@SeverinaAugustine 14 October 2025 more from that month

How Are THEY Doing Now?

It's Friday afternoon, exactly 5:00 p.m. I took the stairs down from the 6th floor because everyone clocks out at the same time, and when you press the down button, you end up awkwardly standing in front of a slowly opening, crowded elevator full of people whose faces say, 'What now? You're not going to fit in.' I walked out of the building to head home. Luckily, I bought a condo unit just a few blocks away from my workplace, so I was home by 5:07 p.m. Pretty nearby. I waved hello to the condo receptionist and took the elevator up to the 7th floor. As I walked down the hallway after getting off the elevator, I suddenly thought of someone. Someone *I once loved*. The guy I was with for 10 years of my life. It's been two years since we broke up, and during those two years, I have no idea what kind of life he has now. I turned my key in the door and went inside. I turned on the lights, revealing my very cozy unit. Oh, I love this place. I sat on the sofa to rest, took out my phone, and saw my friend calling. It had been a while since we last talked or saw each other because she loves to travel so much with her husband and kid. I gently pressed the green button on the screen and was startled by the voice on the other end of the line saying, "HUUUYYY!" It was clear she had some gossip to share. "Is that really what you're going to say to someone you haven't talked to in months?" I said sarcastically. "I'm sorryyy, I'm just excited to tell you this gossip," she replied. "So, what is it?" I asked, as if I'm not interested. "It's about your ex. After a year of having different girlfriends, he proposed to this last girl. But she turned him down and left him kneeling on one knee," she said enthusiastically. "What? Why? Why did she do that?" I was shocked by the news. "The girlfriend said she’s not ready to get married or start a family yet. She even broke up with your ex because he’s irresponsible in many ways. She revealed that he cheated countless times and that she can’t see any bright future with him. She even won the sympathy of your ex’s mom and sisters. They really despise him," she explained. "Oh, too bad for him. But we both know he deserves it," I replied. "Yeah. For the record, you’re the best wife he never had," she teased. "Right? Hahaha!" "Alright, I have to go. My kid is crawling like a dragon asking for human flesh. Hahaha!" she joked. "Okay, hang out soon." The call ended. I stared blankly, unsure of what to feel. I felt happy. I know it's wrong to feel this way, but it’s the truth. After all these years of misery because of what he did to me, it’s finally his turn to taste his own poison. To chug it until the last drop. I stood up with a smile on my face. I had to celebrate. I had to date myself. I undressed and went to the bathroom, tied my hair into a bun, and stepped into the shower. After 30 minutes of foaming my body while dancing to Taylor’s *Opalite*, I dried off, put on my bathrobe, and curled my hair. Then I went to my bedroom, sat in front of my vanity, and applied some light makeup. I opened my closet to pick an outfit. I chose a black tank top underneath a cream and brown Uniqlo short jacket, paired with straight-cut washed denim jeans. Then I went to my shoes and grabbed my ultimate favorite—white Adidas Sambas with green accents. (Did I just use an em dash? I might get accused of using AI. Lol.) I grabbed my keys and my bag, turned off the lights and AC, and locked the door before heading out. I pressed the B1 button in the elevator to get to my car. I rarely use it since I work nearby. I usually drive only when I'm going home to the province, going out for a night drive, hanging out with friends, or when I get hungry at midnight. It's a cute car, it's BYD in pastel pink in color. I'm not really a pink girly but it's cute and easy to drive. I drove north. I don't know what got into me, but I felt like I took Felix Felicis—a liquid luck potion from Harry Potter. It's Friday, so maybe I’ll meet up with my cousins who are renting a dorm inside their university. I called them, and they told me they wouldn’t be done with classes until 9 p.m. I said okay and decided to wait at SM North since it's the closest mall to their university, and it has parking space. I parked at the mall and got out of the car when I noticed a familiar one. It was a car I had ridden in before. The plate number stood out too, because that's where the car’s nickname came from. I felt a little nervous. I might run into the guy I got involved with after my long-term relationship. *The guy I met in the city*. But then again, the mall is huge. What are the chances I’d actually see him? I took off my jacket and carried it instead, since it was surprisingly hot inside. Suddenly, memories came rushing back. I remembered where we used to walk, where we had coffee, where we sat while waiting for the number coding to lift so he could drive. It made me smile a little, but then I also remembered the things he did wrong during those times we were together, and that made me roll my eyes. He's here. In the same place as I am. The thought of it makes