Cold World

Journey to Makati

As the car weaved through Manila's congested streets, Aria braced herself for the conversation with Sonny. Their relationship had been a whirlwind, with Aria falling hard and fast, captivated by his physical charm and confident demeanor. But lately, the rose-colored glasses had begun to slip, revealing cracks in what she had once thought was a perfect romance.

"How come I have to wait so long for you to answer your phone?" Sonny's voice crackled through the speaker, skipping any semblance of a greeting.

Aria bit back a sigh. "Good morning to you too," she muttered, earning a curious glance from Gel. "I'm in the car with my family. We're heading to Makati."

"Makati?" Sonny's tone sharpened. "Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were meeting today."

Aria frowned, racking her brain. Had they made plans? She couldn't remember agreeing to meet, but then again, Sonny had a habit of assuming things without actually confirming them.

"I'm sorry," she said, trying to keep her voice level. "I don't remember us making any plans for today. My mom just told us this morning that we're going to see Tita Malou."

Sonny launched into a monologue about how Aria never prioritized their relationship, how she was always too busy with family or school to make time for him. As he droned on, Aria found her mind wandering. She gazed out the window, watching the city landscape change as they approached Makati.

The towering skyscrapers of the business district came into view, their glass facades reflecting the late morning sun. Aria remembered the first time she'd visited Makati as a child, how she'd pressed her face against the car window, marveling at the shiny buildings that seemed to touch the sky. Now, they were just another part of the backdrop of her life.

"Aria? Are you even listening to me?" Sonny's sharp tone snapped her back to reality.

Startled, Aria accidentally ended the call. She stared at her phone in horror, knowing that this accidental hang-up was about to escalate into a full-blown argument.

Sure enough, her phone lit up with Sonny's name again almost immediately. She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the answer button. Part of her wanted to ignore it, to delay the inevitable confrontation. But she knew that would only make things worse.

With a deep breath, she answered. "Sonny, I'm so sorry. It was an accident, I didn't mean to—"

"You did that on purpose!" His voice boomed through the speaker, causing Aria to wince and hold the phone away from her ear. From the driver's seat, her mother shot her a concerned look in the rearview mirror.

"My mom was here, I didn't mean to hang up," Aria tried to explain, her voice low in an attempt to maintain some privacy in the crowded car.

"You're always making excuses," Sonny accused. "If you didn't want to talk to me, you should just say so. Do you want a brea—"

"Break up?" The words left Aria's mouth before she could stop them, surprising even herself with their vehemence. A heavy silence fell in the car, her family pretending not to listen but clearly hanging on every word. "Sure, why not? I'm tired of dealing with your moronic attitude."

The line went dead. Aria sat in stunned silence, her heart pounding. Did she really just break up with Sonny? Over the phone? In front of her entire family?

She became acutely aware of the tension in the car. Gel was staring at her with wide eyes, a mix of shock and admiration on her face. Her mother kept glancing at her in the rearview mirror, concern etched in the lines around her eyes.

"Aria," her mother began cautiously, "are you okay?"

Aria opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Was she okay? She wasn't sure. Part of her felt relieved, like she'd just put down a heavy burden she hadn't realized she'd been carrying. Another part felt guilty for ending things so abruptly, and yet another part was terrified of what this meant for her future.

"I... I don't know," she finally managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

The rest of the drive passed in uncomfortable silence. Aria stared out the window, but she wasn't really seeing the bustling streets of Makati anymore. Her mind was a whirlwind of emotions and memories. The good times with Sonny – their first date, the way he'd made her laugh, the feeling of his hand in hers. But also the bad times – the arguments, the jealousy, the way he'd make her feel small sometimes.

As they pulled up to Tita Malou's condo building, Aria felt a strange sense of disconnection, as if she was watching her life unfold from outside her body. She went through the motions of greeting the doorman, entering the elevator, plastering on a smile.