After sending a message of apology to Cherry, Jared headed straight to a restaurant where he was supposed to meet his girlfriend, Kelly. He took a deep breath before stepping into the place they had agreed to meet.
He arrived first. A few minutes later, Kelly walked in.
"Have you been waiting long?" she asked, slightly out of breath, as if she had rushed to get there.
"No, just a few minutes," he replied quickly, then motioned to call the waiter and looked at her. "Can we order now?"
"Sure…" she said, her face lighting up with excitement.
It was rare for them to see each other because they were both busy with work. Kelly was also a businesswoman, just like him—but unlike Jared, she came from a wealthy family. Their worlds couldn't have been more different, yet that difference never became a reason for them to break up or grow apart.
That is, until Cherry came back into his life.
Seeing Cherry again had stirred emotions he thought he had buried long ago. It brought back regrets, unresolved feelings, and a growing restlessness in his heart—especially now that he saw how broken she had become.
"I really missed this, Jared. Finally, you asked me out to eat here at our favorite place," Kelly said with a soft smile. "It feels so nice."
Soon, the food they ordered arrived.
"Can we eat first?" Jared asked, and Kelly nodded. He hadn't eaten anything all day—just a cup of coffee in the morning. He didn't even head straight to work; instead, he came here just to see her.
"Of course. I'm hungry too. I didn't bother having breakfast at home when you invited me."
"Same here. I thought I'd see you first before going to the jewelry shop."
For a while, they both ate quietly, savoring the food. Jared needed the energy. He knew he was about to do something complicated.
He let out a deep sigh. His palms were sweaty and cold, worsened by the strong air-conditioning inside the restaurant. He had no idea how to start the conversation.
"Kelly, can I ask you something?" he said at last, trying to keep his emotions in check.
She nodded while chewing her food. "Is it something serious?"
He nodded slowly, preparing himself to say the words he had rehearsed in his mind over and over again.
"I want to break up with you."
Kelly froze, stunned by the abrupt statement.
"Don't tell a joke like that, Jared," she said, forcing a laugh. "I'm still enjoying my food here."
"I'm not joking, Kelly. I meant what I said," he replied in a serious reaction.
The smile on her face become faded and it replaced with confusion and sorrow. Her eyes welled up with tears.
"Why? Did I do something wrong?"
"No, Kelly. You've been good to me. You've been a wonderful girlfriend," Jared said, lowering his gaze. "But it's not enough to keep us together anymore." He paused, then met her eyes. "It's better that I tell you this today before we marry to each other."
Her tears finally fell.
"I don't feel the same way anymore. I just realized… you're not the person I see myself spending the rest of my life with."
"Why? What am I lacking that you suddenly fell out of love with me?"
"Nothing's missing. My feelings… it just disappeared."
"It's her, isn't it?" Kelly asked, her voice cracking.
Jared didn't respond right away.
"Who?" he asked, feigning ignorance.
"Your ex-girlfriend. Of course."
He managed a small, unreadable smile. "It's not about her. I just wanted to be honest with you."
Jared had no intention of telling Kelly the real reason. He didn't want Cherry to be dragged into this—he didn't want to give her another reason to hate him. At the very least, he hoped they could rebuild some form of connection, even just as friends.
"I need to find myself first. And I hope… you find someone who truly deserves your love."
"How selfish of you, Jared!" Kelly snapped. "You break up with me and then carelessly push me toward someone else? You can't care about my feelings. You never loved me. You never cared!"
She stood up, wiping her tears, and left the restaurant without another word—leaving Jared alone at the table.
Later that day, Jared went to his friend's house after dropping by the jewelry shop. He needed someone to talk to. Even if his friend wasn't the type who liked emotional conversations, Jared knew he had to say something to someone.
He knocked twice before the door opened.
"Oh, Jared. You're here," Marlo said, appearing surprised. "You're right on time. I just got back from the law office."
Jared walked straight to the couch and slumped down with a heavy sigh.
"Hey, that was a deep one," Marlo said, noticing his demeanor. "I'll make some coffee."
"No. I want wine."
Marlo stopped mid-step, caught off guard.
"Seriously, Jared? I just got home from work. I'm exhausted. I need something to wake me up, not wine."
"Okay. Let's have coffee now—but later tonight, we drink."
"What's going on? Talk to me," Marlo asked, genuinely curious. He had never seen Jared ask for alcohol before. Not once.
Then Jared finally told him—about the breakup with Kelly. He had thought about it carefully though it wasn't easy that something he had to do.
"Kelly must've been hurt by what you did." Marlo said after listening. "But what I don't get is—why? I actually thought everything was fine. I also heard you were both engaged. I don't understand how it came to this…"
Jared had no response. He couldn't tell his friend the real reason.
"I just realized in the end that Kelly isn't the one for me."
Marlo gave a sarcastic chuckle at his friend's excuse. Jared had always been too inconsistent with his decisions. He had noticed this from the beginning. The only thing Jared had ever been consistent with was building his business.
"After everything you two went through? Or maybe you're still thinking about her. Come on, mate. That was a long time ago. You both have your own lives now. Why can't you let go of the past?"
"She's not the reason. I just wanted to be free and get to know myself more."
That was all he said to his friend. Jared stayed at Marlo's house that night to drink. He decided to go home the next morning instead. He had no intention of telling him the whole story. He knew Marlo too well—especially since the guy was a lawyer.
After taking a few days' leave from the jewelry store, Jared decided to stop by his ex-girlfriend's place. It was already 9 p.m. He parked in front of Cherry's house and there was suddenly drawn to something that caught his attention—two shadows behind the curtains. It looked suspicious.
