I heard almost everyone gasp for air, and some whispered in shock. They didn’t recognize me, or maybe I looked familiar, but still — I wasn’t someone special enough to remember.
“You mean your girlfriend?” asked another intrigued reporter.
I straightened up in my seat and stared at Xavier, even though he wasn’t looking at me. If he didn’t tell them the truth, I would.
The whole room fell silent, waiting for Xavier’s response. But he remained quiet and kept his head down. I sighed and leaned forward to reach for the mic set in front of me.
“Good afternoon, everyone. As you all know, I am Veronica Berdin…” My nerves threatened to get the better of me, but nothing could stop me now. I was going to finish this, no matter what came after.
“I came here today because so many members of the media and reporters have been hunting me down — because of Xavier’s announcement about me last week,” I turned to look at Xavier, who still had his head down.
No one spoke. Everyone just listened — even Samantha, who, despite looking annoyed, couldn’t move from her seat.
“Yes, I’m Xavier’s girlfriend.” I paused and looked at my first love again. His shock was evident on his face. And for a moment, I felt sad. I used to love him so much. I admired him and longed for his love for so many years — and now… we’re here. In this situation. It’s heartbreaking that we reached a point where we’ve both been lying to each other. I used to believe he’d love me, and he’s been convincing himself that his career depends on us being together. It’s sad that we can’t even salvage the friendship because we’ve both hurt each other too much.
“But that was before… when his first love wasn’t around.”
The room erupted with noise from reporters and writers. Xavier’s bandmates, however, didn’t seem surprised — which made me think they might’ve known my plan ahead of time. Samantha, on the other hand, looked completely stunned.
“Do you mean his first love came back? Then why did he claim you as his girlfriend?” one writer asked.
“I don’t wish to answer your questions. I only came here to let everyone know that I am no longer Xavier’s girlfriend. We’ve already broken up. But I’m not mad at him. We’re okay — I mean… I can’t say we’re still friends, but I don’t hate him for loving his first love. They love each other, and I was just an intruder,” I explained.
“Why didn’t you fight for him? According to our source, you’ve been together for four years. Didn’t you think maybe you’re the one he loves now? Four years is a long time — why didn’t you fight for him?” asked the youngest reporter.
I smiled at her, though I was sure it was a sad smile. After two days of numbing myself, all the emotions I’d pushed aside suddenly came flooding back.
“You think I didn’t?” I asked. She gave me a genuine, encouraging smile, so I continued.
“He knows how much I tried to fight for him. But I can’t keep fighting for someone who’s waiting for someone else. I can’t fight for him if I’m not the one he wants to fight for.”
I became emotional and bowed my head. I could feel all eyes on me, but I wasn’t crying because I still loved him. I was sad because it had come to this.
“Xavier is my first love — but I’m not his. I admire him for taking care of me and respecting me throughout our time together. I loved him so much, I forgot to love myself. I’m not saying this to gain anyone’s sympathy — I just want to say that my love for him wasn’t shallow, and I’ll carry that love quietly in my heart for the rest of my life. I know this is long overdue, but I still want to set things right. I don’t deserve him, and he doesn’t deserve me — because we both deserve someone who’ll love us fully, without doubt, without waiting for someone else. I came here to tell everyone that I’m no longer his girl. That he belongs to someone else now — someone he truly loves. I’m not part of his life anymore, so please give me peace. I don’t want to be part of this industry. I just want my simple life back. So stop hunting me down, stop invading my privacy, because there’s nothing special about me. I’m sure by now you’ve learned about my background — nothing special, right? So please… please stop coming to my apartment, my workplace, or my best friend’s place. I just want a normal life, far from this world you live in.”
I turned to Xavier, whose eyes were now red. Samantha was crying too. Still, no one spoke, so I smiled.
“I don’t want to intrude anymore. I want to start my life on my own with the few people I truly deserve. So I hope you’ll all respect that. I fully support Xavier. His happiness still brings me joy too. He’s been my strength for so long, and now I want to return that strength by standing here today — by telling you that he is an amazing person. Please continue to support him. Thank you so much, everyone.”
After saying those words, I stood up. Tito Felipe’s bodyguards immediately assisted me.
I felt lighter — like a thorn had been pulled from my chest because I finally said everything I needed to. The sadness between us lessened, though other sorrows remained.
The event organizer came up to me and thanked me.
“Thank you so much for trusting us, Miss Berdin.”
I smiled and nodded.
“No — thank you for letting me do this. And thank you for making sure I was safe up there. I appreciate it.”
“It’s our pleasure, Miss.”
I shook her hand and bid goodbye.
Tito Felipe’s men surrounded me, keeping others from getting near. No one else tried to question me. We headed straight to the car and left. The trip didn’t take long.
When I got home, they left immediately too — just like I wanted, even though Tito Felipe insisted it would be better if they stayed.
I entered and saw Gail waiting for me. I took a deep breath before walking over to her. She immediately pulled me into a tight hug and burst into tears.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were going there, Vy?!” she said between sobs.
I made her sit down beside me. Smiling, I said,
“You wouldn’t have let me go if I told you.”
“Why’d you still go? You knew I wouldn’t approve! What if something bad happened? And those bodyguards — where’d you even get them?” she continued, still crying.
“From Tito Felipe. I called him the night we got home. After I called Xavier to tell him I’d be joining the interview, I called his father. I asked if I could request a favor, and he agreed. I told him my whole plan. I was going to attend the interview and tell the truth. I needed protection, so he gave me the bodyguards. I knew I could ask for your help once we got there, but since I didn’t want you to find out, it was better to ask him instead,” I explained.
She calmed down and just quietly watched me. I smiled. She worried too much about me.
“I’m proud of you, Vy. You’re so brave and strong.”
That made me smile even more. I knew if there was one person who’d always be proud of me, it was her.
She decided to sleep over that night. I cooked, and we had dinner together. I was still sad, but it was a sadness I could live with. I preferred this quiet sadness over chaos.