Destiny's Dance

Chapter 14

Roger's mind while driving is hanging. He can't believe that he does something bad behind Chanylle's back. He betrayed their marriage. But his mind also saying that he betrayed no one. He doesn't love Chanylle, so there's nothing wrong if he and Caroline had made something special inside his hotel room. His real love is Caroline, it's just he doesn't have any choice to refuse the force marriage planned by his parents.

He can't escape from re-imagined how his and Caroline's path crossed again.

He was in the hotel lobby, Roger accidentally looked up, and there was Caroline.

"Babe," Gulat na wika ni Caroline.

"Hey," he replied, a mix of shock and nostalgia in her voice. Time hadn't dimmed the familiarity.

They found a quiet spot in the bar, awkwardness hanging in the air. "How have you been?" Tanong ni Roger sa casual na boses

"Life happens," Caroline said looked away, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "You?"

"Busy, you know," he said, anxious. "Life." Nilapitan niya si Caroline.

Their talk bounced between memories and updates, the unspoken love staying. As the night went on, the hotel became a witness for their shared past.

"Remember the day you left me?" Bakas sa mukha ni Caroline ang sakit.

"Yeah, I'm sorry,” Roger smiles bitterly.

Roger needs to eased the tension, connecting their past to the present. Walls started to crumble, and vulnerabilities surfaced.

"Do you ever wonder what happened to me during those times?” Garalgal ang boses na wika ni Caroline.

"I'm sorry if you suffered, I'm sorry for hurting you," Roger said, trying to come closer to her. "But it does not mean I don't love you anymore.”

Caroline smiles hopeful.

Their eyes met, a silent understanding passing between them. The hotel held closure.

“I heard that you already married. How lucky she is. I thought that I was the girl whom you marry, but it wasn't happen at all. I want you to know Roger that I still can't move on. I still love you, despite not choosing me. But at the end I realized that you were just a good son to your parents, that's why you obey them, and it is to marry that lucky girl.” Caroline smile hindi maitago ang pagkadismaya sa maamong mukha nito

“I think, that's all. I wanna say good bye. Good thing that this is my check out day. I will no longer see you, because the more I see you, the more the pain deepen.”

"Caroline, wait," Roger pleaded, her voice tinged with desperation.

Caroline paused, looking back at him with a mix of confusion and concern. "Why?”

"Stay," He said, his eyes searching for understanding. Just a little longer."

Caroline hesitated, torn between the familiarity of their shared past and the uncertainty of what staying would mean. "Roger, what for?...."

Tears welled up in his eyes, reflecting a deep longing. "I miss us, Caroline. Can't we just stay here, talk, and remember what we used to be?"

Caroline sighed, the weight of their history pulling at her. "Roger, things have changed. You chose to be away from me. We're not who we used to be."

"I know, I'm sorry, but maybe we can find a piece of that again," he implored, reaching out for a connection that seemed just out of reach.

For a moment, silence hung in the air, the hotel lobby a backdrop to their unresolved emotions. Finally, Caroline nodded, a flicker of vulnerability in her eyes. "Okay, let's stay. Just for a little while."

As they found a quiet corner, the echoes of their shared excite laughter and whispered confessions filled the space. Roger who once asked him to stay was now holding onto the hope that maybe, just maybe, they could rewrite a part of their story.

In the quiet refuge of their shared hotel room, they found themselves enveloped moment that transcended the years of separation.

The soft glow of bedside lamps painted a warm ambiance, casting shadows that danced across the walls. The air was charged with a intense tension, a magnetic force drawing them closer.

As they sat on the edge of the bed, their eyes locked in a silent conversation, Roger's hand brushed against Caroline.

The contact sent a shiver through both of them, an emotions reminder of the intimacy they once shared. In that fleeting touch, the barriers of time seemed to crumble, leaving only the raw essence of their connection.

"I never thought I'd have you near like this again," Pag-amin ni Caroline, her voice a low, intimate murmur. Caroline met his gaze, her eyes reflecting a mixture of longing and recognition.

"Sometimes life surprises us," Roger replied, his fingers delicately intertwining with hers. The unspoken acknowledgment of what they had lost and found hung in the air, an undercurrent beneath the surface of their reunion.

As they inched closer, the air became charged with the electricity of anticipation. The echoes of their past love echoing in the quiet room, a melody that begged to be played again. Roger's hand cupped Caroline's cheek, his touch tender yet filled with a hunger for the familiar.

In that intimate space, they found solace in the warmth of each other's presence. The world outside the hotel room seemed to fade away, leaving only the two of them suspended in a moment that defied the constraints of time. Lips met in a gentle kiss, a delicate exploration of the emotions that had long been suppressed.

The room became a sanctuary for their shared desires and unspoken words. Clothes were shed like layers of the past, revealing the vulnerability that lay beneath. Their bodies, once familiar territory, rediscovered the contours that had once ignited flames of passion.

As the night unfolded, the hotel room witnessed the rekindling of a flame that had never truly extinguished. In the aftermath, they lay entwined, bodies bathed in the soft glow of moonlight filtering through the curtains. Words seemed unnecessary in the aftermath of their intimate reunion, the silence carrying the weight of shared history and renewed connection.

In that hotel room, Roger and Caroline discovered that love, when rekindled, could be as intense and transformative as it was in the beginning. The intimacy they shared became a bridge, linking the past to the present, and promising the possibility of a future that embraced the love they had never truly let go.

In the dimly lit room, Chanylle sat by the window, her gaze fixed on the silent street below. The clock on the wall ticked away, echoing the passing moments as she waited for her husband, Roger, to be home. The moon cast a soft glow, revealing the anxiety etched on Chanylle's face.

