I'm out here on the balcony of our condo, sitting on the rocking chair and watching the city lights flicker.

I pulled my phone from my hoodie and tried calling him for the fifth time.

As expected, he didn't answer, just like the first four times. So I called again, and this time, he finally picked up.

"What?!" His harsh tone made my heart ache instantly.

"A-are you coming home, mahal?" I stammered, even biting my lower lip.

I heard him sigh. "I have something I need to figure out with my business, Clyde. I don't know when I'll be home…" He just started and then hung up immediately.

I let out a weak laugh, pushing off with my right foot to rock the chair.

I didn't know whether to laugh at this man's lies or just cry.

He's been seeing other women. His assistant told me, but I'm not sure if it's true.

I don't want to believe rumors; maybe someone's just trying to badmouth him.

But his behavior, and his utterly indescribable reasons… It makes me want to believe it.

He hasn't been home for a week. I don't know if he even thinks about me anymore. Because, actually, it's our ninth wedding anniversary today, and for the second time, he forgot again. It's already over.

I let it slide last year because… he made it up to me then.

He just sent me a cake, and if I hadn't said anything, he probably wouldn't have remembered. We weren't even together then because he was in Korea.

I put my phone back in my hoodie and stared blankly at the lights, almost twinkling in the sunrise.

I slowly rocked the chair, holding back the tears that were desperate to fall.

Oh, fuck, I'm going to cry… Again?

I thought I was strong enough to keep our relationship going, but… I feel like I just want to get away.

The pain in my heart is still the same as last year. Does he still think about me? Or our relationship? Or am I just being dramatic, like he said?

Every year that goes by, as we reach thirty, everything changes. Our future plans, our promises, our… wedding vows… The way he used to talk to me gently, his clingy side, the way he'd give me sweet kisses…

But why did everything turn into the opposite?

I wiped my tears with the back of my hand. I missed the old him, the Aldrich who always thought about me, cared about me, and paid attention to me. Aldrich, who always told me that he loved me…

But those thoughts just made me cry even more.

I leaned my head back on the rocking chair and slowly closed my eyes.

As soon as I closed them, I remembered our happy memories on the Marikina river bank. We were in college at that time; it was our first anniversary, and that's where we hung out.