Memories From Last Year-Part 4

Maya's POV

I was about to return to the terrace to wait for Adonis. I didn't want to linger a second longer—every word I overheard was another wound. But then… Cassandra's next words froze me in place.

"I'm still furious with Adonis," she said, her voice laced with venom. "Even though I know it was a bet. He and Jake—those idiots made a wager that he could kiss Maya tonight without even breaking a sweat."

My breath caught. A dull ringing filled my ears.

Cassandra laughed bitterly. "And he did kiss her. Not once—but again and again, like he actually enjoyed it. Maybe he forgot it was just a game."

A tremor coursed through my limbs. I felt hollow. Betrayed. Stupid.

How could I have believed him? How could I have fallen so easily into his trap? Every word he whispered, every touch, every look—it was all a lie. A carefully crafted performance.

"Just let it go, Cassandra," another girl said. "You know Adonis. Maybe he was just putting on a good show. He probably wanted it to look convincing enough for Maya to fall for it."

"And fall for it she did," Cassandra sneered. "Like the pathetic little farm girl she is."

My heart twisted painfully, but even then, part of me—God help me—still hoped it wasn't true.

"She is beautiful, though," Leah, Cassandra's cousin, chimed in. "You can't deny that. Every guy at the party asked her to dance, and she turned them all down. She only danced with your golden boy."

Cassandra snapped, "Leah, whose side are you on?"

"I'm just stating facts," Leah said, unfazed. "She's got the kind of face that makes boys do stupid things."

I couldn't take it anymore. The laughter, the judgment, the way they spoke about me like I was nothing more than a curiosity to be passed around. I straightened my spine and walked into the room.

Their voices fell silent.

Cassandra's eyes widened when she saw me. She stood, strutting toward me with a sharp, rehearsed confidence.

"Well, I guess you heard everything," she said coldly. "How does it feel, Maya? Knowing that kiss meant nothing?"

I didn't speak. My throat burned, and the tears were already falling.

"Answer me!" she shouted. Her voice cut deep, cruel and gleeful. "Aw, are you crying? That's cute. At least now you know where you really stand."

I clenched my fists at my sides, but I couldn't hold back the sobs.

"Adonis won a brand-new iPhone because you let him kiss you like some desperate charity case. I pity you, Maya. Really, I do. But maybe next time, try waking up before throwing yourself at someone who could never want you."

Her friends clapped mockingly. Cassandra gave a sarcastic bow before turning her back.

Laughter echoed behind me as I ran—ran through the corridor, past the glittering chandeliers, past the golden staircase I'd descended with a heart full of hope. I didn't stop until I reached the far end of the veranda, where no one could see me break.

I collapsed against the cold stone railing, sobbing uncontrollably. My entire chest hurt like it had been ripped open. I hated him. Hated myself. Hated that I let myself dream.

The stars above blurred through my tears, and I whispered into the night, "That kiss… felt real to me. So why does it hurt so much?"

My knees buckled. I slid to the floor, trying to breathe through the pain. I didn't hear the footsteps at first—but I felt them.

A gentle presence knelt beside me. A blazer was draped over my shoulders. The scent was familiar—warm, woodsy. Comforting.

"Maya?" came the soft voice. "Why are you out here, crying like the world just ended?"

I turned, and there he was.

Richard.

I fell into his arms without thinking, needing someone—anyone—to anchor me.

"Richard… what took you so long?" I mumbled against his chest.

"My flight was delayed. Mama told me you were at the party, and I've been looking for you ever since." He pulled back slightly to look at my face. "What happened?"

I shook my head, not ready to speak of Adonis. Not yet. Not while it still felt like shards of glass were lodged in my chest.

"It's okay," Richard said gently. "You don't have to explain. Just… don't cry anymore, please."

He kissed my forehead, and I closed my eyes. Richard was everything Adonis wasn't—gentle, patient, kind. It was no wonder I always felt safe around him.

"You know," he said, pulling me to my feet, "I could use some company downstairs. Will you come with me?"

I hesitated. Then I nodded.

He took my hand and held it tightly, his warmth slowly melting the ice that Adonis had left in my veins. With every step we took together, I felt a little steadier. A little stronger.

