~ The Day He Left Me~

July 14 – My Wedding Day

“You look so beautiful, my daughter,” Mama said softly as she adjusted my veil.

Today was supposed to be my wedding day.

A mix of nerves and excitement stirred in my chest.

I smiled, but I could feel the tension building inside me. Not because I was afraid to get married but because something felt off. Like something was missing.

But I chose to believe him anyway.

I chose to believe that maybe... he was truly the one.

I chose to hold on to every promise he made.

Standing at the altar, holding my bouquet, I forced a smile at the guests who had come to witness this day.

I was waiting for him Eli.

The man I chose to spend the rest of my life with.

The man I loved with everything I had.

The man who became my world, my safe place, my home.

But five minutes passed... and I was still waiting.

Ten minutes... then fifteen...

Still, no sign of Eli.

No groom showed up on my wedding day.

My hands began to shake. My heart raced.

The overthinking started to spiral.

Then, a woman arrived beautiful and elegant

It wasn’t Eli,It was his sister, Celeste.

“Celine...” she whispered, handing me her phone. “I’m sorry. There’s something you need to read.”

When I looked at the screen, a long message greeted me.

No courage.

No explanation.

“I’m sorry. I can’t go through with this wedding. I don’t love Celine anymore, Ate... I’ve fallen for someone else.”

A message from Eli, sent to his sister Celeste meant for me to read.

The moment I read those words, I felt my entire body go weak.

My knees buckled.

Why now?

Why on my wedding day?

In front of everyone, I dropped my bouquet

And then I cried Loud and broken.

Everyone started asking questions even Mama but I couldn’t say a word.

My chest felt tight. I couldn’t breathe.

Tears streamed down my face, each one falling like shattered notes in a silent church.

And just like that…

There would be no wedding today.

Because my groom never showed up.

Three Years Later

It’s been three years since the day he left me at the altar.

And in those three years, I changed myself

I’m no longer the same Celine.

I thought I’d never see him again.

But here he is now… standing right in front of me.

Still whole, though he looks a bit thinner. He seems… stressed.

He even smiled at me but I showed him nothing.

No emotion. Nothing at all.

“Celine?” he said, like he didn’t shatter me three years ago.

Like he didn’t leave me alone inside that church.

Like he didn’t humiliate me in front of our guests and my entire family.

I cleared my throat.

My gaze stayed firm and cold.

I didn’t smile.

I didn’t hug him.

I didn’t even acknowledge him the way I used to when I loved him with everything I had.

But now?

All I feel is rage.

Deep, burning anger for how he abandoned me.

“Yes, it’s me,” I replied, my voice ice-cold, my expression blank completely emotionless.

We met again at a corporate event.

Irony of fate, right?

The same man who once couldn’t even stand by me…

Is now standing here as one of the suppliers offering a partnership to my company.

Funny, isn’t it?

What a life.

“Wow. You look… different,” he said, giving me a once-over from head to toe.

“I am different,” I replied sharply.

“I’m not the same woman you walked away from.”

My words were personal. Direct.

Honestly, I wanted to slap him.

Or karate-chop him.

But I chose to stay calm.

He fell silent at that.

He couldn’t even meet my eyes.

Suddenly, he looked so small in front of me

When back then, I was the one on the floor, crushed by pain.

“Celine… do I even have the right to say sorry?” he asked, his face formal, but his tone pleading like a puppy begging for mercy.

I looked at him, but only for a second.

“No.”

Then I turned my back on him.

I didn’t want to talk any longer.

Because if I stayed, I might not be able to hold myself back.

I might just slap him.

I’m no longer the Celine who could be manipulated by anyone.

I’m not the same girl who begged for love.

I’m stronger now.

Colder.

Harder.

And if he wants to win me back…

He’s going to have to walk through hell

The same hell he threw me into.

He has no idea how much pain he caused me back then.

“I’m sorry,” he said behind me.

But I didn’t look back.

I kept walking…

And left him there

Exactly where he left me years ago.

~Three years later~

Three years have passed since the day he left me at the altar. And during those three years, I changed myself I am no longer the same Celine I used to be.

I thought I would never see him again.

But here he is now, standing right in front of me. Whole and intact, though he looks a bit thinner, like stress has taken its toll on him. He smiled at me, but I showed him no emotion at all.

“Celine?” he asked, as if he hadn’t hurt me three years ago. As if he didn’t leave me inside the church, humiliating me in front of the guests and my entire family.

I stayed silent, looking straight ahead. I didn’t smile at him. I didn’t hug him. I didn’t pay him any attention unlike before, when I loved him deeply.

But now, anger filled my heart strong anger because of how he left me.

“That’s me,” I replied, my voice still cold, my expression formal and emotionless.

We met at a corporate event. Is this fate’s irony? The same man I once couldn’t rely on is now one of the suppliers offering a partnership to my company.

How funny, right? What a life!

“Wow. You look… different,” he said, scanning me from head to toe.

“I am different,” I answered. “I am no longer the woman you left back then.” I was getting personal with my words.

I wanted to slap him, to karate chop him, but I chose to keep calm.

He fell silent at what I said. He could no longer look me straight in the eye. Suddenly, he seemed small in front of me whereas before, I was the one barely crawling through the pain.

“Celine… do I have the right to ask for forgiveness?” he asked, his face serious, almost like a begging lunatic.

I looked at him but only briefly.

“No.”

And I turned away. I didn’t want to talk to him any longer or I might lose control and slap him.

I am no longer the old Celine who could be pushed around by anyone I’m different now strong.

~ The Man Who Returned~

I never expected we would meet again.

