The atmosphere inside the jeepney was heavy with silence, the weight of the recent revelations and emotions filling the air. Jolie's departure had left a trail of awkwardness behind, and Cedric was left to grapple with the consequences of his actions.

"Oh, God, what am I going to do?" Cedric whispered, his voice laced with regret.

As Albert noticed Jolie's tear-stained face, he couldn't help but feel a tinge of satisfaction at seeing Cedric face the consequences of his past mistakes.

"You deserved that," Albert muttered to himself, his disapproval evident.

Determined to make amends, Cedric resolved to follow Jolie. However, Aviana intervened, trying to prevent him from potentially worsening the situation.

"No, you will only make things worse," Aviana cautioned, her voice gentle but firm.

Cedric's frustration flared, and he turned his anger towards Aviana.

"You made things worse," he retorted bitterly, the hurt in his words evident.

Aviana's heart sank at Cedric's accusation, her own pain evident in her eyes.

Cedric's anger continued to escalate, and he lashed out at Aviana, his words cutting deep.

"If you didn't show up, maybe..." Cedric's voice trailed off, the implication hanging in the air.

Albert, unable to stand by silently, interjected, attempting to defuse the escalating confrontation.

"Dude, you're going too far," Albert chided Cedric, his voice firm.

But Cedric wasn't willing to back down, his anger now directed at Albert.

"Shut up, this isn't your problem," Cedric snapped, his frustration reaching its breaking point.

Albert refused to be silenced, defending his friend who had been hurt by Cedric's actions.

"This isn't my problem?" Albert replied, his voice tinged with a mix of anger and disappointment. "You made my friend cry."

Cedric's rage continued to burn, and he issued a threatening warning to Albert.

"Shut up, or I'm going to hit you," Cedric threatened, his voice filled with hostility.

Unfazed, Albert stood his ground, refusing to be intimidated.

"Are you sure you're ready for that?" Albert countered, a steely resolve in his eyes.

Just as the tension seemed ready to erupt into physical confrontation, Keanu intervened, his voice cutting through the mounting chaos.

"Will you guys please stop it?" Keanu pleaded, his voice tinged with frustration. "Can't you just shut up?"

The friends were startled by Keanu's outburst, realizing that their anger and hurt were spiraling out of control. The tension in the air began to subside, replaced by a sense of weariness and a realization that they needed to find a way to heal the wounds and repair the fractured bonds within their group.

The group of friends dispersed, each one lost in their thoughts as they left the jeepney one by one. As Albert walked home, he felt the weight of the day's events weighing on him. Concerned for Aviana, he decided to call her to check on how she was doing.

"Hey," Albert greeted her on the phone.

"Hey," Aviana replied, her voice weary.

"Are you okay?" Albert asked, his concern evident.

"I don't know," Aviana admitted, her emotions still raw. "He was right, and..."

"It's not your fault," Albert interrupted firmly. "He was the one who snapped."

Aviana sighed, grateful for Albert's reassurance. "Thanks, doofus," she said, a hint of humor returning to her voice.

Changing the topic, Albert shared his plans for the next steps of their scheme.

"Well, anyway, the plan is working. I'm heading to Jolie later to see how she's handling it. You should talk to Cedric," Albert suggested.

Aviana hesitated, unsure about confronting Cedric directly. "I don't think that's a good idea," she said.

Albert encouraged her, seeing an opportunity to bring resolution to their complicated situation.

"Hey, we can end this in one fell swoop with the current situation. Think about it," Albert proposed.

Aviana pondered his words, recognizing that Albert might be right.

"I'll think about it," she replied, willing to consider the possibility.

Albert smiled, sensing progress in their plan. "Alright, just think about it, okay? I'll head to Jolie's place as soon as I get home."

Aviana agreed. "Okay."

Albert hung up the call, leaving Aviana feeling overwhelmed by her predicament.

"Oh, God, what am I going to do?" Aviana whispered to herself, her mind racing with conflicting emotions.

Meanwhile, Albert arrived at Jolie's place, ready to offer his support. As he approached the front door, his confidence wavered, realizing he hadn't planned what to say.

"Wait, what am I going to say?" Albert muttered, feeling flustered.

He chided himself for not preparing beforehand. "Man, I don't know what to say. I can't believe I walked a kilometer without thinking of what to say."

Albert recognized the gravity of the situation, acknowledging the risks involved in his plan.

"I need to think carefully about what I should say. If I'm going to end it in one blow, there's also a huge risk. One mistake, and I'm done," Albert contemplated.

Summoning courage, he tried to encourage himself. "Ok, ok, you got this. You are Albert, Jolie's future husband. Not Cedric, but you. Ok, I got this because I am Jolie's future hus-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Jolie swung the door open, startling both of them, and they screamed in surprise.

"AAAGGHHHH!!!!" they exclaimed in unison.

