Chapter 7: Those Were Memories

               ***Freen's POV***

I know this bracelet belongs to Becky, but why did my mom tell me I was alone that night? Why would she lie to me?

Questions keep swirling in my mind as I gaze off into the distance, sitting in the driver's seat of my van. I need to calm down before confronting my mom. If Becky was there, and if that moment wasn't just a dream, it means my mom also slapped Becky that night. I was aware of it happening, but I don't understand why.

Why did Becky stop messaging me after confessing she missed me? Why was she crying so intensely that night?

I can't wait here; if I truly want answers, I have to go search for them. Stepping out of the car, clutching Becky's bracelet, I take a deep breath to compose myself. As I enter the house, I see my mom in the kitchen, preparing lunch. I approach her calmly.

"Mom, please tell me what really happened that night," I inquire.

"What do you mean?" she responds, her face filled with confusion.

"I know I was with someone that night before I passed out. Why did you lie to me?" I clarify.

A smile begins to form on my mother's lips. "I told you that you were—"

I anticipate her repeating that I was alone, so I throw the bracelet onto the table before she can finish her sentence.

"That's Becky's bracelet, Mom. She was with me in the van before I passed out. I saw you slap her that night too. So tell me why you're lying to me?! And why did you slap her?!" I exclaim, my voice on the verge of shouting. A tear glistens at the corner of my eye.

My mom starts to walk away, but I grasp her hand, locking eyes with her as tears stream down my cheeks. I'm bewildered by why my mother is concealing things from me.

"Mom, answer me. My mind is a mess, searching for answers. I'm desperately seeking a valid reason for why you're keeping things from me. I'm sure you have a good reason, but I can't find it, so I need you to tell me. Is it because I like her? Is it because I prefer a woman over a man? Is that why?" I implore, my tears flowing freely.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," my mother approaches, embracing me.

"You're not supposed to be with her anymore," she reveals.

"What do you mean?" I inquire.

"Yes, she was with you that night, Freen," she finally released me from her embrace. "You're not supposed to be in love with her. She's a famous person. And if her parents find out, do you think they'll allow you to be together? I just don't want you to be hurt," she explained.

I wiped the tears from my eyes and hurried into my room. She wants me not to be hurt? But I'm hurting right now. I'm in so much pain that I can't contain it. I'm in so much pain because Becky won't talk to me anymore. If loving Becky is a sin, I'll still do it. Because she's the only person who gives me a sense of happiness.

Why is the world like this? Why aren't we allowed to love each other? Why are we supposed to disregard what we feel for each other when every single second of our existence reminds us of each other? Why does loving have to be this tough?

I went to my phone and quickly pulled up my dialer. I dialed Becky's number to check if she would answer. I've dialed her number countless times that I've lost count of it. But just like my previous attempts, her number was not reachable. And that's how I spent my Monday.

Tuesday came, and Wednesday too. All I did was cry in my room, look at Becky's picture, and dial her number. I am lost. I've never been this lost. She's my thought when I wake up and my thought before going to bed. She's probably living in my dreams too. She's in my thoughts in every single thing that I do, yet she's nowhere near. She doesn't care that I'm hurting. The days passed by very fast. These days, I didn't care about my businesses or the death threats I'm receiving. If they want to kill me, they may do so. I don't know how long I can stand this pain anyway.

On Saturday, I had a visitor - Irene. She brought fruits and milk tea, but I'm not really in the mood for any of those. She sat on a couch beside my bed.

"You look like a mess," she commented. I just stared at her blankly.

I can't disagree with that. I can't remember the last time I combed my hair. I think the last time I took a shower was last Monday. I didn't drink a lot of water either, and my eyes are probably swollen from crying so much.

"Aunty told me everything. Do you want to see her?" Irene asked.

"What if she doesn't want to see me?" I asked.

"How do you know? Did she tell you?" Irene inquired.

"She has my number, she can message me on my social media accounts, but she did not. Not even a 'Hi' since that night," I answered.

"So you just assumed that she doesn't want to talk to you because she is not responding? Ever wondered why she would suddenly do that? Did you have a fight?" Irene asked. I just shook my head in response.

