Dead Stars (Edited)

Dead Stars is a short story by Paz Marquez Benitez, first published in 1925. It is considered the first modern Philippine short story in English. The story revolves around Alfredo Salazar, a young lawyer who is engaged to Esperanza, but falls in love with Julia, the sister-in-law of his friend. Alfredo struggles with his conflicting emotions and eventually decides to honor his commitment to Esperanza. However, he later realizes that his feelings for Julia were only a fleeting illusion, like the dead stars that still appear in the sky even though they are already extinct.