[Mayu]

I was busy texting Neilson while I was staying at the veranda of Margaret's room. I would usually go there whenever I felt that I didn't want to stay in my own house since there was no one there.

Even during weekends, my parent were always busy with the family business. That was why I would always go to my cousin's house since Uncle and Aunt agreed to it. They said that since they didn't want Margaret to be lonely somehow.

And speaking of my ever dearest cousin, I immediately saw her looking dejected and litless as she entered her room. I even frowned at the sight of it but it didn't take me long to conclude one thing.

Something must have happened... again.

I wonder whose fault was it for making Margie this gloomy again? Seriously! I would end up punching whoever jerk did that to my cousin.

I entered Margaret room when I saw her wearing a blank expression as she was looking at the yellow tulips placed in a ceramic vase on her study table. When I saw that, I became aware of the possible person that I should blame for this to happen to my cousin.

I released a sigh before I finally approached Margaret.

"What did that jerk-slash-dance partner of yours did to you this time?" Yikes! What in the world was I saying at the moment? I think Margaret's habit of creating some naming conventions towards Neilson's fraternal twin brother was rubbing off to me.

But my cousin didn't say anything. She just continued staring at the yellow tulips with the same blank--

No, wait! Her face wasn't that blank anymore. More like... confused and worried.

What the heck was happening between Margaret and Brent that I didn't know?

To be honest? My head hurt because of these two. If they weren't fighting, some sort of invisible wall that had been built from their frustrations and confusions.

I think I would be the one who might lose mind because of them, to be honest.

"Mayu... Does the whole Oceanside Rose University knew the real Brent Allen Villaruz?" Margie asked from out of the blue without even looking at me.

So at that point, I knew that something must have really happened during their dance practice.

"Margie, what exactly happened? Why did you become suddenly interested in Brent?" What in the world? Were we just going to end up throwing questions to each other?

I saw her smile. But her smile was somewhat lopsided. "I don't know. I don't really know anymore..."

Looked like Margaret was really confused.

"He took me there... to see the legendary Promise Tree..." I heard her add next, but it seemed that she only said that to herself.

But I had to admit, I was surprised when I heard Margaret say that. She wasn't joking, right? "Brent was the one who brought you there?"

She nodded that made me even more surprised than I was earlier. Weird reaction coming from me because of what Margaret had answered, I knew that. But there was a reason why I was like that.

It was a reason that only me and Neilson knew at the moment.

"He wanted the truce between us to last, Mayu," Margaret declared that made me frown this time.

To make the truce last? Just wait a minute! Don't tell me that Brent was already starting that?

But when I looked at Margaret, the same confused look was still on her face. I think I knew where the discussion between those two with regards to the truce had headed to.

"But you ended up disagreeing. Am I right?" I asked, though it was more like a statement.

"Sort of..." she answered almost in a whisper. "He said to me that... it was enough that the truce had already disrupted a lot of things between us. I don't want that to disrupt it any further."

"Margie, wasn't it enough that Brent had already disrupted the normal flow of your life ever since you met him? The way he would always tease you just to call your attention, it was still called disruption, right?" Although I had to be honest, I knew that Brent wasn't just aiming to get Margaret's attention if I would analyze all the things he had done to my cousin.

I could tell that he was also trying to get Margaret's heart--to capture it. I wasn't blind and I wasn't also naïve for me not to notice that. No matter how much Brent would deny that, his intention was still obvious.

Though he didn't know, he was actually patching up what was broken in Margaret's heart by getting her attention like that. Just a little more effort, I knew that Brent would succeed in getting the attention of Margaret's heart and I had no doubt about that.

"Everything is really getting confusing for me, Mayu," Margaret said in a tone that definitely indicated her confusion and even her frustration. "I asked for a quiet life upon relocating here. But I guess that wasn't what God had given me. And now, everything got even messier."

I saw Margaret heaved a heavy sigh after she blurted it out like that. "But even if it was like that, I'd still admit that... I was thankful to him. He was there for me during those times I was alone dealing with the frustration and pain I was feeling because of my confrontation with Oliver. He made a way for me to finally let it go."

I couldn't help smiling because of Margaret's words. No matter how vague she said it, she couldn't hide the fact that this cousin of mine had cried because of that Oliver Santiago. And Brent was there to comfort my cousin. Whatever he did to do so, I was thankful for that.

The confusion that crossed my cousin's face once again didn't escape my eyes. It looked like Margaret and I would be having a longer conversation than usual, huh?

Well, I might as well give my full attention listening to my cousin's story.

But then, I suddenly thought of something. What exactly entered Brent's mind and he even thought of bring Margaret to the place where the Legendary Promise Tree stood? And why only now?

Yup! Weird question, I knew.

"Was he breaking those girls' hearts for a deeper reason? I don't know... maybe for revenge..."

I faced Margaret when I heard those words she uttered.

So it was true. Brent was already starting.

"How did you come up with that kind of question?" Well, I had to know. I didn't want to get caught into trouble if I made a wrong assumption.

It took my cousin a few moments before she answered. Without looking at me, of course. Go figure! What else was new? But I just let it be.

"He said something about those girls who only knew how to break others' hearts without even thinking of the consequences. He also said that I shouldn't let what happened between me and Oliver to destroy my life and my dream. The way he said the reason why he brought me to the seaside cliff for me to see the tree and I asked how many girls did he bring there, it was like... he was really angry about them. So I thought something terrible must have happened to him before..."

So that was why Margaret was suddenly interested about Brent's past. But that guy was seriously surprising me.

"What if I tell you that with all the girls that entered his life and had relationships with, all of them had no romantic feelings involved?"

Margaret frowned. "Aren't those a trait of a heartbreaker? You disregard your own heart to accomplish the goal of breaking the hearts of others."

"But in his case, he was doing that because he was seeking vengeance," I finally said firmly. And that was because what I said was the truth.

"Vengeance? For what? And why?"

Typical questions. But I would've asked the same thing if I was in Margaret's situation who was already confused with all that had been happening.

My first response was a deep sigh because to be honest, I didn't know how should I start telling things to Margaret. Besides that, I didn't really know what could possibly be the result of saying all these to my cousin.

"Are you sure you want to know?"

"I think that's better than ending up getting crazy because of all this confusions I'm dealing with, right?"

Well, Margaret does have a point. But wouldn't that cause even more confusion for her?

I sighed once again just to prepare myself to the biggest revelation yet--at least in my opinion--that Margaret would know about the person that was making her mind all jumbled and confused.

None other than Brent Allen Villaruz.

Seriously, does that guy had no idea on how he was making this girl's mind messy? And that girl happened to be his object of affection?

Well, considering the current situation, I guess he doesn't.

I didn't waste anymore time and started telling the story. I would think of the consequence later because of me doing this at the moment. I guessed it was about time for my cousin to know the truth, anyway.

And maybe... just maybe...

This would stop Brent from doing his own version of taking revenge.

Maybe...