Mr. Casanova meets Ms. Bitter

EPILOGUE

I heard a lot of people talking about how the ages 16 to 23 aren't easy. You lose friends, make mistakes, fall, fail, realize things, hit reality, lose yourself, but in the end, you find yourself and become stronger - still the best years of your life.

And that's true. A fact. Because I've been there. I've experienced all of that. I also lost a friend when Keirstine and I had a falling out over a guy named Blue. I don't know why we ended up in such a situation where a friend became an enemy because of a guy - it's not something I dreamed of. But that's how it is; when it comes to 'love,' you're willing to risk everything, even if it means hurting someone.

In the end, we became friends again because all you need to do is accept. Acceptance is the key. If you can accept everything, you prove to yourself that you're brave. Keirstine did that; she accepted everything and found out who was meant for her - Ian. Diba ang liit ng mundo? You never know that the one meant for you might be just around, but you're too busy chasing someone who isn't meant for you.

We make mistakes, and we're still making mistakes because through those mistakes, we learn. I made a big mistake by keeping a secret from Blue that I was Ezekiel's real girlfriend. I think that's the biggest mistake I ever made. I kept a secret from him, a secret he would never forgive me for once he found out. And he did find out, and that's where I regretted because I kept that thing from him even though I knew from the beginning that he would eventually know everything, and I was sure he would be angry with me. The mistake I don't want to repeat. I'm his partner, and partners should be honest with each other, shouldn't keep secrets. And I failed that. But from those mistakes, I learned. I learned a lot. One of those is how important a person's 'trust' is. Once it's broken, it's unlikely to be restored. I felt how disappointed Blue was with me, and I can't blame him because the saddest thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies, it comes from those you love the most. He trusted me, but I wasted that.

Due to the problems I encountered, I learned a lot. Even if I stumbled, I stood up again. I realized many wrong decisions I made, wrong things I pursued. Reality hit me to the point where I had a breakdown because I couldn't handle what was happening in my life. I lost myself because of my actions. But you know, God is very good to me. He never left me. When I was on my dark path, He was still there, walking with me. He served as the light when all I could see was just plain black.

The biggest thing the Lord gave me, which I'll be forever grateful for, is when He saved my man from death. Yes, I'm very thankful to the Lord because He brought back to me the man I love. The man I thought would leave me. I lost hope when Blue was 50/50. I was devastated, hopeless. If not for my family and friends, I might have ended my life. Luckily, they became instruments kay Lord para panatagin ang loob ko.

Especially Ezekiel. He became my pillar when I was lost. When I had nowhere to run. He was always there to guide me. I know the Lord gave him to me so I wouldn't lose my way. And I'm thankful for that. Despite what I did to him and the challenges we faced, he's still by my side. He didn't leave even though I knew he was hurting. Sometimes, we wonder why the world is so unfair. The person who loves truly is the one who often gets hurt. Isn't that so unfair? Well, I guess that's life. Life is a gamble. You have to take risks to know if you'll win or lose. Hindi naman sa lahat ng oras ay talo ka. There are times na mananalo ka rin. In the right time.

"Hey, you're lost in thought. Is everything okay?"

I looked back as someone hugged me from behind and kissed my hair. I smiled when I saw who it was - my husband.