CHAPTER 18: ROOTS AND WINGS
July–August 2001 – Manila
The night of the National Arts Festival Awards was humid, the Manila air clinging to gowns and tuxedos like unseen hands. Flashbulbs erupted in blinding bursts along the red carpet, a river of stars moving slowly under spotlights.
Bella Santiago-Rivera emerged from their black SUV in a soft ivory dress, her long hair pulled into a classic bun, small pearls glinting at her ears. Enzo followed closely in a sleek black barong, holding her hand tightly as the crowd erupted in cheers.
It should have been perfect.
And for a while, it was.
Bella's album Pintig won Best Original Composition, her voice hailed as the rebirth of OPM's golden era. Enzo's indie film Pagitan took Best Actor and Best Screenplay, and their duet "Bawat Hakbang" was honored with a standing ovation.
But when they returned to their table, Bella saw her.
Cassandra Ynares.
Tall. Glowing. Enzo's new co-star in Sugat, an upcoming romantic drama about forbidden love in post-war Philippines.
She stood beside their table longer than necessary, her voice sugar-smooth. "Congratulations, Enzo. You were... incredible."
Enzo rose, polite but distant. "Thank you, Cass."
Bella offered a cordial smile. Cass returned one just a bit too long.
Then she turned and walked away, hips swaying like she was still on camera.
The Whispering Begins
Within days, headlines crept into every entertainment column:
"On-Screen Sparks Between Enzo and Cassandra—Is It More Than a Role?"
"Bella's Absence from Sugat Raises Eyebrows: Trouble in Paradise?"
"From Sweethearts to Solo Stars: Are Enzo and Bella Growing Apart?"
Bella read the articles in silence, seated at the kitchen table while Amara played with building blocks on the floor.
Enzo walked in carrying takeout and kissed her head absentmindedly. "Your favorite—beef tapa from that Ilocos place."
She nodded without smiling.
"You okay?" he asked, setting down the food.
She slid the tabloid across the table. "Why does she keep touching your arm in every interview?"
Enzo blinked. "Who—Cass?"
"You know who."
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "Bella, it's just promo. She's trying to sell the film."
Bella's voice sharpened. "So she needs to sell it with her hands all over you?"
"She's just—"
"A flirt," Bella snapped, her voice trembling. "She's a flirt. And you're letting her."
Enzo's expression hardened. "You think I'd cheat on you?"
She didn't answer immediately. Her silence hurt more than words.
Widening Distance
In the weeks that followed, their house felt colder, despite the warmth of Amara's laughter and the glow of Bella's new music video playing on TV.
Enzo's filming schedule grew heavier. Early mornings. Late nights. Cass was in every scene.
Bella's album tour continued, but her eyes no longer sparkled like before. She smiled for fans, laughed for cameras, but when she came home, she sat in the nursery in silence, watching Amara sleep, wondering how they'd arrived here.
They fought in hushed voices now.
"Did you tell her you're married? That you have a daughter?"
"I don't need to remind her. Everyone knows."
"Maybe not the way she looks at you."
One night, Bella found a fan photo online: Enzo and Cass laughing together, shoulders touching, walking to set. It wasn't scandalous. It wasn't intimate. But it felt like betrayal.
That night, she didn't sleep beside him.
A Talk With Her Father
One rainy afternoon, Bella drove to her parents' home in Taguig. She left Amara with her mom and sat in the garden with her father, Vicente Santiago, who was sipping tea and staring at the rain.
"I think I'm losing him," she said, her voice small.
Vicente looked at her quietly. "You think he's fallen out of love with you?"
"I think… he doesn't need me like before. He has the spotlight again. He has her."
Vicente took a long sip before answering. "When your mother and I were your age, she got offered a role in Paris. A huge one. She almost didn't come home."
Bella's eyes widened.
"She told me later she felt like she was finally free—not from me, but from expectation. And I felt abandoned. Hurt. Angry."
"What did you do?"
"I wrote her a letter every single day. I reminded her of our roots. And when she came back, we planted new ones."
Bella's eyes welled up.
"Don't fight him with jealousy, anak. Fight for him with truth."
The Turning Point
The breaking point came during the Sugat premiere.
Bella didn't attend. She stayed home with Amara, who had caught a mild fever. Enzo kissed their daughter's forehead, promised to return by midnight.
But the red carpet pictures told a different story.
Cass wore a backless red gown. She held Enzo's arm like she belonged there.
At 12:45 AM, Enzo returned home. Bella was waiting by the nursery door, arms crossed.
"You said midnight."
"I got caught up—"
"Did you enjoy it?"
"What?"
"Pretending you're not married. That you don't have a family."
Enzo's face flushed. "I didn't pretend anything."
Bella's voice cracked. "You let her hold you. Smile like that. Like we never existed."
Silence stretched between them.
Enzo finally said, quietly, "I didn't ask for this attention. But I also didn't stop it."
Bella looked away.
"I miss us," he whispered. "I miss you. But I don't know how to fix this when you've already decided I'm guilty."
"I don't want to lose you," she said, tears slipping down her cheeks. "But I also don't want to feel invisible in your life."
The Letter
The next day, Enzo left early. No note. No call.
But that night, Bella found an envelope on her pillow.
Inside was a handwritten letter.
My Love,
I don't know how to undo what's broken, but I need you to know—there's never been anyone but you. Not in my heart. Not in my soul. Yes, I let her stand close. I let the press believe in sparks that don't exist. And for that, I am deeply sorry.
But when the cameras cut and the lights go dark, it's your name I say into the silence. It's your voice I hear in the quiet.
I miss our long talks at night, our lazy mornings. I miss hearing Amara laugh when we make pancakes that burn. I miss the peace I only feel when I'm next to you.
I don't want to be in movies that make people cry if it means making you cry for real.
*So if you'll let me—if you'll still believe in me—I'll come home. Not just to our house. But to us.
Always,
Enzo
A Difficult Conversation
She found him outside the next evening, in the garden with Amara on his lap, pointing at the stars.
"I got your letter," she said softly.
Enzo stood, nervous.
"Is it too late?" he asked.
Bella didn't answer immediately. She looked at their daughter, who was holding her father's finger like it was her anchor to the world.
Then she met his eyes.
"I believe you," she whispered. "But you have to show me. Every day."
"I will," he said, eyes brimming. "Starting now."