you and I

*Chapter One* *Manila International Airport* The plane from Arizona, USA, finally touched down, carrying Hal back to the country he left behind. His friend helped load the luggage into the car, but none of it lifted the weight on Hal’s face. There was a hollow ache in his chest. He felt empty, even with his closest friend waiting to greet him. "How’s the house?" "It’s ready. Everything’s there, just how you wanted it." "Any word… from Olga?" Gary stayed silent. His eyes stayed on the road, pretending to be busy with the drive. Maybe he didn’t hear. Or maybe he chose not to answer — to avoid the name that always cuts between them. "Is it true?" The question clawed at his throat, but he couldn’t say it out loud. "Can you still take her back?" Hal said nothing. He pressed a hand to his heart, searching for a reason that wouldn’t break him. He loved Olga. No matter what happened while he was gone, he would take her back with his eyes closed. He would erase the betrayal from his memory. It was his fault. He was the one who left. And that guilt became the reason he was willing to forgive her. "I… I’m the one who—" he whispered. Gary caught it. "Don’t you dare blame yourself. You sacrificed everything so she could live well." "She was lonely, Gary. Maybe that’s why she did it." "She’s weak, Hal." "I was there for her longing. I felt it." "Did you fail her? No calls, no video, no money?" "There are things she needed that I couldn’t give from miles away." Gary hit the brakes hard. "Since when did you become this small, man?" "A woman who’s truly faithful keeps herself only for the man she vowed to." Gary got out, hauled the bags from the car, and slammed the trunk shut. Hal had no reply. Silence was all he could offer. Gary was right. But Hal kept finding reasons for Olga, excuses to carry her mistakes… because love made him blind. He stepped out and stared at the house before him — the home he built with his own hands, his own savings. He could already picture Olga’s smile when she saw it. The dream they were supposed to live in. The family, the children, the future he had imagined for them. "It’s all set," Gary said, gripping his shoulder and pressing the car keys into his palm. "Not even one drink before I go?" "No." Hal’s voice was flat, tired. "Is this because I said I’d take Olga after everything?" "That’s your life. Your choices. Your burden to carry." "I need to hear it from her. The truth." "The truth won’t reach a man who refuses to see, or come from a mouth that only knows how to lie." A luxury car pulled up outside the gates of the grand house. "That’s my ride. We’ll call." "When will I see you again?" "A few months. I’m chasing a deal." "Where to?" Hal asked, his voice rough as he watched Gary slide into the waiting car. "Davao. Wish me luck." "You can’t stay, even for a day?" Gary laughed, settling into the passenger seat. "You’re the only reason I stayed this long. Truth is, I should’ve left hours ago." "Thank you." "Keep in touch," he said, raising a hand as the car pulled away. Gary was more than a friend. He was an investor, a real estate man. Every car, every house, every piece of land Hal owned — he had entrusted it all to Gary.