Chapter 20: Chapter 20

Peppermint couldn’t sleep the whole night. She keeps rolling herself across her bed while thinking about the incident from earlier. She was specifically focused on what Vincent said about Brenan.

It was already two o’ clock in the morning when she finally decided to lay on her bead. She opened the lights on her room and reached for her phone from underneath her pillow. She stared at the screen, checking if someone left her a text message. She decided to yank herself out of her bed and headed to her balcony. She left her sliding glass door open so she can let the wind come inside her room.

As she touched the railings on her balcony, she let the wind blew through her face. Cold breeze was sweeping her from her feet. She suddenly remembered Kael whenever the wind touched her skin.

She remembered how Kael would hug her and console her despite she was the one at fault for their arguments. Never would have she thought of him being a nuisance. Tears rolled down her eyes. She couldn’t help but miss him so much. She hugged herself, from their first date to the things that they’ve down together for the first time. She went down to sit on the bench. She purposely added a bench and a swing on her balcony so that whenever she wanted to ease herself away from her problems, she’d be able to do so.

Then to her pacified sense, she suddenly remembered Brenan. Lately, he was always on her mind. She keeps hearing him call her name which would make her heart skip a beat. She would giggle in excitement and feel like her stomach just turned upside down.

She suddenly thought about how the two looked exactly the same; Kael and Brenan, added by the fact that they also shared the same interests and lastly that secret that Vincent and Brenan were talking about earlier on.

Her speculation was all on point. She still thinks that Brenan Fabregas is no other than Kael Del Carmen.

Her heart suddenly thumped as loud as it could when she just thought of that idea. She wanted to let the matter slide but how could she? Now that everything is being pieced together, she thinks she can never escape it anymore. Brenan is no other than her lost boyfriend, Kael. She already knew it from the beginning but she still tried to kill all of her hopes but not anymore.

The only thing she needed to do now was to confront the same man and make him tell her the truth. Peppermint wanted to hear it especially from him.

Calling her secretary at such an earlier point, she asked for her to request an appointment with Brenan Fabregas. The good thing was she was able to squeeze herself in his schedule and so when morning came, she quickly got up from bed and did her morning routine.

She came to the office quite early and finished some of the documents in front of her desks. She finally started to compile the pages for her proposal in one of the flower farms in Tagaytay.

When evening came, she was one hour early in the said appointment. She couldn’t help it. She was nervous to know of the truth. She grasps on the steering wheel of her car hard before finally getting out. She sighed to herself. She walked in, inside of the building and as she strode alone, the sound of her heels echoed throughout the room. When she entered the basement, she headed straight to the elevator. She reached for her chest who was currently thumping hard, nervous from all the possibilities later.

Will Brenan tell her the truth? Will he tell her that he’s actually Kael and not Brenan? Everyone thinks that Kael is long dead but neither for her nor Orange. She heaved another sigh before the elevator finally took her to the 19th floor. It was where the staff office resided by the Fabregas Suites.

As soon the elevator door opened, the first thing that greeted her was Brenan’s secretary. It looked like she was waiting for her all these moment.

“You’re Ma’am Peppermint Vuenarobles right?” she asked to her nodding gesture. “May I take you to Sir Brenan Fabregas?” she added.

“Lead the way,” she simply said. While she was roaming around the staff office, she could see the different cubicle around the place. Some of them were busy typing on their xomputers while others were discussing about their workloads.

“We’re here. This is Sir Fabregas’s office.” The woman reached her hand out towards the room and so she nodded to bid good bye and thank you.

She fixed her outfit first before gathering all of her courage first. She heaved a sigh and finally opened the door. When she did so, she found the man sitting on his swivel chair, busy enough as it is while looking at his computer. He keeps on switching his attention from his paper and computer. She coughed to be noticed and the man finally looked at her.

“Peppermint, I’m sorry. I didn’t notice you. Have a seat,” the man offered him the seat in front of him and so she nodded. She noticed how he casually shut down his computer first and moved it aside to focus on her.

“May I ask what brought you here?” Brenan asked as soon as she felt comfortable on her seat. He wrapped his hand with another of his and directly looked at her in the eyes.

“Don’t you really know who Kael is?” she asked. Peppermint knows how weird it is to start the conversation with such crude question especially since he’s this busy and all she has to do was ask her about her boyfriend.

“Why do you ask?” The man yanked on his seat. “Look Peppermint, I’m not sure why you’re opening up the same topic from before at the couture shop but I’m telling you this/ I have no idea who you’re talking about,” the man stated. She knows he’s already pushing his buttons by asking him the question over and over but she’s already this close to finding it out.

She thinks he’s lying to her. “And do you think that will me believe you?” she asked and the man quickly creased his forehead.

“Peppermint, why did you come to my office anyway?” he started. “This is getting out of hand.”

“Why? Are you trying to push me away because this is always what I tell you?” The man heaved sigh. He couldn’t believe what she’s saying right now.

“That’s not it Peppermint. Let’s not just talk about this. I might just hurt you with what I have to say,” he answered.

“You already hurt me, Kael! For three years, you’ve already hurt me! Do you think I wasn’t hurt while searching for you for all these years?” Her tears emerged from her eyes. She couldn’t contain herself. “I’ve been waiting for you for three years while you? You’re just being selfish! I didn’t look for anyone for all these years because I know one day you’ll return. I know you were still alive, deep within my heart despite people telling me you’re dead!” she shouted across the room and she knows how damn it is to keep it inside of her. Her voice started cracking while speaking. “Why are you being selfish?” she asked, pain radiating from her chest.

“Peppermint…” The man sighed to himself. He reached his glabella and massaged it gently. “This may sound odd and ridiculous at the moment but I’m really the man you’re looking for,” he started. “I’m not Kael—“

“Then how can you explain to me how you’re the splitting image of Kael? How the two of you share the same interests?” she asked. She couldn’t but raise her voice now.

