Ch. 5: Home

Ingrid Alessia's point of view

The day had come.

The supposed-to-be grand wedding na dati kong inisip na may orchestra, petals sa aisle, at hundreds of guests watching with awe, had turned into something unrecognizable.

Walang crowd. Walang bulaklak. Walang vows. Walang kasiyahan. Walang mga taong umiiyak sa tuwa o nagtatawanan sa speeches. Just a sterile courtroom, a bored judge, and the sound of papers shuffling like it was just another Tuesday.

I wore white, not a gown, but a plain tailored dress na pinili ng stylist para sa media. Walang lace. Walang drama. Just enough elegance to look acceptable on camera, but simple enough para hindi halata kung gaano kabigat ‘yung bigat sa dibdib ko.

Leonhardt arrived exactly on time. He didn’t even look at me. Not once. Nakasuot siya ng charcoal gray suit in elegant, parang business meeting lang ang pinuntahan. He just walked in and signed his name, sat back down like he was signing off a new company merger. Because that’s what this was, diba? A transaction.

Pagkatapos kong pirmahan ang kontrata, I looked at our names beside each other. I just signed my name into a cage.

The judge declared it official. Wala manlang halik. Hindi naman sa gusto ko, dzuh. Sana naman buo pa ako paglabas ko rito.

Paglabas namin ng korte, sinalubong kami ng ilang press. Not a huge crowd, just enough for headlines the next morning. Enough for the world to see na ang anak ng Moretti at ang anak ng isang struggling family ay ikinasal na, perfect publicity. I blinked through the lights, feeling exposed. Flash left and right. Mga tanong ng press na wala namang sagot.

“How do you feel, Ingrid?”

“Is it love or strategy?”

“Is this a power move from both families?”

Walang may pumansin sa tanong nila. Leonhardt just offered his arm. Just like a gentleman would. Pero hindi ko ito tinanggap.

I held my clutch tighter and walked forward, I kept my face neutral, expressionless. Hindi ko alam kung galit ako, malungkot, o simpleng manhid na lang. Naglakad kami sa gitna ng ingay, pero ang tanging naririnig ko lang ay ang tibok ng puso ko. Mabigat. Parang tinataga bawat segundo.

Nang makapasok kami sa kotse, biglang bumigat ang hangin. Parang palagi naman kapag si Leonhardt na 'yung kasama ko. Paano pa kaya na kasal na kami? The door shut with a soft thud, sealing us inside with nothing but silence.

For a few seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then he broke it.

“So,” he began. “Congratulations, Mrs. Moretti. I hope you enjoy your blood money.” The vein in his temple pulsed, jaw clenched so tight it looked like he might shatter his own teeth.

I glared at him. “Excuse me?”

“Come on,” His nostrils flared, looking straight ahead. “You got what you wanted. Your family survives. You get the shelter, the name, the headlines. Isn’t that the dream?”

“Don’t pretend like you’re the victim here,” I snapped. “You agreed to this, too.”

“I agreed,” he gritted, still not looking at me, “because I was cornered. I didn’t marry you because I wanted to. I married you because it was better than crawling back to my past.”

“Wow,” I breathed. “So I’m the lesser evil?”

Finally napatingin na rin siya sa akin. Ito na naman 'yung tingin na para akong sasaksakin sa mga titig niya. “No. You’re the convenient one. You’re the girl who doesn’t ask for love. Just security.”

I stared at him, stunned. “You don’t know a damn thing about me.”

“I know enough,” iritadong saad niya. “You didn’t even say no. Didn’t fight it. You were ready to sign your name the second the offer hit the table.”

Napayukom nalang ako ng kamao ko. Isa nalang talaga masusuntok ko na ang lalaking 'to. “I signed because I had no choice.”

“Same,” mariing sambit niya. “So let’s stop pretending either of us is noble.”

The silence that followed wasn’t quiet. It screamed between us.

Inirapan ko nalang siya at ibinaling ang tingin sa bintana. Nagsimula ng umambon, banayad sa una, tapos biglang lumakas. What a perfect timing for this dramatic life.

He leaned back against the leather seat. “You’ll have everything you need, Ingrid. The press, the power, the protection. But don’t expect anything more from me.”

