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, was comforting.
The shower's warm water cascaded over her, washing away the remnants of sleep and last night's lingering alcohol. Khana closed her eyes, letting the heat relax her muscles. She scrubbed herself thoroughly, a mix of excitement and trepidation bubbling within her.
She replayed the memory of Henry in her mind, his deep voice soothing her as they left the bar. The smile on her face widened. Maybe Henry was still here, waiting for her.
Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and looked at her reflection in the foggy mirror. The smile she wore was one of contentment, believing in the comfort of the priest's presence.
She made her way to her wardrobe to get dressed. She wore casual clothes; a plain magenta top and paired it with white sexy shorts.
Khana followed the enticing aroma of freshly brewed coffee and something sweet wafting through the house. Her stomach growled in anticipation as she headed toward the kitchen, the promise of a delightful breakfast urging her forward. The scent became stronger, a mix of coffee and the unmistakable fragrance of freshly baked Japanese fluffy cake. The aroma was so inviting, and her stomach growled in anticipation.
'Henry must have stayed the night,' she thought, her smile widening. She called out, “Henry?” But her smile faded as she entered the kitchen and saw Richard standing by the counter, flipping a pancake.
Her heart sank.
Khana froze, her mind racing. "Richard? What are you doing here? And why are you back so early? what are you doing inside my house without telling me you'll visit?" Her tone was sharp, laced with annoyance.
In the back of her mind, she made a mental note to change the locks. No one should be able to enter her house unannounced, not even Richard.
Richard looked up, his smirk widening. "Good morning to you too, Khana. Disappointed that I'm not Henry?" He leaned against the counter, his eyes gleaming with mischief. He added, "Did I hit the head of the nail?"
Khana raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms over her chest. "I didn't need to hear that from you," she retorted, her voice icy.
Richard chuckled, clearly enjoying her discomfort. "I guess so. But I wanted to ask you that since you might be more disappointed when you realize it wasn't Henry who made out with you last night."
Khana felt as if
a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her. Her heart raced, and her mouth went dry. "D-don't tell me...""Yes, it's me," Richard interrupted, his voice smooth. He cleared his throat, and continued, "I thought you were asking for it since you kept clinging to my neck. You even kissed me first. Who am I to ignore my future wife's invitation?"
The room seemed to spin around Khana. She gripped the edge of the counter for support, her mind reeling. How could this have happened? She didn't remember any of it.
Khana’s mind raced, a storm of confusion and regret. How could she have mistaken Richard for Henry?
Before she could respond, her phone beeped, breaking the tense silence. Grateful for the distraction, she pulled it out and saw it was an unregistered number. Without hesitation, she answered the call and stepped out of the kitchen.
"Hello?"
"Khana, it's Bettina. We need to talk. It's about Richard,"
Bettina's voice was urgent.
Khana's heart skipped a beat. "Alright, send me the location. I'll be there soon."
She ended the call and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. Whatever Bettina had to say, it had to be important. And Khana desperately needed to hear whatever it was.
She walked back into the kitchen, where Richard was casually sipping coffee, looking smug. "I have to go," she said curtly.
"Where are you going?" Richard asked.
"I'm in a hurry," she replied. She momentarily stopped upon reaching the door of the kitchen. She added, "We'll talk later."
Richard raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Sure, Khana. But remember, we're not done here."
Ignoring him, Khana grabbed her keys and left the house. As she drove to the meeting place Bettina had texted her, her mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. What did Bettina know? And how could she face the reality that she might have been with Richard last night?
Pulling into the café parking lot, Khana spotted Bettina sitting at a corner table inside. The café's warm, cozy atmosphere contrasted sharply with the cold knot of anxiety in Khana’s stomach. 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 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?"
Bettina took a handkerchief from her pouch before repeating her words to Khama, “Listen carefully. Please take good care of him. He doesn’t have much time left.”
“You are not making sense, Bettina. Is he dying or what?” Khana replied, she was irritated and nervous at the same time.
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
Khana sat alone in her cozy apartment as soon as her fiance left. She went to the bathroom to take a bath. She rested her head on the edge of her bathtub and stared out the window.Her mind drifted back to the past. She couldn't help but reminisce about the time she had spent with Henry, the one who had once held her heart. It had been years since they had parted ways, but some memories refused to fade away.As the rain gently tapped on the window pane, Khana's mind was transported back to the day she met Henry. It wasn't a pleasant encounter at all. They quarreled at their first meeting because Henry was a distant person who refused to make friends. On the other hand, young Khana was talkative and loved to socialize with strangers. They were separated a couple of times because Henry's family was constantly moving from place to place. They were reunited at the birthday party of a mutual friend they didn't expect to see. Their eyes met across the crowded room, and an instant connectio
Father Henry was getting ready to go to church. He caught a glimpse of himself staring at his reflection in the mirror. His heart beat faster when he laid his eyes on his cheek and remembered what happened at Khana's last visit. He could vividly remember everything when she asked him to walk away or turn around. He's frozen in place upon hearing— 'You really remind me of someone. Please turn around if I have mistaken you for someone else. And if my intuition is right, please walk away.' He was too scared to turn around, torn between his desire to see her and his fear of revealing his true identity. His heart pounded in his chest as he grappled with the monumental decision before him. He knew that turning around would mean facing the woman he had loved for so long but had to let go. The seconds stretched into an eternity as he weighed his options. He whispered a silent prayer for guidance, seeking strength from the same faith that had compelled him to become a priest and conceal his