"What are you talking about?" Brenan asked, dumbfounded by what she said.

“You thought I wouldn’t notice? The two of you shared the same interest! The both of you loved Cookie crumble cake! You even shared the same words as Kael when I asked why do you like that dessert!” The man averted his eyes. “How will you explain it to me? Even shared the same music taste as Kael. You both share the same favorite spot on the coffee shop where in supposedly, you shouldn’t have known in the first place! Explain it to me!” she demanded. How could she be wrong? “You even mentioned you’d like to build a shoe store the same way as Kael did.” It feels like, with all of the words escaping her mouth, she’s bound to feel weakened. The man only stared at her.

“It might have just been a coincidence. It’s unlikely that there’s only one person who likes the same time.” Peppermint bit her lip. He has a point. He might have not been the same person who’ she’s looking for but no! She can’t just back like this.

“I would have believe everything you’ve said if you didn’t look so much alike like Kael but where ever I look at it, it’s really you!” The man stared at her with such cold expression on his face. “How will you explain it to me?” she asked. “Tell me Brenan, are you Kael or not?”

The man stared at her straight in the eye. “Just like I told you, I’m not that man. I’m Brenan Fabregas,” the man stated. “With what you’re doing right now, you’re insulting me straight in the face.”

“Be honest damn it!” Peppermint couldn’t help but tapped on his table as hard as she could while looking straight in his eyes. “I heard you talking with Vincent at the coffee shop. He was talking about your identity secrets,” she started. “Now tell me, what are you even hiding?” She stared at him as hard as she could; feeling all the nerves in her body waver.

The man looked at her the same way but didn’t feel like telling her anything at all. “I don’t have anything to tell you, Peppermint. Just like I said earlier, I’m not Kael, I’m Brenan. Even if you check all of my records, it will only say the same thing. I’m not lying to you,” he explained.

“I hope so, Brenan. I really hope so.” Peppermint couldn’t hide how hurt she feels. “For the time being, I’ll believe you and your words,” she mentioned before smiling bitterly. “But if I do found out you’re Kael, I’ll never let you escape anymore. I’ll have you for myself,” she stated before finally turning her back on him. She didn’t have anything to follow up anyway.

As soon as she opened the door and closed it, her knees almost gave in. Brenan could still escape her grasps because she has no prior evidences but not for long. Someday, she’ll be able to find everything about him and how he’s lying to her.

As the door closed, Brenan hit his desk as hard as he could before heading straight to the pantry for some water to drink. He has to calm himself down. He was surprised to see Peppermint come to his office just to ask him about all of those. He wasn’t prepared about at all. He felt like he became a statue the moment he saw how pained she felt while looking at him straight in the eye. He almost even told her the truth but could thing he kept it bottled inside.

He reached for his chest. When he looked at his glass window, he saw how Peppermint rubbed her eyes from all the tears she’s been shedding. Brenan wanted to run only to console her in his arms but he stopped himself. Peppermint shouldn’t know who he is. She might put her with all the trouble if he tells her the truth. She might be in danger.

“Hello?” he called someone on the phone. “I have something to make of you,” he said on the phone.

Peppermint felt out of the world while checking the papers on her desk. Her mind was still flying from that time when she had an argument with Brenan. It’s already been a few days. Before she even confronted him, they already exchanged a lot of calls and texts so she feels so lonely right now. It looked like the man also had no intentions of at least asking how she’s doing but then she realized, she offended him once again but at the back of her mind, she might still be right.

After checking the number of boxes, it’s finally on the process of just delivering it to the Makati branch. She leaned on her desk and stretched her arms. She can finally relax. She asked her secretary to order some food from the nearby fast food chain thinking that she can have her lunch at the office. Having to lean on her chair while enjoying some music, she closed her eyes for a few minutes before opening it again when she received a call.

“Hello, who’s this?” she asked.

“Hello ma’am, this is from the coast guard,” the person answered on the other line.

“Why? Is there any problem?” she creased her forehead, doubting.

“You are Peppermint Vuenarobles right?” the person asked and so she agreed. “It’s about the incident from three years ago; the airplane that crashed on the sea.”

“Yes, what about it?”

“We finally found Mr. Kael Del Carmen’s body. According to some test results, the body found near the ocean was confirmed using DNA tests. You can come here to check it out,” the person said on the other side of the phone.

Just hearing it, she didn’t know what to feel. She accidentally ended the phone call without even answering them back and almost fell on her chair out of shock. Her knees finally collapsed from the information she received. She was like a plant that suddenly wilted from the sudden news she received. She couldn’t accept it. The only man she loved for all these years finally found yet dead and peaceful. They were planning lots of things together. How can this be? Was she had been wrong all these time about Brenan being Kael? She laughed to herself, her face with horrified state thinking about it.

They were still planning to travel together and explore things for themselves. She still wanted to see the man in front of the altar marrying her. She still wanted to see him from morning to evening and until they finally become gray and old.

But what about now? Her face was sunken and her chest throbbing from pain. Who will she be with now that he’s gone? She heaved a deep sigh, tears rolling down her eyes. She’s been waiting for Kael for years and for what? It was for naught. She even thought of the other pass by as him but all for nothing. Now that the evidence was in front of her, she couldn’t help by whine on the floor. She wanted to scream as loud as she could but she couldn’t hold on to dear life.

Kael is dead and she will remain single for the rest of her life. In her life time, Peppermint thinks she’ll no longer be able to love anyone else other than that man… but what about Brenan? She suddenly stopped. Her tears were still rolling down her cheeks when she realized she was thinking of something inappropriate. She’s weeping for her dead boyfriend but at the same time thinking of another man.

This is insane.