you and I

*Chapter One* *Manila International Airport* The plane from Arizona, USA finally touched down, carrying Hal back to the country he had 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 cut 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 was 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 not 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 had built with his own hands, with 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 you go?" "Maybe next time" Gary's’s voice was flat, tired. "Is this because I said I’d take Olga back after everything?" "That’s your life. Your choices. Your burden to carry." "I need to hear everything 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. I have to go." "When will I see you again?" "A few months...maybe 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," Gary 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 to Gary Hal was overcome by emptiness when he found himself alone in this house Here’s your text translated to English with corrected grammar, keeping the emotion and flow: --- He looked around the entire living room. The long staircase. His steps were heavy as he climbed each stair toward the master bedroom. The round matrimonial bed was there. But the woman he had prepared it for — the one meant to be beside him on that soft bed, to share in sweet love — was not. These were the dreams he had built while struggling in a faraway place. The dreams were finally finished. They had come true. But where was Olga? Why didn’t she wait for him? Where had he fallen short? One by one, memories of the past flashed through his mind. Olga used to cling to him nonstop. She refused to let go of his neck. "Please… don’t leave." "This is for us too. So I can give you the comfortable life you deserve." "I need you, Hal." "How can we build a family if we don’t even have a stable home and a full table?" "What about me?" Olga pleaded, her voice breaking into a sob. "Our communication won’t be cut off." Then Hal forced himself to pull his wife’s arms from around him and hurried toward the waiting taxi. Carrying his luggage, he left Olga behind without looking back. If he stayed any longer, he would be forced to cancel his flight and not leave at all. He didn’t ask for a ride to the airport because he was afraid he’d end up leaving Olga there, crying, and letting her go home alone. He couldn’t bear that. "I love you," he said, and then left for good. Olga cried quietly behind the closed door. She didn’t think she could sleep alone, with Hal not there beside her.