, and I retreat deeper into the shadows, my heart racing.

Did she really see me?

I wonder, still unsure. Or was I imagining it?

The moment I’ve been waiting for slips through my fingers.

The cold air surrounds me, but it’s not the weather that leaves me breathless—it’s the uncertainty, the doubt, the feeling that, once again, I’ve been left behind.

Maybe Leni was right. Maybe it’s time to let go.

But standing here, in the shadows, I’m not sure if I can—or if I even want to.

─

Later, on the phone with Leni:

“You’ll be an assistant at the company.” Leni said on the other side of the phone.

I lean against the counter in my apartment, the hum of the air conditioner doing little to break the silence that wraps around me. I glance at the bare walls, the emptiness of the space pressing in on me.

Is this really it?

I wonder.

Is this where I’m supposed to rebuild my life?

Leni’s voice on the other end of the line is calm, but there’s a weight to it. I can feel the unspoken expectation, the hope she’s placing on me, and it presses on my chest like a heavy stone.

“Yeah, I’m here.”

“You okay?”

I close my eyes, exhaling deeply. I’m not. But I don’t know how to say that. My fingers tighten around the phone, and I try to steady my breathing.

“I’m okay. It’s just... a lot.”

“It’s a good opportunity, Alice. A fresh start.”

I swallow hard, my throat tight. Can I really do this? Step into something so unfamiliar, so... permanent? I’m not sure I’m ready for it. I can’t even convince myself of it.

“What’s the company like?”

Leni doesn’t hesitate, her voice steady. “It’s small but growing. Professional, but not too formal. You’ll fit in.”

I nod, though she can’t see me. But the truth is, I’m not sure I do fit in. I’m not sure I’m ready for a job like this.

I hesitate, unsure how to express it.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for something like this.”

Leni’s voice softens, then turns firmer. “You’re more than capable. You’ve been running from this for too long. You can handle it.”

I stare at the floor, my heart racing. Can I? It feels like my whole world is slipping out of control. What if I fail?

“I don’t know if I can let go of everything, Leni.”

There’s a long pause. I can feel Leni’s sigh on the other end of the line, a deep, almost pained sound. She knows me too well.

“Starting over doesn’t mean forgetting who you are. It doesn’t mean abandoning what you’ve been through. It’s just a chance to build something new. You’re not running away, you’re just giving yourself the space to grow.”

I let out a long, shaky breath, her words sinking into me like a weight. The tears I didn’t realize I’d been holding back threaten to spill. But how do I stop running from myself?

“I’m not sure if I’m strong enough.”

Leni’s voice hardens with gentle resolve. “You are. You’ve been strong for so long, Alice. Don’t let the past hold you back. You deserve better than that.”

The words strike deep, hitting something inside me that I didn’t realize was still there. I close my eyes, squeezing the phone tightly as a tear escapes. I don’t want to be stuck anymore.

I finally whisper, barely above a breath: “I’ll think about it.”

Leni’s voice softens, as if she’s letting go of the weight of her expectations. “That’s all I’m asking. Just think about it.”

The call ends, and I let the phone drop into my lap, my fingers still holding it tight, as if it’s the only thing tethering me to the world.

I stare at the screen, but the weight of the decision still hangs heavily in the air.

I let out a deep breath, trying to let the heaviness in my chest lift, but it lingers. Maybe I am ready to move forward. Maybe it’s time to let go.

─

I take a deep breath, steadying myself as I step into the Navarro Company office. The receptionist directs me to the back office, and I feel my stomach knot with nerves.

My fingers brush the door handle, and I hesitate, the weight of the decision sinking into me all over again.

This is it. This is my chance.

With a push, the door swings open, revealing the sleek, polished office.

Blinds drawn, soft desk lamps casting a warm glow, a woman sits hunched over a desk at the far end of the room, absorbed in reading a thick document.

Navarro is etched on the brass plaque on the desk, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is the woman sitting there. The familiarity of the scene, the woman’s presence, sends a cold shiver down my spine.

I swallow hard, and my heart pounds in my chest. My voice feels small, almost like a whisper, but it escapes me.

“Alice?” I pause, my breath catching. No. I clear my throat, my hands shaking. “Ms. Hontiveros?”