Chapter III

May 9 of 2030 came in and Andrew, as he had always been for the last five years, woke up with a hangover. But that day, he woke up with the ID card in his hands kept safe in his chest. That was the only remnant that was left with him after the accident.

He had been going to a doctor, Professor Niña Almeda, a 40 year-old psychiatrist. After what happened, he was diagnosed with depression and has to seek help from a doctor which he did but he had been keeping his secrets from her, his night-time alcoholic rendezvous and all the sadness that came after being drunk. On that day, he decided he didn't want that kind of help anymore. He decided to move on. He decided that if he wanted to forget the past, he should start doing efforts to regain himself; get back to what he loved doing and become a new person.

He decided he could use a morning walk to sober up. Just as when he opened his front door,

"Hi! Mr.... Cortez?"

A woman wearing black polo in a pencil skirt greeted him. For a moment, he was standing right at his front doorsteps, unable to speak. He felt as if he’s lost in a moment and couldn’t move a finger.

"I brought these."

The woman handed a contract. Andrew took a minute looking at the one she was handing out to him. He took it and saw what was written on the cover page.

Cruz Builders, Incorporated.

He flipped it and found himself staring at the very first sheet of the contract he was holding.

“A proposed two-storey house blueprint for Mr. Andrew Dylan Cortez. Claudevanne Gonzales. Architect. Pia Drew Barcenilla. Civil Engineer.

The contract reminded him of the past again. He was about to go back to that memory but the presence of that very woman face to face, prevented him from doing so because apparently, the girl in his past, was that very woman in that moment.

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"I also brought the budget estimation for your house."

The woman welcomed herself inside Andrew's front lawn without the consent of the owner, leaving Andrew still in shock. Minutes passed, he went back to his senses.

"Why are you here?"

He asked in a cold tone.

"Didn't I work for you before? My dad told me you never finished your house because of my accident. Sorry about that”

As Andrew examines how the woman speaks, he already knew who that was. Five years.

Well you’re working for me, huh? That’s all? How on Earth will she forget Andrew? The famous Andrew Cortez?

Andrew spoke in his mind.

"Didn’t your doctors tell you anything about the accident?"

The woman grew puzzled.

"Huh?"

Andrew finally decided to avoid confrontation so he pushed away the chance.

"I'm about to go out so I guess your timing's not good. And I won't be finishing my house. So you don't need to come anymore."

Andrew quickly reached the gate. The woman followed.

"That would be a breach of contract, Mr. Cortez."

"Come on...you showed up here five years later and you're telling me it's a breach of contract?"

"I told you I was in a car accident. I couldn't remember anything so I had to be admitted abroad for an advanced medication. I checked for the on-going projects in our database and it seems like you haven’t canceled our partnership, so here I am."

"Of course."

He oddly remarked.

I know. I know very well what happened that night. I know every detail. Every bit of it. I still know. I was there. These words were running around Andrew's head while he was looking at the woman who never even knew him by heart. For him, that was the hardest part; Standing in front of someone who made you her world and then become a nobody instantly.

That day filled his head with a lot of decisions to make. He left without saying a word. Unable to think clearly, he finally surrendered to the thought of going to his psychiatric therapy.

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"I thought you'd ditch today's session Andrew."

Dr. Niña sipped her tea, sitting with crossed legs.

"I almost."

Andrew showed a fake smile.

"Then why did you decide to come back?"

"The same reason. That reason, surprisingly showed up this morning. I think I'm going crazy. For real."

Dr. Niña forcefully put down her tea cup back on the saucer.

"Really?"

"I wish I was joking."

Dr. Niña took a deep sigh.

"You know Andrew, It is hard to forget something you don't want to forget."

She stood up and glanced by the window.

"Have you, in your whole 30 years of life wanted to forget such a beautiful memory?"

Andrew listened carefully.

"Emotional memories. They are very powerful. Much more powerful now that the memory you've been wanting so badly to forget came back like a sudden storm."

Dr. Niña became focused on the matter of past memories of Andrew which in her previous sessions were supposed to be not allowed. She finally knew that moving on, forgetting the past weren't the answers to healing.

"Andrew, I wanted to know something. And with this, you would help me to help you get out of that dark feeling you're feeling for five long years."

"What do you want to know, Doc?"

"All of it. You know, I guess there was something so precious in that phase of your life that led you here. I wanted to know why she became so remarkable despite all the other celebrities who were almost perfect. She must be something."

"Do you think it's a good idea?"

"We'll never know. Let me know if you're ready to tell."

"I am."

"Let's start with the day she became remarkable to you."

Dr. Niña smiled. Andrew handed out the contract he carried when he arrived, showed the name highlighted on it.

"Something like this…. the reason why everything between us has started."

Andrew intentionally dropped the contract on the table in a clumsy way. Dr. Niña gazed at it.

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