"Then go find out why. You can't be like this forever. She'll have an event tomorrow at Siam Mall. We can go there. You have to keep this from your mom, though," she said.

"Okay," I agreed.

Irene's plan gave me a sense of hope. I badly want to see her, talk to her, and find out the answers to my questions.

"By the way, what happened that night? Why was Becky here?" Irene asked.

I haven't told Irene about it nor did I tell anybody because I really thought it was one of those dreams. Turns out it's not.

"I don't know. We haven't talked that day because I got a little jealous about her Tiktok update. But I was planning to talk to her that night. I was surprised that she came by; I don't even know how she found my address. And she came here crying so much, telling me she misses me, and then..." I explained. I paused for a while, then I looked at Irene. "She kissed me," I continued.

Irene looked at me without any emotions. She was not shocked at all, like she knew all along about what's going on between Becky and me.

"And also, I found something underneath the drawer last night," I stood up from my bed and went to my desk, grabbing the picture that was sitting there. It's a picture of 2 similar silver bracelets. I handed it to Irene and then sat on the side of my bed, looking straight into her eyes.

"This bracelet in the picture says 'F x B.' I've seen this bracelet in my dreams that night. I remember being on a beach with her, walking on the shore in the sunset. I was holding her hand, and she was wearing that bracelet."

Irene looked at me with confusion written all over her face.

"Freen, those were not dreams; those were memories," she stated.

                   ***Becky's POV***

"You two should spend some time together. After all, both of you are single, right?" Mr. Chen, the director, remarked.

We're currently wrapping up. We just finished shooting a scene, and we'll have a two-day break after this.

"There's undeniable chemistry between the two of you. If people see you going out together, it will help build a fandom. Post more about each other on social media to grab people's attention. They'll start asking questions and wondering about your relationship. They'll analyze everything you do, even attending your events just to ask that question. They'll crave answers until they find one. I'm not saying you have to be in a relationship, but you should act like you are. Since you're going to be on-screen partners, it's better to appear that way whenever a camera flashes," Mr. Chen added, winking after giving his suggestions.

"That sounds reasonable. Hopefully, we can develop a solid fanbase before the series airs, right?" Hiro stated.

"Sure, if it's part of the job, let's do it," I agreed.

"So, shall we have dinner tonight? We can post something," Hiro asked.

I still despise him, but I'll have to work with him for a while, so I'll have to endure it. Besides, didn't I sign up for this when I decided to become an actress?

"I'll have to check with Trisha if I have anything scheduled or any school deadlines," I replied, attempting to find a way out without directly rejecting his offer.

"Okay. Hey, Trisha!" he shouted, waving at Trisha, who was on the phone. Hiro walked over to her and started talking. I couldn't hear their conversation, but I'm pretty sure he was asking about my schedule. I saw Trisha give a thumbs-up while looking at me, and Hiro began walking towards me.

"Trisha just told me you don't have anything scheduled," Hiro said, smiling at me.

"Great," I uttered.

"So, shall we have dinner together?" he asked again.

"Sure, but I'll choose the place," I reluctantly agreed. I decided to take him to the worst restaurant I've ever been to. It's a cheap place with few customers, and since he was born into wealth, I'm pretty sure he won't appreciate the ambiance either. It's a restaurant I used to go to when I was with... But that doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is that I make Hiro hate me. I simply can't stand him any longer.

"Let's go," Hiro stated, gesturing towards his parked car.

I had already informed Trisha and Mike that Hiro would be giving me a ride home. I had also sought permission from my parents, who granted it without hesitation, knowing who Hiro is. He's one of those stars who have graced the industry since their childhood. Everyone aspires to work with him or be his partner, but not me. I find him arrogant, thinking that everyone adores him. I intend to show him a different side of the world, one where people don't hold him in such high regard.

We swiftly settled into Hiro's car, a Lamborghini Huracán—a vehicle that most people his age cannot afford.

"Besides my parents, you're the first person to sit in that seat," he remarked, gazing at me.

