Actress Melissa Ricks considers the end of her two-year relationship with model-actor Jake Cuenca her first major heartbreak.
“I didn’t know how I got over it,” the 22-year-old tells Inquirer. “But I’ve accepted that it wasn’t meant to be.”
Melissa still refuses to reveal the real reason for the breakup. Instead, she says enigmatically: “I don’t want to hurt other people. It’s normal to commit mistakes. Some people act before they think of the consequences.”
The actress says she’s enjoying life more now that she’s single. “I get to meet new friends and experience new things.”
They’re both regular performers on the Sunday variety show “ASAP” on ABS-CBN, but Melissa admits she and Jake are not on speaking terms. “We’re not friends; it’s better that way.”
While she is open to another romantic relationship, it’s not going to happen soon, she says. “I don’t date. I only hang out [with friends]. It’s always better to start as good friends before jumping into something bigger.”
Has she become more cautious as a result of the breakup? “Yes. I’ve learned that you should use both your heart and your head in making decisions about love.”
Melissa says her idea of the perfect guy may still be Jake, “but a more mature version.”
Meanwhile, she plays the scheming Johanna Montenegro in the new Kapamilya drama “Walang Hanggan,” which also features Coco Martin, Julia Montes, Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta. The series, with Jerry Lopez Sineneng and Trina Dayrit at the helm, airs weeknights on ABS-CBN’s Primetime Bida time slot.