CHAPTER 12
THE FATE WE DARE TO CHANGE
The moment Carlo learned that Isha had been stabbed, something inside him changed.
Hindi niya kayang umupo lang at maghintay habang ang taong nagtangkang nagpahamak sa buhay ni Isha ay malayang nakakalakad somewhere out there.
Carlo investigated everything.
He went through every possible lead, bawat maliit na detalye na maaaring magturo sa identity ng taong responsable sa pananaksak kay Isha. Hindi siya tumigil kahit gaano pa kahirap ang bawat clue na kailangan niyang sundan.
And he wasn't alone.
With the help of a trusted friend, someone who knew how to trace information that Carlo couldn't access on his own, they slowly narrowed down the suspect's whereabouts.
Hours of investigation, countless calls, and careful tracking finally led them to one location.
At nang makumpirma nilang tama ang information, agad nila itong ipinasa sa mga pulis.
It didn't take long.
The authorities moved quickly, and eventually, the person responsible for attacking Isha was successfully located and apprehended.
Sa wakas, nahuli na rin ang taong muntik nang kumitil sa buhay ng babaeng pinakamamahal niya. Marahil may dahilan din siguro ang mga araw na hindi muna siya pweding bumisita kay Isha.. dahil mayroon siyang oras upang mas mag focus sa paghuli sa taong nanaksak kay Isha..
And for the first time since the attack, Carlo finally allowed himself to breathe.
But despite the relief, something still felt wrong.
Because catching the person who stabbed Isha didn't mean the nightmare was over.
There were still questions that needed answers.
Mga katanungan na maski siya ay hindi niya rin maintindihan.. Something felt familiar..
---------
The ICU had become Malcolm's second home.
For three days, he had barely left the room. Day and night, he remained beside Isha, silently watching her as she lay motionless on the hospital bed.
Hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin siya nagigising.
Three days had passed, yet there was still no sign that Isha would open her eyes.
Malcolm stared at her beautiful but lifeless face, trying to convince himself that she was only sleeping. That anytime soon, she would wake up and smile at him as if nothing had happened.
But the silence was slowly breaking him.
“Misis ko... please.. wag mo'kong iwan.”
His voice cracked.
Hindi na niya napigilan ang mga luha na kanina pa niya pinipigilan habang hawak-hawak niya ang kamay ni Isha.
“I can't do this without you.”
One tear after another fell onto the back of Isha's hand.
She was his life.
His happiness.
His everything.
And the thought of losing her terrified him more than anything else in this world.
Malcolm had spent almost every waking moment inside the ICU. Lagi niya lamang itong pinagmamasdan, kinakausap, at hawak ang kamay nito—parang sa simpleng paghawak niya rito ay maipaparamdam niya kay Isha na naghihintay siya.
That he was still there.
That he wasn't going anywhere.
And despite the fear consuming him, Malcolm refused to lose hope.
He believed that someday, makikita niya ang mga magaganda at matamis na ngiti ni Isha..
That hope was the only thing keeping him together.
Until exhaustion finally took over.
Still holding Isha's hand, Malcolm slowly lowered his head and fell asleep beside her bed.
He didn't even realize how long he had been asleep when suddenly—
A gentle squeeze.
His fingers moved.
At first, he thought he was dreaming.
But then he felt it again.
A faint, deliberate pressure against his hand.
Malcolm immediately lifted his head.
And the moment his eyes met hers, tears instantly filled his eyes.
She was awake.
“Misis ko...”
A shaky breath escaped his lips, filled with disbelief and overwhelming happiness.
Isha was looking at him.
Alive.
Awake.
There was finally a light in those eyes he had been desperately waiting to see.
Malcolm immediately called for the doctor.
After examining Isha and making sure that she was stable, the medical team eventually transferred her from the ICU to a regular hospital room.
Only then did Malcolm finally feel like he could breathe again.
“Misis ko…” His voice was still weak from the emotions that had overwhelmed him. “I thought you weren't going to wake up. Akala ko iiwan mo na ako.”
Isha gently reached for his hand.
She smiled at him despite her weakness.
“Pwede ba 'yun? Na iiwan kita?” she softly asked. “Hindi kita iiwan, asawa ko.”
Malcolm's eyes immediately became teary again.
“You scared me so much,” he whispered. “Three days, mahal ko.. Three days kang hindi gumigising. There wasn't even a sign that you were going to wake up.”
His voice trembled as he spoke.
The fear was still there, clearly visible in his eyes—the fear that maybe, one day, he would lose her forever.
“I missed you so much.”
He tightened his hold on her hand.
“Please… don't scare me like that again, okay?”
Isha smiled softly.
“Yes, mahal ko... I promise.”
She reached for him and pulled him into a gentle embrace, trying to ease the fear that still lingered inside him.
But while Malcolm was finally holding her again, Isha couldn't help but feel afraid too.
She had been terrified that she might never wake up.
And she hadn't expected to be asleep for three whole days.
Yet there was something else bothering her.
Something she couldn't ignore.
Because she remembered.
Sa hinaharap, eksaktong ganito rin ang nangyari.
