CHAPTER 32

MELISSA QUIZON

I didn't wait for Wright to drive me to school. I woke up earlier and took a taxi. I knew Reid would look for me, but it would be up to Wright to explain to him. I did not go straight to school. Instead, I went to the hospital owned by Eugene.

I was speculating that I could see him there. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted him to ease my mood. I had to take out my frustration because if I didn't, I was going to explode.

I entered the hospital and went to the reception area. I smiled at the nurse in charge. "Good morning. Is Doc Eugene here?"

The two women looked at each other and then looked at me. "I'm sorry, Miss. Doc Eugene left already."

I nodded. "Ah. When will he be on duty?"

I was nervous when the woman shook her head. "He left the country. Doc Eugene is in London right now."

What?

My chest tightened. "W-what?"

"He already left. His flight was early this morning," the nurse said with respect in her voice.

My knees trembled. The nurses helped me stay up and gave me water. My eyes dimmed with tears. He was gone. Eugene left me. He didn't even say anything. But the seven days were not over yet, ah.

He didn't even say goodbye properly.

What he said last night suddenly came to my mind. 'There are events in life that, even if you want to happen, aren't possible. Be steady, Melissa. I will not leave you. Mel, don't always think that I will leave you, ha. I love you.'

That was why. That was why I noticed something strange in his tone.

A familiar woman approached me. She was Eugene's secretary. "Miss Melissa?"

"Y-yeah," I said between my sobs.

She laid out in front of me a neatly folded paper. "Doc Eugene left this letter before he left earlier."

My hand trembled when I accepted it. I slowly opened it.

'Cause it's time to leave my feelings behind. Your happiness is in here. Deal with it.

You still have my heart. Always. Forever. I love you.

Goodbye.

Loving you,

Eugene Fuertes

I was stunned by the letter. No sobs came out of my mouth, but my tears kept flowing. They didn't stop. Tears were just flowing.

The two nurses took care of me, but my mind seemed to shut down. I could no longer hear them. I could no longer understand them.

I didn't know how to accept that the person who cared about me the most had left me. There would be no one to help me when I stumbled.

When my feelings subsided, I did not realize that my feet were taking me to the grave of Mom, Dad, and Grandma.

I lit a single candle in their tomb.

"Mom, Dad, Grandma, how are you? Are you having fun there? Many people say that there is no pain and suffering wherever you are today," I said to them.

I was holding Eugene's letter. I was not giving up. "Look at me now. The most important person in my life left me again. Is that my purpose in this world? For everyone to leave me? It hurts. If it weren't for Reid, I probably would be by your side now.

"Wish you were here, Mom. I need a haven now, Mom. So that you could've helped me take care of Reid. You could've told me everything I needed to know about things I should do when having a baby. I wish you and Dad were here. So I can have someone to protect me when someone hurts me." My voice trembled. "I wish someone had beaten Wright back then because he was hiding me from everyone. Fernando Pope Jr. was your idol, wasn't he? I wish you were here."

Time seemed to be sympathizing with my grief. As my tears fell, so was the heavy rain. I stood up, but I still did not leave my seat. I felt the cold, pouring rain on my skin.

I didn't know how many hours or minutes I cried for. I didn't know if I'd get sick tomorrow. I just wanted the rain to take away the sorrow that I felt.

I opened my eyes when I could no longer feel the raindrops on my face. A pair of squinting eyes caught my attention as I opened my eyes.

"What the heck are you doing?!" he said while holding the umbrella. "Do you want to get sick?!"

"Wright…"