“CELSO”

“He’s asleep now,” Manang Sela said as she approached me on the veranda, where I was savoring the cool evening breeze.

I nodded with a gentle smile, then turned my gaze back to the distant horizon, lost in thought.

“Here, I made you some chamomile tea. Drink it so you’ll sleep soundly later,” she said, handing me a clear mug filled with steaming tea, the fragrant aroma wafting up to me.

“Thank you, Manang Sela,” I replied, accepting the mug and feeling the warmth seep into my hands. I took a tentative sip, letting the soothing liquid calm my frazzled nerves.

I expected the old lady to leave me alone after that, to give me some space to reflect. But I was mistaken. She settled into the empty rocking chair beside mine, her presence a comforting constant in my life.

“Aren’t the mosquitoes bothering you, Sam? Would you like me to turn on the light?” she asked after a few moments of companionable silence.

Despite the surrounding darkness—illuminated only by the lights on the fence and the lone streetlamp outside the house—I could see the tender smile on Manang Sela’s lips and the kindness in her eyes as she looked at me. Her gaze was unwavering, filled with a depth of understanding that only years of familiarity could bring.

“I’m fine,” I replied, offering her a reassuring smile before taking another sip from my mug. The chamomile tea was working its magic, easing the tension that had coiled tightly within me.

Silence settled between us once more, but it was a silence filled with unspoken words and shared history. I felt at peace with Manang Sela’s presence. It wasn’t surprising. I’d known her since childhood. Whenever we returned to the Philippines, she was the one who looked after me and Andrew, my older brother.

I’m glad I listened to Calum.

I’m glad I brought her along. At least in moments like these, I had someone who truly knew me, besides Marius, who, to be honest, I wasn’t quite on good terms with yet. Or maybe it was more accurate to say that we hadn’t fully moved past the past.

“You know, Manang Sela, I’m happy right now,” I said, placing the empty mug on the coffee table. The admission felt like a small but significant step towards healing.

“It’s obvious,” she replied, her tone laden with meaning.

I couldn’t hide my surprise. “R-Really?”

“Even if you don’t smile, child, the sparkle in your eyes shows how happy you are with the man you love,” she said softly, her words wrapping around me like a warm blanket.

I didn’t speak, so Manang Sela continued, her voice gentle and wise. “Even without the sparkle in your eyes, Sam, your aura reveals your true feelings for Marius.”

Her words left me momentarily speechless. “Really?” was all I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper.

She nodded, her expression earnest. “And I’m sure Marius can see it too.”

Manang Sela’s confidence in her words made me want to believe she was certain.

I was momentarily at a loss for words. It’s true that the observations of the elderly are often uncannily accurate, or if not, they frequently hit the mark.

“I’m glad you decided to give you and Marius a chance, dear. Forgiving isn’t easy, but everyone makes mistakes, and anyone can be given a second chance.”

“Do you think, Manang Sela, after everything I found out, after all the pain, do we still have a chance? Even though, honestly, every time I look at him, it reminds me of everything?” I admitted, my voice trembling with vulnerability.

“A heart that loves deeply also hurts deeply. Forgetting and trusting again won’t be easy. But nothing is impossible if you work at it, especially if you let your heart and true feelings for Marius guide you,” she said, her words a soothing balm to my wounded soul. She stood up then, her movements deliberate and graceful. “I’m going to bed. You should come in too; it’s past eight. Get some rest after today’s travel,” she added with a kind smile.

I didn’t respond, instead taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it.

Easier said than done. But I knew Manang Sela was right. And as a mother, I couldn’t find a reason not to do everything possible to achieve what she was advising.

*****

From inside his car, Celso silently observed the beautiful woman on Marius's veranda. He watched as she stood up from the rocking chair, her movements graceful and deliberate, and entered the house, closing the door behind her. He knew she was going to sleep, as it was getting late.

Physically, Celso could understand why Marius was crazy about this woman named Samantha. She was stunning, with an allure that was impossible to ignore. She bore a striking resemblance to her brother, the actor Andrew Scott. But beyond her physical beauty, he had other intentions.

No matter how beautiful she was, Lena remained in his heart. He missed her terribly. But since Lena had left their place, he hadn't seen her again, and he knew why.

At that moment, anger consumed Celso's heart.

Samantha. Her name was a curse on his lips, the source of all his suffering. He wanted to see Lena again, but he knew it would be difficult. And he blamed Samantha for all the pain and anguish he was enduring now.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened, knuckles turning white with the intensity of his rage. The darkness outside seemed to mirror the turmoil within him, a black void that threatened to swallow him whole. He took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm raging inside his chest, but his thoughts were consumed with vengeance.

Samantha might not understand the depth of his pain, but he was determined to make her see. To make her understand that her actions had consequences, that her choices had brought him nothing but heartache and despair.

As he sat there in the silent car, his mind raced with plans. He would find Lena, no matter what it took. And when he did, he would make sure Samantha knew the extent of the damage she had caused. He would expose her for what she truly was—a destroyer of lives, a heartless woman who had torn his world apart.

Every smile she shared, every moment of happiness she experienced, Celso vowed to shatter. He would make her regret every decision that had led to this moment. She had taken Lena from him, and for that, she would pay.

His eyes, dark with determination, remained fixed on the house. This was just the beginning. Samantha Scott would learn that some wounds never healed, and some debts could never be forgiven. The vengeance he sought was not just for himself, but for Lena, the woman he loved and lost because of Samantha's selfish actions.

Celso's heart burned with a cold, unyielding fury. Samantha might think she had escaped the consequences of her actions, but she was wrong. He would be her reckoning, and she would see that vengeance, once ignited, was a fire that could consume everything in its path.