Moments later, he noticed something even more alarming—his ex-girlfriend and her husband were kissing.
"Damn. I shouldn't have seen that," he muttered in frustration. He took a deep breath and started the car.
As he drove, the image replayed in his mind, making him grip the steering wheel tighter.
"I shouldn't have gone there," he said, clearly still upset.
Alfred was sleeping tight, while Cherry was awake. She clutched the blanket to cover her chest and stared at her husband lying on bed soundly. There could smell the alcohol on his body. She tried to hug him, but he instantly turned his back on her and slept on his side.
The next morning, Cherry was preparing breakfast when Alfred is stepping out of their room.
"Perfect timing—I've made a breakfast. Go ahead and eat," she greeted warmly.
Alfred sat silently and didn't even say a word, acting as if nothing happened last night.
"Do you want to bring some food to your work today?" Cherry asked, trying to sound casual but Alfred declined it.
"No need. I'll just eat outside with my coworkers," he replied with a calm voice, which confused Cherry. A part of her felt the hurt that Alfred seems not affected about everything going on between them. She thought things were finally going to get them better—but she was wrong.
A few moments later, the doorbell rang. Cherry wasn't expecting any water delivery, as she had just bought from the previous day before. It possibly couldn't be the electric or water bill, since she had paid all of them last week. She wasn't also expecting any parcel delivery from her online purchases that she had been cutting costs due to piling expenses.
She went outside to check who was ringing at their gate.
"Good morning, Ma'am. These are all being delivered to your address," said a man as soon as she opened the gate. He signaled to his coworkers to carry in more items.
"I'm sorry, but I didn't buy an oven toaster, washing machine, or electric fan. Maybe you've got the wrong person. It would be best to double-check the personal information," Cherry explained, baffled by the items she was seeing.
"This is definitely the correct address, Ma'am. It says so in our records," the man replied.
A few minutes later, Alfred came out carrying their two kids. He stared at the appliances with a deep frown and started to feel annoyed again of what he saw.
"I ask who deliver these to us?"
"It's confidential, sir. We're not allowed to say, the name." one of the delivery men responded.
Aside from the appliances, there were also groceries which making it hard to walk through the hallway from the living room to the front gate.
"Oh, by the way, Ma'am…" the man said, handing her a piece of paper. "We'll need your signature here to confirm receipt."
Cherry took a few seconds before signing. She checked the paper to find out who sent the items. But there was no name listed. She handed it back to the man after signing.
The three men smiled at her before bidding farewell.
"Alright, Ma'am. We'll be going now."
Cherry was still deep in thought, staring at her husband, who was now glaring at her. He left the kids by the door and walked straight out, not even glancing at her.
"I'm leaving…" was all he said before exiting the gate.
As soon as Alfred was gone, Cherry rushed to her children, gently cupping their faces to comfort them. Meanwhile, she continued to wonder who the mysterious sender of the gifts was.
Jared quietly watched Cherry's house from a distance while the items were being delivered. It was his way of helping the woman he still loved. Even though it crushed him to witness what happened that night, he chose to stay true to his feelings for Cherry. All he wanted was to help—and make up for the past.
The next day, Cherry received groceries at the exact same time. Alfred's glare grew even colder.
"Did you order more stuff again?" he snapped. It was early morning, and they were having breakfast when the new delivery has arrived.
"First appliances, and now groceries? Don't waste our money on your whims."
"I didn't order any of this, Alfred. I don't even know where they came from," Cherry reasoned.
"You better be sure…" His tone wasn't like before—still calm but now laced with warning. "I'll find out eventually."
After that, he left without giving her a chance to explain. When Alfred was gone, Daryl stepped out of his room.
Cherry never told her husband that her brother had been sleeping over. Whenever Alfred was home, she made Daryl hide in the guest room.
"Go ahead and eat. After that, please watch the kids first while I was taking my shower," she instructed. Daryl simply nodded and joined her at the table.
She has finished cooking. Later, her two kids finally awakened. She went to check on the guest room where her brother usually stay when Alfred is there.
The door was opening slightly. The room was dark, so she turned on the light and continue entering the place but no Darly found.
A few seconds later, she saw a note on the table. Daryl went back to his home to visit their family. With no other choice, she had to pick up the kids herself from school. She quickly changed clothes in her room and locked the house.
Jared was actually waiting outside the school, hoping to see and talk to Cherry's children. He liked the kids—they made him smile. After a while, Carina and Cyprus came out of the school gate, scanning the area for their usual ride. Jared approached them.
Carina frowned at him, while the younger boy was smiling.
"Who are you?" she asked while hugging her brother tightly. "We don't talk to strangers."
Jared just smiled at her reaction.
"I'm not a bad stranger. I won't kidnap you. I just want to talk you guys. Is that okay?" he asked gently to them.
Cyprus slowly let go of his sister's arms.
"I just want to talk to you kids and maybe be as friends. Is that alright?"
"No. We don't make friends with strangers," Carina said firmly.
"Alright then, how about this? I'll introduce myself so we're even," he paused, then continued. "I'm Jared. I'm 33 years old—and I used to be a friend of your mom."
Carina frowned even more. "No, you're lying."
"I'm telling the truth. You might not understand it now, but one day you will." He pulled out chocolates from his pocket and gave it to the kids.
Cyprus's eyes become widened and he was about to get those when someone suddenly called them from a distance.
"What are you doing with my kids?!" Cherry said in frustration.