PROLOGUE
Rhiza frowned, shutting the laptop with a tamper. “You’re too much, Louis! It seems like everyone nowadays has Facebook. Don’t you trust me? We’ve been together since the third year of high school, and we’re practically married already.”
Louis sighed, “It’s not that, but lately, I’ve noticed you spending too much time on Facebook.”
Rhiza smirked, “Are you just thinking negatively?”
“Just three more years, and we’ll graduate. Then, I will marry you,” Louis said, holding Rhiza’s hand.
Rhiza hesitated, “Are we getting married right away? You know, I kind of want to go to America first. That’s where I want to live.”
“Don’t you like it here in Mercedes?”
Rhiza sighed, “I grew up here, but I really want to go to the States. Life seems better there. More sophisticated!”
Louis sighed again and chose to remain silent. Rhiza had expressed this desire multiple times, and it had become a recurring argument between them. Lately, he had noticed Rhiza becoming more persistent about her wishes, especially since she got hooked on Facebook three months ago.
“I love you so much, Rhiz. Let’s promise that we’ll end up together no matter what,” Louis said, hugging Rhiza tightly.
There was no response from her. Among all his past girlfriends, Rhiza was his first love, and he had dreamed of a future with her. His parents, especially Carol, his mother, approved of their relationship. Despite the changes he noticed in Rhiza, he hoped that they would still end up together.
One year later
“We don’t have to break up; there’s Skype, YM, and Facebook! There are many ways,” Louis pleaded.
“One year ago, you said you didn’t want Facebook. And I don’t want a long-distance relationship, Louis. You’re free; fall in love if you have to. I’ll always hope for the best for you,” she said, her voice pleading. She couldn’t express the emotion in her words, but one thing was clear – their three-year relationship had come to an end.
“You know this is what I wanted all along. Once I start working in America, I can have everything I want. I can buy everything. Besides, I can’t see myself growing old here in Mercedes,” Rhiza explained. She was taking up Hotel and Restaurant Management, and a friend she met on Facebook, who owned a new hotel in America, offered her a job with a substantial salary, prompting her to leave the Philippines.
“No, tell me this isn’t happening,” Louis said, tightly embracing her. They were inside his car, and he didn’t hesitate to let his emotions out.
“If this is the only way to make you stay, I’ll beg. Just don’t leave me,” he whispered.
“I love you, but I love my dreams more. If we’re meant to be, Louis, we will end up together. But please, don’t look for me. If you make an account on FB or Twitter just to find me, don’t bother. I don’t want you to hurt more. I’m sorry; I have to go,” she said, breaking free from his embrace.
In moments, Rhiza was out of his sight. The scent of her perfume lingered in his car, but it wasn’t the pain in his chest.
Months later, he tried to find Rhiza on Facebook after she flew to America. He didn’t listen to what she said. He created an account, even though he wasn’t into social media. Unfortunately, he discovered her account, only to regret it deeply upon learning that she had married an American businessman.
It was only later that Rhiza admitted to him that she had deceived him, having a boyfriend in America she met online who also offered her a job.
“What you are and what you have aren’t enough for me. That’s why I looked for someone who surpasses you. I’m happy now, so please stop bothering me. I love my husband so much, and I don’t want to hurt you too much, but maybe it’s just right for you to know that he’s the real reason why I decided to come here, only to be with him.”
That’s what Rhiza told him when they talked on Skype a few days after she added him as a friend on Facebook. Those moments were incredibly painful for him. To the point that even his life was put in danger.
“HOW are you feeling?” Carol asked as she entered the private room in the hospital where he was admitted.
He just looked at his mother, then smiled.
“Don’t ever do that again, Louis. I can’t handle it, my child. I love you so much, more than anyone else,” Carol said, tears streaming down her face as she embraced him.
“I promise, Ma, this won’t happen again. Not ever,” he said, gently wiping the tear-streaked face of the woman who loved him unconditionally.
“I’m gonna kiss you in private, is that okay with you?” he asked Wella, his latest prospect.
He had started dating a week after getting out of the hospital months ago, but it was different from his past habits.
“That’s fine with me,” Wella replied, shrugging her shoulders.
He mischievously smiled and pulled the girl to a darker and more secluded part of SJU.
“I really like you, Louis,” the girl said breathlessly as he released her lips.
“I like you too, and if you’re willing, you can be my girl for two months,” he said, teasingly biting the girl’s lower lip. “Deal?”
Even in the dim light, he saw the girl nod. “Deal,” she answered.
He chuckled softly before kissing her again.
