"Callea, you crazy witch. I can't believe you finally have a love life. You didn't show yourself for a long time and now you are getting married. That's not so fair."
Carina, Callea's friend was ranting at the top of her lungs while inside the coffee shop. She had not seen her college friend for a long time. She decided to meet up and personally invite her to the party. According to Deive, it was time to reconnect with old friends. She had a lot of catching up to do. She found out that some of her friends already have families and others were abroad.
"I thought you will morn for Luna forever," said Jane. "So, is your boyfriend yummy?"
"Do you think I will choose someone who's not?" she teased and laughed heartily.
For a long time, she had hidden from the world. She could now go out in her normal clothes and without make-up. She still wears costumes when writing. She didn't need to hide anymore and ward off people because someone accepted her and appreciated her. By removing her mask and stepping out of the light she was ready to face the ghost of her past. She would try her best to fight her weakness.
She showed her photos with Deive during Hontiveros Coco's party and even their photos during their cosplay and book signing. They squealed with delight.
"Wow! You are a winner in love and in life. I never thought you'd get this far. This is amazing," said Jane.
"Thank you."
"He is like your prince," Carina purred. "I am so jealous. I wish I could trade my husband for yours. Why did I have to get drunk and fuck a stranger when I was in college? My husband is only handsome when I am drunk."
"But he is a good guy," she reminded her. "I like him because he sees the real me and he appreciates me. You know, beauty fades. But the beauty of the heart stays. So, keep your man and don't try to poach what is mine."
"Yeah! I heard you," said Carina and hugged her. "It is good to have you back. What happened to Luna was not your fault. She defended you from your stalker. That Walter is a lunatic. And if you were in Luna's shoes, I am sure you will also fight for her."
She and Luna to Cambodia as part of their training in ancient stone art restoration. They studied different Southeast Asian arts and one of those was the Angkor Temples which was the main tourist site in that country. They met Walter Naval, a Filipino photographer who was interested in Cambodian arts.
At first, she thought he was nice. And because they were both Filipinos in a foreign country, she entertained him. And as a photographer, she let Walter take her photos.
Luna warned her to stay away from Walter. She noticed that there was something creepy about the way Walter followed her around and take her photos. Callea decided to stay away from Walter and listen to Luna. It infuriated Walter.
One day, he forced her way into their apartment and tried to kidnap her. Luna defended her and threatened Walter with a knife. Walter got the knife from her and stabbed her. He was about to take her when the neighbors heard the commotion and called the police for help.
Walter tried to escape but was arrested by the police. It was too late. Luna was already dead when they arrived at the hospital. Instead of serving his time in jail, Walter was put in a mental institution instead. He pleaded insanity and she had doubts that he was just acting up. He got off the hook that easily while she was marked for life.
It was traumatic to see a friend die. It worsened when the investigators showed her the photo of Walter's apartment. It was full of her photos. She felt sick of her own face since then. She blamed her own beauty for the death of Luna.
"Live a life for Luna, Callea," Jane advised. "I am sure she's happy for you."
"Well, I just realized that I can still do a lot of good things without hiding myself from the world." Deive would help her with it. They were building new dreams together. He wanted her to explore and he wanted her to revive her bucket list.
She wanted to visit Luna's tomb in Ilocos after her engagement party with Deive. It was time to tell him about the real story of why she wanted to hide from the world. She was ready to bare her soul.
"Excuse me, Ma'am. Are you Miss Callea?" asked the waiter.
"Yes?" she answered with a smile.
"Someone asked me to give it to you."
He put a tray of Malaysian mums and a Polaroid photo taken at the cafe with her friends while she was drinking coffee. There was an I miss you caption below. It had a stalker-ish vibe and her senses told her that there was something off.
"Wow! How sweet! Your boyfriend sent it?" asked Jane.
She looked around. Deive was not there. She went out of the coffee shop to check if Deive's car was parked outside. When she didn't see it, she called him up. "Deive, where are you?"
"Trapped here at EDSA Santolan. There's a collision here. I don't know what time I will arrive in Makati."
"It's okay. Thanks for the flowers and the picture. I love it. I don't know how you did it though..." Maybe he hired someone to take photos of her happy times with her friends or to tell her that he's just beside her even if they are apart.
"Flowers? Pictures? I don't know about that..."
Of course, he would deny it. "Basta! I love you, Deive! I will see you in a bit. My friends are excited to see you."
She felt like she was floating on air when she went back to her friends. Deive was indeed the sweetest soul. She was excited to say, "I do".