me want to drive away from this mall, but I'm not going to shrink my world just because he's around, right? I kept walking and decided to get a coffee on the top floor. I ordered an Iced Caramel Macchiato and sat in a slightly dim corner, facing the side of the claiming counter, because I hate spotlights. They make my eyes red, like they're burning. "Vy, Iced Caramel Macchiato for Vy!" the barista called. I glanced over to see who would pick up the order. It was him. Of all places? I froze. I wanted to get out of the coffee shop and cancel my order. But... "K, Iced Caramel Macchiato for K!" I decided to grab my drink and sit facing the wall instead, hoping he hadn’t seen me. Then suddenly, someone approached from behind. "May I sit with you?" said a familiar voice. I lifted my head and saw a face I knew by heart. A face I could recognize with my eyes closed, because I had traced every part of it before. I didn’t say a word. I just looked at the chair in front of me, then looked back at him with a blank expression. Then he sat in front of me. "How are you? It's been a while," he asked, smiling. "I'm all good. You? Are you still in *Quest*?" I asked, as if I didn’t already know he’d resigned. "Oh, I'm no longer with them. I filed my resignation," he said, pressing his lips together. "So, where are you working now?" "Actually, I'm taking a break from work for a year. The last company fried my brain. I burned out," he laughed. "Enough about me. How about you? Still in the lab?" "You would know if you hadn't unfollowed and unfriended me on social media," I smirked. The room went quiet. His smile faded. "I'm sorry. I had to tell my girlfriend about you. She knows everything I did—everything we did. And she asked me to cut ties with you so we could start fresh. No secrets," he explained. "So, what are you doing at my table? Is this another secret you won’t tell your girlfriend?" "We broke up. I don’t know if it’s just a cool off. I saw you earlier walking, but I didn’t have the courage to approach you, so I came here. Then I saw you here too, and I finally gathered the courage to come over. I just wanted to apologize in person for what I did, for hurting you. You’re right. I’m responsible for everything, and you have every right to be mad at me. I’m not going to justify what I did, and I’ll understand if you can’t forgive me. I just needed to get this off my chest and say sorry." he said. "But why did you do it? Why did you break me? I know we’re not meant to be. I’m aware of that. I know my place and my worth. But you dragged me down and left me in the gutter. Do you even know how that feels? I guess not. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have done it so easily. If you want to be friends with me again, you’ll have to earn it. It’s not something I give casually," I said, keeping a straight face. I grabbed my things and stood up. Of course, I also took my drink. I paid for it and stormed out of the coffee shop. That gremlin. Ugh. It was cozy in that corner of the shop—perfect for waiting for my cousins—but I gave it up. I ended up sitting on a bench I stumbled upon, sipping my drink and thinking about everything that just happened. Cringy, right? The ringing of my phone pulled me back to reality. I saw my cousin’s number flashing on the screen. I answered, and she told me they were done with their classes. I told her to get a gate pass so they’d be allowed to leave the dorm. I said I’d pick them up and bring them to my condo for the weekend, and that I’d be there in a bit. I walked to the parking lot and looked for my car. I saw the gremlin again, approaching his own car, but I pretended not to see him and walked straight to mine. I could feel his stare in my peripheral vision, but I didn’t care. I just drove away from that parking lot—away from him. I must have lost my mind while driving, because before I knew it, I had already arrived outside the university dorms. I saw my cousins with their bags, waving at me. They got in the car, and we caught up while driving, looking for a restaurant to have dinner. Finally, we were home. I gave them silk PJs to wear, and we took turns showering. We slumped on the sofa in front of the TV, eating chips while binge-watching horror movies. When it got late and the kids were getting sleepy, they decided to sleep on the L-shaped sofa. They both fit, so they asked if they could just sleep there since the AC was colder than in my room. The sleep fairy with her sparkly sleepy dust hadn’t visited me yet. I was wide awake. I couldn’t believe what had happened today. It felt like everything I experienced today was a kind of closure; a closure to everything that had hurt me in the past. Now, I can finally live peacefully. Without the extreme anger. Without cursing those people in my mind every day. It feels like they finally got what they truly deserved. I checked my Instagram, as usual, while lying in bed. I saw a follow request. It was from the gremlin. *Haha!* He's ridiculous. Should I accept it now? Nah. Maybe in the morning if I’m in the mood for that. He’s no longer hot to me. I’m content now. I know where they are, and I know they’ll rot wherever they are.