I don't remember how I made it to the terminal and found myself sitting on the train. All I recall is the overwhelming heaviness in my heart, even at this moment. I wanted to cry, but no tears fell from my eyes. It turns out they played with me, mocked me, and laughed at me. What hurts the most is that I believed Kiel truly cared for me and loved me. I feel so foolish.
All this time, all his efforts were just part of a bet among his friends. I clutched my chest in pain. The pain they caused me is unbearable. The pain Kiel inflicted on me. I despise them all.
I woke up and saw the familiar surroundings, indicating that we were nearing my destination. I realized that I had fallen asleep.
I checked my phone and saw a message from Kiel saying, "My love, where are you? Mitch told me to ask you to come home. I also missed three calls from him." I returned my phone to my pocket and prepared to get off the bus.
I was outside the gate of our house and quickly retrieved my keys to unlock it. Mama saw me and was surprised, but there was a joyful expression on her face. "Yana, I thought you were coming home next week. You didn't even tell me, and I could have picked you up from the terminal," Mama said as she greeted me.
I quickly ran into my mother's arms, hugging her tightly as I broke down in tears. All the tears that didn't come earlier were released now, in the embrace of my mother. She gently stroked my back and hair, whispering, "My child, you're crying."No words came out of my mouth as I continued to sob in my mother's embrace. She was my comfort zone, the one who truly loved me unconditionally.Go and change your clothes and rest for a bit. When you're ready, we can talk about it, okay?" my mother said calmly and reassuringly.
Feeling a bit lighter, I took a shower and changed my clothes. As I stepped out of my room, I saw that dinner was prepared and my favorite dish was waiting for me.
"Come and eat, my child. I cooked your favorite.
I sat down and remained silent, my eyes slightly swollen from crying. At the dinner table, there was silence, with Mama staying quiet as well.
"I'm glad to see you," Mama finally muttered
After we finished eating and tidying up, Mama approached me and held both of my hands in hers.Now, if you're ready to tell me, share with me your problems, my child, I'm here, always here". Mama said with a conceen tone.
I narrated everything to her—the bullying I experienced and how they played with my emotions, including Kiel's actions. I couldn't help but cry again as I recounted the whole ordeal.
My mom started crying too after I finished telling her everything.
"I want to confront them, including your school. How could they allow such activities from their students?" Mama said angrily.
"Mom, the school is not involved in this. Let's just leave them be. This too shall pass. Their families are wealthy, and we can't match that,"Mama, this will pass, and I will be okay," I replied, trying to calm her down. After my conversation with Mama, I entered my room and checked my cellphone. There were 10 missed calls from Kiel. I decided to block him to put a stop to the constant communication. Butch also messaged me, that Kiel asking him for my home address and what had happened. I immediately replied, urging them not to give out our address no matter what happens.After that, I opened my laptop and went to the gallery. I deleted all the pictures and videos of Kiel.
Mama was right. Sometimes, distancing ourselves is the best remedy for the pain we felt. I'm feeling better now.
It has been a month already, and I'm heading back to Settle for the second semester. Are you sure you don't want me to accompany you and enroll at your new school?" Mama asked, trying to persuade me with her affection.
"Mom, I can handle this on my own..
Besides, you're needed here, you have an employee who relayed on you " I replied. Mama's lips slightly pouted, but she couldn't do anything about it.
I decided to transfer to a different school, at least for this semester. I don't think I can handle seeing those people who hurt me every day. Just the thought of encountering them on campus is overwhelming. From what I know, they will be graduating this semester, so it's a relief that I won't have to see them anymore.
I went back to the dorm to drop off my belongings, and I found Mitch and Butch there. They greeted me with joy and enthusiasm. "Girl, I missed you!" they exclaimed, wrapping me in a warm embrace. I hugged them back, returning their smile.Can you please tell me what really happened? We were worried about you, Butch and I.
