Chapter 3 – Cheated on
1341 Words
Adie’s POV
I wanted to disappear.
That was the only thing I could think about while walking toward the gazebo. My feet felt heavy, as if every step I took was forcing me closer to the truth that I was trying so hard to deny.
I saw him from afar.
August was sitting there, his head down while both of his hands were clasped together.
He looked nervous.
He looked like someone who had been waiting for a punishment he already knew he deserved.
When he saw me, he immediately stood up.
“Love,” he called.
I stopped walking.
For almost three years, that word was enough to make me smile. It was enough to calm me down after a tiring day. It was enough to make me feel safe.
But now, it sounded different.
It sounded painful.
“Don’t call me that,” I said coldly.
He froze.
“Adie, please. Let me explain.”
I looked at him. “Then explain.”
He swallowed hard. His eyes were red, like he didn’t sleep either.
But why would I pity him? He was not the one who saw the person he loved kissing someone else.
He was not the one whose trust was broken in front of everyone online.
“It was a mistake,” he said. “I was drunk. I didn’t know what I was doing.”
I laughed bitterly. “That’s your explanation?”
“Adie, please. I swear, I didn’t mean it. She kissed me first.”
“But you kissed her back.”
He looked away.
That was enough.
I felt my chest tighten, but I forced myself not to cry.
I promised myself that I would never cry in front of him, not when he was the reason why I was breaking.
“You know what hurts the most?” I asked.
“It’s not just the kiss. It’s the fact that you still texted me this morning like nothing happened. You still told me you loved me, like you didn’t betray me hours before.”
“I was scared,” he said, his voice shaking. “I was scared to lose you.”
“Then you should have thought about that before you kissed another girl.”
He stepped closer, but I stepped back.
“Adie, I love you. I love you so much. Please don’t end us because of one mistake.”
“One mistake?” I repeated. “August, you made a choice. You went to that bar without telling me. You entertained another girl. You kissed her. Then you hid it from me. That is not one mistake. That is a series of choices.”
He wiped his face using both hands.
“I know. I know I was wrong. I’m sorry. I will do everything to fix this. Just please don’t leave me.”
I wanted to be strong.
I wanted to say goodbye right there.
But love is cruel sometimes. Even when your mind already knows the truth, your heart still begs for the person who broke it.
I looked at him and saw the boy who waited for me after class, the boy who asked permission from Nanny Tina before courting me, the boy who made me feel loved when I used to believe that I was difficult to love.
And that made everything harder.
“I don’t know if I can still trust you,” I whispered.
“I’ll earn it back,” he quickly said. “I promise, Love. I’ll earn it back. I’ll never do it again. I’ll stop going out with them. I’ll never hide anything from you again.”
I closed my eyes.
Maybe I was stupid.
Maybe I was too soft.
Maybe I was still hoping that the August I loved was still there.
“Last chance,” I said.
His eyes widened.
“Adie…”
“This is your last chance, August. Don’t waste it. Because once I’m done, I’m really done.”
He quickly nodded and tried to hug me, but I raised my hand to stop him.
“I’m not okay,” I said. “Don’t act like everything is fixed just because I gave you another chance.”
“I understand,” he said softly.
But he didn’t.
No one really understands what cheating does to a person unless they experience it.
It doesn’t only break your heart. It makes you question your worth. It makes you wonder what you lacked. It makes you afraid of every message, every delayed reply, every night out, every unknown name.
From that day, something changed between us.
We were still together, but it no longer felt the same.
He still texted me good morning.
He still sent me long messages.
He still told me that he loved me. But every time he did, I no longer felt the same warmth.
Instead, I felt fear.
Fear that he was lying again.
Fear that I was forgiving someone who would hurt me again.
Fear that I was holding on to a love that was already slipping away.
Days passed, and I buried myself in schoolwork.
I focused on my exchange student requirements, my classes, and the documents I needed for New Zealand.
I told myself that I should be happy because I was one step closer to my dream.
But every night, when everything became quiet, the video would replay in my mind.
His hand on her waist.
His face is close to hers.
Their lips touched.
And then I would feel the same pain all over again.
One night, Nanny Tina entered my room and found me staring blankly at my laptop.
“Adie,” she called softly.
I looked at her and forced a smile. “Nanny.”
She sat beside me and gently touched my hair.
“You don’t have to pretend in front of me,” she said.
That was all it took.
I cried.
I cried like a child who had been holding everything for too long. Nanny Tina hugged me tightly, and for a moment, I felt like I was nine years old again, broken and unwanted, waiting for someone to choose me.
“Why am I not enough?” I asked between sobs.
Nanny Tina’s hug tightened.
“You are more than enough, anak. Some people are just too careless to treasure what they have.”
“I love him, Nanny.”
“I know,” she said. “But loving someone should not mean destroying yourself.”
I cried even harder because deep inside, I knew she was right.
The day of my flight came faster than I expected.
Mom and Dad prepared everything..
My luggage, my documents, my allowance, even the things I didn’t think I needed. They looked so proud of me, and for the first time, I felt like maybe they were really trying to be present in my life.
At the airport, August came with flowers.
He looked at me with sadness in his eyes.
“I’ll wait for you,” he said.
I stared at him.
“Don’t promise something you can’t do.”
“I will,” he said. “I’ll prove it to you. I’ll be better while you’re away.”
I wanted to believe him.
So I nodded.
He hugged me carefully, as if he was afraid that I would push him away.
“I love you, Adie,” he whispered.
“I love you too,” I replied, even if my voice no longer carried the same certainty.
When I walked toward the departure area, I looked back one last time.
Mom was crying.
Dad was waving.
Nanny Tina was smiling while wiping her tears.
And August stood there, holding the flowers he gave me but I did not take.
That moment, I realized something.
Leaving the Philippines was not only the beginning of my dream.
It was also the beginning of losing the love I thought would stay with me forever.
- Writer