She had been the one lying unconscious.
And Malcolm—
Malcolm never woke up.
The difference was that this time, she had taken his place.
Isha slowly pulled away from Malcolm and stared at the ceiling.
Did I really succeed in changing the past?
Wala na bang mangyayaring masama kay Malcolm?
She wanted to believe that she had finally changed their fate.
That by taking Malcolm's place, she had successfully rewritten the future she had once known.
But deep inside, she still wasn't certain.
Her eyes slowly moved toward her wrist.
And there it was.
The time.
Still there.
Still running.
Isha froze.
Her heart began to beat faster as she stared at the numbers displayed on her wrist.
Hindi pa rin ito nawawala.
Hindi rin ito tumitigil.
If she had already changed what was supposed to happen…
Then why was the time still there?
Why could she still see it?
If I changed the past… why is the timer still running?
“Mahal?”
Isha immediately snapped out of her thoughts.
“Ang lalim naman ng iniisip ng misis ko.”
Malcolm smiled as he reached out and handed her a peeled orange.
Isha quickly hid her concern.
“Ahh… wala, asawa ko. Nagugutom lang marahil ako.”
Malcolm raised an eyebrow but didn't question her further.
Instead, he moved closer and sat beside her on the bed, gently running his fingers through her hair.
“I'll prepare something for you, misis ko... But for now, soup muna and soft foods, okay? Hindi pa pwedeng kung ano-ano ang kainin mo.”
Isha simply nodded.
Then she wrapped her arms around Malcolm.
A tight embrace.
For a moment, all the questions disappeared.
The timer.
The future.
The past.
The fear.
Everything became quiet.
For that moment, all Isha wanted was to hold the man she had fought so hard to save.
--------------
After preparing Isha's food, Malcolm returned to the room.
But before he could say anything, the door suddenly opened.
And Carlo walked inside.
The moment Carlo saw Isha, he immediately approached her.
Isha looked at Malcolm.
It was as if she was silently asking for permission.
Malcolm understood.
He gave her a small nod.
Not because he didn't care.
Not because he wasn't jealous.
Deep inside, there was still that sting of irritation whenever he remembered that Carlo loved Isha.
But Malcolm knew one thing.
He trusted Isha.
And he knew that no matter how much Carlo loved her, he could never replace him in Isha's heart.
Even if Carlo was her best friend.
“Bakit ngayon ka lang gumising?” Carlo said as he placed the food and fruits he had brought on the table. “You scared me.”
Isha gave him a weak smile.
“Tss. Napasarap lang ang tulog ko.”
Carlo stared at her for a moment.
“At nagawa niya pa talagang magbiro.”
Isha laughed softly.
Carlo couldn't help but laugh with her.
For a few seconds, the room felt normal again.
Until Carlo's eyes landed on Malcolm.
Malcolm was currently peeling Isha's favorite orange.
“Inaalagaan ka naman ba ng isang 'to?” Carlo asked, his voice carrying a teasing undertone. “Sabihin mo lang kung hindi kasi—”
He didn't get to finish.
“Bakit naman hindi ko aalagaan ang asawa ko?” Malcolm interrupted with a smile. “Misis ko...”
He picked up a slice of orange and gently fed it to Isha.
“I love you, mahal kong misis.”
“Tsss.” iyon na lamang ang nasabi ni carlo..
Isha rolled her eyes playfully.
“Okay, tama na nga 'yan.”
She looked between the two men before finally turning toward Malcolm.
A soft smile appeared on her lips.
“I love you more, mahal kong asawa.”
Malcolm smiled.
He gently took her hand and kissed it.
For Carlo, that simple gesture was enough.
He remained silent.
Tahimik lamang niyang pinagmamasdan ang dalawang taong nasa harapan niya.
The woman he had loved for so long.
And the man she had chosen.
There was pain in his chest.
There was jealousy.
There was a part of him that still wished things could have been different.
But for the first time, Carlo finally understood.
Maybe it didn't matter which timeline he was in.
Maybe it didn't matter how many times the story was rewritten.
Some things were simply meant to remain the same.
He had spent so much time believing that changing the past could change the outcome.
But now, watching Isha look at Malcolm with that kind of love, Carlo realized the truth.
If two people were truly meant to find each other, then no matter how many times fate was challenged, rewritten, or changed—
they would still find their way back to one another.
Just like the story written inside a book…
When two souls were destined to meet and fall in love, no force in the world could truly keep them apart.
Because they belonged to each other.
And perhaps, in every timeline, Carlo's place would remain the same.
He would always be Isha's best friend.
He would always be the person who would protect her.
He would always be there when she needed him.
But that was all it could ever be.
He would forever be Isha's best friend.
Even if time could be changed, some pieces of the story would always remain incomplete when they were meant for someone else.
Carlo lowered his gaze, finally accepting the truth he had been fighting against for so long.
And perhaps, that was the cruelest truth of all.
“Even if we dare to change our fate… it will always find its way back to the same ending.”
CLICK SEARCH FOR CHAPTER 13
Comments
Post a Comment