“A GENUINE APOLOGY is a heartfelt expression of regret, where we openly acknowledge any mistakes or the potential hurt that we may have caused. It involves admitting our faults and humbly accepting responsibility for our actions.”

While forgiveness and giving second chances could come easily to some, others would hesitate to grant another one.

Senthie Salvador could forgive readily but would rarely extend another opportunity, reserving it only for those she believed truly deserved it. In other cases, she wouldn’t hesitate to sever ties completely.

 
***

“Dear Ms. Salvador, please accept this bouquet of flowers as my sincerest apolo--”

“I don’t wanna hear it anymore, bes, I’m sick of it,” Senthie interrupted Cecilia. She had grown tired of receiving the same note with every floral delivery.

“But bes, won’t you consider his apology? He’s been sending you flowers daily since the incident,” Cecilia argued, crumpling the card in her hand. A full week had passed since the Enchanted City incident.

Senthie rolled her eyes, folding her arms in defiance. “I don’t care if he floods me with flowers for a lifetime; I won’t be swayed by empty words. He hasn’t even bothered to change the card’s message; it’s the same note every time. Besides, if his apology is genuine, he’d have the decency to come here in person and make amends.”

Cecilia rolled her eyes, tossing the crumpled card into the trash bin with a dismissive gesture. She then nonchalantly picked up the bouquet, shoulders shrugging as she said, “Duh, you said you didn’t wanna see his face again. He’s just keeping his promise.”

Senthie pressed her lips together and let out a light chuckle. “Yah, yah, I totally forgot about that. Thank you for reminding me, bes.”

“So, should I throw this for the eighth time?” she teased, holding the bouquet above the trash bin before letting it drop, prompting Senthie to hastily yell, “No!”

“Oops, I thought you would say yes.”

Senthie sighed and looked at the bouquet with a hint of guilt. “I am feeling bad about those poor flowers. I think we should just give them to anyone instead of tossing them.”

Cecilia chuckled and picked up the bouquet. “Good decision!”

 ~

“Flowers for Ms. Salvador!” had become a familiar morning refrain for Senthie in recent weeks. Jimhuesh remained unwavering in his daily flower deliveries, a routine he never missed.

The deliveryman, however, bypassed her presence as he placed the bouquet of white and pink tulips on the counter before her. His gaze remained locked on Kassandra as he cleared his throat and offered a courteous smile. “Hi, Ms. Kassandra, you look as stunning as ever, even more so than those flowers. Would you consider joining me for--”

“No,” she stated flatly, her smile suggesting that she considered herself way beyond his league.

Undeterred, he frowned and persisted, “Come on. You’ve turned me down four times already. Aren’t you going to say yes this time?”

“I won’t say it even if it kills me,” Kassandra declared, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow. “But I might . . . if it snows in the Philippines.”

Cecilia laughed and even let out a snort, which made their attention turn to her. “I’m sorry, I just remembered something funny I couldn’t help but laugh so hard!”

Senthie’s eyes widened in surprise and she said, “I’m sorry, she’s having her episodes again. Please excuse us.”  

Cecilia was about to protest but Senthie quickly grabbed her hand, leading her towards the VIP room. “That was so rude of you, bes. Why would you laugh at that man?”

“That was also so rude of you bes! What do you mean I’m having episodes again?” she retorted, glaring playfully at Senthie until she burst into laughter once again. Senthie just stared at her and sighed.

“Okay, I wasn’t laughing at that man,” Cecilia insisted, still trying to stifle her laughter. “I told you I just remembered something funny--”

Senthie huffed and smiled, arching an eyebrow. “I know you, bes, so don’t deny it.”

She finally gave in, laughing again. “Well, bes, it was clear as day that Kass is not interested in that guy, but he seems to be so dense or not, but persistent. I’m feeling the secondhand embarrassment for him, and I cannot!”

Senthie joined in the laughter. “You’re so bad.”

Once Cecilia’s laughter subsided, her gaze shifted to the bouquet of flowers that Senthie was holding. “So . . . are you finally giving in?”

Senthie let out a resigned sigh. “Well, yes, maybe. I’ve decided to give him a chance. If the note is different from the previous ones, then I might consider accepting these flowers.” She handed the note over to Cecilia.

“Dear Ms. Salvador, please accept this bouquet of flowers as my sincerest apology. I will be waiting for your call until you forgive me,” Cecilia read aloud, then sighed. “It’s still the same.”

Senthie groaned and pulled her phone from her pocket, then shifted her attention back to Cecilia. “I’m going to call him. Can you give me a moment?”

“You’re going to call him? You will accept those flowers even if the note is still the same? I thought you . . .”

She sighed and glanced at the bouquet in her hand. “I’m not even mad at him anymore. Actually, I’ve already forgotten that day was such a big deal for me.”

