Joanna cannot stop sobbing. Her head is full of regrets; her lips are trembling in fear. She should have hugged DK earlier; she should have told him that she already forgave him. She threw away the letter and aimed to go back to Isla Corale. She grabbed her backpack while wiping the tears falling from her eyes. King held her and stopped her from going anywhere.
He locked her in his chest with a hug and comforted her. “Joanna, DK requested me not to let you see him for a while. Let him do what he wants” he said while feeling Joanna’s force of removing his hug. King is satisfied inside, but his conscience is killing him when he sees Joanna’s tears flowing. She cannot stop crying; it is the most painful thing she experienced with DK.
“Joanna, he did not love you seriously. He even gave you to me as if you were a toy he wanted to dispose of” King gaslighted. Joanna’s sadness turned into anger. Now, all she wanted was to revenge on DK. “DK will see how impulsive his decisions are,” she said in her mind.
 
Right after New Year’s Day, DK flew to Canada to make partnerships and learn more about business management. He appointed Jake and Miss Elizaga as the managers of the hotel and restaurant while he is away. He put on his headphones and looked at the plane’s window. The sight is slowly changing from where he is used to.
He opened his phone and scrolled through his recents. Just a few days ago, his smile was not forced because of tDJ. His son’s photos made him strong. He knows it is for the best so he can forget loving Joanna. Maybe distance is the way to mend his broken heart. One thing that assures him is that King will never abandon his wife and his child.
 
A few months passed…
Aunt Marge knocked on Joanna’s apartment door. “Thankfully I got here before it got dark,” she said and gave Joanna a hug. “Come inside, it’s about to rain,” she said while helping Aunt Marge carry her things.
Delia served seaweed soup for them to enjoy. “Finally, after being in a series of challenges, you are finally graduating,” Aunt Marge said to Joanna. She just smiled; she could not push herself to be happy ever since DK cut off their communication and forced her to be with King instead. “Yeah, time really made things faster” she simply replied.
 
DK did not even have the chance to celebrate with them on DJ’s first birthday. Miss Elizaga just followed DK’s plan for DJ to celebrate his first birthday on Isla Corale. He was not there physically but he prepared everything for DJ to have a birthday party. And just as usual, DK refused to communicate with Joanna, even asking how she was.
He really isolated himself into working but sometimes, he cannot help but check King and Joanna’s social media accounts to make himself at ease. Miss Elizaga did not miss updating him regarding DJ. Life overseas was not hard for DK. What’s hard for him is the longing and brokenness he created for himself to give way to Joanna and King’s love which does not exist in the first place.
 
Joanna wore her graduation suit after putting on light makeup. Delia dressed DJ as well for Joanna’s graduation. She picked up her graduation cap and called everyone. “Aunt Marge, let’s get going! We’ll be late” she said while waiting for them. Aunt Marge came out of the bedroom with a bright smile on her face.
“I have never been this proud. Finally, your efforts will be paid off”, Aunt Marge said while fixing Joanna’s hair. She held her aunt’s hand and replied, “I never knew this day would come. I might as well thank King for giving me this opportunity after I gave birth”. They went outside and hired a cab on the way to Joanna’s college.
Joanna saw King from afar; standing in the school’s park waiting for them to arrive. Delia poked Joanna, “The prince charming is here” she teased. Joanna just chuckled and went where King was standing. He handed her a bouquet of white roses and greeted her, “Congratulations, Joanna. You deserve to be here. I know how hard you tried just to get this degree. And I know how much effort you placed in this”.
Joanna accepted the flowers and felt flattered. “This achievement is yours also. All this time, it was always you who stayed and never left my side despite the bumps of my life” she returned with gratitude. “Let’s get inside. The program will start in a few minutes” King said and guided them to the venue of the graduation.
 
DK sat down in his bed and opened his passbook. He remembered what Miss Elizaga said in their call from last night. “Do you feel satisfied by fleeing away? You’re acting like a martyr for sacrificing your love for your friend’s happiness” his mother’s voice played inside his head but he did not care. He closed the passport in his hand and opened his phone instead.
He scrolled and read some current issues until he saw King’s post from earlier. “Congratulations, student nurse no more” King captioned with series of photos posted on his Facebook account. He zoomed in to see Joanna’s face in detail. He smiled upon seeing Joanna’s fulfillment that could be sensed in her face. She looks blooming compared to when he last saw her in the resort.
“Congratulations, my love” he whispered. He scrolled through the pictures and saw the image that gave him a heartache. It is the image of King holding DJ beside Joanna. It pains him that King suits as Joanna’s partner and DJ’s foster dad. DJ is growing up so fast that he can even utter the words ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ and too bad, it is not DK whom he calls dad, but it is King instead.
He closed his phone. It hurts him but he thinks that it is the perfect thing he did to give way for two hearts who really beats in rhythm with each other. A phone call disturbed the silence, popping up an unknown number. DK answered it and asked away, “How is the work I made you do?”. He heard a loud sigh from the other line.
“Unfortunately, I cannot find the person you are talking about. Maybe that person has the habit of changing identities. But I assure you that I will search again in exchange for the money you sent me” the man from the call replied.
“Make sure not to disappoint me. I want it as fast as possible. One year is about over, Mr. Investigator” he said and immediately dropped the call. He promised to himself and his mother that he would clear his name from the issue of him sleeping with a prostitute. Not to go back to Joanna but for his own sanity.