My heart raced as I watched him approach me Eli Vergara, the man I once told I loved, yet he was also the one who hurt me. Eli Vergara, the man who ran away from me on our wedding day, leaving behind a painful message.

All of it is etched in my mind and soul.

“Celine?” he asked, as if he had done nothing wrong and as if he had the right to show up before me, as if he hadn’t hurt anyone.

I stood up from the café table where I was seated. This was supposed to be a business meeting, but my contact had canceled. Instead of food, he was the one who appeared.

“That’s me,” I replied, looking straight ahead, emotionless.

“You look… great,” he whispered. His smile was forced everything was forced, with an undertone of insincerity.

And me? I could only offer silence. What words could he possibly expect from me?

“I want to apologize,” he added. “I know it’s been years, but I think about you every day ”

“Don’t,” I cut him off.

He blinked, surprised that I could reject him so bluntly. The shock was obvious on his face.

“Don’t get sentimental, Eli. I am not the woman you left three years ago! I’m not her anymore!” I said, looking at him coldly.

He wanted to speak, but my silent stare stopped him before he could utter a word.

“Three years have passed,” I said. “You were gone for a long time. But even longer was the time I spent rebuilding myself.”

“I’m sorry,” he said I didn’t know if he meant it or not.

“Sorry? For what?” I tried to keep calm.

“Celine, I still ”

“No!” I refused to let him continue. There was no need for lengthy explanations. His guilt was clearer than the sunlight.

I stood up, grabbed my bag, and turned away.

He didn’t need to finish what he was going to say because our story was already over.

As I stepped out of

“Miss Cruz, your 10 a.m. is here.”

I looked up at my assistant.

“Alright… thanks, Lesly.”

I hadn’t even fully settled into my seat when a man walked in tall posture, sharp presence, cold aura.

Black suit. Neat haircut. Eyes that looked like they’d seen the world collapse and rebuild.

In short, the kind of guy who looked like the lead in a K-drama.

“Ms. Cruz, my name is Lucas Dela Vega,” he said as he offered his hand. “Pleasure to finally meet the woman behind Valere.”

He had a fresh, clean vibe. I had a feeling he smelled expensive.

“I wish I could say the same,” I replied, giving him a faint smile as I shook his hand.

He said he was an investor brought a proposal. Quiet but observant, he spoke with a calm intensity. His soft features and naturally red lips had a strange pull, like he was reading me between his words.

“…please, have a seat, Mr. Dela Vega,” I said, and we both sat across from each other.

“Thank you, Ms. Cruz,” he replied.

“Just call me Celine. ‘Ms. Cruz’ is way too formal.”

“Alright, if that’s what you prefer,” he said with a small smile.

“Anyway… Mr. Dela Vega...”

But before I could continue, the door suddenly opened.

And there he was a face I knew all too well.

“Celine!”

Eli Vergara.

What the hell was he doing here?

Lucas glanced at him, then at me.

“Eli?” I said coldly. “You’re interrupting a meeting.”

“Please. Just five minutes,” he pleaded.

“I already gave you years,” I answered. “You wasted all of them.”

Lucas stayed silent, but stood up, picked up the iPad from the table, and gave Eli a faint smile.

“You must be the man who left her at the altar,” he said quietly but clearly.

How did Lucas know what happened three years ago?

“What?” Eli’s eyes narrowed, confused by what Lucas said.

“You don’t need five minutes,” Lucas added. “You had your chance. Now it’s mine.”

Lucas stared him down. I let them have that moment.

“And who are you supposed to be?” Eli asked him.

Lucas smiled a calm, confident smirk.

“Me?…”

I jumped in before things escalated. The tension was starting to fill my office.

“Eli, please… just leave,” I said calmly. I didn’t want a scene, especially not in front of a potential investor.

“I just wanted to talk to you even for five minutes,” he insisted.

“You can see I’m busy, can’t you?” I said flatly.

He didn’t respond. Just stared at me.

“…You can go now.”

~ Unexpected~

“Miss Cruz, flowers for you.” Lesley said, handing me a bouquet.

I stopped walking towards my office. She gave me a bouquet of red tulips, the blooms large and, I think, expensive. There was no doubt who they were from.

There was a card. I read it:

“You deserve better. But I’m still hoping it could be me. Eli”

I immediately tossed it into the trash can beside the door. What was he trying to prove? After hurting me? Was that just it?

“I hate clichés,” I muttered to myself.

“Good,” a voice suddenly spoke from behind me. I turned.

“I was worried you’d fall for that again.” the voice said.

It was Lucas Dela Vega. He was standing silently to the side, hands in his coat pockets, a hint of a smile on his lips. I expected him to be here.

“I don’t fall easily,” I replied, my face formal, then opened the door to the boardroom.

“But you did, once,” he said as we both entered.

“Once was enough.”

He was quiet, but with every glance, I felt he wanted to ask me something.

“Do you want to grab lunch later?” he casually asked.

“Is this business?” I countered, looking at him, our gazes meeting.

He smirked. “Partially.” he said.

"Then send it through email," I said.

He laughed a genuine laugh, not forced or offensive. It was as if the world had trained him for women like me, but he wasn't afraid.

“I’m just saying, Celine… I know you’re strong. But you don’t have to be unbreakable all the time.”

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"You know what I mean,"

I paused, looking at him.

"I don't like being lectured," I said.

"I'm not lecturing you,"

"Then what do you mean?"

Then he smirked again, his handsomeness accentuated by the smirk.

Our conversation was interrupted by a:

Ding!

A new message, from Eli, on my phone. I forgot to block him.

From: Eli Vergara

“Celine… there’s something you should know about our wedding day.”

What could he possibly want to tell me?

And I ignored him. I didn't have time for this kind of drama.

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