Sacrifice

She left the sealed envelope on the kitchen countertop and stopped short at the door with a heavy heart. She was reluctant to bid her sanctuary, the sanctuary that held so much memories for her and for him a silent adieu but she had to face it. He could no longer be hers; he was with her friend and they kept it a secret from her, which annoyed her. She hated liars and she didn't want to destroy their love just to teach them both a lesson in telling the truth.
    No, she sighed deeply, it's better than one hurt soul rather than three hurt souls. And left with her luggage, not knowing when her next return would be.
    He was not in his usual cheery mood when he had returned home. In fact, he was tired but he was as clear-minded as he had ever been. Although ending it with Mika took courage, it was worth it. Eight months of forced pretense had left him wearied to his core. He went to the kitchen to grab his can of Heineken when he noticed that colored envelope peeking out of its hiding spot and set the can aside while he read the letter.
    His heart skipped a beat when he read the contents and abandoned his beer and he immediately turned tail, worry written all over his face.
    She was three hours too early and hung around the departure area to kill the waiting time, watching as people sent their friends or family members off on their flights with goodbyes and silent prayers. It was still not too late for her to change her mind but the thought of broken hearts shook her awake.

    She didn't want to see him having to choose.
    She didn't want Mika to curse at her, at them for the rest of their lives.

Maybe it was just her imagination that she interpreted his chivalry as love, but one thing's for real. She had already fallen in love with him from day one, way before Mika entered the picture. I will surrender my deck of cards, she murmured, as I'm not playing anymore. Enough hurt sustained.

His heart raced a million times faster as he sped on the expressway narrowly avoiding the cars in front of him, hoping that he would be fast enough to catch her before she boarded the plane, before she permanently left his life.
    He sighed, recollected the contents in the letter. In it, she had wrote that she was extremely sorry for such a drastic move but she could no longer face her feelings about him and Mika. It was torturing for her. She kept it short; he was the one whom she had loved and since he was settled with Mika, she would merely surrender to fate and wish them all the best and kill all forms of communication with them.
    He knew how mean she could be. When she wanted out, she would avoid everyone until her mind was at its peaceful state again.
    Oh, dear, he whispered, you have it all wrong. You are the one that I've loved the most. We understood each other's minds fully and shared that special chemistry. I'm sorry to have kept Mika's relationship with I a secret but I've a reason, a reason that matter no more. Please, if only I could see you one last time.....