“Good,” I mumbled coldly. “Because the last thing I want is anything from you.”

A bitter smile tugged at his lips. “Perfect match, then.”

Pagdating namin sa condo, bumuhos nang mas malakas ang ulan. The car stopped in front of a private high-rise in the city. Polished and intimidating just like him.

Leonhardt stepped out first, walked around, and opened my door. His expression is unreadable. He held out an umbrella.

“Seriously?” I muttered, glaring at him. “Trying to play the gentleman now?”

“This isn’t for you,” he replied coolly. “It’s to keep the contract from dissolving in water.”

I froze. Boom. Right there. The truth, sharp and merciless. Hindi niya ako pinoprotektahan. Hindi niya ako mahal. Gosh, sino ba naman ako para mahalin ng ganitong kadali? I’m just paper to him. A signature. A deal sealed with ink.

My chest tightened, but I refused to let it show. I stared at the umbrella, then walked past him without taking it.

I stepped out, letting the rain pour down on me, cold drops soaking my back, my arms, and my scalp. He didn’t move. He just stood there, holding the umbrella like it didn’t matter whether I drowned or disappeared.

We reached the entrance drenched. Wala ni isang ngiti kahit pagbati manlang. Wala ring mainit na pagtanggap. Just security nodding at Leonhardt. Business world really svcks. I'm nearly stomping my foot with that.

A private elevator took us straight to the top floor. Pagdating namin sa hallway, everything was glass, steel, and silence. The condo was massive, cold as the iceberg, glossy, and of course expensive. Pwedi ko na siyang gawing sugar daddy. Haisttt, wala manlang kahit anong palatandaan na may tao sa loob. Walang larawan na naka display. Walang kulay. Just emptiness. Ganito ba talaga ang taong 'to? Parang daig pa siya ng robot sa pagkacreative.

“This is home,” he muttered.

Home. What a lie. He led me down the hallway and stopped in front of a door on the left.

“This is your room,” he pointed.

Napakunot noo ako. “What?”

He opened the door without further explanation.

I stepped inside slowly. The room was beautiful, a queen-sized bed, full-length windows with a view of the city, and warm lighting. But it still felt like a cage. Tahimik. Parang may yelo na ngang yumakap sa akin.

“You’ll sleep here,” he declared. “We sleep in separate rooms. That’s the arrangement.”

He didn’t even wait for my reply. Just pointed across the hall. “My room’s there. If you need anything, call the staff. Not me.”

He turned to walk away.

“Leonhardt,” I called voice almost a whisper. “Wala bang kahit konting respeto dito?”

He paused but didn’t turn around. “I gave you a home, a name, and protection. Don’t ask for the respect you never earned.”

His footsteps faded into the silence.

I stood in the center of the room, dripping wet, completely alone. I changed into a robe hanging in the closet, ang lambot nila. Parang ngayon ko lang na realize na baka hindi na 'to nababagay sa akin. Probably, this is worth more than a semester of my degree. I sat at the edge of the bed, strands of wet hair sticking to my cheeks.

Then I remembered everything he said. You’re the convenient one. Don’t expect anything more from me.

Ang sakit. Hindi dahil gusto ko siya. Pero kahit hindi ko siya gusto, wala akong karapatang masaktan.

And still, I was. I laid back on the cold, unfamiliar bed and stared at the ceiling.

But the silence only made my skin itch, this time parang hindi dahil sa lamig, kundi dahil sa bigat ng araw. I sat up with a sigh and glanced around the room again, eyes scanning every corner.

That’s when I saw it. My luggage. Nandoon na pala. Someone must’ve brought it up while we were arguing, or maybe habang nakatulala ako sa ulan.

I dragged it closer to the bed and unzipped it, the sound echoing in the stillness.

Inside is a familiar bottle, rolled-up clothes, and the faint scent of lavender from the sachet my mom insisted on hiding inside. I dug around until I found my skincare kit, still intact.

My fingers paused over the serums, creams, and the routine that once made me feel human.

Gamit na gamit na at paulit-ulit na rinaragasa. It was the only ritual I had left, something that reminded me I still existed.

So I stood in front of the mirror, hair still damp, and put my skincare on my face like nothing was falling apart. Like I was still me. Even if everything else had changed.