"Should I feel honored?" I asked.

"Oh no, I just mean that I don't let just anyone sit there unless they're important to me," he replied, starting the car and pulling out.

Important to him? How can he be serious? He acts as if he can flirt with anyone and they'll fall for it. The car was filled with silence, so I asked Hiro for permission to connect my phone to his car and play some music. He agreed without hesitation. I decided to play songs that were incredibly annoying, hoping he'd either speed up to escape the car or ask me to stop.

I wonder if he listens to metal rock songs. He doesn't strike me as the type. Personally, I'm not a fan of metal rock either, so perhaps he isn't either. Let's find out.

I started playing "You Only Live Once" by Suicide Silence.

"You only live once, so just go freaking nuts!" Hiro sang along.

He seriously listens to this? The loudness of the song annoyed me, and Hiro singing along annoyed me even more, so I quickly changed the song. I thought I'd play a song he didn't know; at least that would bother me less. I played the English version of "Rose" by D.O. The first verse ended, and I hadn't heard him sing, which was a relief. I looked outside and took a few deep breaths, feeling relieved.

"If you need a lover, let me know and let me in. I could treat you better, steal you roses every day."

And there he goes again. I swiftly changed it to the Korean version.

"I liked the Korean version better," I said, as he looked at me, probably wondering why I kept changing songs.

"Me too," he agreed. "Meonji eomneun paran haneul wiro..."

He's singing again?! How can he sing in Korean too? I changed the song once more, this time playing "Pano" by Zack Tabudlo, a Filipino song. I'm sure he can't sing along to that.

"Mo ba ang 'yong sarili, nakakabaliw lumalabas sa'yong bibig,"

What the heck? He knows this song too? How is that possible?

"I like your taste in music," he commented.

I let out a fake laugh and changed the music once again. I played "When Will My Life Begin" by Mandy Moore. Typically, guys don't watch Disney Princess movies.

"Polish and wax, do laundry, and mop and shine up. Sweep again, and by then it's like 7:15..."

Again?! Does this man know every single song ever released? I can't play Baby Shark because everybody knows that damn song. I had no choice but to summon that purple dinosaur. I changed the song to "I Love You" by Barney, and voila! He didn't know the song. He didn't complain either, which was quite remarkable. I kept the song on repeat until we reached our destination.

We pulled up in front of a modest restaurant, his car standing out among bicycles and motorcycles parked nearby. All eyes were on Hiro and me. I found it amusing when he asked me if I was sure about the food here being great, as he seemed skeptical.

Entering the restaurant, we ordered Phad Thai. It turned out to be the worst Phad Thai I had ever tasted, so I was certain Hiro wouldn't enjoy it either. We settled into a two-seat table, but there were no clean ones available, so we had to wait for the staff to clean it. I could see Hiro's discomfort in this place. People were staring at him, and outside, a crowd had gathered with cameras flashing, capturing pictures and videos of us. Hiro's sweat dripped down his face in the absence of air conditioning.

After a few minutes, they served us the Phad Thai. I took a bite immediately, pretending to like it to encourage Hiro to try it. He took his first bite, and I watched his expression closely. He didn't say a word but gave me a thumbs up. This guy was undeniably skilled at pretending. Perhaps that's why he had thrived in this industry for years; he was a talented actor.

To my surprise, Hiro finished his plate while I barely made it halfway. After eating, Hiro took a few photos with his fans who were waiting outside. I did the same, not because I wanted to, but because I had no choice. We also took some pictures together to post on our social media accounts, following Mr. Chen's suggestion. Hopefully, this strategy would work. The only reason I was going along with all this was to build a fandom that would support our upcoming series.

After the photo session, I began to bid farewell and headed towards the car when I noticed a familiar face calling out to me. It was Irene, Freen's friend. She walked up to me and said, "Looks like you're living a happy life while she's miserable."

Author's Note:

And that's the end of Chapter 7! There's a lot of things that will unfold in the next chapters so please keep reading.

Thank you so much to everybody who's still reading this story. I can't believe we're close to 1k reads 🥺 My heart is so happy.

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