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 woman he loved the most before he runs out of time. Please do not tell him, I told you about his tumor," Bettina replied with teary eyes.
“Have mercy on him,” Bettina added.
Khana lost words. She was so shocked, that even her brain had not processed the information yet.
"You aren't making up stories this time, right?" Khana asked with a slight edge of disbelief in her voice.
"I know you no longer trust me anymore, but you can go to the XXXX hospital to verify it," Bettina replied. She stood up and left the café, leaving Khana in a daze.
Khana sat at the table, staring blankly at the space Bettina had vacated. Her mind raced, replaying Bettina's words over and over again. Could Richard really be dying? She felt a mixture of shock, confusion, and a creeping sense of guilt.
When Khana returned home, she looked for Richard to discuss things, but he was no longer there. Instead, there was a note left on the kitchen counter. It read:
"To my lovely woman,
I know you still loved him, and I don't know where I was during those times. I have accepted that I was an option, but it is fine with me as long as you allow me to stay by your side. I'm truly sorry for not holding back when you enticed me last night. I know I should have considered you were intoxicated that time, and since I was sober, I should have controlled my urge. I'm truly sorry, I hope you can forgive me. I wish we could start all over again. Please let me spend the rest of my life with you. Honey, I made your breakfast and a chicken broth to help you recover from your hangover. I love you.
---- Richard."
Khana lost her strength. She sank into a chair, her strength draining away as a tear slipped down her cheek. The note was a poignant reminder of Richard's love and his sincere, if flawed, attempts to make amends.
She couldn't shake Bettina's words from her mind: "He wants to feel loved by the woman he loved the most before he runs out of time."
"What if he is really dying?" she whispered to herself. The thought gnawed at her. Even though her heart belonged to Henry, she couldn't bear the idea of Richard facing his final days alone and unloved. Despite the pain and complications of their past, Richard loved her unconditionally. He had been there for her in ways Henry never had.
Khana spent the rest of the day in a daze, replaying her memories with Richard, good and bad. His earnestness, his faults, his love—they all swirled in her mind. Could she truly turn her back on him now, knowing what she knew?
That night, Khana lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Sleep eluded her as she pondered her next move. She knew she needed to verify Bettina's story, but part of her already believed it. The sincerity in Richard's note, the way he had looked at her recently, and even his desperation—it all pointed to a man running out of time.
Her phone beeped, and it was Richard's message. He simply texted her to tell Khana that he knew she might hate him, thus he'll wait until she wants to talk to him again.
Khana was hesitant to reply. She thought of giving him a call, but she didn't know what to say yet. Hence, she chose to sleep and swore to make up her mind when she woke up.
The next morning, Khana decided to visit the hospital. She needed to know the truth, not just for Richard, but for herself.
Wearing a simple above-the-knee peach dress, she walked into the sterile environment of City Hospital. Her heart pounded with anxiety.
"Hi, hmm... good morning," Khana greeted the nurse first.
"Good morning, ma'am. How can I help you?" The nurse replied.
"Yes, Richard was here for checkups," the nurse confirmed.
After speaking with a sympathetic nurse, she managed to get the information she needed.
"May I talk to his assigned practitioner?" Khana asked.
"Please give me a moment to check the Doctor's availability. Please sit over there in the meantime," the nurse replied.
After a couple of minutes, the nurse informed her to go directly to the doctor's office. Unknown to her, the doctor was bribed with a lump sum of money to cooperate with Bettina's scheme. The doctor was also in love with Bettina, thus it was an easy-peasy thing for Bettina to have the doctor play on her drama.
"This is a confidential matter. My patient does not want to let a word out."
"I beg you. Can you please confirm if Richard is truly dying?"
"Why does it matter to you?"
"I-I am his fiance. Don't you think I deserve to know the truth?' Khana replied.
The doctor swiveled his chair and took a brown envelope in his drawer. He sighs and hands it over to the lady. He uttered, "He has a tumor, and his prognosis isn't good. I'm sorry, but he has approximately 8 years to live, which of course, will shorten according to unexpected circumstances."
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.
"O-Oh my gosh!" Khana uttered in surprise. She gasped, and a tear fell from her eyes. She realized how cruel she is to a person who is battling with illness.
The lady went to his father's ward, whereas Karylle welcomed her with an embrace.
"Where have you been last night? I'm glad Richard took care of you."
"Mom, I'm going to marry him as soon as possible," Khana firmly uttered.
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
Richard, her betrothed, remained blissfully unaware of the turmoil in Khana's heart. He beamed with joy, eagerly awaiting her arrival. But as Khana drew nearer to him, her unease intensified, threatening to suffocate her. Time hung suspended as Khana stood there, frozen in the spotlight. The groom-to-be became fully aware that something was amiss with the bride. He rushed in her direction and reached out to touch her arm. His brow furrowed in concern. Richard gently brushed his palm against his fiancée's flawless arm and asked, "Honey, what's wrong?" Khana glanced at her fiancé. She is afraid to look him in the eyes. She's afraid to meet his pleading eyes and stumbles to utter words, "I-I..."Too afraid of the consequences her decision would bring, she tried to regain her composure and continue walking down the aisle. However, as she approached the altar, a fear in her heart refused to be contained and locked away. Khana's footsteps faltered. She felt as if she were walking throu