“Then why didn’t you call him to say you’ve forgiven him?”

Senthie chuckled. “Duh, I didn’t want him to take the easy way out and forget what he’s done to me. I want him to at least feel guilty and realize that he was being an asshole to me.”

“And?”

“And I think three weeks is enough.”

Cecilia chuckled and nodded. “If you say so.”

Once she left the room, Senthie dialed Jimhuesh’s number three times until he picked up.

“Ms. Salvador?” he spoke first, sounding surprised.

“I called you to say that I forgive you, so stop sending me flowers and forget about what happened. But please, do keep your promise. That’s all. Thank you.”

Senthie hung up without waiting for his response and exited the VIP room, heading back to the counter. As she walked, her phone vibrated, prompting her to check the message, which displayed Jimhuesh’s name. It read, “Thank you for accepting my apology.” She smiled and tucked her phone into her pocket, content with her decision.

“Oh, your suitor has left. Did you scare him off, Kass?” Senthie remarked, scanning the area and not finding the deliveryman. She had positioned herself in front of the counter, facing Kassandra and Cecilia, who were seated on the bench.

Kassandra huffed, crossing her arms defiantly. “Eww, I didn’t allow him to court me, so he’s not a suitor.” She rolled her eyes. “You’ve offended me, Sen, but I’ll let it slide this time since you called me by my nickname.”

Kassandra had been trying to get Senthie and Cecilia to address her as Kass. They had agreed to it, but Senthie still occasionally used her full name. Initially, Senthie felt uncomfortable with the nickname, believing that she should only use such an informal term when she had built a genuine connection with someone, shared laughs, or felt a strong bond. But then, Kassandra, in just four days at work, formed a unique connection with Senthie due to her openness about her life. During their conversations, Senthie realized that everyone had their stories to share, including Kassandra. Her dream was to become a model, but her mother had discouraged her, insisting she should focus on managing their family’s company, Rebeau Cosmetics. This revelation astonished Senthie and Cecilia once again.

Senthie could relate to her story because it mirrored her own - both had mothers who didn’t support their dreams and considered them foolish pursuits. Despite the lack of maternal encouragement, they pursued their ambitions and succeeded, leaving their mothers awed and speechless.

Senthie giggled. “Thank you for letting it slide. I won’t bring it up again since he won’t be delivering any more flowers here.” She carefully placed the bouquet in the corner of the counter.

“Oh, that’s good news to me!” Kassandra exclaimed. “But bad news for your suitor. Did you reject him?”

Both Cecilia and Senthie burst into laughter.

Cecilia, now standing, chimed in, “You’d be surprised to know who sent those flowers to her.”

“You bet I would. Who is it?”

Senthie raised a hand to stop her, then turned to Kassandra. “Before she reveals it, I just want to clarify that he’s not courting me or anything. He’s just apologizing.”

Kassandra nodded, and Senthie leaned her elbows on the counter, chuckling silently as she signaled Cecilia to continue.

“It was from the Vice President of GMC! Jimhuesh Anderson!”

Kassandra’s eyes widened. “What? Why would he?”

“It’s a long story, and quite personal, so please understand if I can’t share much,” Senthie replied. “Uh, Kass?”

Kassandra appeared to be lost in thought, and Senthie felt a wave of relief, thinking that perhaps she had lost interest. But then, Kassandra broke into a wide smile and uttered, “Kenzo.”

“Did you just say Kenzo?” Cecilia asked.

Kassandra laughed awkwardly, blinking a few times at her, then at Senthie, before shrugging. “Uh, yes, Kenzo is here, I mean, there!” She stood up and pointed towards the entrance, and sure enough, Kenzo appeared.

Cecilia couldn’t hide her curiosity. “You know him?” She glanced at Kenzo, who was now making his way toward them, and then back at Kassandra, who was still focused on him but managed to nod in response. “When did you meet?”

Ignoring Cecilia’s question for the moment, Kassandra greeted Kenzo enthusiastically. “Hi, Ken! It’s good to see you again!”

He returned the greeting with a shy smile. “Oh, hi, Sandy. How are you?”

She shrugged confidently. “Better than ever!”

Senthie, curious about the connection between them, finally asked, “You two have met before?” She resisted the urge to inquire about the nickname Sandy, but Cecilia beat her to it.

Cecilia’s raised eyebrows echoed Senthie’s unspoken question. “And why do you call her Sandy?”

Kenzo explained, “Uh, she said I could call her Sandy when we met last time. It was her first day as a part-timer, if I’m not mistaken.” He then shifted his gaze to Senthie, offering a sweet smile. “I’m glad that you’ve already found a part-timer, Sen.”

She returned the smile. “Thanks, Ken.”

“Oh, I have an idea!” Kassandra, suddenly piped up. “Let’s have a welcome party for me tonight!”