The night was draped in an eerie stillness, broken only by the occasional distant sounds of passing cars. Chanylle's heart echoed in her ears, the rhythmic beating a reminder of the uncertainty that enveloped her. She clutched the edge of her seat, eyes scanning the shadows outside, searching for any sign of Roger.

"He should be home by now. What's keeping him out so late?" bulong niya sa sarili.

As the clock continued its relentless march, Chanylle's anxiety escalated. She reached for her phone, fingers trembling as she dialed Roger's number.

"Roger, where are you? It's late, and I'm worried." Nginig ang boses na tanong ni Chanylle. She was vocal with his feeling this time. Hindi niya mapigilan ang sarili.

Roger's voice, detached and rehearsed, filtered through the phone.

"Sorry, Chanylle. I got caught up with work. Don't wait up for me. I'll be home soon."

Napilitan siyang ngumiti "Okay, just be careful."

After ending the call, Chanylle stared at the phone, a sinking feeling settling in her chest. The silence in the room mirrored the growing distance between them.

Time crawled by, each passing minute intensifying Chanylle's apprehension. She couldn't shake the nagging suspicion that Roger's late night were more than just work-related. Doubt clawed at her mind, but she pushed it away, she had no rights in the first place.

As the clock struck midnight, the front door creaked open. Chanylle's heart skipped a beat, hope mingling with fear. Roger stumbled into the room, his disheveled appearance and the scent of alcohol betraying his facade.

"You're finally home. Are you okay?" Tanong ni Chanylle at pilit na ngumiti.

"Just tired. Long day at work." Sagot ni Roger at nag-iwas ng tingin sa kanya.

"Roger, we need to talk. I can't keep pretending everything is fine." Nanginginig ang boses na saad ni Chanylle.

Roger's s eyes darted away, unable to meet Chanylle's gaze.

"Not now, Chanylle, I need to rest.” Saad nito pilit pa rin umiiwas sa kanya.

"No, we can't keep avoiding this. I've felt a distance growing between us, and I can't ignore it any longer." She said with her firm voice.

Roger's silence hung in the air, thick with unspoken truths.

The room felt suffocating, the tension intense. Chanylle's world seemed to crumble as Roger hesitated, his eyes avoiding hers. The truth loomed like a shadow, and Chanylle steeled herself for what she might uncover.

Naghigit ng malalim na buntong-hininga si Roger bago magsalita sa wakas, his words cutting through the silence.

"Chanylle I... I haven't been honest with you."

Chanylle's heart sank, the weight of Roger's admission crushing her. The room blurred as she struggled to comprehend the betrayal she had feared.

"What do you mean, Roger? What haven't you been honest about?" Garalgal ang boses na tanong ni Chanylle.

"I...maybe I've made a mistake, Chanylle." Roger avoided his eye from hers.

"Tell me the truth, I know I have no right to ask you like I want to hear,” Chanylle's voice cracked. Gayunpaman, ayaw niyang ipahalata na nasasaktan siya.

“I still love my ex-girlfriend, Caroline. She was my long time girlfriend in Paris. Kasal na nga lang ang kulang sa amin. Kaya lang kami nagkahiwalay dahil sa kasal na ipinipilit sa atin ng ating mga magulang. Siguro kung hindi kita pinakasalan, marahil ay siya ang kasama ko ngayon at pinakasalan. Lalo na at may anak na kami.”

As Roger unraveled the painful details of about his ex love, Chanylle's world shattered. The truth hung in the air, each word echoing and sinking her whole life and soul.

“Siguro naman okay lang sayo ang pagkikita naming dalawa. You can do what you want to do too. You can have a boyfriend while me and Caroline are still seeing each other. That's our set up. Then when the time is right, let's have an agreement, maghihiwalay tayo para pakasalan ko si Caroline.”

Tears secretly streamed down Chanylle's face.

In the stillness of the night, Chanylle grappled with the pain of deceit, the weight of unspoken words lingering.

Pumasok ng unibersidad si Chanylle ng wala sa mood. Alam niyang namumugto ang kanyang mga mata dahil sa sobrang pag-iyak.

She didn't wait for Roger to join her for breakfast, fearing he might notice her eyes. She also didn't wait for him to accompany her to the university; a sudden wave of shame and self-deprecation engulfed her. Roger's sweet gestures in public seemed futile now. She had hoped they were genuine, but after hearing those hurtful words last night, she no longer held onto that hope.

Pagkatapos ng kanilang lunch break ay naisipan niyang magtungo sa females comfort room. Parang ramdam niya kasi may kakaiba sa kanyang tiyan. Parang hinahalukay iyon.

Mabilis siyang tumakbo sa lalabo nang makaramdam ng pagkaduwal. Marahil ay nasa kalahating oras din siyang nagduwal. Hindi niya alam, wala naman siyang ibang nakain kundi yung binili niyang paboritong lechon kawali.

Pinakatitigan niya ang sarili sa malaking salamin. Maliban sa namumugto ang kanyang mga mata, napansin din niyang tila nangayayat siya. Ipinagsawalang bahala niya na lang iyon.

Pagkatapos ng nakakapagod na pag-aaral ay naisipan niyang huwag munang umuwi ng bahay. Alam niyang malulungkot lang siya doon. Palaging abala kasi si Roger sa trabaho. At parang ayaw niya pang makita ang asawa.

Days passed, and Chanylle's heart continued to shatter as Roger would often come home drunk from work, always mentioning Caroline. She felt helpless, wanting to scream from the intense pain but realizing she had no right to be hurt.

As Chanylle's heart crumbled, her peculiar feelings and changes within herself intensified. She frequently felt nauseated and vomited, struggling to wake up because of morning sickness. She also lost her appetite, and sometimes missed her studies.