THE WAR OF THE MEMORIES
The bowl of porridge sat on the table like a trophy of Sofia's victory. Fay couldn't look at it anymore. Every time she smelled the ginger and scallions, she saw the image of Kei sleeping on Sofia's lap. She felt like a guest in her own life, a "temporary" replacement for the woman who had held Kei for the last decade.
"If she wants to play the 'History' game,"
Fay whispered, her jaw tightening as she grabbed her phone,
"then let's play."
Kei was still staring at the note, her thumb tracing the edge of the paper. She looked conflicted, trapped between the loyalty she owed her "Master" and the love she still held for the woman in front of her.
She didn't notice Fay scrolling through an old, encrypted cloud folder one Fay hadn't opened in years because the pain was too much.
Until now.
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Fay found it. The photo was ten years ago, slightly grainy but bursting with color and life.
It was from the high school foundation day. In the photo, a seventeen-year-old Kei was wearing a tuxedo that was a little too big for her, and Fay was wearing a white sundress with a lace veil pinned into her hair. They were standing under a tacky arch made of pink balloons and plastic flowers, The Marriage Booth.
Kei was looking at Fay in the photo not at the camera, not at the "pastor," but at Fay. It was a look of pure, terrifyingly honest devotion. Kei's hand was gripping Fay's firmly and they both wore matching plastic "rings" that cost ten pesos.
Fay didn't stop there. She posted a carousel of photos:
1. The Marriage Booth: The "official" wedding.
2. The Library: Kei asleep on a pile of textbooks while Fay braided her hair.
3. The Rainfall: Both of them soaking wet under a single yellow umbrella, laughing so hard their eyes were closed.
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Fay didn't use a long, dramatic speech. She remembered how Sofia had posted with no caption at all. Fay decided to be more direct.
Caption:"Some 'marriage' vows aren't made of paper. They're made of promises that date back to before the world knew our names. #TheOriginal #HighSchoolSweethearts #BeachBridge"
She hit Post.
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If Sofia's post was a grenade, Fay's post was a nuclear strike. Within five minutes, the internet was in a state of absolute chaos. The "shipping war" turned into a full-scale digital battle.
#TeamSofia was screaming: "That was 10 years ago! People change! Sofia was there when it mattered!"
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#TeamFay was screaming back: "Look at Kei's eyes in that marriage booth! You can't fake that. Fay is the soulmate, Sofia is just the rebound!"
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The public was split. One side argued for the "Loyalty and friendship" of Sofia, while the other argued for the "First Love and Destiny" of Fay. The phrase "The War has Sailed" started trending as fans began making "battle edits" of the two women fighting for Kei's heart.
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Inside the villa, the notification chimed on Kei's phone. She picked it up, her eyes widening as she saw the photo of their plastic wedding rings.
"Fay…"
Kei's voice was barely a whisper.
"Why would you post this? This was… this was private."
"Why?"
Fay challenged, walking right up to Kei, her eyes flashing with a mix of jealousy and triumph.
"Because Sofia wants the world to think she's the only one who knows the 'real' you. She wants to be the Real But she wasn't there when we 'married' under a balloon arch, Kei. She wasn't there when we promised to never leave."
Fay pointed at the porridge.
"She can have the last fifteen years, Kei. But I had you first. And if we're selling a romance to save this hospital, I'm going to make sure they know who the lead actress is."
Kei looked at the photo on the screen, then at the bowl of porridge and finally at the furious, beautiful woman standing in front of her. For the first time, Kei felt the true weight of being caught between two different lives.
"You're jealous," Kei murmured, a small, stunned realization dawning on her.
"I'm not"" Fay corrected, her voice trembling. "I'm just playing the lead actress"
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Outside, the sun continued to shine, but the battle lines had been drawn. The fake vacation was over; the real war for Kei Luz had just begun.