Before you left, you weren't okay, and Kiel kept coming back here asking about you. Mitch asked a series of consecutive questions. I took a deep breath, indicating that I was okay now and ready to share my story.After finishing my story, I could see the concern on their faces. Mitch's expression turned angry, and they asked a serious question about Megi's involvement. "Yes, Mitch, Megi was the one who actually recorded the video," I apologized.
Mitch POV
I was quite surprised by what I discovered, and I felt sorry for Yana for having experienced such a situation. I couldn't help but wonder if I, too, had been played by Megi, just like Yana. I decided to go and find Tristan to find out the real content of the video. I looked for him and went to their dorm, where his room was adjacent to Butch's.
I knocked on the door, and Tristan came out. It had been a while since I last saw Tristan, as they had been avoiding Megi's company lately. They seemed surprised to see me but still managed to ask, "What do we need, Mitch?"
"I want to see the video," I said, my voice filled with seriousness. Tristan hesitated at first, but I insisted, and he eventually agreed. He handed me the video, and without hesitation,I passed it to my phone then deleted it from his cellphone right in front of him. Then, I turned around and walked away from his place.I watched the video, and I could hear their laughter, especially Megi's. It was clear that they had a significant involvement in this bullying. They played with my friend's emotions and treated her as a target of their cruel games.
Kiel POV
It has been a month, but what Yana did to me still hurts. I don't know what I did wrong to deserve her actions. She disappeared suddenly, leaving me feeling lost and hurt. My body feels lethargic, and I lack motivation for everything. I hardly leave the condo, and I ignore calls from my mom and friends because I want to be alone with my thoughts.
After a while, I heard the doorbell ring. I stood up and opened the door, only to find Marlon and Megi standing there. Without hesitation, they immediately entered my condo.Bro, what happened? The start of the school year is approaching, and we need to enroll in our last subject and the OJT, Megi said.Get yourself together and wake up, bro. She's just a girl. There are plenty of others out there for you to find, Marlon said.Bro, I don't know the reason. She just suddenly disappeared and left me hanging without any clue. It's so unfair, bro. I feel like I've been incredibly unlucky in love. I shared with them, feeling a wave of emotions washing over me.They continued talking, but I chose not to pay attention. They couldn't understand the depth of my feelings, so it was easy for them to simply advise me to move on and get back on my feet. I had no plans to enroll this semester. "Please, just leave me alone for now, bro," I said to them.
They exchanged glances and shrugged. Then, there was another knock on my door. Megi opened it, and I saw that it was Mitch. Without saying a word, Mitch entered the room and gave me a stern look.
You're all so shameless! Mitch shouted. "What are you talking about again? And who are you targeting to play with this time? You, Kiel, taking advantage of Yana just because she has feelings for you. You know she's innocent and has never had a boyfriend before."Honey, what really happened?" Megz asked with a furrowed brow. You and the others pretended not to know, but she immediately took out her cellphone and showed the video.I watched the video of the incident where we hacked Yana's laptop. I was shocked and almost forgot about this conversation. I didn't even realize that there was a video of it. Suddenly, I understood why Yana abruptly left me hanging.Where is she, Mitch? I want to talk to her," I said tearfully.
"What's the point? She was just a bet to you, right? Why bother talking to her?" Mitch angrily retorted.I quickly changed my clothes and grabbed the keys to my car. I knew I had to find Yana, even if Mitch didn't tell me where she was. I could sense that she is already here. I first went to Yana's dorm, but she wasn't there. They said she was at school, so I hurriedly went to the school and looked for the architecture office administrator.I saw her walking out of the office.
Yana, please let's talk. I called out to her as she glanced at me, but she quickly walked away. I tried to catch up with her, hoping she would listen to me.I've tried multiple times to talk to Yana, but she refuses to listen.
I've gone to her dorm several times, but she doesn't want to speak to me. I've also sought help from Mitch and Butch, but the situation remains the same. Have I done something so terrible that she won't even give me a chance to explain? Should I give up and move on? Just the thought of it feels unbearable. I love her so much, and I'm willing to do anything just to be forgiven.