The sun filtered through the sheer curtains of Beltran Events Studio, now twice the size it was just a few months ago. Chloe Beltran stood by the window, coffee in hand, watching her newest team prep vision boards for next year's bridal fair.
They called her The Bride Boss.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcNtHpS6CfN
But no one really knew her story.
Not all brides got a wedding.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6CfCI4GaBt
Not all love stories needed one.
Her phone buzzed.
Denise: Today's the day, right? Good luck, CEO-nim. You got this.
Chloe smiled. Her best friend — still her loudest cheerleader even from abroad.
It had been six months since the Crisostomo-Madrid wedding-that-never-was. Six months since she walked away from a man who almost made her believe in forever.
Since then, Chloe rebuilt herself piece by piece — from the headlines that tried to spin her as the wedding planner who stole the groom, to the industry snubs, to the whispered gossip at expos. But she stood tall.
She survived. And then, she thrived.
Her clients doubled. Her vision expanded. Her name — once dragged through the mud — now stood proudly beside the very word she feared most: love.
And yet, today... something stirred.
She was scheduled to oversee a private civil ceremony in the same garden venue where it all unraveled months ago.
How poetic.
She drove in silence, the city blurring past her windows. Tuloy ang buhay, sabi nga ni Denise. But sometimes, life had other plans.
The Garden Venue44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl8kRtf8eSb
Antipolo
Chloe walked past the archway she once decorated with peonies and promises. The sunlight bathed everything in soft gold. A violinist played in the distance.
And there, across the aisle, she saw him.
Vince.
No suit. No boutonnière. Just a crisp shirt and jeans — and that look she remembered too well: gentle eyes that held weight and warmth.
He walked toward her slowly. No entourage. No audience. Just him.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi," Chloe replied, heart skipping.
He offered a small laugh. "You're early. Or maybe I'm late."
She tilted her head. "Are you here for the Alcaraz wedding?"
"Nope. Just passing by." He paused. "Okay, that's a lie."
Chloe raised a brow.
"I knew you'd be here. Pamela told me."
Chloe folded her arms. "She's still dating Maverick?"
"They're engaged now."
"Wow."
"Yeah. Chaos turned into commitment. Who would've thought?"
She smiled faintly. "And Bella?"
"She moved to Spain. Modelling. New name. New life." He looked at her meaningfully. "New freedom."
Chloe nodded slowly. "Good for her."
"I think... she finally let go of the idea that love should be transactional."
They stood in the middle of the empty chairs.
And Vince said softly, "I never came here to find you. But I never stopped thinking about you."
Chloe's throat tightened. "Vince..."
He stepped closer. "No grand speeches. No rings. No wedding. Just me."
She looked at him, eyes wet but steady. "Why now?"
"Because I'm no longer looking to escape something. I just... want to walk toward you."
Silence hung in the air.
Then, Chloe smiled. "You're lucky I like unscripted stories."
"Then write one with me."
Later that night...44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFMXjBFM4Jd
Chloe opened a letter Denise had left for her weeks ago — sealed and marked:
"Only open when you finally choose yourself."
She peeled it open.
Love, Denise
I watched you build everyone else's dreams while putting yours on hold.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMkZoSRFWmI
I watched you fall for someone you couldn't have... and walk away without bitterness.
And now, if you're reading this, it means you've done the scariest thing — you chose YOU.
Whether or not love follows, I hope you remember:
You were whole before him.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjDCmVk0Y53
You'll be whole even after.
But maybe this time, you're not walking away.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOWLdnu0K1E
Maybe this time, you're letting someone walk beside you.
No scripts.44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZPOaIuEGhQ
No timelines.
Just love.
I'm proud of you, Bride Boss.
— D
Chloe smiled through her tears, pressing the letter to her chest.
And outside, in the soft hum of the night, Vince waited — no longer the groom she couldn't have, but the man who chose her without the aisle, without the altar...
...just love, unscripted.
End.
44Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgM1CJEzgEi
and then Add to home screen.