"What the hell, man?" Jolie demanded, clearly caught off guard.

"I'm so sorry about that," Albert stammered, trying to regain his composure.

Jolie was curious, noticing that Albert seemed to be talking to someone before she opened the door.

"I heard someone talking at the door, and when I came to find out, it was you. Who are you talking to?" she inquired.

"No one, I wasn't even talking earlier," Albert replied, his heart still racing from the shock.

Curiosity satisfied, Jolie asked, "Ok, what are you doing here, anyway?"

Albert decided to be honest and straightforward.

"I came by to see how you are doing," he said sincerely.

Jolie, not wanting to burden others with her emotions, tried to dismiss his concern.

"Thanks, but I'm fine. You don't need to comfort me or anything," she said, trying to maintain her composure.

But Albert knew her well enough to see through her façade.

"Are you sure? Because I noticed you crying earlier," Albert gently prodded, concern etched on his face.

Jolie hesitated but eventually relented. "No, I'm not," she admitted, feeling vulnerable.

Albert's eyes softened as he spoke from the heart. "Jolie, we've been friends since childhood. I know when you cry, I know when you're hungry, I know when you're laughing, I know when you're in love with things."

Realizing that his words sounded awkwardly intense, Albert attempted to lighten the mood. "Okay, that doesn't sound creepy in my head earlier," he joked.

Jolie couldn't help but chuckle. "Yeah, it does sound kind of creepy," she teased.

The honesty and affection in Albert's words touched Jolie deeply, reminding her of the strong bond they shared.

"Jolie, the point is, I know that you're sad. And as your friend, I wanted to be there for you. We are best friends, remember?" Albert said earnestly.

Moved by his sincerity, Jolie invited him inside. "Thanks. Come inside."

As they entered the house, they were warmly greeted by Jolie's mother, Ms. Celestial.

"Hey, it's Albert! How are you?" she asked, offering him the traditional Filipino gesture of respect, "Pagmamano."

"Mano po, I'm fine, thanks," Albert replied, returning the gesture.

Ms. Celestial smiled affectionately at Albert. "Kaawaan ka ng Diyos, Albert. You are looking fine," she said, expressing her well wishes to him.

"Aww, thanks. So are you," Albert replied, grateful for her kind words.

Ms. Celestial playfully prodded Jolie about her love life. "Are you the one Jolie is talking about lately? Are you her boyfriend?"

Jolie blushed, embarrassed by her mother's teasing. "Nay, it's embarrassing," she protested.

Albert's heart sank as he silently wished he should be the one Jolie was talking about.

Albert spoke softly so only he could hear himself. "I wish I was."

"No, Ms. Celestial, I'm just a friend," Albert replied, trying not to show the longing in his eyes.

Ms. Celestial, amused by the situation, teased Albert further. "Aww, I thought you would be the one, if I didn't consider that one handsome friend of yours, Keanu."

Albert couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Well, he's a bit of a D-" he began, but Jolie interrupted.

"Nay, shut up for a second. Okay, I don't want to talk about that now. Come on, Albert," Jolie interjected, leading him to her room.

Ms. Celestial couldn't resist adding a final playful remark, "Don't do anything naughty there."

Both Albert and Jolie exclaimed in unison, "STOP IT!"

With the door shut, Jolie and Albert finally had some privacy to talk openly. Albert's concern for his best friend was evident as he sat beside her, ready to listen and offer support.

"Can you be honest with me, are you okay?" Albert asked gently, his eyes filled with empathy.

Jolie's vulnerability showed as she admitted, "I don't know. It's the first time I got a boyfriend, and I don't know what to do."

Chuckling softly, Albert acknowledged his own lack of experience in romantic relationships. "And the person you're trying to ask is a person who didn't even have experience with girlfriends," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

Jolie smiled, grateful for his candidness. "Lol, I guess you're right."

Albert reassured her, "Hey, I'm here. You can tell me."

Worried about burdening him with her problems, Jolie hesitated. "But I don't want you to feel sorry for me."

Albert invoked the wisdom of an acquaintance, urging her to share her feelings. "You know, an acquaintance of mine used to say, 'Hey doofus, let it out.'"

Jolie finally relented, recognizing the comfort in confiding in her best friend. "Are you sure?"

"Hey, we are best friends, remember?" Albert reminded her with a warm smile.

With that assurance, Jolie opened up about her struggles. "Okay, it hurts. It all hurts. I mean, I just found out that my new friend, Aviana, is my boyfriend's ex."

Albert listened attentively as she continued, "And they lied to me. Cedric lied to me. We said no lies, he promised no lies."

As Jolie poured out her feelings, Albert felt a sense of satisfaction with the way things were unfolding. Little did anyone, including himself, know that Albert was starting to change, taking on a different character. The dynamics within their group of friends were shifting, and Albert's actions were leading them all into uncharted territory.

To be continued...