"I heard you're working at our flower farm this summer?" he asked, smiling.

"Yes," I replied softly. "I've missed it—the sunflowers, the roses, your mother's Waling-Waling orchids."

He grinned. "Good. It'll be nice having you around again."

As we walked, I caught sight of the same terrace where Adonis had kissed me under the stars. My heart twisted. There—exactly where I had once stood—he was now kissing someone else.

Cassandra.

Their bodies pressed together. Their lips locked. Her hand cradling his cheek like it belonged there.

My breath hitched.

Richard tightened his grip on my hand. "Don't look," he said gently. "You deserve better."

I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat.

Maybe someday… I'd believe him.

And I knew I wasn't wrong.

Even from behind, I could recognize him instantly. The way his shoulders squared, the lazy confidence in his stance—it was Adonis. His arms were wrapped around Cassandra, his hands trailing over her body as if I'd never existed.

I stood frozen, my heart breaking all over again.

Cassandra's moans, exaggerated and shameless, echoed above the soft background music, each one cutting deeper than the last. It was as if she wanted me to hear—to make sure I saw it all. Her perfectly manicured hands clung to his neck, her body pressed flush against his as he stroked her curves with the same hands that had held me only an hour ago.

I tried to look away.

I tried to breathe.

But my eyes betrayed me. I couldn't stop staring, like some cruel punishment from the universe. And then—it happened.

He turned.

His gaze landed on me.

His expression hardened the moment he saw Rich holding my hand. I thought maybe—just maybe—he'd flinch. That he'd show some shame. But no. Instead, his lips curled into a smug, mocking smile.

"Well, well," he drawled. "Didn't think you'd move on so fast, Maya. One minute we're kissing under the stars, and the next, you're with my best friend. Wow. I guess I really underestimated how much of a flirt you are."

His words sliced through me like a blade.

My breath caught, and my cheeks burned—not with embarrassment, but with raw humiliation and anger. How dare he twist this around on me? How dare he reduce everything that happened between us into my betrayal?

Rich stiffened beside me, and I felt his grip on my hand tighten.

"Easy, Adonis," Rich said, voice low but firm. "You have no right to call her that. You're the one who should apologize."

Adonis scoffed. "Apologize? To her?" He stepped forward, arrogance radiating off him. "Come on, Rich. We both know what this is. We kissed—she liked it. Don't pretend she's some innocent saint. And now you're defending her?"

"Because she deserves to be defended!" Rich snapped, his temper rising. "Maya is kind, decent, and hardworking—nothing like the image you're painting. You're acting like a complete ass, Adonis."

Adonis's jaw clenched, his nostrils flaring. "She's not one of us, Rich. She's poor, unrefined. She doesn't belong in our world. You think this—" he gestured between me and Rich "—is going anywhere? She's nothing but a passing thrill."

My vision blurred from the tears I tried to suppress. But I stood tall, refusing to let him see me break again.

Rich stepped protectively in front of me. "Watch your mouth, Don. I don't care how long we've been friends—if this is who you are now, then maybe I don't want to know you anymore."

Adonis stared at him for a long moment. I saw something flicker in his eyes—regret? Rage? Jealousy?

He said nothing.

Instead, he turned sharply and grabbed Cassandra by the wrist. "Let's go," he muttered, his voice like cold steel.

Cassandra smirked at me as she passed, her smile laced with victory and venom. But I didn't flinch. Not this time.

Because Rich was still beside me.

Because I wasn't alone.

And because the part of me that once dreamed of Adonis was beginning to die.

I watched him walk away, dragging her with him. The boy who kissed me like I was his whole world had shattered mine in the cruelest way. And yet, in this heartbreak, I found clarity.

He never deserved my heart.

Not then. Not now.

I turned to Rich, my voice soft but steady. "Thank you. I don't know what I would've done without you."

He looked at me with a gentleness that soothed the raw edges of my pain. "You won't have to find out. Not while I'm around."

And as he led me away from the wreckage of my first love, I promised myself something—

It was time to let go of Adonis Buenavista Monleon.

Time to reclaim the pieces of my heart… and give them only to someone who would never treat it like a game.